I've often noticed when learning a piece of music that some measures are particularly more difficult than others, but know that mastering them is doing wonders for my playing skills, and is very satisfying .

What I propose is that each week or so someone post a few measures (say a max of 6 or 7 or 20 seconds) of a song that are quite difficult for beginners, that those who want to particpate learn and master and post their recording to pass (we could keep a log or something of "measures members have mastered" ).

Ideally the person posting has mastered that section themselves, and can write some fingering on the measures for others to use as a guide. Additionally, they could post a recording of the measures for others to work off.

I would love to get stuck into some challenging measures from classical pieces to improve my playing skills but not learn the whole piece yet, (right now am more motivated to learn entire new age songs).

Heres how it could go.

I found these measures of Lake Erie Rainfall quite hard at first, but they are so nice to play!

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/smcam3/Measures27-35LakeErieRainfall.jpg

(note - on bass clef left pinky is number 1, left thumb is finger 5... on treble clef right thumb is finger 1, right pinky is number 5).

Note: I have big hands, so the fingering suggested (while simple) may not suit many people, but see pianojerome's suggestions below!

And the recording;

http://www.savefile.com/files/9999997


What do you reckon?

Hey Stephen,

When you wrote down the fingering, did you by any chance play the left hand part with your right hand?


You might try the left hand like this: 5-5-1 | 5-5-3-2-1 | 5-5-1 | 5-5-2-1 | 5-5-2-1-3 | 5-5-1 | 5-5-3-1 | 5-1

or another way to do it might be: 5-2-1 | 5-1-3-2-1 | 5-2-1 | 5-1-3-2 | 5-1-3-1-5 | 5-2-1 | 5-2-1-2 | 5-1

Hi Sam,

Wow, that fingering is really something, I would like to see it played like that.

Yes, I did play notes in the bass clef with the right hand (the ones marked with stars).

I know the bass clef is generally left hand only, but in this case, (I think) it was for a good reason. That being that the first bass note in almost all those measures is a whole note, and the only way I could hold it for 4 beats was with my fingering (although in that second measure it takes an 11 note stretch if you wanted to hold the first b flat in the bass clef, and hit the d in the same clef at the same time).

But then again, my music theory is not great, so I might have this all wrong?

Edit: I do have quite large hands, so I can make those stretches, I hadn't realised until i showed my mum your fingering how much of a difference large hands makes. She could never make the fingering i suggested, and would have to use yours if she played the piano. I guess with bigger hands i don't have to be making all those jumps.


Cheers

Stephen

Steve, I think what pianojerome was trying to say is that you have your left fingers numbered wrong.

The left thumb is 1, and the left little finger is 5.

Both hands are numbered the same.

Both thumbs are 1, and both little fingers are 5.

Mel

stephenc, This is a GREAT idea!

Thanks.