I must have gone crazy. I know I have because it's been 10 years since I went anywere near my piano and then one day I decided I absolutely HAD to play Clair De Lune.. :whome: I've seen people with not much experience saying they managed to play it but I am really having trouble with the left hand. Could you give me some hints? I am stuck in places like this: [img]http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa26/D4rk4n93l/Mine/?action=view&current=CDL.jpg[/img] Thanx in advance PS. Also if you know of a simplified version of Clair De Lune, pleeeeease let me know. Maybe I should start from something easier :crazy:

Hi d4rk4n93l (what a cool name!) I'd be more than happy to help - i'll put together a short video lesson to help you break down the left hand part in that measure, hope it helps!

Clair de Lune may start out deceptively simply, but then transforms into cascades of liquid notes. Unforgettable, as you have noted, even years later.

Big thanks Hugh!!!!!!!!!! I will wait! Thanks for the nickname compliment too

Still fighting with the first page, tranquillo - been ten years, my hands are rusty! But yes you are right, it's unforgettable..

Don't know if this will help you but I shot a video of my wife playing it... must be something about that piece; she also said she hadn't played it since high school. My shooting location was on a balcony above her so the fingering is mostly visible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0N6Wnt7glI

Howard

WOW! I'm speechless...
Amazing performance! I'd be grateful if I can play it 1/10 as good as she did!
Thanx Howard, it really helped watching the fingering from this angle

It's got to be a labor of love. My situation was pretty similar sounding. I hadn't played in years, then suddenly decided I wanted to "own" this beautiful piece of music.

My best advice is to break it down, measure by measure, and work it out. I found YouTube immensely helpful. I suggest finding a performance that especially appeals to you, probably better if it's a slower one, and work to emuluate it. I'm far from an expert, but it worked for me, though it took me a good 3 months.

Good luck with it.

Yes, you tube has some interesting videos on this piece but usually left hand movement is not clear.. Even tried Synthesia, helps but its different when u see a person do it..
So yeah I'm breaking it down till I got stuck in the measures I mentioned above..
I've got the determination, I will manage it one day
Thanx for the advice!

Here you go, d4rk4n93l - let me know if this helps, or if you have any other questions. Enjoy!

Sign me up! I would love to see you cover the entire piece. I'm about to begin learning this piece, and was very impressed with your demo. It would be a huge advantage for me.

Me too. I'm impressed with the simplicity with which things are broken down and the explanations. Refreshing compared to other "teachers."

Hugh Sung:

Now I don't have to go to a conservatory to learn how to play piano!!

Quite seriously, your presentation is really amazing.

I am far away in ability to attempt to play Clair de Lune but the opportunity to closely look over the shoulder of an excellent piano artist (and amazing teacher) is too much to pass up.

Please, please continue to enlighten us members of PianoWorld and tackle the whole piece for us with your great video presentations.

I already have the music. I'm interested.

Wow! My very personal piano lesson on Youtube
I am famous!!

That was... enlightening (to say the least)!!!
Honestly if I had you to teach me instead of that... crappy one I had I could have been a professional!
Amazing job, so helpful.. you made it look so simple
Thank you so much Hugh, you are my favorite person

And of course I would absolutely adore to see the whole piece played like this!! I'm sure many others would too

HUGE thanx yet again

Hugh that was great. You have a wonderful teaching style. I would be interested in learning Clair de Lune from your videos. Thank you....

Hugh, I also think that was a fantastic little mini-lesson and I'm impressed that you put it up so quickly.

It really reminds me of the way my teacher and I go through pieces sometimes: note by note, interval by interval, chord by chord, breaking things down and practicing the parts, then putting things back together again. I have been very fortunate in my teachers but I suspect there may be many folks on the forum who have never experienced the kind of professional instruction you provided in this clip.

I noticed some other videos from you in another thread and I'd like to ask if you are organizing a library of these mini-lessons somewhere online. I'd hate to see such excellent resources disappear into the Piano World thread archives.

I'm not currently working on Clair de Lune but I still enjoyed your comments and approach. I have followed some of your other discussions of technology for musicians and think you are a real leader in this area. I'd like to see a lot more of this sort of thing online.

Yes. I am also interested. I have the music, but have not tried to learn it for fear of learning it with wrong fingerings and pedaling.

I would really appreciate lessons from you. Your teaching style, of breaking it down to smaller bits suits me fine.

I'm not learning this piece, but I must say I enjoy your teaching style, Hugh. I hope the demand is great enough to not only do this piece but others too!

This is amazing! I am amazed at Hugh's video!

I have almost mastered the piece, I am just learning the last 2 pages. It's a beautiful piece, I can't wait until I can finally the play the entire thing.

Wow Hugh you are just too nice, you made a whole video for one poster you don't know and your not getting paid for it! Having said that, we need more guys like you in these forums. I would be happy to see your videos.

OMG, a Curtis pianist giving free lessons on the Internet! Does life get better than this? I'm not working on Clair De Lune at the moment, but I would clear my other projects for you. How can I miss this chance. Thank you Hugh, I would very much like the see the whole piece taught. Very nice tablet and software there btw.

Indeed that was amazing Hugh!

Just giving a shout out that i've started a new "Piano from Scratch" series on YouTube covering Clair de lune! The new thread can be found here in PianoWorld:
Clair de lune from Scratch - YouTube Piano Lessons

Please consider yourselves invited to participate with your questions and comments! Enjoy!