Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Achievement of the week - what got you excited?

This really is my favourite thread in PW

CebuKid, thanks for sharing your struggles too - they are so NOT obvious in your playing, I would never have understood your difficulties if you hadn't said something. I have some "easy" Joplin scores in some of my collections and they look simply unapproachable to me. I am full of admiration for what you can do.

Gulp.
Is there an achievement/support thread for adult beginners who are just beginning ?

My learning to play C major scale in two octaves, similar and contrary motion, doesn't seem very exciting compared to the rest of you

My AOTW is sitting the AMEB Grade 5 piano practical exam and passing with Honours. I was extremely nervous and had not one but two trainwrecks in the technical work, and fluffed most of the aural tests. But the examiner nevertheless awarded me an A so I'm happy. I celebrated yesterday with a very long lunch with my teacher and friends.

Lain, yeah, thats the piece. As you know, it is at least a couple of grades above my level. That's why I told her "please tell me that I am not ready for the piece. my feeling won't be hurt. let's do it in a couple of years". She said that sometimes it does a world of good for a student to try a piece they like even if it's above their current levels. In fact, she does not think it's a good idea to always teach pieces only within your reach. She said that she spoke at a teacher's convention before and she could see 50% of the teachers were not in agreement with her. But another half, especially young and "capable" ones, did agree with her. Mind you, I am not trying to open up a huge discussion here but she also said that t is often those teachers who never played those pieces who won't teach the students those high caliber pieces. I know she is crazy but something what she said made sense to me. So I agreed to do it. I could pick one of the four ballards. I just like the first one. I will see which one she picks. I am not sure if we are going to do all the movements (donno what to call them) or one. I hope it's one.

She just taught the piece to a couple of highschoolers for their Piano performance auditions for Universities. They both were accepted. I am thinking that's why she wants to teach me the piece. My ambition is to try a music school at or close to my retirement to pursue performance degree. I already have masters degree in other area but studying music is something I dream of for years. I cannot do this now because I am the major bread winner in my household. I have a while to go until my retirement but I think she wants to start preparing the future audition pieces from now. If I try these pieces early on, it will be easier to brush them up later when i am much more ready. She is old (61) and might be thinking to get me ready before she retires.

I am as curious as you are as to how she is going to teach the piece to me. Both students were talented but not genius. She routinely sends students to conservatories and piano performance majors all over the country. Last year, one of the students entered the school started the piano at age 14! I was amazed. She is great. She can play all those pieces she teach. I am lucky to be in her neighborhood and lucky to be able to go there during the lunch time otherwise I could have not taken the lessons. Once the lesson started, I will let you know how she is teaching me, not-so-great-material.

Gulp.
Is there an achievement/support thread for adult beginners who are just beginning ?

My learning to play C major scale in two octaves, similar and contrary motion, doesn't seem very exciting compared to the rest of you

Also laid out a strategy for playing Ain't Misbehavin' in my Left Hand...

Gulp.
Is there an achievement/support thread for adult beginners who are just beginning ?

My learning to play C major scale in two octaves, similar and contrary motion, doesn't seem very exciting compared to the rest of you

Never, never hesitate to bring ANY achievement to this thread - everything and anything, no matter how small , is perfectly relevant and highly desired!

This thread is for celebrating each and every baby step we take. Too often as adults we beat ourselves up for not being as good as we would like to be, not progressing as quickly as we think we should - and everyone whines about that once in a while - but here in this thread we ONLY talk about the up-side of our piano adventures. It has been terribly exciting to "grow up" (ok, just a little bit) in such excellent company.

I am often reluctant to post about that micro-improvement ... not worth talking about. Cumulatively, much better, each week - not so much.

However, yesterday's lesson was an example of the cumulative improvement. It's been months since I've done any sight reading at my lesson but we reached the sight reading page in my current theory book so away we went. Not that I played any of the pieces perfectly (nowhere close) but my teacher was very impressed with my improvement.

Five / ten minutes a day sight reading simple stuff does help!

I'm not good as I would like to be, not progressing as quickly as I think I should, and just plain mad at myself for being so incompetent and lacking discipline to practice more -- I'm on vacation, so I have no excuse. mad OK, on the flip side, I'm revisiting some old pieces I've learned in the past! but disappointed that I can't play them well.

Five / ten minutes a day sight reading simple stuff does help!

I know how you feel ... my AOTW was to play some eighth notes before my teacher assigned them .. she's teaching Alfreds Adult Book One

I guess finding some good music on YouTube doesn't count but it sure is fun to listen to !!!

Does anyone here play rock or pop ... mostly I read about classical or jazz playing