Schumann said, "endeavour to play easy pieces well and with elegance; that is better than to play difficult pieces badly”, something I've made a significant part of my practice, and an ongoing pursuit I'm finding most satisfying. I have about 12-15 pieces in my repertoire somewhat below my technical level which I'm always trying to improve, more even chords, better melodic shaping etc.

Why do we amateurs play every day without even a chance to ever be noticed, and spend a lot time, and money? The answer to myself is that except for a good meditation (which is unbeatable), I feel so much joy in detecting the beauty of the music, of my own increasingly sensible playing. So, it is a kind of inner entertainment -- so much more fun than watching rubbish in the TV. And sometimes, I play to the family or friends. And the view to everything in life changes after a good intense practice. I change over time to better with such practice.

Really helpful for where I am now. I'm 65, played seriously from ages 8 to 18, then didn't play at all until 2020 when I took it up again. A few months back I started lessons with a fantastic teacher who basically has me tearing down everything I thought I knew technique-wise, and rebuilding from scratch. It's exciting and rewarding but at my age, when I have a "2-steps-forward, 3-steps-back" practice session, it's sometimes hard to avoid feeling discouraged. Your words (and Casals's words!) helped -- *thank you* and please keep up your wonderful work!

Wonderful video, Josh, full of wisdom and kindness.

You are so wonderful teacher and pianist. I love all your episodes and learn so much from you! Thank you so very much Josh!

Always Inspiring! That Neil Gaiman speech you mentioned changed my life a few years back. On the "world class musicians having struggles" point, I always remember this (excerpt) poem by Charles Bukowski, How to Be a Great Writter: "and remember the old dogs who fought so well: Hemingway, Celine, Dostoevsky, Hamsun. If you think they didn't go crazy in tiny rooms just like you're doing now without women without food without hope then you're not ready. drink more beer. there's time. and if there's not that's all right too."

Thank you for this video. I just lost badly in a competition that was very important to me, and this is helping me get back on my feet after my dramatic tear filled pity party

i’m a 15 year old pianist and everyone thinks i am very talented but truthfully, i don’t feel that way at all. i feel horrible about my playing abilities because i know i could be so much better and i also feel ashamed of my lack of knowledge even though i’ve been in lessons since i was 5. i constantly feel like there’s something wrong with me and that other pianists just “get things” so much easier (although i really don’t know whether that’s the case). my mom thinks i’m just “humble” but i seriously have horrible self esteem when it comes to my playing and it impedes on my ability to perform because it makes me so nervous. sorry this was more of a rant haha but thanks so much for your videos josh.

when you hear pieces that bring you to tears as pianist, i think it becomes your duty to replicate what you’ve heard, and instill those feelings into others. others that may never even listen to piano in their normal lives

I woke up kinda depressed today in my music pursuits-this video came in the right moment. Thank you josh!

Newsflash: I was good enough for churches of every denomination except LDS, (No opportunity, and in our area they already have fine musicians), as well as three Synagogues, a voice studio, and numerous other settings - all without a degree in music. I had years and years of voice lessons, and my piano teacher encouraged me to play by ear as well as by note. If I can hum it, I can play it, and with many melodies there is implied harmony, so no problem accompanying. I learned my scales and arpeggios early on, and those are my warm up exercises. After that, 10 hymns in old fashioned Gospel style to apply those scales and arpeggios. THEN: whatever repertoire I need or feel like working on. I get to call the shots.

I challenged myself by learning to play at the piano the prelude#2 anglish suite from Bach !

I love this! I've found that knowing your "why" is a vital ingredient for sticking with and reaching any goal. When we take the time to figure out and connect with why we are doing a project or why we are continuing to grow at the piano it gives perspective and meaning to the "what" and the "how". You touched on this today and I appreciate this video. I love your work, and how you bless thousands of lives everyday through your videos. Keep it up!

Beautiful words, Josh. Always interesting to hear your evolving perspective throughout the years.

Hey Josh, thanks for posting this video! While getting better is a great goal, it can get very difficult to sustain motivation consistently for long periods of time. I know people at conservatory trying to practice intensely 4-6 hours a day or more 6 days a week, and it can burn you out. I know you went through that phase in your past. Do you have any thoughts on this? It would be great if you talked about this in a video -- it seems like almost every university piano student I know faces this at one point or another.

Martha Argerich herself feels like she is not good enough and has crazy nerves and anxiety before playing like a goddess.

Thank you. I hope I'll get motivated. I'm stuck a bit with Triana and Rachmaninoff's Sonata 2 :D But they're fun to play. I decided. I play music that I love and nothing else.

As always great video Josh! Thank you for continuing to share your expertise with the music world!

Thank you so much Josh!!🎶🎹

Love the heartfelt video 🙏 You've done 1 similar however in this one you've sparked a thought; Improvement is the key to beating discouragement/ no matter what level you're on & the only way to achieve that is to never quit!🤔🤔🤔🤘🤘🤘👍👍👍

Josh! Your tutorials are the finest things on the internet: thank you!

Thankyou josh for all your vidoes !!! You are amazing 🙏🏽🙏🏽

Josh... my Master ... I'm creating now and just start listening you ... 🔥

Thx brother Josh :) have a blessed weekend... Sam 🎵✌🏻

Thank you so much for your encouragement Josh. God bless you and yours!

Sometimes as the years pass by and I'm still there studying and struggling with the piano,I think why am I doing all this? Who is ever going to here me? It's not that I'm a professional and that isn't my goal anyway...and then this sweet answer comes into my heart and says ' I hear myself and maybe God hears me , so that's a great motivation for me to continue and to challenge myself to create good music.

Great observations, applicable to all fields, particularly challenging, creative fields.

What a lovely video. Thank you so much. One of the benefits of being a very late beginner is that I have no delusions of doing anything professionally with music, so that takes a bit of pressure off ME. But I have often found that I get into mindsets that feel very down about my progress, and I see how that hinders any further progress. When I relax and play because I love it, and lose any expectations, the joy is immense. But it is a challenge to stay in that mindset. Again, thanks for this.

Thank you for your wonderful motivation

Thanks Josh :)

Thank you. it helps to be reminded that it is human to struggle.

Thank you for the encouragement sir ❤

Thank you so much Josh for mentioning Kate Liu.. She is miracle pianist.. No words really... She is by far my favorite pianist from the new generation.. It was a shock for me she didn't advance further at Cliburn and I think jury members should explain for such a bad desicion. Anyway, life is going on, I am sure she will have a long and successful career ... Thank you so much for your videos.. They are so inspirational for all pianists and musicians in general..

I'm going into piano in college this coming year and I myself have felt so hopeless I wanted to stop completely. I'm working so hard and I think I'm going into another one of those phases.

I don’t think that we as working pianists should even think bout that same sound we hear every day comming from our instruments. We have the opportunity to create like you stated Josh something new and believe me even after all these years of playing it just makes me want to play more. I have that drive to continue with playing from the moment I get up. And also talking with others who have a completely different line of work than I it really drives me to do my job even more. I know that may sound cheesy but it is true. I think sometimes we take things for granted and say “oh yea. I hear the dang thing every day nothing new.” But we have to get that out of our heads because every day for me with the piano is something different. Yes we hear it all and every day most in likely but their is just new things we can get out of playing, and even as a professional I honestly do not stop learning. That is the great thing about being a pianist is that you are learning things every single day and getting creative. I don’t like to say I play music because anyone can play music on their phones now days. But,,,, it takes a special and certain type of people like us that can creat!! Not everyone has the ability to create like us and that is why being by our instruments should bee a new thing every day. I have seen it that way recently. Yes. The piano has a specific sound that will never change but we the players can totally create something out of it that is different every day and the sound can bee different. It is all what we make it out to bee. Yes. Playing the piano is really hard work and exhausting but at the end of the day it is rewarding and it honestly makes me open it up again and again. Great video Josh. And to all who are pianists I have to say lets keep making and creating music together. You are not alone we are creating together. Lets keep working at it. Bee motivated and do what you can and at the end of the day you will see the rewards of your hard work.

Beautiful! :)

Love your videos….. please do more speeking about your love of music. Not only ”playing” stuff. (Im no english speaker, please understand with your heart, I probably cant explain correct in english) Music is one of our language and we have to have the courage to use that gift without feeling we all have to be concert pianist. Im a teacher and use to have singing and playing ”lessons” with 0-5 years old children and their parents. And that joy those small children have singing and playing is one of the most beautiful things you can see. May they keep that joy all their life. May they never be discouraged about their own ability to enjoy music. Let us all keep that joy all our life. You don´t have to be a master to do something. Let the small children teach you.

Hi Josh: A great video for everyone! Musician or not. Thank you!

Great advice as always. I always get discouraged when I can't play like Trifonov ;)

Not a musician per-se, just someone who started playing a little over a year ago. However I havent practiced in over a month. I am unable to find an instructor or teacher which has caused me to become super demotivated. I still love playing but I feel stuck at my current musical understanding without someone to guide me.

Yes… I often feel discouraged and that I will never be good enough… but then I just stop watching Josh 😂 I stop watching him burning up and down the keys… and I watch Depeche Mode instead. 😂

Talk about having a post coming at the right time…

Josh I struggle with knowing what to work on in my 4 hours practice every day. I spend 90% of my time practicing new repertoire (Chopin ballade 4 right now), and 10% of my just jamming. How often should I revisit scales, arpeggios, or other exercises that will help my technique so I can learn pieces faster? Without a teacher it’s hard to know what my biggest weaknesses are

Nice haircut my dude

Josh! I am not creating. I an recreating: in particular the First Ballade of M. Chopin. He created. I replicate, I.e., I strive to bring my music closer to his genius. I am 80 years old. I have played this piece for decades. If I can live to 100, there is a chance that I can produce a replica worth listening to.

"Fast and loose". Isn't that reason enough?

i find i you are completely bored with all of your repertoire, yes, try something new, just to get you excited, even if your plate is totally full. its a marathon, not a sprint, there is always some section of piece that you are not completely bored of....on those hard to get motivated days you have to try to get those in.

There is something deeply depressing about the rat race of virtuoso piano playing. We struggle endlessly to perfect passages, even though audiences and most piano colleagues don't really seem to care. Even when they are impressed, there is always something political, like it's the "correct" thing to acknowledge someone's hard work, and that they are an amazing artist/player, rather than it being a spontaneous reaction. Even when you are one of the greatest pianists you are still a tiny drop in a pond. Look at a lot of the competition pianists--> they make a splash and then after a short time, forgotten. In general I think we could really lighten up on all this practicing. "Greatness" is not what it's made out to be.

Hear the words of Beethoven: Eine falsche Note zu spielen ist unwichtig. Ohne Leidenschaft zu spielen ist unverzeihlich! Take the words of the late, great organist Virgil Fox to heart, when he was criticized for his style: "I'm the cookie that makes the bucks!"

We create because we are sadomaso..