Pianists and the Power of Delayed Gratification

You’ve got to learn the notes before you play them quickly. It’s something I’ve known my entire musical life. Still, knowing this (and having taught it for years) didn’t stop me recently from tearing through a piece I’ve got half learned. Of course it fell apart. Of course I ended up faking bits in order to make it to the ends of messy, chaotic phrases. Once again, I’d fallen prey to one of my biggest pianistic challenges: my wish for instant gratification.

When asked about what traits people must possess in order to become accomplished pianists, most of us list, among other things, talent, intelligence, physical dexterity, and a keen interest in music. Hardly anyone mentions the ability to delay gratification. Perhaps that’s because we live in a society that runs on instant gratification. Want something? Anything? We’re conditioned to expect it delivered to our doorstep—in exactly the form we wish to see it—immediately. The inability to delay gratification is why we eat too much and exercise too little. It’s why we make fast, shallow decisions and quick judgments. As everything from entertainment to shopping to communications gets faster and faster, we’re losing the ability to wait for what we want—that is, if we ever possessed it at all. 

Learning to play the piano is a study in learning to delay gratification. Anyone can get a piano to make sound, but it takes years of patient work to create music. I’m aware that there are blessed individuals out there who entered life predisposed to delay gratification, but the rest of us need training if we want to develop the patience to wait for what we want. Thankfully it’s possible to learn how to delay gratification without feeling frustrated or deprived. Here are some of the things that work for me; perhaps you’ll find them useful as well.

Assess your commitment to the piece

Long-term projects require long-term commitment. Finishing them requires us to truly desire the goal of playing the piece well. It’s easy, in the beginning, to get caught up in the excitement of a new composition. It’s after the newness wears off that our enthusiasm begins to lag. That’s where we have to decide (sometimes several times) if we’re willing to do the work needed in order to play to the best of our ability. The question I ask myself in those moments is, “do you want to play with the big girls?” By this I mean, am I willing to practice like an elite artist rather than a casual player? If I can’t answer “yes,” it’s an indication that I’m not truly committed to the piece and that it’s best if I choose to learn something else.

Set shorter goals

Learning a long piece of music can feel like climbing a mountain…without water…in the hot sun… We want to rush to the top of it right away, even when we know we need to work our way through the score one measure at a time. This is why I do two things when I’m learning a big composition: I map out short-term goals within the piece, and I add a shorter companion piece to my practice schedule so that I have the satisfaction of finishing something quickly. This formula is the only way I’ve been able to learn multi-movement compositions such as sonatas and concertos without giving up at the end of the first movement.

Be truthful about what you don’t know

When we’ve got the piece 85% learned, it’s tempting to try to coast through the bits we don’t know and rely on luck and the alignment of the stars to land us on the right notes at the right time. As this isn’t a sustainable performance habit, we owe it to the music and ourselves to be brutally honest about where we’re faking our way through the notes when we play the piece. This “faking it” trap happens to pianists at all levels of playing. One of the most powerful examples of truth-telling came from a concert pianist friend who had to postpone a recording session she’d flown across country to do because, in her words, “I didn’t know my left hand notes.” The difference between sloppy performers and solid pianists frequently lies in the player’s decision to slow down and learn that final 15%.

End practice time by playing music you know

Learning new music can be simultaneously exciting and frustrating. Sometimes, after a particularly rough rehearsal, it’s easy to feel discouraged and start doubting our ability to play anything well. This frustration is why I choose to end my practice time with music I know well. It’s my reward for the hard work of studying new repertoire, and it’s a timeless reminder of why I love to play the piano.

As with anything worth learning, delaying gratification isn’t a “one-and done” fix. It’s a lifetime journey. It’s listening to ourselves and the music critically and compassionately. It’s asking ourselves what we’re willing to give up to achieve our goals. Most of all, it’s about facing the truth of what we find in ourselves and in our ability to execute the music we’re playing.