How To Evaluate Repertoire Difficulty
Have you ever had a student get stalled on a piece, even though you know he is practicing?
Assigning students repertoire that is too difficult can lead to
frustration,
loss of motivation,
and even physical injury due to technical demands.
In my previous post, I shared my newest resource for piano teachers, my Repertoire Difficulty Worksheet. I wanted to introduce it more fully here. This worksheet asks several questions to help you see everything on a musical score and compare those elements to what your student already knows and has encountered.
What makes a piece of piano repertoire hard?
When I’m sizing up a piece, the main areas I consider are:
Rhythm - We all know that rhythm is one of the most crucial elements of music, and it can be easy to overlook complexities when looking at a new piece. Quickly evaluating things such as the smallest note value and syncopation can help us decide if a student is ready for a piece of repertoire.
Pitch - It’s easy to forget that basics such as pitch range and complexity of harmony can thwart a student’s learning of a new piece. If your student is learning primarily through reading (and not by rote), you will need to know if the pitch content will be comfortable for her, or if there are specific areas in which she’ll need help.
Technique - While we want our students to be continually learning new skills and progressing in their technical ability, I recommend that we take care to avoid overwhelming them with new skills. We want to help our students choose repertoire that they can fluidly and masterfully play.
Style - The questions in this section will help you see if your student is prepared to observe expressive markings and execute any historical performance practice necessary. (Ornaments, anyone?) It’s always my hope that my students will go beyond accuracy in their playing to truly expressing themselves. If the piece I assign is too difficult in any of these four areas, it will be difficult for the student to get beyond the point of just “playing the notes.”
How hard is too hard?
Since we want our students to be constantly growing, we are often looking for the next challenge for them and assigning increasing difficult repertoire. If there is one element in a piece that your student has not yet encountered, then the selected piece is probably a great vehicle for working on that. Two new elements might also be possible to navigate.
However, if you’re seeing three, four, or more skills and concepts that will be new for your student, then the piece is probably too hard.
Fill out the form here to receive your free worksheet. Let me know if I’ve missed an important element that you look for in new repertoire!
