Just returned from my first lesson the new term. My teacher gave me three different Hanon exercises to start work on and two new pieces. I felt like saying 'easy on here', but I didn't realise until I got home what lies ahead of me. I may forget about everything except piano this week!!

Seriously, should I tell him that its just too much especially when I like to work on other pieces of my own also.

Everyone is different. I would feel overwhelmed by too much too quickly - others are invigorated. Maybe your teacher thought that you'd be in the invigorated camp.

I would probably work on one Hanon, and one piece, and only move onto the other work if I have time.

I think it would be better to do less well than to try to do too much.
Do say if you think you are being asked to do too much at a time.

The risk is that you could spend the next 24/7 on all your homework, with the result that when you go back next week having made a passable attempt at everything, your teacher will think you've found it easy and will give you more After a few weeks of this when I first started, I talked to my teacher about it, who hadn't realised I was feeling under pressure with it all. Because I'd been going back with it all sorted, he thought I wasn't being challenged enough so kept giving me more and more each week

Picking up something that you've said in another thread, I'm wondering if you either didn't tell your teacher that you wanted to do some jazz by ear, or you did tell him (and he's given you all this homework to keep you from getting distracted into jazz ) If you start playing jazz by ear, plus the other pieces of your own that you mention, something else has to make way for it, and there *are* only 24/7 hours a week... Don't we just wish there were more

I would be inclined, from what I've got from the tone of your post, to work on just a few bits of what he's set you. You can always then say 'I've worked on abc, but haven't really got xyz looked at properly because I've been working on abc so much'.

I have instructions to play some stuff purely for fun this week.

I've just had my first lesson for about 6 years! It was absolutely fantastic - I was beaming when i came out.

Really, really pleased with my teacher, I think she is going to be great. She was really encouraging but still managed to correct a few bad habits and helped me sound so much better in the space of just 30 mins! And it makes so much difference having an oboe specialist!

Lots of new things to practice, but after doodling around for the last couple of weeks feeling I ought to practise but not really knowing what I should be practising, it feels great to have something to focus on!

Very, very glad that I've decided to start lessons again - I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them.

Brilliant !!

That's what it's all about

On September 8th this year I had to step back from piano lessons due to my parents ill health. I told my teacher that I couldn't focus on lessons because of this and now that things have improved a lot with both of them I resume lessons next Tuesday 27th Oct.

In the period that I was not attending lessons my focus on piano was all over the place and I couldn't discipline myself to learn anything worthwhile.

I'm so glad to be going back.

Glad to hear your parents' health is improving, Ragtime Clown.

Enjoy your lessons - hope things continue to go well for you now.

My sentiments too, Ragtime Clown. And if you still feel a bit pressurised when you go back, maybe you could ask your teacher if you could have fortnightly lessons. Not all teachers would agree to this, but mine did and it's helped a lot.

I like to do my own stuff too, and sometimes I end up neglecting what I've been set which results in me staying up until the wee hours at the weekend to get it done. I find it embarassing if I turn up to a lesson without having done what I've been asked to do...

The problem is, I now have something like 15 pieces that I've started on but haven't finished (I have a bad habit of liking stuff that is 4-5 pages long), and there are several more I want to start soon, plus I have exams looming... Once exams are finished, I think I will have to make a push to get the backlog cleared as it's now getting me down a bit to be honest. I need a few weeks off work to get things done!