It's Time to Plant!!!
This is something important to keep in mind when you are learning a new skill on the piano...especially when it seems like it is taking a long time. Please feel free to share your thoughts and advice below : )
P.S. My beard is little out of control today...oops...
Video Summary
A great motivational quote by Robert Lewis Stevenson “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant”. When playing the piano, I know that it applies to how we are designed. I work on something all day and I can’t do something I’ve been working on. But when I wake up the next day, my hands can do it. Sometimes the results are not immediate. You have to work on things day after day, but you still don’t get it.
Practicing the piano can feel this way. You might want to throw your piano away after you have practiced a song so many times. Remember that you are building muscle memory in your hands and in your arms. It is important to practice, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re improving at all.
Your hands have a mind of their own. One day, your hands will do something so cool and you’ll be amazed. It will just happen out of the blue, but suddenly you will just get it. Keep working and keep building that muscle memory. Plant those seeds by practicing and eventually you will reap the harvest.
A great motivational quote by Robert Lewis Stevenson “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant”. When playing the piano, I know that it applies to how we are designed. I work on something all day and I can’t do something I’ve been working on. But when I wake up the next day, my hands can do it. Sometimes the results are not immediate. You have to work on things day after day, but you still don’t get it.
Practicing the piano can feel this way. You might want to throw your piano away after you have practiced a song so many times. Remember that you are building muscle memory in your hands and in your arms. It is important to practice, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re improving at all.
Your hands have a mind of their own. One day, your hands will do something so cool and you’ll be amazed. It will just happen out of the blue, but suddenly you will just get it. Keep working and keep building that muscle memory. Plant those seeds by practicing and eventually you will reap the harvest.
16 Comments on “Plant Seeds for Piano Skill”
The good Reverend, Charles F Stanley always quotes the law of sowing and reaping. ” You reap what you sow, more than you sow and later than you sow”. I think you just gave a perfect illustration of that law. 🙂 Back in the day , I heard Johnny Rivers version of Huey “piano” Long “Rockin Pnemonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” The piano, especially the intro lick, played by Wrecking Crew pianist, Larry Knetchel, is one of the coolest piano licks ever. It took me forever to figure out the lick, and over two years to perfect it . If only pianochops.com had been around when I was trying to figure out the beautiful and immensely hard instrument . 🙂
Thanks for your wonderful site.
Thank you for that reminder. Yes!! I have noticed this as well. Such an exciting feeling when it happens! I was recently very ill for 3 months with sepsis. My cognitive skills were/are shot. I recently joined my church worship team and have been afraid to try playing for fear of all I’ve lost. Needed that muscle memory reminder. I love the presence of the Holy Spirit in your voice and playing. Every new song I’m learning I look up your website first and glean fresh ideas I can incorporate into my own style. Thank you for all you do! Excellent work!
Thank you so much for this. I beat myself up all the time because I have a learning disability and don’t have the money for classes. I’ve always wanted to learn piano and wished to God that someone would give me lessons and mentor me but never had anyone that would. I agree with you 100 percent after seeing this video I recall one time at my job trying and trying to figure something out and couldn’t all day I worked on it and read so much material. At the end of the day I closed my computer. Sord of gave up but didn’t. Came in the next day and gave it a second attempt. What would it hurt? I thought. I still till today don’t know what I did different but I looked like a tech person in an instant I was able to get computer running downloaded what I needed and was able to help the staff.
So now after I saw your video it makes me think. The days I practiced and struggled I never came back the next day because I felt like maybe its not meant to be. I love music this has alwayd been my life long dream (crying) in all honesty my music was taken away from me during a music lesson as a child and I was raped. My mother never knew and I was threatened not to say anything . I’m now 51 and still dreaming.
Thank you Wade you are awesome teacher , and man of God wo yeah
Thank you for this VBLOG! That explains a whole lot! It’s like you work on it, then while you rest, God works it out and BAM! The next day you reap what you sow. That’s good to know and comforting too, so I can reassure my students that they will get it too. Thanks -Shua
Than u so much for the lesson
Thanks a tonne! Everything you said is so true and amazing. Very enCouraged. God continue to bless you,keep you, his hand be upon you always as he enlarges your territory.
Thankyou, very encouraging. God bless the work you’re doing.
Music and singing is a huge struggle for me. I can honestly say your presence on the web has given me a place to start learning some well known songs. My goal is to be able to lead two hour prayer sets in houses of prayer much like David’s musicians and singers did during his time. I’m 64 years old but with God all things are possible. Thanks
Maria I understand what you have been through I hope you have healed from that wound
So true, Wade.
If you are determine to help yourself, God will do the rest. I started learning the piano at 60 and your site has helped me to play with confidence and now I can play and sing my favourite worship songs at my leisure. Your teachings has helped me with acquiring the confidence and playing the piano.
Sometimes, it seemed hard but the more you practise the more you reap. Hallelujah.
God bless you Wade.
Hi Maria,
You sound so passionate about music and wanting to keep playing and improving. YOU CAN DO IT ! If I can make progress then you definitely can (!) and the sowing and reaping message is so useful.
Be very blessed and know that you are loved and precious.
God bless you.
Thank you so much, Wade. You are an inspiration to me!!
Much Love!
Hi Wade,
I couldn’t agree more. A valuable lesson I’ve tried teaching to my young ones as well. As is common, they get a bit “stubborn” when they don’t learn something right away and give up. Three of my children are learning guitar and I have to remind them everyday not to give up.
In addition, your site has helped me “sow the seeds.” I was classically trained as a child. I love playing but always felt I needed to download “sheet music” to do anything. If I knew a song real well, I found myself getting a little “crazy” and not playing exactly what was written (a good thing). I couldn’t do that with worship music. When my church asked me to consider joining the band, I said no. Eventually, I found your site and said yes and the rest is history. There’s a much longer story here that I think is a great testimony, but I’ll save that for later.
Thank you and God bless!
Wow! Thanks Paul! But…I think it’s “later”…I would love to hear the testimony. : )
Blessed to have so many great people on the site!
Wade