How many pieces do you work on at a time?

This is a great topic! Thank you @martin.3 for the insights.

Personally, as a hobbyist, recently starting here at level 7-8, I am focusing on one performance piece and one study. Sometimes I add a third new piece which I find to be easier, or a piece that I already play, just to keep motivated.

But then, for how long usually people train a piece before they leave it aside and start another one? Is there a goal?

Thanks all!

Great question, it'll be interesting to see the range of responses!

I like to work on about 3, and usually think of them in terms of how long I've been working on them as much as how difficult they are. One newish one, one that more of an old friend/adversary, and one that's easier and quick to pick up?  I also enjoy doing my own arrangements, so frequently one of them will also be something I'm arranging.

I also slot different pieces in and out so that I might have one or two which are "resting" for a short time. Sometimes I get very into a single piece for a while and rest the rest then bring them back later. Keeps things fresh!

Hello tonebase members, 

I'm a newbie here, I have touched the guitar for 12 years, but only now I'm trying to learn it properly. In the past, I learnt any pieces that sounded lovely to me, but now I only want to learn as slowly as possible. I started to learn the guitar again from zero. 

Now I'm working on two pieces, Etude op. 60 no. 3 by Carcassi and Etude op 6 no. 11 by Sor. I found that they have the same triplet pattern though the Etude op. 6 no. 11 has some barrets (bar 13, 14) that are more difficult for me than the first one (and it's much longer :p)

Great topic and tricky to answer. I have around a dozen flute/guitar pieces I apply a bit of polish to each week. I have 2 new solo repertoire pieces I am working on. There are about 6 solo pieces I can play but not completely performance ready that I am polishing. Lots of juggling here, the new solo pieces tend to be what is neglected as they need a lot f time which I don't have. This is my plan right now. If a lot of these pieces become performance ready I will probably be doing something different. 

For me, I break up my 3-hour daily routine as follows:

1. 30 minutes of warm and technical exercises from Carlevaro's Cuadernos series.

2. 60 minutes (two 30-minute sets) working on 1 composition that is still challenging, and in which I may have been working on for a month as a new composition (see item 4).

3. 60 minutes (two 30-minute sets) working through 3-4 compositions in which I am comfortable playing and have memorized.  

4. 30 minutes on 1 new composition.

At the end of each month, I try to rotate the composition in the first category into the comfortable group (maybe rotate one out), move the new composition up to the 60-minute sets and add another new composition.  Of course, this gets interrupted with all the excellent challenges that martin keeps adding.  Therefore, flexibility is always called for.  

I have about 10 short pieces or etudes that I play, all to different levels of success. I work more on the 2 newest and play the others with the intent on improving them but also to have fun. I add one or two new pieces once I am comfortable with the new ones. It does take me a long time to learn a new song and that's fine. I enjoy the process and each piece challenges me with different skills. As for the ideal number, I think 2 new pieces works for me. If I learn one faster I can always start another.

I don't have anything that approaches a regular practice routine. When I do play, I mostly just sight read for an hour or two. I normally choose a particular publication (this week it's been Pierre Attaingnant's 'Dix-huits basses dances' for lute) and stick with it for several days. I play through each piece two or three times, and select several (half a dozen or more if they're short) to work on just enough to play at tempo and more or less error-free. I rarely bother to memorize anything, although some pieces seem to remain in the fingers, if not in the conscious mind. Typically, over the course of a week, if I'm playing regularly (not always the case!) I suppose I look at several dozen individual pieces. Obviously, it's not what anyone should do if their aim is to present something in performance, but for those whose goal is simply to acquaint themselves with their instrument's repertoire, it works well. I'll add that I'm not rigid in my approach: if I hear something on YouTube (or from my fellow ToneBuddies) that I find interesting, I'll look at it as well, if I can get my hands on the music. So I certainly appreciate those of you (shout-out to Eric and Jack, among others!) who regularly provide links to the scores you are performing!

I practice 3-6 hours a day depending on what other projects I’ve got going on. This gives me enough time to practice sight reading, warm ups, and technique. Then I work on repertoire and I have about a dozen pieces that I rotate to keep them fresh. For learning new repertoire I like to work on a concert piece and a study and when I’m almost finished with the concert piece then I’ll start a new one so that will then be two pieces - polishing one, learning a new one, and the study I’m working on. Then I add the polished concert piece to the  review rotation. It works for me! 

My skill level is close to 5.  And also am not a young player. I have to pay close attention to pain. 
I usually stick to a single piece until am satisfied with the efforts.  Then I move on to the next piece and so on.  However I do go back to the previous pieces to become more fluent.  I focus on three pieces, it’s not three pieces in day or a week. After two weeks I move on.  I don’t want my progress to stall. 

As a hobbyist, practicing probably half hour most days of the week and at an early intermediate stage (Level 5), I try to do 2 pieces at a time and not all classical, but even the non-classical with arpeggios.  Right now I am trying to refine Lagrima from Ty's two week intensive while trying to pick up part 2 of Romanze or Jeux Interdits which has been long pending.  But usually 2 pieces it is for my session as I feel the half hour is well spent that way.  When a technical difficulty comes by I try to find an exercise for that.  Would love feedback from the experts in this group and martin considering my constraint of a half hour each day. 

I find that several pieces 3-4. If I get tied over one piece or getting frustrated I will take a brake by playing another piece for a few times and go back to the first one . I am surprised that little change helped me in correcting my trouble with the first piece. I have to be careful of over doing it because I sometimes loose my self and forget to go back to the problem piece or run out of time.