How long?

[kay-lister]

What is the longest you have worked on a piece before you “Got it”? I mean REALLY crossed over that hump and GOT IT.
Also, what was the piece?

Kay

[Sylvia]

I worked five summers on Begin the Beguine. (I was still working at the school during that time.) I can play it now, but for some reason, it wouldn’t stick.

[Abigail Kent]

The piece that took me the longest to really get really comfortable with was “Introduction et Allegro” by Ravel. I started learning it at the beginning of the school year last year, and that was basically the only piece my teacher and I worked on that year. This past summer was the first time I really understood and connected with the piece. I also improved it during the following fall and winter. I have just switched teachers this year, and I am working at improving my harp skills before going to conservatory, so if I were to have learned the piece now, I fell that I might get a handle on it faster. This is partly because I’ve been trying to learn lots of repertoire in the past 4 months and have attempted to learn each piece quickly, while still accomplishing the musical aspects of the piece (interpretation, tempo, accuracy, dynamics, etc.).

[Angela Biggs]

Frank Voltz’s Silent Night. Eighteen months. I spent six months on it, tried to perform it, and fell *flat* on my face (although that failure, like most successes, was the result of cooperation), but I kept going and finally nailed it in time for last Christmas. I am determined to keep the song in my Christmas repertoire just to prove it can’t lick me! lol

[deb-l]

I spent 6 months on Carolan’s Concerto arr by Dominig Bouchaud, to get it memorized, play fluidly to tempo. Well worth it, hope never to loose it from under my fingers. I worked on other pieces as well during that time. I needed to put everything else aside for 1 week and work on just that tune to get it memorized, it would have taken me less time but I like working on different pieces at the same time.

Angela, I have Frank Voltz’s silent night sheet. I started to learn it for Christmas this year and before too long realized I would need to put some serious time aside for it. Thanks for reminding me of it, maybe by this Christmas if I start working on it now : ) Too many pieces on my list to learn..

[sherry-lenox]

Suzanne McDonald and Linda Rollo- Graded Recital Pieces, Books 1-5. I get excruciatingly frustrated with myself at times because I don’t progress with pieces as fast as I think I should. This wonderful series gives me beautiful, usable pieces that are full of preliminary skills leading to technique that I need for harder repertoire. EX.- I’ve been working on the first of Tournier’s Six Noels for months. I love it, I practice it, I improve at what I consider a snail’s pace. So I go to Book 2 of Graded Recital Pieces and play Composition #1 for a few days, and after doing so, the Tournier pedaling begins to make more sense to my feet, AND, I have a lovely piece ready to play if I need it.

I’m so happy to have found this series! If you haven’t seen it, try to get a look.

I obviously answered this question backwards. I’ve worked on this Tournier for a LONG time, at least several months. Not expecting to finish it until Christmas. Or maybe Christmas ’14.

[phill-w]

I’ve been working on something up and down the last decade!! That is however partly due to a massive gap in playing the harp, living abroad etc. But even now I find that I go back to pieces I’ve been playing a while and see new things in them. Life is one long learning experience!

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