“You can’t play that yet.”
At times, they are the worst words you can hear as a music student. But there’s always a reason – even if it isn’t obvious at first.
If you’re learning to play an instrument, chances are you started because either a) your parents forced you, or more likely b) because there was some song that inspired you to pick that instrument. That’s a wonderful thing to have: inspiration. The only problem is that achieving that “goal piece” takes more than inspiration; it also takes perspiration.
What you want to play and what you need to play are two distinct things. For example, in a piano lesson, there will typically be some finger exercises, scales, repertoire and then, finally, something for “fun.” You may want to play the Harry Potter theme, a Beatles tune or something elegant by Chopin, but if your fingers are still tripping over a C major scale and triads, this isn’t going to happen yet.
The difficulty comes in when what you want and what you need are very far apart. Especially for beginners, this is disheartening. A lot of the time, students feel that their teachers don’t understand what they want, or worse, that they don’t care.
If you have a caring, professional teacher, then you must remember that we most definitely care about your well being as a musician, along with keeping you on a path we know can lead you to the success you want. Sometimes that path involves things you may not expect, or necessarily like at first. Please know that your teacher truly does want what’s best for you in the long run.
So the next time you ask to play that Adele song, or that Beethoven sonata and we say, “Not just yet,” remember: it’s not forever. We’ll get you there. We promise.
