Whether You’re an Adult or Teen Learning on Zoom or Right Here in Durham, You’re Not Alone
You’re sitting at the piano, looking at your music, and wondering…
“Why can’t I play this yet?”
If that sounds familiar, you are definitely not alone.
Many students come to me with a piece they really want to play. Maybe they heard it in a game, a film, at a concert, or from their favourite artist.
They feel excited and want to play it straight away.
But often, they don’t realise how complex it actually is.
It’s a bit like wanting to run a marathon before you’ve even started jogging.
So this is where we work together
You choose the destination.
I guide you along the path.
I always encourage a balance in your learning. Some pieces you choose because you love them. Some pieces I choose because they help you build the skills you need.
You absolutely can choose a piece that is harder than your current level.
That choice is always yours.
But here’s how to avoid feeling frustrated.
We check your TEA:
Time, Energy, and Attention
In simple terms:
- How much time can you give?
- How much energy do you have today?
- How much attention can you give?
If you choose a more difficult piece, it will take more of all three.
And that’s completely okay.
As long as you expect that, you won’t feel as frustrated.
At the start of learning a piece, I will guide you to take small, manageable steps.
But it’s very normal to feel excited and want to rush ahead so you can play the whole piece quickly.
When that happens, we often play too much, too soon, and too fast.
And that usually leads to more mistakes.
Mistakes don’t matter to me, because they are a natural part of learning.
And the truth is, every good musician you admire has made thousands of mistakes to get where they are.
But I understand that hearing wrong notes can feel uncomfortable, and that’s when frustration can start to creep in.
So if you choose a piece that really stretches you . . .
- It might not feel easy at first.
- It might take longer than you expect
- It might need more patience
That doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
It just means you’re learning something challenging.
The pieces I choose for you might not always feel as exciting at first
But they are there to help you improve step by step, so things feel easier and more natural as you go.
And over time, something really special happens…
You don’t just learn one piece.
You become someone who can learn any piece of music with confidence and less frustration.
So… which path do you wish to take?