Is This Piece Too Hard for You?

Many guitarists hear a piece that sounds amazing.

But when they try to learn it, they realize how challenging it is. They waste time without making progress. They feel frustrated. They start feeling anxious that they will never be able to play it. They have no idea what to do next.

Have you been there? I have.

Fortunately, over my years of playing and teaching guitar, I’ve found approaches to help you move past this dilemma so that you can make great progress in your guitar playing.

Introducing 6 Strategies for Knowing Whether the Piece is Right for You

1. Listening

When you listen to the piece, you may hear aspects that make it different from any piece you have played before.

- Perhaps it’s faster than any piece you’ve ever played.

- Maybe there are harmonics, and you haven’t played harmonics yet.

Overcoming new challenges is part of the learning process, but it’s helpful to notice whether a piece includes multiple elements you have not encountered before. That may be too much of a leap. A better choice may be a piece that only has one or two new elements.

2. Looking at the Sheet Music

When you look at the page, some challenges are apparent visually:

- How many notes are in each measure.

- How many notes are happening at the same time.

- How many notes are in high positions.

- How many barre chords are played for multiple measures in a row.

None of these things are deal-breakers in and of themselves. Again, the question is whether this is a leap in difficulty or just a step up from pieces you have played before.

3. First 15 Minutes

A simple test is to spend 15 minutes playing the first four measures of the piece.

If after 15 minutes you can play those four measures with accuracy of notes and rhythms at a slow tempo, this piece may be a good choice.

If you can’t, the piece might be too hard for you right now.

4. Graded Repertoire System

Check a graded repertoire system like Royal Conservatory, ABRSM, or Trinity. If this piece is listed, notice how its grade level compares with the grade level of pieces you have played in the past. If it is three or more grades higher, that might be reason to delay learning the piece.

5. First Week

If you decide to practice this piece regularly, notice how much progress you make in the first week. If you practice the piece 30 minutes a day for a week but haven’t gotten past the first 8 measures, are you getting frustrated? If so, you may wish to set the piece aside and look for an easier piece.

6. Ask a Teacher

If you’re taking lessons with a teacher, ask whether they think the piece is a good level for you.

If you aren’t taking lessons with a teacher, you could always schedule a one-time lesson to ask for guidance about what pieces are an appropriate level for you.

What if the Piece is a Leap in Difficulty But You Want to Try It?

Maybe you go through the above list and decide a piece is too hard for you. But you can’t bring yourself to set the piece aside. Here are some things you could do:

- Practice a Small Excerpt

Pick a few measures to focus on. A common practice among orchestral players is practicing excerpts of the most famous pieces in the repertoire. Guitarists can benefit from this approach as well.

You don’t have to pick the first few measures. You could pick the most recognizable part. Or the easiest. Or even the hardest.

By focusing on a few measures, you can seek to master those and release yourself from the expectation of playing the whole piece.

After you master that excerpt, you may want to learn more excerpts from this piece. Or you may want to move to something else.

- Practice Slowly

This is always a good approach, but it becomes more essential when working on a piece that is a leap in difficulty.

Try to put the target tempo out of your mind (assuming this is a fast piece) and just focus on enjoying and savoring the piece at whatever tempo is comfortable.

- Look for a Simplified Version

For some pieces, a simplified version is available. You may find that playing the simplified version satisfies your desire to play the piece. But even if not, it can be a good stepping stone toward playing the more difficult version later.

If You Set the Piece Aside, How Can You Be Ready to Play it in the Future?

Identify the specific skills that are outside of your current ability level and develop a plan for developing those skills.

A good approach is learning pieces that require you to develop only one new skill at a time. Then you can make progress, enjoy making beautiful music, and build the skillset you’ll need to play the piece you desire.

Another approach is to look for a piece that sounds similar to the piece you dream about, but is easier. This may satisfy your desire, or it may serve as a stepping stone.

Above all, don’t be discouraged. It’s not that you can’t play the piece you want. You simply might not be ready to play it YET.

If you keep practicing and learning, you may be ready for the piece of your dreams sooner than you think.

Keep making music!

If you enjoyed this article, you will love my newsletter, The Saturday Classical Guitarist. You can join 700+ people here: https://sean-beavers-b6d2.mykajabi.com/warm-up-routine-checklist

How do you decide if a piece is the right level?