Month three. I'd been practicing the same piece for two weeks. Not just no progress – it was getting worse. Mistakes I'd fixed kept coming back. Passages that were smooth became choppy. I thought I was broken.
This is a plateau. They're completely normal. Everyone hits them. Understanding what's happening makes them less terrifying.
What's actually happening: Your brain is consolidating. Learning isn't linear – it happens in steps. You absorb information, then your brain reorganizes it, then you level up. The reorganization phase feels like stagnation or regression. It's not. It's processing.
Signs you're on a plateau: Progress stops despite consistent practice. Mistakes increase in areas that were improving. Motivation drops. Everything feels harder. You consider quitting.
What doesn't work: Practicing harder at the same thing. Beating yourself up. Forcing it. More repetition of what's not working.
What does work: Changing your approach. If one piece is stuck, work on a different piece. If technique is stuck, focus on theory. If everything feels stuck, take two days off and come back fresh.
Slow down dramatically. Whatever tempo you're playing, cut it in half. Then half again. Rebuild accuracy at glacial speed. Often the plateau is because you've been practicing mistakes – slow practice prevents this.
Record yourself. Sometimes plateaus are imaginary – you're improving but can't hear it while playing. Recording doesn't lie. Compare to a recording from a month ago.
Get outside feedback. A teacher, a friend who plays, an online community. Fresh eyes catch things you've gone blind to.
Sleep on it. Seriously. Many times I've been stuck on something, slept, and played it better the next day without additional practice. Your brain processes while you sleep.
Timeline: Most plateaus last 1-3 weeks. Longer ones happen at major skill transitions (like when hands-together becomes necessary). The first major plateau usually hits around month 2-3 for beginners.
The people who get good at piano aren't the ones who never plateau. They're the ones who keep showing up through plateaus. That's the whole game.
For maintaining momentum during plateaus, see staying motivated and the 10-minute rule.