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hi there I'm Lisa..

I am an intermediate player returning to the piano after a 4-5 year hiatus. After playing my sisters piano, I find not much is lost. My left hand is weaker than I remember, especially fingers 4 & 5. I plan on picking up my old Virtuso piano book to help me get my strength back. I remember my notes pretty well, I just have to build up to where i left off.

Does anyone have any pieces they can suggest? classical intermediate pieces that would be fun to work on? Thank you

I'm in a similar boat, only with a 20 year hiatus, not 4-5. I've avoided the pieces I used to play, and started with a few that are more appropriate to my own level (my real level).

In that vein I picked up Czerny Op 599, and I just started at page one. It gets very intermediate very fast, and now on page 30 I feel like universe is opening up to me, like the motions I'm performing are very like the ones I'll need in actual pieces. I hope I'm not wrong.

I've also got a book called "Classics to Moderns", the intermediate-level book. It's got stuff from all the big composers, Trinity level 2-6. I think if I spend the next 2 years going through that book, I'll really have something by the end of it. Of course, I'm looking at Chopin's Waltz #15 along the way...

So as I'm typing this, thinking I'm dispensing advice, I'm actually curious: do the rest of you who have been at it longer consider this a good track to be on? I want to buy more and more sheet music, but I stop myself at every turn. I have more than enough to occupy my current level for quite a while, and what I need to work on is getting these pieces to sound good and musical, more than I need to move on to the harder ones.

Sound good? Too ambitious?
MM

Classics to Moderns looks like a great book to work through.

If you want my humble Re-beginners opinion. I say play the stuff that keeps it fun and interesting for you. Don't force yourself to play one book.


thank you for your advice.

Hey there Lisa, nice to know you are coming back to playing! You might try Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2, it's not too hard but not really easy either, I'd consider it a good challenge. I don't know what "grade" it would be called though because I don't take exams and all of that, I just play at home for my own enjoyment. But I would think it'd probably be considered intermediate, it took me about a month to learn (memorized) when I started playing it a year or two ago.

Have fun out there! Here's a copy of the sheet in .pdf format if you don't mind printing it out, that is if you want to give it a shot.

http://www.savefile.com/files/1974890

Bach is always a good idea for gaining techniques plus some great music. try his inventions and some preludes and fugues. if you like Baroque music, then also try some Scarlatti sonatas. also, some Mozart and Clementi sonatas will be within your reach.

One thing I would suggest is that you
make the switch to digital. We are now
in the Digital Piano Age, and you should
get the most modern equipment avaiable
to a pianist. We no longer use manual
typewriters or drive to work in horse-drawn
vehicles, and so you should go with
the modern type of instrument.

For about $500-$900 you can get a good,
new, maintenance-free, weighted-key
digital piano that will play grand piano-like.
It will offer so many advantages over
your upright that there is simply no
excuse for not getting one.

With all due respect Gyro, I don't think that is the issue here....?

Lisa, welcome to the forums. What sort of classical music would you like to play? Are you looking for romantic pieces (Chopin etc), or Baroque, such as Bach?

Euan.

This post is to be disregarded.

Agreed, while I personally prefer a digital piano to an acoustic (within my price range of $2000 or less) that's not what Lisa is asking about here, so is kind of off-topic.

First.. thank you AnotherSchmoe for the Chopin Piece. Looks tough... I'm interested to see how far I get. Ya know..I had a very old school piano teacher, who taught me to sight read beautifully. She never made me learn my scales, hence I'm always intimidated when a piece has many sharps and flats.. I tried as an adult to learn, but I just didnt have the patience or the drive at the time. Are there any books to help with this?

GYRO, I understand how far technology has come, but some things like a classic acoustic upright, you just can't replace. I don't make my marinara sauce in a microwave because the technology is there.

I feel that keyboards lack warmth, even if they offer a great TUBA sound. JK

First.. thank you AnotherSchmoe for the Chopin Piece. Looks tough... I'm interested to see how far I get. Ya know..I had a very old school piano teacher, who taught me to sight read beautifully. She never made me learn my scales, hence I'm always intimidated when a piece has many sharps and flats.. I tried as an adult to learn, but I just didnt have the patience or the drive at the time. Are there any books to help with this?

GYRO, I understand how far technology has come, but some things like a classic acoustic upright, you just can't replace. I don't make my marinara sauce in a microwave because the technology is there.

I feel that keyboards lack warmth, even if they offer a great TUBA sound. JK

sorry for the double message above

Yeah, it does look pretty tough. And it is pretty tough to be honest, one of the toughest pieces I've learned all the way through. Like I said it's a good challenge lol, I honestly didn't think that I'd be able to play it when I started out on it but a little over a month later and I finally got it down. Anyways, if you're just starting out again though you might try Fur Elise (as overplayed as it is hehe) or the first movement of Moonlight Sonata. I'd help you with the scales thing but I'll be honest and say that I know very little about music theory, all I really know is how to read notes on the sheet. Obviously I'll never play professionally or compose this way (not my goal anyways) but it's enough for me to just enjoy playing at home for now, hopefully I'll get off my lazy rear and learn someday.

Anyways, in regards to what music to play, don't try and learn anything you don't enjoy listening to (imho) because it just makes you not want to sit down and play it. So for example, if you don't like Chopin then by all means don't play Chopin. Piano is about enjoying yourself first and foremost and it's difficult to learn something you don't like, so whatever you do learn make sure it's something you don't hate. :p

Thank you for the advice..

I'll tell you what I am totally psyched about (thanks to you!) is the Sheet music for the Godfather theme!!

Lol, I am flattered, truly! :p

http://www.savefile.com/files/1978984
(and before the forum police get me, no, it's not a scan out of a music book, I wouldn't do that. I learned it from a .pdf file that another fellow YouTuber arranged on his own and shared the link to in his profile)

yes Thank you I found it on a post from you awhile back! 3 flats though.. I think I can do it

I have my full confidence in you! Hehe, I also used to have major trouble with flats and sharps, so much in fact that I completely avoided anything that wasn't written in C Major / A Minor. It gets better with time though and now I'm to the point (after practicing enough pieces in different keys) that it doesn't intimidate me so much, and I don't really even have to think about it, I see the key signature and for the most part the sharps and flats almost play themselves. :p

You'll get there soon enough!

Forgot to add; if you do learn something we'd all love to hear you play, if you have any sort of microphone (even a headset mic set close to or inside the piano will do) hooked to the computer you can record your playing and post it up here. There's the Piano Bar and forum Recitals, it's all good fun.

Not trying to pressure you into participating, just saying if you ever feel the urge for an audience, feel free to share your playing with us, we all love to listen!

Here's a thread with more information on recording to your computer:
http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/topic/32/3872.html

Thank you, Once I have something worthy of posting, I'll definately share....

Regarding scales, I have "The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences: Includes All the Major, Minor (Natural, Harmonic, Melodic) & Chromatic Scales - Plus Additional Instructions on Music Fundamentals (Paperback)" from Alfred's Basic Piano Library series.

It's a fantastic resource and quite cheap, you can get it from Amazon or any sheet music store online.