I've shamelessly put up a video of one of my practise session and thought I'd share it here. As you will see, it is still a very rough work in progress. I'm not expecting comments, I have my teacher for that. I just like to share it that's all

Practise Session 17/10/2010

Thanks for those brave enough to watch. Ear muffs or ear plugs recommended.

Tubbie0075,
What a wonderful inspiration to those of us who love Chopin and have to work hard to make those beautiful Noctures sound as he intended.This is one on my favorite, but I'm not sure I am ready to start working this one. .I worked on No. 32 Op 1, and stil have a way to go. Please keep sharing your sessions.
Dot

I think this was a fascinating glimpse into what occurs during a practice session for a piece like this. During the few times that I play classical music it's obvious that my approach is pretty unproductive. Your video shows the "baby steps" that are required for most of us to reach any success. Also the tremendous amount of patience that's necessary. Very well done.

It was interesting watching your video. I sympathise with your comment about matching LH and RH notes. I'm looking at Chopin's Nocturne #20 in C# minor and trying to match RH triplets with LH quavers. Chopin was a genius, but he didn't make it easy for us mere mortals to learn his music!

Thanks for sharing this! I like your process. You certainly covered lots of ground in one session. You learn very quickly!

I'm lucky to cover a couple of measures in one session.

Thanks for uploading this! I enjoyed watching this since this is one of the many pieces on my future to-do list

That's a great video! Thanks for sharing.

Wonderful and inspirational little film which found me applauding your triumphs in the end. Bravo!

Thank you everyone for your encouragements. I find it interesting to watch myself practise and see things I'm not suppose to be doing, but didn't realize while I'm at the piano. I should do this more regularly. I'll try to be brave and share it here again if I do.

It is embarrassing to watch myself then Valentina Lisitsa. She carresses every note so elegantly and gracefully. I on the otherhand, stampede on everyone of them! Hahaha!

you play wonderfull man ! dont put yourself down ^^ interesting to see how somebody else practices... will look forward to your next session.

Two comments: It's not that rough, and you don't stampede. You really have a very nice, expressive, touch.

One question: If it is not too personal, why "tubbie"? It is inappropriate as either a physical description or in reference to your playing.

Thanks for letting us spy on your practice. It is nice to know that even those with talent still have to work at it and practice "many many repetitions."

Hi Jlynne,

Thanks for your comment. I feel less like an elephant now :-)

There's a silly story behind the name Tubbie. 2 years ago I was signing up for a YouTube account.. I wanted to use the name Tubie, as in a person who uses YouTube. Unfortunately that name was taken. I thought I'd just add another B in it.

Later I told my violin teacher about it as she asked why I call myself a name that suggest I'm chubby. I told her I didn't know that tubbie meant chubby. She was laughing and so was I.

So there you go. That's the story of Tubbie!

LOL! Great story!

Tubbie (or Tubie), thanks for posting your practice session. I actually played that for a few of my students to illustrate what pianists do when they practice. I tell them what they should do and we actually do such things in our lesson and I send them home saying" do what we did today. I even write down all the specifics for them, and they still go home and run straight through the pieces! It is very inefficient to practice this way. It's OK to play straight through when you're first learning it and getting an idea of how the piece goes, but once you realize the difficult passages, then you should concentrate on them and get them worked out, playing straight through the piece should happen periodically during this stage, and then as you work out the issues you play straight through more and more often.

Perhaps seeing someone else doing this will help it to sink in!

Hi Morodiene,

I agree with the small step practise and separate hand practice. It is very difficult to be discipline during practise sessions at home. I too find myself eager to play through the whole piece because that is what I think the teacher expects during lessons. Perhaps telling the student what you expect them to play in the next lesson helps? For example, "I don't want to hear the whole piece next week. I expect to hear this section in separate hand first, that you execute this technique fluently then that... Before I am satisfied that you are good at them, I don't want to hear the whole piece". Do tou think that will help the students to be more focussed on what they should do?

I should be asking my teacher his expectations so I know where and what to concentrate

I love it! Thanks.

Yes! That's exactly what my teacher has done ... nowadays she knows I'll practice pretty well and if I come back and say I've only got through one section hands separately or it's not up to speed, that's fine.

However, then I'd have students who would only go to that point and not take it further. I don't want to micromanage, and I don't want to hold them back either - or allow themselves to cop out. I tell them precisely what they should to do practice, and then to reincorporate it into the piece, meaning practice the measure or two before the passage, and the measure or two after it. Also, I think every few days they should play straight through the piece to really get a sense of their progress.