Bum-ble bee, bum-ble bee, buzzing

LOL!

Lesson #31, Measure 23

In this lesson, we talk a little about the geometry of chords and how they affect fingerings. We have a tricky left hand part with busy multiple thumb jumps - a real example of being "all thumbs" with your left hand!

Hugh and fellow lesson mates;

I hope you are making a good progress.
I wanted to share my thoughts and a request.

Since Hugh started these lessons I am more interested in this music, so I practice more. Eventhough I can play the piece to the end already, I practice the measure Hugh covers each time and make sure my fingerings work. Naturally, my playing is much better than before. Practice, practice!

On top of importance of practice, I can't say enough about good fingerings. It's very hard to believe that I didn't realize the importance of fingerings until fairly recently (months before Hugh's lessons when I became serious about Bach music) after all those 10 year's lessons I took as a kid and over three years' self study. I should say, in terms of accuracy, it is ALL about fingerings!
So, it is good that Hugh spends most of the video minutes on fingerings and mappings especially for beginners.

Combined with my Bach Inventions study, I've been trying to figure how to phrase a piece of music, and I try to relax my hands and arms as much as possible so that I can reach the level of softness that is close to Debussy's intention. This is something I have never paid attention untill recently. I try to imagine the softness of the moonlight in a peaceful night during my practice. Phrasing and soft hands are something I really need a teacher's help.

So, here is a request for Hugh.

Since I am a pretty good music reader (among very little piano skills at which I am good), I have been skipping the mapping part mostly except for a few areas that I thought your fingering/ peddaling suggestions worked better than my way.

Maybe after you finished mapping in every measure or each phrase, I am wondering if you could take a few minutes to show us how to play musically. Maybe you could add some demonstration on how that specific measure or phrase should be played musically. Maybe you could includ a good hand position and touch of the keys for the measure. Since there are repeated patterns like the recent measures, for example, you could do this just once at the end of these repeated patterns, i.e. measure 15-24? Or if you preffer, you could just do one lesson at the end of this whole piece.

Thanks and cheers!

p.s.
I plan to post a video here playing the whole piece as it is, to share with you, hoping that Hugh would give me a few suggestions to improve. Would that be something you guys might be interested to see? Or would that make you guys uncomfortable?

CoffeeLover,
I'm glad your happy with your progress and look forward to seeing your video. I am not progressing as rapidly as you are but I am still satisfied with the progress I have made. I am still at the "hands separate" stage at speed and hands together at a crawl - but it is coming along.

Unfortunately, this is one of my "busy" weeks at work with over 80 hours scheduled - so my practice time is somwhat limited. I am only getting in about an hour of practice each day and with the other pieces that I'm also working on - which are in different stages of completion/polishing - it leaves only about 30 minutes of "Clair" practice each day. I am hoping that on my next 4-day break (starting this coming Sunday) I can get to the point where I can record hands together and at speed through measure 26 - which Hugh will probably have covered by then.

I hope that others are progressing along to their satisfaction and that Hugh is still happy to provide the lessons. A big thanks again to Hugh!!!

Woody

I would like to see it, and would like to see Hugh comment. I sure we would all benefit.

Woody-
Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you're making a good progress, considering that you have limited time for piano. I am lucky that I don't work at the moment, and have a full family support. I am very grateful indeed. I should have been more considerate for others who don't have this kind of luxuary. Sorry if I offended anyone! I surely didn't mean to.
I will also look forward to hearing your recording!

Sincerely,

CoffeeLover,
I am sure there was no offense taken! We all share in your excitement and enthusiasim, it's why most of us play piano to begin with. It's all about the music.
Woody

Woody and Carl,
Thanks. I was about to go bang my head against my kitchen wall.

I would like to see your video too.

These are terrific suggestions, CoffeeLover! By all means, please post a video of your performance. We'd all certainly enjoy it, and if there's something I can help with we can use that as material for the proposed Webinar. The Webinar can be a great venue for exploring musical issues just like the ones you talk about, since we'll have more time beyond the YouTube 10-minute cutoff, and can be more dynamic in fielding questions live. At least, that's the thinking in my own head

It's been a crazy week of recording sessions in NYC for Music Minus One and rehearsals at Curtis, on top of putting together a new website for the Piano from Scratch series, so thanks for all your patience while we work to set up the first Webinar date. I'd like to tentatively aim for Saturday, Sept. 26 1 pm EST - how does that sound for everyone here? I'll set up a signup page on the new site as soon as it's ready.

Lesson #32, Measure 24

Wow, we're approaching the home stretch of the second page! A little bit of finger waffling, but in the end I decide to recommend a simpler solution to avoid confusion (i hope...) The right hand keeps "cookie cutter" shapes for the most part, while the left hand has some slight chord fingering shifts, but all in all it shouldn't be too uncomfortable after a little practice. We end with another review of the rhythm starting from the previous measure and some pedaling recommendations.

Hugh-

Thanks for the hard work when you are so busy! How do you do it?
You must be really, really well organized!

I will be flying to France that exact time you suggested for Webinar, so I guess I will watch the recording while I am in France. I'm pretty positive that I will have internet access. No piano, though. I am coming home on Oct 12. I haven't told you about my travel plan because I was hoping that you would wait until you finish these lessons to the end before the Webinar. But hey, it's your choice. I don't mind watching the recording later at all. That will be almost the same as being there.

I shall practice Clair a bit more today and maybe this evening I will record and post a video.

Thanks everyone!

We could certainly wait for you to get back so that you can participate "live", instead of just watching the recorded lesson afterwards - that might give other folks more time to submit video questions, as well as for me to finish setting up the Piano from Scratch website to better accommodate videos, comments, and webinar sign ups (i'll certainly keep posting the lessons here in PW!) By mid October we'll also have covered some of the hardest parts of the piece - i think someone else (Munkeegutz?) suggested that we cover the harder spots in the Webinar also.

Thanks! If it works for you and everyone, by all means I would love to participate live.

Maybe we could aim for Saturday Oct. 17 1 p.m. EST?

Hugh,
Due to my work scehdule, I can't attend either proposed date. Last Saturday was the only Saturday I have off in the month of September. For Saturdays in October, I'm available on the 3rd and the 24th. So if those dates will work, count me in. Without video ability and with only a desk-top computer I'm not sure how active my participation would be anyway. I could be one of those best suited to a recording.
Woody

The 24th of October could work for me too - CoffeeLover, does that work for you as well?
Woody, you wouldn't need video recording capabilities to participate in the webinar; everyone will be watching a live video broadcast, and participation will be via text chat where folks can type in comments, questions, responses, and the like. I'll try to work up a little "how to" for the various forms of participation leading up to the webinar.

Hugh,
If that's the case, count me in. The little "how to" would also be really helpful. Seriously, how do you find the time to do all this? You obviously enjoy it - but finding the time??? As bad as my work scehedule is, I bet it's nothing compared to yours!
Woody

I'm good for the 24th.

I think I don't have any party planned that day. I'll be there!

I can also take part on Oct the 24th - looking forward to it very much!

Hugh, I have been with you from the start of your Clair de lune lessons and I think you are doing a great job. I have been playing this piece form memory for some years now (mostly self taught)and I though I would follow along in order to check to see if any bad habits had "crept in" over the years. I was very surprised to see just how many times I took liberties with notes and timing. Thanks to you, I am getting back on track and my love for the piece has been renewed. Thanks for everything you do.

Hugh and lesson mates-

I decided to go ahead and record because something came up for this evening. I need to get back to my Bach study, too.

Here is my first rough video.
I mean really ROUGH. I tried about 10 times and this is the best I can do. I don't think I can play mistake-free yet. I will have to know every note by heart to do that. I know that will come to me naturally once I've practiced enough.
Still, I am doing much much better than before.

You will have a laugh to see my "Music Reader" system.
I put each page in plastic pockets (those you use to file manuals and stuff...) and cellotaped them together. Behind the music is long flat wooden board to support this long score. You will see me sliding the score to my left to read the end of the score.

Hope you have a fun. Please feel free to comment.

Bravo!! Coffeelover

Great Job Coffeelover!!!

HOLY COW!

CMohr

I listened to the entire piece, which is pretty uncommon for me and youtube videos. Your "Music Reader" system made me laugh, but it looks a whole lot better than messing around with turning pages and that's the bit that counts right?

CoffeeLover, that was totally superb! I am learning this piece for few months now and can't play it that well.... wow, I'm stunned! Congrats!