Since we’re on the subject of piano and musical instruments, it’s not necessary for you to practice stuff you don’t like to get good. There really isn’t. If your teacher is making you do a ton of scales and nonmusical etudes, they’re doing it wrong and living in the 19th century. If you really can’t find music you like to practice for your instrument, that instrument is probably not for you.
If you want to be good but just abhor practicing at all you’re more fixated on the idea of success than you are making music. If you don’t find joy in practice than you’re better off as a listener/consumer.
I’ve self-taught myself to play a few pieces that are relatively easy in the realm of piano music but WAY harder (and vastly more interesting) than the rinky dink stuff my piano teacher had me practice.
I can play the Christmas song “Silver Bells” pretty well, and Fur Elise and the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata.
But I had barely progressed beyond Mary Had A Little Lamb (with harmony) in piano lessons. It was torture.
My parents forced me and my brother to take piano lessons. It was an absolute waste of time and effort for me. I hated it. My parents forced me to practice at least 30 minutes a day, and those were the longest 30 minutes of my life.
Then, during college, I became interested in playing the piano, of music that I like (movie soundtracks, etc). And I learned, albeit slowly, by myself.
Now I’m no longer interested again. So I don’t play.
That seems like a terrible experience with piano lessons. My first recital, at 7 or so, I played a version of the blue Danube, which was a few months into lessons.
Piano was always highly enjoyable for me. I quit because my teacher wanted me to take it more seriously than I wanted to, around 12 or 13. I didn’t want to be a music major in college and didn’t want to be a classical pianist or teach piano lessons.
I don’t really have regrets about that. Sometimes I know I could have been very good at it, but I also know it would have been a huge commitment, and my life would be very different now, and I’m happy with my life as it is. I spent the rest of middle school and high school getting really into competitive writing and math clubs, which were my true passions. Unfortunately, most of us just can’t do it all.
my piano teacher purposely did not make me do a lot of scales or really any scales at all. she thought they were boring.
i’m a big proponent of making kids take piano lessons at least a little bit. i guess if they truly hate it and refuse to practice, there isn’t much you can do to force them, but i think it’s a good idea to encourage it.
When my kids were young, I “made” them take piano lessons. I rarely made them practice.
The only time I made them practice was when they had committed to a performance. “You agreed to do this - you need to honor that commitment to your teacher/group and do your part and practice.” (Often not spoken that diplomatically when they were teens )
Once my daughter had a recital and barely rehearsed for it. She bombed it and she knew it. Drove that lesson home well.
My rule was: You will take regular music lessons and you will do one regular activity that is physical. Pick what you want to do and commit to a season of it.
I chose piano when they were young but they got to choose other instruments later and then I let them drop piano. My goals were: Learn to appreciate music and experience the joy of making music. I never cared how good they got at it. Both stayed with instruments of their choice through HS and beyond. Neither will ever be a professional musician but my goals have been met in spades.
We had a limit of one actuvity,two if they wanted. No piano, that just seems like torture to me.
My son took up the banjo when he was older. Frankly I think it was just so he could go to c and w festivals and get laid. Once he got a regular gf the banjo got sold.
okay, well, i still disagree that learning the basics of piano is torture. i appreciate that my mother made me do it. my sister wasn’t as into it, but i bet she doesn’t have any lasting scars from being forced to take piano lessons as a kid. she’s considering buying a piano when she buys a new apartment and taking it up again too. It’s way easier to learn the basics as a kid and then pick it up again later, than start from scratch as an adult.
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