[font=Comic Sans Ms] I am feeling so down about my todays piano lesson. My teacher has just returned from
her holiday. My theory was okish, but my practical was rubbish, I could'nt to any thing right. I have been on one particular piece for weeks. I can't pedal correctly, She made me slow down as I kept stopping, my time was ok when I didn't stop. I had to play to her clapping really difficult as it was so slow. It is only about grade 3 piece and not particularly hard !

As she says all pieces are hard if you can't do it ! She is usually encouraging. I am wondering if it is just beyond me. Though in spite of everything I enjoy it and get on well with my teacher. She does have her "picky moments, I know for my benefit.

I am doing grade 7 theory questions in the previous years . I am 67yrs old. I have been learning for 9 years. How long does it take !!!???

Tomorrow I will be ok I expect but at least I have got it off my chest !!

Any suggestions to help my flagging confidence again.

We all have that sort of lesson from tine to time.
I find it harder to get things together when there's been a gap between lessons too... sometimes it feels like the3 first lesson with a new teacher again for some reason.

First of all congratulations on starting as an adult and well done on keeping it up! It is so easy for many to give up in the first year or so because they think they will never get there. You obviously do like playing piano a lot and you stuck with it, well done!
You say that the piece you had to play was about grade 3 standard, but is that the standard you are at or are you usually at a higher level with your playing??
You are asking how long does it take? to get where may I ask? to feel that you can always play beautifully with no difficulty? then the answer would probably be 'never'
If you have had a break in practice and lessons it is normal to feel 'rubbish' with your playing when you get going again, it happens to most of us, I am having one of those phases right now where I am feeling it is all too hard and it is taking too long but I know it is just a phase so when I feel like this I 'kind of throw away' my serious books and take some funny/light ones and learn fun slightly easier pieces to feel good again, then I get back to my challenges a few days later, it usually works for me, try it

Don't worry about it Elisabethann!
After a great lesson next week, you'll wonder why you were bothered!

I'm only slightly younger and have slightly less playing time under my belt, so I know exactly how you feel. It can look so easy on paper, but be so hard to play. But you're having a go, and enjoying it. Play something for yourself that you're good at and play it well - that will boost your confidence.

I think when teacher's away, everyone relaxes and maybe doesn't do quite so much practice - or at least I do. Suddenly that two weeks has gone and you've not done all the practice you might have done in two seperate weeks. That's why we go to lessons I suppose!

As for how long does it take.......? For ever I guess!

A

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am beginning to think it is all too hard, but as with yourself I shall plod on as I do enjoy it. I am feeling better now I have got it off my chest. I don't like to talk to my teacher as she may say give up your awful. Would she no!
I don't get any encouragement from my family which is hurtful but there we go, I must stop being such a misery and just get on with it.

It is a shame that you don't get encouragement from your family, I can simpathise how much harder it is when you don't have any moral support around you...it is already difficult for me at times and I have my son who tells me how well I am getting on with piano and violin and how good I sound and how much I have improved. I sometimes play to friends and they also tell me they can hear my progress, I also have video-taped myself on youtube.com and showed this to my brother (who lives abroad), he was impressed as he hasn't heard me playing in about 6 months and was amazed by the improvement!
Encouragement from others is a very supportive thing to have.
Could you do the same as me and play sometimes to friends? Don't know if you have the luxury of friends nearby who are willing to listen to you I surely would come along but I am a long way from you
Keep in touch with us on the Forum, it's nice to hear from you. Come and post on the Viva Piano forum as well

I was also an adult learner as far as piano is concerned. I think it just takes longer for adults to learn what children can assimilate more quickly. Certainly this is my experience with adult violinists that I teach.

If it's just this particular piece that's causing you so much grief, perhaps you could leave it for a while and come back to it later? (Or not?) Play pieces you really enjoy for now, and you will get over this phase.

When I started re-learning again, playing both hands together was not something that I had to think about or work on (although reading two staves still defeats me most of the time ). However, talking to other adults that have come from no piano or other musical background whatsoever, playing both hands together is quite a challenge and may take ages to come together.

Everyone progresses at different rates. There are hurdles that are different for each individual but things do have a tendency to 'click' if you work on them. I personally find the pedal on my piano teacher's piano a real pain as it's really sensitive (all or nothing but don't tell her that!) so consequently there are some pieces that I play terribly at hers, and the constant 'nagging' interrupts your flow.

Stick with it. Carry on enjoying it. If you find yourself getting frustrated, play simpler pieces for a time and then go back to the piece that you were learning - you'll find yourself refreshed after leaving it for a while (it helps me to do this anyhow - and at least you keep on playing............)

xxx