Hello Hugh and everyone in the class!

I am pretty new to the forums, so I am a very late starter to this class. Better late than never, eh?

I am enjoying reading through this thread and have picked up a number of tips/pointers that I have added to my TBPT (Tool Box of Piano Techniques). I have a music theory tool box as well. Good things to have.

Thanks ever so much to Hugh! This is a major undertaking, and the time and care you are putting into this effort is a very generous thing! I am very impressed with your interpretation of Clair de Lune as posted on youtube. It transports me to that beautiful world where time stands still.

I must admit that this intermission in instruction is something that serves me well - it gives me time to catch up with the class!

Back to practicing. . . .

Well I just couldn't wait any longer, so I went ahead and finished it myself. The remainder of the piece is pretty straightforward. The two measures after the last lesson are pretty easy, the next two are tricky, and here I had to use what I learned from Hugh to get a handle on the fingering. After that it's mostly arpeggio's and most of it is similar to earlier measures, which seemed to go pretty quickly. So as of now I have it all memorized, and can play it through at 3/4 speed well with few mistakes. Hopefully after some good practice I can have it at the speed I want. For all of you who are waiting I suggest you give it a try by yourself, it's a great feeling when you have it finished.

Maybe it's time you folks started posting videos?

I will post a video when I have the piece sounding the way I want. As I mentioned above, I have it memorized, but I can't play it at the speed I want, so once I get there I will record it.

Just found this thread.
I'm a beginner and find hugh very good a getting things across

Ive worked through the star wars intro videos and am chuffed with the outcome. Just waiting for Hugh to do the rest of the score.(hint hint)

I'm going to start on clair de lune if for no other reason than to get to know the keyboard and how to move from key to key learning to actually play it would be a bonus.

Thanks Hugh

Matt

Hello all! I have just finished measure 33 and am about to start 34! Thank you SO much Hugh. I just bought a new Casio PX 130, upgraded from my Casio WK-3000. Now I'm practicing with weighted keys.

Hugh, no joke, you have inspired me to take piano playing more seriously.

For those students who are working on digital pianos to learn "Clair de lune", you might find this video interesting. It's an overview of Pianoteq, a virtual modeled piano program that runs within a computer and controlled via MIDI from your keyboard. The expressive range is quite remarkable compared to regular digital pianos, and I demonstrate with a performance of "Clair de lune". I'd love to hear what you think!

Hugh, that was beautiful. I don't think I've ever heard it played any better or with more expression.

Fabulous! Really beautiful sound there Hugh, I'm already a big fan of Pianoteq though!

I already bought Pianoteq based on your recomandation and am very satisfied with it.

Hugh,

I am a fan of Pianoteq. I currently play on an acoustical grand piano, but recently have been thinking of buying a digital piano for my vacation home. Do you have a recommendation for a digital piano that works well with Pianoteq?
Thxs,
Carl

I'm very new to piano playing scene, but I assume that any model would work well, because the sound will come from the pianoteq software and not from the piano. So, choose a digital piano with MIDI capabilities that feels good to you.

I just bought a PX-130. I wish I would have had the cash for the 330 so I could've gotten MIDI. My old WK-3000 has MIDI but does not have weighted keys.

Px-130 does have MIDI, the interface MIDI/USB is built in.

Copied & pasted from Musicians Friend page

"It's easy to connect the PX-130 to your computer with its built-in USB/MIDI interface."

But my older casio has MIDI in / out ports. What's the benefit of those over just standard MIDI?

Midi in/out is standard midi. The USB style is useful for connecting to a computer because you don't need an additional midi interface. The standard midi in out is more versatile though because you can plug straight into any other midi device.

I'm Loving this.

Hugh now feels like a friend.

I'm on lesson 9 measure 7. And whilst I'm a beginner its helping me to recognize notes and understand all the other little symbols/accents etc.

I'm finding my way around the keyboard sooo much better now and my touch is improving no end.

I need to take more rests mind as my mrs came to say hello today as i had been sat tinkering away for 5 hrs

One problem i am having is that when the lessons start it takes me a bit to catch up. I end up playing the piece through from the beginning, which is not a problem as its more practice.

It would be nice if Hugh ever does another one of these tutorials that a catch up from start to where the lesson is. although i understand spending 3-4 mins playing through wont leave much time for the actual lesson.

It's prob because I'm a beginner and I'll find it easier to find my way with more experience. I also find that Hugh sometimes misses out notes or moves on a little quick. Which whilst not on purpose is great as it stops me being lazy and just following directions, It makes me double check the measure and helps me follow along.


Thanks Hugh

After powering through some of the previous measures, I finally got stuck again, measure 37. I am having quite a difficult time with this. I think I finally got the fingering down, just trying to connect it with 36 and get it up to speed.

Also, Huge, for measure 35 and 36, I eliminated, for now, the double fingers for fingers 4 and 5. For some reason I have trouble getting them, and when I do, they end up sound much louder than the rest of it. I have trouble playing two fingers on the left hand softly. I think I may go back and add them as I move on.

I'm going to venture ahead into 38, I think it will motivate me to practice 37 more and get it to speed. Perhaps I will post an update video if anyone is interested.

Does anyone know what to do on measures 44-45 or measures 3-4 of the Calmato section? Looking at the notation, it looks as if the left hand crosses into where the right hand is playing, or is there an easier way to do it?

Thanks

Yes flat13, it does, and I had a lot of trouble with this myself. If you watch Hugh play it, he does play all the notes with the left hand, but let's face it, most of us don't have his skill and god given talent. While it probably sounds a little more fluid to play it that way, and you can work through it if you like, but I found it easier to play the E flat with the right hand. This means you might have to alter your fingering for the measure a bit, but at speed I think most people would be hard pressed to hear the difference.

Your tutorials are very helpful and inspiring! I just got started on this tutorial and I am totally hooked. I hope to see more tutorials like this!

Will there be new lessons to complete the piece or that's it?

Well I can't speak for Hugh, but since the last lesson was in November of 2009, I don't think there will be any more. I think he started this project to show some of the new technology he was using while he was off from teaching at Curtis. I can only imagine how busy he must be with school in session, plus his concertizing, practice, and his family. He was extremely generous with his time and I don't fault him for not being able to take it all the way to the end. If you use his teaching techniques and tools you can finish the rest yourself. I did and I think it was easier to learn the rest since I had to come up with my own fingerings. Plus it has helped me take on some new pieces.

I know I'm dragging up an old thread but i'm still working on it.

I'm having difficulties with measures 20 21 22. I cant seem to get my hands working together. This Section has had be stuck for a week now. Any Ideas how to break through it.

Mattyg
Nice to see that at least one other is still working on this. Since your post was from December 12, I presume you have 20 to 22 resolved. There were parts that took me a month to be able to play at proper speed. I just kept playing it over and over and over...
I've been playing this piece all year trying to get it "perfect" Its certainly better than last December, but not yet where I want it to be. For those who play advanced pieces like this, I have a question. Once you can play a piece like this all the way thru, how long does it take you to play it, the way you want it to be heard?

Hi Hugh. I am new to this website. How I found you-- my mom recently passed away, and I came home with a stack of her music. she was a pretty good pianist. I have been taking lessons for a number of year(call myself an intermediate player), and I set to retire end of month. I took out a piece of mom's music- I said to myself- for a summer project I am GOING TO LEARN to play Clair de Lune!. A real challange! But I remember my mom playing it, and I set the goal.

My piano teacher was excited about me attempting to play it.

Well, I went on utube to hear it, and discover you! I am so grateful. I am on this pedaling lesson right now.

I have mom's original music (with her teacher's penciled in notations on fingering etc), and also the Alfred Publishing arrangement (with their suggestions on fingering and pedaling).

Question- in the Alfred music book, there are cap marks showing when to raise and lower pedal. The question is, do I quickly raise and lower BEFORE I hit the notes, or at the same time as I hit the notes, or slightly after?

I am mixed up on that. Thanks.

Hi joanneswim, welcome to the ABF.
This thread is pretty old and Hugh has not been around here for a while. So I doubt you will get a direct answer. He does have his on website which is buried in this thread somewhere.




In regards to your question of the pedal, I think there are times when you will use it between notes and then there are times you will want to play the note and then immediately depress the pedal. Hugh goes over that in different parts of the lessons and in most cases gives different possibilities on how and when to pedal. There seems to be player discretion on the pedal. The one thing I have found is that your ears will tell you when you absolutely have it wrong.

Hi. Actually, that's the way I play the pedal, I feel when it's right to press/lift the pedal. And every player has different ideas on when you should press pedal/lift.

which means-it is my personal interpretation.

For example, I had my piano lesson this week (where I set my goal), and my teacher played through the piece for me. In certain sections I thought, darn, I would have pressed/released more times than he did.

so, even in a structured piece (with all the guidelines), it is personal.

I have one more day in the federal workforce (May 31) before I retire, and I will be workong on this piece to honor my mom!

Congratulations on retirement! Lots of practice time now. I set this one aside last year. I wasn't ready for the second half of the piece. I do want to finish it sometime in the future as it is a beautiful piece. It will make a lovely tribute to your Mom.
Join us in the ABF quarterly recitals. Next one is in Aug.

http://www.hughsung.com/blog/

oddly, Hugh came to my house for dinner this week, thanks to a suggestion from Rich Gallassini..

he talked about this video. he is an incredibly gifted pianist.

Thanks for the information on pedaling. I understand what you say about "player discretion". My teacher played this piece for me last week, and I thought he held the pedal down too much. But then when I looked at the suggested pedaling in the Alfred "Introduction to His Piano Music", he pretty much followed those markings. I also saw Hugh's recommendations in his videos. I'm up to measures 29 and 30 Lesson (43). Maybe if I get through these two measures, I will be near the top of the mountain in regards to difficulty. I don't much mind switching the key to E (I had watched a utube on a student performing the piece, and the wrong notes were mainly in this section, probably because the changed key signature).
It will take hours and hours of practice to get through this! Now I know why the melody is so familiar from my mom's playing the piece- because she practiced for hours and hours on it!.
I really can't see how a person who isn't at least intermediate level could ever attempt this!
Did you accomplish it?
I noticed that with each of Hugh's new lessons, there were fewer "hits" (people watching the videos), meaning many probably many gave up!
One lesson I have taken away from listening to Hugh's lessons, is that you have to go at it measure by measure. I want to go too fast, and what happens is that I perpetuate my fingering mistakes. So, I'm trying to slow it down and approach it as Hugh did in his videos.
One other observation from the videos-, on the timing.. I listened to a few utubes on performers, and noticed so many were not following the timing. What I do in practice is to play my metronome. That's the sure way of knowing I am getting the timing (since so many double and triples). I also count mentally differently. I do the 1 2 3 count, and for doubles, I hit the second note at the 2+.
Also on the fingering, I like what Hugh recommended in measure 29. It will be interesting to see what my teacher says! I figure he'll want me to do the "aerobatic" way that Hugh was trying to make easlier on us. Hugh does explain nicely how fingering is a personal choice. I feel most comfortable starting the piece- right hand with a 4 and 5!!
Enjoying Clar de Lune and Hugh's lessons. Would like him to know I appreciate the hints and encouragement. It's like a real challenge for me.. but being retired and all.. I'm making a go for it!