Did you know that a lion’s hunting success rate is only 20%? It’s a startling fact considering the power of these enormous beasts. You wouldn’t think any animal would have a chance once a lion hunt begins.
But the truth is, lions are quitters… but not the bad kind of quitters. Nope, they are the “quit for the greater good” kind of quitters. They know that if they expend too much energy on an unsuccessful hunt, each subsequent hunt becomes more difficult. And before you know it… their survival is on the line.
Quitting Piano Pieces
But does this anecdote have any value in the piano teaching world? Is it possible for a piano student to be a “quit for the greater good” kind of quitter?
I think so…
Sometimes piano students find themselves tackling a piece that is simply too difficult or too uninspiring. To force these students to “finish what they start” can often lead to unhappiness and disinterest. Successful students are inspired students and you just never know what is going to inspire your students unless you experiment with different piano pieces.
It’s a fine balance. The lion who never attempts a hunt will die. The lion who attempts every hunt will die.
Can you help your piano students to be the lion that goes for the kill when it matters most?
I encourage my students to learn a wide variety of repertoire but there are always certain pieces which just don’t ‘click’ for one reason or another. My own memories of piano lessons as a child are of being confronted with the same piece week after week until I had flogged it to death. I would never do that with one of my students: if a student is really struggling with a piece, or simply does not like it, they will not benefit from learning it. And so we move on to something else…. A reduced version of Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s Perpetuum Mobile has proved a surprising hit in my studio this term. It’s fun to play and is great for practising rotary movement.
Hi CrossEyedPianist,
I think many of us remember those dreaded week-in-week-out “flog a dead horse” kind of lessons where that same piece was dragged out and no progress was really made. It’s one experience that I hope we won’t pass on to our own students! Thanks for the suggestion of the piece – I’ll look that one up!