I'm having my first piano lesson for 5 years next week and need something to play to the teacher.

Initially I was going to play Spinning Song by Ellmenreich (not quite as fast as that! ) which I loved for ages and would be able to play without much work at all...however I now find it pretty boring and annoying really!

The other option is to play Curious Story by Stephen Heller which I really love but which is a bit more shaky...especially the vivo bit at the end!

They are both pieces I previously had at performance standard as I played them both in the same concert which must have been 5 years ago almost to the day.

What do you think?
Thanks.

Why not play both? Also why not pick out something completely new that your teacher can work on with you without the years of patina?

When I went for my first lesson in 35 years I played a Chopin waltz, a Joplin rag, a Debussy prelude (la fille aux cheveux de lin) and 3 of Bachs 2 part inventions. I didn't play any of them as well as I can, but it was a place to start!

Good luck, have fun!

I agree with Robodoc, play both. They don't have to be played well. Your teacher won't be looking at how well you can play the notes for now. They will be looking more at your hand position and articulation and also how smoothly you play from note to note ie. do you play very detached or hold notes on when you shouldn't.

Enjoy your lesson, great for you to be starting up again!!

Anna xxx

Thanks both of you...hadn't even occured to me to play both but good idea!

Certainly play both pieces & anything else you can manage, even if it's just something new & quite easy. As a teacher, I like to hear as much as possible & some scales & sight-reading, to help me assess a new pupil's strengths & see what needs to be developed.

The worst thing is when (as happened to me recently with a 10-year-old boy) a new pupil arrives with no music, but says they've been learning for 2 years but has no idea what books they've used, can't remember any of the pieces or scales, can't sight-read even something extremely simple. It's so helpful to the teacher to give some idea what you can do - it definitely doesn't need to be polished. Good luck & I hope you enjoy the lessons!