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Hi Everyone,

It's wonderful to know how long some of you have been playing per melissa d's thread, especially when I listened to the members' recitals and they all sounded so nice. I would like to expand upon that if I may, and ask, WHAT pieces of music have you been playing in recent past and are currently working on with your level of experiences?

I'll start, eventhough my piano playing history is practically non-existent. I started as a complete beginner three weeks and two days ago, and following are the songs that I've been playing from Alfred's Adult All-In-One, book 1:

Rock Along
Mexican Hat Dance
Lightly Row
Aunt Rhody
Au Claire De La Lune
Tisket, A Tasket
Rockin' Intervals
Good King Wenceslas
My Fifth
Jingle Bells
Brother John
Here's A Happy Song
Merrily We Roll Along
Largo
Mary Ann
Rockets
What Can I Share
Day Is Done

Currently working on:
When The Saints Go Marching In

Cheers and thanks for sharing!

Key Notes

Hi Keynotes,
It's nice when these threads pop up now and again

Wow! you've acomplished a lot in three weeks! You must be loving it!

I've been taking lessons for 6 years (gosh time flies!!!) and am currently working on...

Chopin - Ab Waltz (polishing)
Gliere - Arietta (polishing....still :rolleyes: )
Martha Mier - Tahitian Sunset - from book 1 (polishing)
Martha Mier - Fireside Riviere - from book 4 - over my head but I love it and am picking away.
Schumann - The Horsemsn (lesson piece - still working on)
Cimarosa - Sonata in D minor (new lesson piece)
Melody Bober - Joy to the World (#4 for my Christmas CD -that my family members are getting whether they like it or not )
Christopher Norton - Just a Sample (Micro Jazz) new lesson piece
We've only just begun - From a Fake book

If only I could sightread well enough to go back to all the pieces I 'used' to play..... I find it difficult to keep more than 3 or 4 pieces in shape...

Keynotes,

I'm equally impressed for only three months - way to go! I restarted lessons five months ago (after 40 years away) and am in Fabers Advanced beginners book 2. The pieces that I get to present at today lessons are:

Rise and Shine
The Entertianer (watered down version)
Magnolia Waltz (my first piece with a Coda)
Beach Party (turns out to be a spin on Heart & Soul)
&
Parasailing (first piece written with both both hands playing primairly in the treble.

Debbie

Currently polishing Chopin 10/12 (Revolutionary Etude)for the etude recital in October- half way through larghetto from Chopin's op 11 Concerto as a stand alone - it's extremely pretty - half way through John Field's Nocturne nr 1. Probably won't have a May recital piece as I didn't time things very well.

Hi Keynotes - Wow! You are really zipping along thru Alfred 1! That's amazing progress so far. But, don't forget to take some time to go back and review once in a while - it's important that you do so and it will help alot in the long run.

I'm in Alfred 2 just past the 3/4 point currently working on the "Frankie and Johnnie" piece and reviewing the "Olympic Procession" piece (I do what I call "concurrent review" - I'm always reviewing one of the former pieces I previously worked thru while at the same time working on the latest, more advanced piece).

I'm also putting the finishing touches on a nice, fairly easy arrangement of the title song from the great musical "The Sound of Music", which I think I might record and upload into one of the upcoming monthly piano bars. When can we expect to hear something from you there?

One other (unsolicited) tidbit of advice - don't get too discouraged at any point if you run up against a difficult piece or a section or passage in a piece. Don't side-step these or give up on them, but keep working on them until you've reasonably mastered them. If you don't continue to work on them now and "conquer" them they'll come back to haunt you later (and their effect keeps adding up).

Anyway, nice job so far and keep the music playing ....

Regards,

JF

I've been playing for a little over three months. My usual practice session from Alfred's All-in-one Book 1 is:

Money Can't Buy Everything
The Cuckoo
Harp Song
Liza Jane
Beautiful Brown Eyes
Alpine Melody

Those are my CORE songs. I also have a small selection of easy supplemental books from Bastien and Schaum at primer and level 1 that I play when I want to relax just play something that's not so chord heavy and not such a struggle. These include Bastien Classic Favorites, Christmas Favorites, Hymn Favorites, and Schaum Patriotic Solos. I've also downloaded several level 1 songs from one of the free sheet music sites.

i'm finishing up:

Liszt - consolation 3
Scarlatti - K517
Scriabin - prelude op.16.5

and start:

Bach - fugue in c minor

and get back to:

Beethoven - 32 variation in c minor
Chopin - etude op.10.2

Hi,

I've been going through some rarer Yann Tiersen pieces, and am trying to get my recital piece learned in time.

After that, will look into music by Zbigniew Preisner and also Chopin.

I am applying some polish to

Schubert Impromptu Op. 90 No. 2
Handel Passacaille Suite No. 7

And working on

Schubert Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3
Chopin Waltz Op. 60 No. 1 "Petit Chien"
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata 1st movement
Handel Fugue

And playing over some pieces I haven't played in a while.

Currently working on:

"Everyday" by Carly Comando
"The moon, my heart" a transcription by PW's very own Axtremus
"Primavera" by Einaudi
"Fuori dal mondo" by Einaudi
"Ombre" by Einaudi
"Divenire" by Einaudi

These are the pieces that are foremost in my Red Dot queue. I also like to play regularly from my established repertoire to keep things fresh and memorized.

It was actually 3 Weeks ago!!! amazing progress!!

OK..here's my list. ( I have been playing for about 8 months)

Clementi-Sonata #2
Valse Romantique -Dennis Alexander
Over the Waves -from Bastien's "Older beginner" (thanks for such a great title ,guys)
March of the Trolls by Kraehenbuehl

( just finished Prelude #7 in B Minor by Vandall, Daydreaming by Krahenbuehl,Dreams by Catherine Rollins, and Musette)

On deck- Peaches and Cream by Rebecca Pulju and the main theme from "Braveheart".

I to would like to congratulate you Key Notes. You have progressed very fast for someone who started 3 weeks ago.

Well...I have been playing the piano for 18 yrs in total.

Finishing off for exam/performance:
Bach Partita no.2 in c minor BWV 826(Sinfonia)
Haydn Sonata in E flat+ Hob:49 (Complete)
Mendelssohn:Andante&Rondo Cappriccioso op.14
Rachmaninoff:Prelude in g sharp moinor op.32 no.12
Prokofiev:Visions Fugitives (4 selections)
Chopin:Etude in c sharp minor op.10 no.4
& Etude in F major op.10 no.8

Just started:
Schumann Papllions op.2
Prokofiev Sonata in C+ no.2
Debussy Estampes no.1&3
Beethoven Sonata"Pathetique"(aiming to finish this one ready for performance asap as it's below my level)

Hi, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for taking the time in contributing your lists and for the compliments and encouragements. I truly appreciate them.

Although, the compliments did took me by surprise since my original intent for this thread was to hopefully widen my horizon of music appreciation of sort, as well as perhaps not to compare but to have somewhat of a gauge as to what level of abilities can play or approach which piece of music.

I've always felt that there are so much wonderful music out there that I may not have heard or know of yet, and what better place to tap in to further my musical horizon than a place filled with music lovers such as this forum. For example, Mr. SH had posted a piece he played called "To Zanarkand", from the video game series "The Final Fantasy" which I thought was quite unique since I wouldn't even think of learning a piece of music from a video game series, but it sounded so nice. And Kawaigirl1 is going to submit a piece from Robin Spielberg for the upcoming recital #10. I can't wait!

I would love to learn how to play some of George Davidson's pieces, such as "Sad Lisa", and Yani's Love Songs series, such as "In The Morning Light". Soooo beautiful.

JohnFrank: As always, your sound and sane (solicited) advice has always kept me grounded and a joy to read. I've always taken every single suggestions, advice, comments and criticism seriously and felt that true beginners like me are so lucky to be blessed with such richness of resources from the members of this forum, it's almost like having a great group of private instructors all to ourselves. So as always, thank you so much for these wonderful reminders!!!

Yes, I must remember to always review, review and more review. No "side-stepping", only "conquering", conquer, conquer, conquer!!! And you may be proud to know that I've been doing exactly that, what you call "concurrent review". In fact, I find myself playing Jingle Bells a lot, almost every time I sit down and begin playing, as though it's my ego booster or something, eventhough I've passed by that song a long time ago, so maybe by Christmas it'll be much better.

If you would like to get a good laugh and a chuckle, perhaps someday I may gather enough nerve and the ability to except constructive criticism to share my musical creations. In the meantime, I better hone my skills and not waste any of yours or anyone else's time when we are so blessed with so much of other talents to enjoy from, including yours. Looking forward to hearing your tunes from "The Sound of Music", I love that "Doe, a dear...".

Thank you very much once again everyone for your replies, tips and encouragements.

Cheers and Best regards,

Key Notes

There is nothing below anyone's level.

Key Notes - you're absolutely correct - we are blessed - we've all learned much from each other here in the Forums and will hopefully continue to do so indefinitely. I know I still have a great deal to learn about playing this marvellous instrument and have already discovered that there are alot of wise people here who are very willing to share their expertise and help in any way they can.

However, in the very near future I must resist the urge to give you encouragement and advice because I'm not that far ahead of you and at your rapid rate of progress you'll probably soon go flying by me and will soon be giving me encouragement and advice which, given your very positive attitude and sound approach, I'll be more than happy to accept!

Please share what you're doing at any point - nobody will laugh or even chuckle - eveybody's been there at the beginning (you've got to start somewhere), and most of us are just as nervous as you and the criticism here is hardly ever harsh - instead we're understanding and accepting and encouraging and really do want to hear what you're doing at your current level, whatever it is. So, give us a listen when you're ready!

Regards, JF

Currently working on:

"Toccatina" - Kabalevsky
"Musette" from English Suite in G minor - Bach
Sonatina in G - Thomas Atwood

Just starting:

"Tarantella" - Prokofiev
"Clarinet Blues" - Martha Mier, from Jazz, Rags, and Blues, Book 2
"Hey Jude" - Beatles, from a lead sheet

If I get any of these up to par, and I can get a microphone, I'm considering joining the order of the red dot. I've been playing for 2 1/2 years.

A bit of moving parts by me.

Officially working on two "Kinderszenen" pieces ("reverie" and "at the fireside") after finishing "from strange lands and people", plus my old friend "Le Onde" (8 pages, not easy to remember and to polish, so I go on slowly).

Officiously working very much at "Moonlight" 1. movement. I'm afraid I will put Schumann on a shelf for a while....

The rest is polishing of pieces already put down on the keyboard: Satie's "Gymnopedie #1" and McDowell's delicious "to a wild rose".

Chopin Op. 28 #4 and #7 I practice less and less, frankly might let them sink into oblivion until further instruction or progress very very slowly...

I also have a unconfessable sin: I work secretly at Schubert Moment musical #4, but it is so far above my skills, and proceeds so slowly that I prefer to consider it a "dexterity tool", but am ashamed even to say that I am "working" on it...

Debussy:
Estampes No.1 - Pagodes
Prelude no.10 - Cathedrale Engloutie

Ravel:
Jeux D'eau

I am working on:

Reverie by Claude Debussy
Sonata in C Major by Domenico Scarlatti
Wandering the Night by David Nevue
Big Snow in Salzburg by David Nevue
Deep Heaven by David Nevue