Holiday Challenge Crash

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Kdctaylor
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2020 6:34 pm

Holiday Challenge Crash

Post by Kdctaylor » Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:12 pm

I was really enjoying these lessons and was halfway through rookie bootcamp, going through the reading music course and really getting confident in my ablities while having fun. Then the Holiday challenge came along and I felt pushed, rushed and stupid. When I finally completed the challenge I realized I had simply memorized it. Now that I'm back to the lessons and I'm lost. Any suggestions for getting back on track and having this be fun again?

EFlatMajor
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:51 pm

Re: Holiday Challenge Crash

Post by EFlatMajor » Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:35 pm

Hello kdctaylor,

Congrats on completing the holiday challenge. Most people don't. I didn't. I made it as far as the outtro at the end. Maybe I'll finish it next Christmas.

The challenges are exactly that - challenges. They are not really lessons even though you have an instructor. When I did the challenge, it took all my practice time each day except for my warmup. I got 0 bootcamp lessons done during the challenge.

To get yourself back on track, play some really easy stuff for a day or two. Lessons you already completed, courses like the Hanon exercises in slow mode or 1-octave scales. Maybe even the 50 famous melodies. Just the easiest stuff you can find that you can power through and get your "sea legs" back.

I understand what you mean about the challenges. There is that self-imposed pressure of trying to keep up when new videos and sheet music appear each day. Falling behind is very difficult to undo. I still think they are worth it though and will continue to do them. Remember too that the challenges are for people of all skill levels, so as you progress through the bootcamp into Intermediate and Advanced, the challenges will feel much more manageable and doable.

Whatever you decide to do, do not give up and try to practice every day. From my experience, piano skills start to deteriorate after 2 days of not playing.

Good luck.

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sw1tch73ch
Posts: 539
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2016 1:23 pm

Re: Holiday Challenge Crash

Post by sw1tch73ch » Wed Jan 06, 2021 7:52 am

Kdctaylor wrote:
Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:12 pm
I was really enjoying these lessons and was halfway through rookie bootcamp, going through the reading music course and really getting confident in my ablities while having fun. Then the Holiday challenge came along and I felt pushed, rushed and stupid. When I finally completed the challenge I realized I had simply memorized it. Now that I'm back to the lessons and I'm lost. Any suggestions for getting back on track and having this be fun again?
I'll chime in too.

I didn't finish the Challenge either. I only completed two of the medley songs, "Joy to the World" and "Jingle Bells" - I didn't even complete the section of joining them together, or even start the "Hark the Heralds" segment. I'm half walk through the Intermediate Boot Camp and was working on the Intermediate version of the Challenge. It took me more than one day on several of the daily lessons to get through and by the end of the challenge window, those added up.
== Just keep playing. Just keep playing. Just keep playing, playing, playing! ==

-- jbs --

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