Is this piece too hard for me? Let's figure it out with Dominic
We’ve all been there.
You sit down to practice and start wondering…
Did I choose something that’s actually right for me? Or am I just fighting the piece the whole time?
This live session is about answering that question honestly.
We’ll look at what “too hard” really means — not just technically, but musically and mentally. Sometimes a piece feels difficult because it’s pushing you in the right way. Other times, it’s just not the right fit (at least not yet).
I’ll talk through how to tell the difference, what to look for in your own playing, and how to adjust without losing momentum.
You can bring questions about:
- A piece you’re currently working on
- Something that’s been feeling frustrating or unclear
- Or just your own experience of getting stuck
We’ll work through real examples and questions together.
If you’ve ever felt unsure whether to keep going or step back, this is the time to figure it out!
51 replies
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Could this topic have been inspired in part by the Transcendental Etudes thread? 😅
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The picture for this event is perfect - lol!
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Hi Dominic,
Little backstory before my question…
I played piano from middle school and early highschool (5-6 years?). The most difficult pieces I could play back then would be the Schubert impromptus op. 90 no. 2 & 4. I was largely into romantic and contemporary pieces back then.
Long behold, I had a 15 year hiatus; leading to current me who was surprised by how much I remembered about reading music.
I started playing the Bach’s little preludes and then went onto the inventions; I found them challenging in their own right as far as fingering and hand independence. I took this piece to a piano teacher who asked what pieces I played back when I was younger. She concluded that the Bach inventions were too easy for me and to try Bach’s Harpsichord concerto no. 1.
I looked at the piece and gasped. I told her this is too difficult for me; that I haven’t played piano in a long time. She didn’t push it on me.
Weeks later, I decided to give the piece a try and with much effort was able to play it decently; still some wrong notes, slip-ups, and below ideal tempo. There are passages that are frustrating because I sometimes can play it perfectly and sometimes cannot. Do not know why…
All in all, I was shocked at how much I underestimated myself. I do not believe I can play it at a performance level but I definitely have learned the notes. My current teacher even told me this is probably one of the most virtuosic baroque keyboard work; I was surprised.
So here comes the question:
1. Is English Suite no. 2 & 3 preludes and/or Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue too difficult for me?
2. How useful is the Henle difficulty scale?
3. Are some periods of music more difficult on a technical level vs. musical?
4. If one can play a piece perfectly at a slower tempo but with much practice cannot at ideal tempo, is the piece considered too difficult?
5. Is a piece too difficult if it takes with much repeated practice to play it?
Sorry for the long post but thank you!
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I'm still pondering about what you said on learning ~2 pages a week ... would that be just the notes, or what other aspects do you consider when assessing the quality of those 2 pages learnt in that week?
For example, the Chopin Etude 10/4 I learnt last year - it took me about 4 weeks to be able to play from beginning to end at a very slow tempo. Then it took me many more months to crank up the tempo and fixed spots/techniques that fell apart at quicker tempi. In the end I worked on it continuously for about 8 months which is the longest I have stayed on any pieces ... and for 6 pages that's quite a lot of effort put into it (though my teacher said it's normal for students to spend a year working on an Etude ... as for me, it's well worth the time spent 🙂 ).
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Hi Priya! I think it’s a well spent time. This Etude is heavy. But it’s a good to improve technic. Recently I asked my teacher which Liszt piece he would recomment for improving my technic and he suggested ,Wilde Jagd‘ etude. I am not sure whether I will ever be able to play it, but I use now small parts to warm up. So maybe in one year. 😂
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I learned the first third of Wilde Jagd last year. I eventually decided it was too hard and gave up. I also learned the first 5 pages of Feux Follets.
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I understand you. I looked it over and at first glance I though the octave jumps near the end is the hardest part. So I have started with it. It’s an experiment. But I also think, you need to challenge yourself. Last year I have played Chopin sonata 3. It took me 10 month (~400 hours) to get it done (not memorized). And in the beginning it looked like, that the last movement it too heavy. But in this case I won. 💪 With Chopin piano concerto in e-minor I gave up on the first movement because of the last pages. Couldn’t make it in tempo. 🤷♀️
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the time spent on the piece with proper guidance definitely helped for sure :)
I suppose the piece is hard but still achievable (maybe not quite at the "ideal" tempo, though chasing the tempo at some point became a diminishing return).
PS: just had a look at Wilde Jagd and immediately put it in my "impossible" bucket 🤣
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I understand you. I am also not sure if I want to go for it seriously. I take it right now as my execise to warm up 10min with one passage/bar. For me the most ,impossible’ part is near the end. These octave jumps in tempo….🤯
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just looking at this score makes my forearms hurt. Re: the octave leaps in the first few measures, it seems like some of the bottom notes on the lower RH octaves could perhaps be punched in with the left hand.
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That’s a good idea! I‘ll try it. 👍
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Dominic has a great workshop addressing practice plans: https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/fall-reset-practice-plan-2025
He suggests there that if you find yourself spending X hours (I forget the number, but it's in the hundreds) trying to learn a piece, it may be worth considering whether it's too difficult for you. If you have hundreds of hours to spare, no problem, go for it, but for most of us, our practice time is all too scarce, and this level of attention on a single piece may be taking too many hours away from working on other pieces that could more constructively contribute to our improvement.
I believe there is value in reaching for pieces above your (assumed) present capabilities. You may surprise yourself, and you may actually improve your technique in the process. But it can also give you an "excuse" to gloss over the difficult parts (something I'm often guilty of), e.g. "Well I know this piece is above my level, so I'm not going to worry about learning this correctly".
So at the same time I also believe that there is great value in actually trying to perfect a piece that is already within your reach technically. The effort involved in trying to play something, note-perfectly, with full expression, from memory, can give you great insights and experience with learning and developing your skills, not to mention enhanced respect for a piece that you had previously thought was "easy".
P.S. I don't believe that playing something Note-Perfectly is necessary for performance, especially in our Tonebase concerts/challenges, but there is a great benefit to be derived from aspiring to that.
