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Bravo Waltz, playing is coming along VERY nicely!
- SC

Waltz – Thanks for the info on Clementi. I think I like the first movement even better then the second, and you played it very well. Recently I’ve been sticking to just Alfred pieces. The last few have been enough of a challenge for me and I needed all the practice time I could get one them. As far as “Make Up Your Mind”; yes, it was a silly little piece, kind of fun to play, but nothing of much consequence. It is nice to have such pieces scattered throughout though, just to give one a little break now and then between some of the more challenging selections.

Undone

JF, TTigg, and Undone:

Thanks so much for watching and giving feedback on the Clementi Sonatina! It means a lot

I feel like I'm falling far behind you all with respect to Alfred's 3

Waltz, I liked your Clementi a lot too! Nice, 'clean' playing!!

I guess I have the 'other' version of book 3 then some of you. (it's the not all-in-one I work from). I don't have any song in there that's called 'Make up your mind', but reading the comments so far I am not missing anything really important or special...

And Undone...hmm..the unfinished symphony. Not the easiest piece of the book as I recall. It was the last piece that I worked on for the summer break, and I seem to remember we left it still slightly unfinished, and picked up spooky story in september. hahaha! That one, and the next one (Steal Away) as well as Come back to Sorrento, which I am currently working on seem top be slightly easier then the previous pieces (at least, that was my impression, it may be different for you)


The going is pretty slow here in book 3, with all the extra things I am working on as well, but I don't mind. I guess, being fairly close, I'll finish at least the tutorial part of book 3 sometime, and pick from the 'for fun' and 'ambitious' part only the pieces I like. I'm doing at last a few (short) etudes a week currently, and there's more interesting stuff in my Yann Tiersen book that I'd love to start working on.

John..wow! You are really moving fast through the book! I guess you are, and will be the leader of the pack for the time being!

Ttigg...your recording of the prelude in C is still coming?? I'm looking forward to it..i've heard quite some people play this piece so far (both live, and here at the forum) and it is so nice to listen to and learn from all the different versions!

(still no recording device here. But my teacher has promised to record me playing whatever, if I really want to. That means you'll get a real one-time-recording (no 25 takes during a lesson I guess). You want to vote? One of my personal favourites...Satie? or Yann Tiersen? or something more 'standard' out of book 3? Somehow I feel that I do need to post at least one or 2 recordings to share in order to really participate here!)

Ingrid

Waltz - don't worry about where you are in Book 3 with respect to any of us (or all of us) - it's not a race - take your time with each piece & enjoy the journey.

JF

Where did that come from? Sorry to disappoint or disillusion you but I'm not the leader of this "pack" or any other - that's not the way I look at things here, and I don't think anyone else does either. I'm just doing what I can to get thru the Book 3 pieces and trying to encourage others to do the same.

JF

Thanks, I will make a promise to get it done before or on Thursday. I may even try to record it upstairs on the digital since I'm kind of "digging it" with the piano+strings..
- SC

Apologies. I just meant to compliment you on the fact that you seem to be moving through book 3 rather smoothly.

Ingrid

Ingrid – I would have to agree. I think Unfinished Symphony may be the most difficult piece yet. Then again, I thought this about Scheherazade when I first started working on it, and it was difficult, but I didn’t wind up spending as much time on it as I have some of the other pieces.

Undone

Ingrid and Undone, my candidate for "the most difficult piece" is "Trumpet Tune" which requires a very distinct rhythmic style that makes the piece sound "martial" as if we were all marching into battle, happily, which is a bit strange. Also, there are sections where the right hand is going in one direction (up or down) and the left hand is going in the other (down or up). It took me several weeks to get it and I never would have gotten the feeling of it had I not had my teacher's Zoom H2 recording to work from.

Well I had to change my sig to fit in my box.net link (lost my Sienfeld quote for now) Anyhow, managed to get a 95% perfect take with the upstairs practice digital (Piano+Strings). Over the weekend I will get a better take with both Piano Solo, that being the real one downstairs and another take of the Piano+Strings

Prelude C Major

I'm still trying to decide "my" happy pace for this piece, can be played at so many different tempos..

Thanks all..
- SC

TTigg - Fantastic! Bravo! Bravissimo!

Undone

TTigg, well done. You set an ambitious pace for yourself and kept everything in time.

If you want to get a little more out of this piece, write down the chords and you'll see the chord sequences that go with a key signature. For example it starts I,ii,V7, I in the key of C, then ii/V, V7/V, I/V in the key of G, etc. My teacher used this analysis to explain the sets of measures that go together in a phrase and to add dynamics to contiguous measures. It was neat stuff.

Ttig...very well done! I don't know a lot of pieces that can sound well at various speeds, but this is certainly one of them. I, for myself like to play it relatively fast because it makes one feel so 'good' at the piano. But playing it slowly allows for so much extra drama or feeling to be added. I like it both ways, just depending on my mood. But again...I thought your version sounded great! Very smooth and dynamic as well.

By the way, old fingers chord-approach is fun. I play from fake books as well, and it's nice to be able to recognize all the (inverted) chord sequences in classical pieces. Makes the playing a lot easier sometimes (hey, even in some of the alfred pieces the chords symbols are sometimes given..did you notice? It almost feels like cheating, using them, but I do whenever I can!)

And Old Fingers..haven't looked at the trumpet tune yet. Happily marching to war?? Hmm. Sounds intriguing, though probably not reallyt my type of music. It's in the ambitious section isn't it?? I'll look at it!

Ingrid

Fixed

Great, great job! I really can't imagine hearing a better performance. You and Undone both played this well into the professional level, with both feeling and dexterity. I certainly couldn't play like that. That was excellent TTigg: now keep them coming

Thank you (takes his bow) your excellent recording was my inspiration to get mine done, yep this piece is a keeper for sure..
- SC


Thanks OldFingers. I must confess my teacher prefers is slower but she did at least agree it sounded great (with a smirkey smile) I’ll have to take a look @ the music again to see this chord stuff you’re talking about. I like the idea of breaking it down (along with other songs) so thanks for the suggestion/tip
- SC


Thanks Ingrid
I do so very much enjoy this place and even though I may be going through a “bad patch” with regards to not enough pieces memorized (for my own goals) and lots of time being taken away by work, it’s always great to come back to my roots for some encouragement from such a great bunch!
- SC


You’re funny and very kind. Yes I was “chuffed” right up till the messed up note [not going to say where] since obviously nobody else thought it was that bad..I’m pretty sure you could play like that Waltz. We’ve both come so far since the good old days of book 1. Opening it up, getting used to the mountains of theory and not much playing. Now here we are in #3 where there is almost no theory and mountains of songs to play! Also your new teacher has you going off in different directions which is, in itself, is a sign of your continued improvement and build of talent
- SC

TTigg - excellent playing on the Bach Prelude - between your version and Undone's I'm now convinced that I want to tackle this throughly enjoyable and surprisingly melodic work myself before I close out Book 3 -it's just a matter of time - thanks to both of you for your fine performances, and for the inspiration

JF

Thanks and we're glad to be of service. I'm for sure going to keep this in and play with some more settings in my head (mainly tempo) but I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I like it. When I first looked at it though, ooh, was not good
- SC

Finished up "Shenandoah" recently, a modified version of which can be heard in this month's (Oct.) Piano Bar. Also to be heard there is my accelerated, mistake-ridden version of Clementi's "Prelude in D minor".

Currently putting the finishng touches on the Jazz Ostinato piece (in the rather strange key of C# minor) and just startrd "Soldier's Joy (Hornpipe)".

A hornpipe is, according to Wikipedia:

The term hornpipe refers to any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and elsewhere from the late 17th century until the present day. It is said that hornpipe as a dance began around the 16th century on English sailing vessels. Movements were those familiar to sailors of that time: "looking out to sea" with the right hand to the forehead, then the left, lurching as in heavy weather, and giving the occasional rhythmic tug to their breeches both fore and aft.

I think versions of this piece are, and have been, long time staples of many Celtic music soloists and bands, often performed on the "fiddle".

JF

Ingrid, although I know what you mean about "cheating", I don't understand why it should be so. I know the Royal Conservatory would frown on the practice, but if it makes it easier to play and it brings greater understanding to the music, why shouldn't all music, classical and otherwise, have the chord notation. When I've had this discussion with my teacher, I'm told that advanced players do know all the chords and inversions and can recognize them without the lead-sheet notation. But why shouldn't the rest of us get a break?

My rant for the day.

Bob