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

Bessel and MaryAnn - The key to learning Bach pieces for me was to slow down and make sure it was perfect practice. No errors permitted, or you go back and fix that right away. Polyphony like Bach is hard to "get" if you don't play it hands seperate first, so I recommend you learn it that way. You should be able to play either hand HS at speed with zero errors before you try to put the hands together. Last tip is try hard to "hear" that left hand melody, even when you have put the hands together.

Oh, Bessel, that is so cool that you are playing down there at the bottom of the world!

Andy - congrats. Sounds like the sightreading work is really paying off for you.

Cheryl - Another aha moment? If you were playing in the key of C, those C,F,G chords are of course the I, IV, and V, which you will always be able to get to in any key you are playing in without much movement just as you discovered. Prove it to yourself by using the same handshape and relative position for each chord but this time in, say, the key of D major, playing chords D,G,A (the I, IV, and V). Every time I practice a scale I end it with at least the I,IV, V sequence ( for major scales , sometimes adding ii,V,I) or i, iv, V (for minor scales).


PS88 -
Any chance you can describe in detail how this is practiced? Was this an exercise your teacher gave you?


No real AOTW. I played a couple of my jazz standards from memory on a 50 year-old out of tune spinnet. I thought it sounded godawful, but my non-playing audience gave me a few ooohs and ahs over it. I hit all the right keys, just that they didn't all produce sound - LOL. The MacDowell is every bit as challenging as I thought, but oh so beautiful. It is all I can do to keep myself from trying to play it HT (too soon) so that I can really hear it. Chestnuts and Rainbow are slowly getting there - I start these right off HT, but suspect the learing would actually go faster if I focused HS first. Self-destructive impatience I guess.

My AOTW is that I made arrangements to meet with a teacher this coming Tuesday. I'm excited
It's this guy: http://www.mateivarga.com
I spoke to him on the phone and he sounds like a really nice guy.

My achievement or better said excitement is about finding out the Album for the young by Robert Schumann. I've listen to most pieces and they are all very beautiful! Now I have 42 short doable pieces. Not too difficult, just right for me.

If my sheet map was a wallet, I would be a millionair with all the money donated by the historic componists. 

No, not from my teacher, I just pieced it together out of stuff I've come across recently.

Someone on PW, maybe on this thread, mentioned learning to rotate grace notes and having it make them sound like grace notes.  So I tried it on the grace notes in Schumann's Hunting Song that I'm learning, and I liked the effect.

The other thing I saw recently was a bit of video on rotation and double rotation in the Taunman technique.  In the Hunting Song, there are lots of accents, so I started feeling what it feels like to rotate from the upbeat into the accented downbeat.  For example, C up to F in the beginning, or C up to G at the start of the second section.

Then I also practiced playing my pieces a bit slower, consciously relaxing my wrists and fingers.  One thing I found is on the accented chords near the end of Hunting Song, that relaxing my wrists into the chord (enough to fall below the keys) produces an unexpectedly powerful sound.

The rotation is not necessarily big, more of a rocking and weight through the arm and hand rather than a big turn.

The one thing I haven't figured out how to relax are the octave stretches in Hunting Song.  That's near the limit of my reach (which for practical purposes is a ninth).  I'll keep exploring this.

Sam, good for you. It will do world of good to you. You are only 20, so the sky's limit for a person like you. I once had a young and talented friend (Unfortunately he passed away). He was awakened to music when he was 23. He quit a very nice job and worked on piano and passed piano performance audition at first try in our local university within one year of starting the piano! The prof said that he could work on techniques but he was really impressed with his musicality and passion. Not sure what dream and ambition you have for piano, but I hope you can get there. Oh by the way, you look much more healthier than my friend. He looked very frail due to internal illness he had for a long time.

Sam, You must be so excited to start with a teacher! I have to say that my AOTW (actually, of the last 2 years) is that I found an exceptional teacher. You already have a talent for piano, and a teacher is going to make your journey move more quickly.

Had I not decided to find a teacher, I would have probably stayed at a lowly performance level forever. I have learned so much more than I thought I ever would, and having a teacher has made my progress easier and faster.

Definitely keep us posted as to how your lessons go. Good for you - you deserve a good teacher, and he looks like he'll be excellent.

Starting two months ago I started Bach's Fugue in C major from the first volume and Chopin's Etude no 1 op 10 in C Major (funny they are both C Major). Yesterday I managed to MEMORIZE the Etude at a very humble tempo, and can play through the Fugue slowly. This is no small feat for me and am very happy with my practicing and results. Maybe in the next two months I can get them to the point of playing them remotely "well" and will post a recording to be critiqued because I am thinking online critique may be useful. The other Chopin etudes seem daunting compared to the first one and some of the other Fugue's and Preludes of Bach seem very daunting as well. I do have the first Prelude in C Major down. In my spare time between these two songs I have a Sonatina book by Schirmer which I fiddle around with.

My other achievement of the week was spending around $80 on Mendelssohn's Song's without Words, Bach's two and three part inventions, Liszt's Etudes (complete Dover edition), and Beethoven's and Mozart's first books respectively on Sonata's. Entertainment for the rest of my life for $80!!!!! ....... l...o ........l

On a down note, I have had to quit taking lessons due to my job conflicting with my piano schedule My teacher also taught mainly children so maybe that is something I would like to ask you guys is advice on teachers for adults (I am 26).

Sam Rose, congrats on finding a teacher! The technique you learn with the chopin etudes in combo with a good teacher, will make you learn new pieces even faster!!! If that's possible, haha. î„…

Wakingpiano, I think a good teacher for adults has alot of adults in their schedule. Should be very structured (look at how the sheets are ordered for quick access for different students to get an idea) and has a nice grand to play on. Has a nice steady income on teaching and has a waiting list.

hai. that's the one. My teacher has simplified it slightly. Honestly speaking, I think I've bitten off more than I can chew, but it's fun to try. The first 8 bars came a little too easily and now I'm paying.

I thought I was on the edge of the universe in Okinawa, but you've got me beat! Good luck with the Bach :-)

I know what you mean - but I thought the 7th and 8th bars were tricky, too! Keep at it - it's a really fun and beautiful piece, and you'll get it!

Actually I can't figure out why it's hard to learn/play this piece. It looks pretty simple, but there's something deceptive about it. Or, since it's only my second "real" piece (ie not in a beginner method book) maybe I'm just fooling myself and it is easy but that's where I'm at.

I'm also struggling with another sonatina now (Clementi #2, 3rd movement) and learning that is painstakingly slow too, but in a very different way. That one I look at and I say "this is going to be hard slogging", but the Bach I look at and say "this shouldn't be so bad"... but they're difficult in different ways. It's nice working on both of them at once as it seems to stretch my brain in different directions.

Ive started on the piano, thats whats gotten me just completely and utterly hyped.

Just the thought of being able to reproduce some of the enthralling music i hear online. Some of those piano pieces which almost brings tears to my eyes, being able to express that oneday myself is really all i could ask for.

Even though it feels like im at a complete block in trying to read notes, i think im making progress, even though its not apparent at first.

Have a good day.

Oh im also excited about meeting all the nice, intelligent people of pianoworld its inspiring and encouraging.

Welcome, Beautyflowing. Enjoy playing and learning!

MaryAnn, how has your teacher simplified the Menuet?

bessel, I think some of what makes it challenging is that the left hand moves all over, playing a variety of different rhythms. Method book pieces often get the left hand in a groove and then leave it there.

Welcome aboard BeautyFlowing! Be careful.....piano is very addictive!

Haha yeah i know man.

Ive come home to my dads place (thats where the keyboard is) and ive been playing first thing i get up, i dont even want to eat breakfast, it feels like an unneeded delay.

Im usually slow at waking up but now a days when i wake up i want to go to the piano immediatly.

Come to think of it that does sound a bit over the top, anyway suffice to say ive found a hobby that entertains me and thats not bad so im happy!.

Ill try to keep it under control alongside university hehe. Cheers and thanks for the warm welcome!

It's hard to learn/play ... because it's Bach! He specializes in deceiving us. I played a couple of my older repertoire pieces today - his prelude in C major from WTC I and one of his Minuets in G (BWV 116 - not sure if that's the same one) and the minuet killed me. And it does pretty much every time unless I spend a week really getting it back together. I can sight read similar pieces but this does me in every time!

BACH! Love it though ...

Another achievement (took more than a week though), I got the first 25 seconds of Moonlight sonata (3rd movement) to sound kinda sorta like they're supposed to! Those fast arpeggios are friggin hard!!

http://www.box.com/s/va8n1ihrbbm1gz10f4ek

Andy - It's not very encouraging I am writing this in a dinner break from piano. My next one up is Bach. Today's goal is to sight read and put fingerings in. I am doing English Suite #2. I am okay for the sections with only 2 voices but not good (KakaDaPuPu) mode when I hit more than 2 voices. This one should be easier than P&F - so i was told. I love this but it's a bit too long.

I played Rach 23-5 - trying to play at speed. Boy it's hard. Sight read and put fingerings in the 3rd movement of Pathetique 132 measures out of 210 measures. So far so good. It's just I am a little bothered by the difference between schemer version vs hence urtext. I have both text. My teacher likes Schirmer for this. Probably it won't make so much difference at my level...

So far it's a productive day. I would like to put everything into working order before next week (I HAVE TO TRAVEL AGAIN) . But I will have limited access to piano since it's Utah again. Through a PW member, I found Riverton music very close to my work. They allowed me to practice when there is no events in the recital room. They are so kind. It's a really nice and warm place. It's always filled with people. One time I even joined a local choir practice. It was really fun. I am actually looking forward to meeting them again.

Another great achievement. You are incredibly talented. You might make it in music if you can learn things that fast. It's going to take me a long term to learn that part. I cannot wait to hear about your 1st lesson.

Okay, that's really sick. Third movement is very difficult. You must have super fast processing brain cells. I think Farmgirl is right, you could be a pro with that learning skill of yours.

Beautyflowing, welcome on board! You are right to be excited about your decision to play the piano. It's one of the most rewarding hobbies. It's also a way to encouter new music as a bonus. Like Casinitaly and her husband who love Granados now. 

Maryann, I'm also curious how your teacher simplified Bach. The minuet in G is a very beautiful piece. A bit difficult, but you'll learn alot from it. If you can play Bach, you can play anything!

Farmgirl, wow you travel alot!! I think I travel once every eight years, hehe. How sweet of the people to let you play there. Such warm welcome!

I have also news to announce.

Teodor has inspired me when he went for his music education. He says if you really want it, you can do it.

So..... I did too! I'm going back to school again to become a professional cook! I'm so excited. I got a phonecall yesterday that I will start my first lesson 13 januari. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not very talented in cooking. I'm talented in math and computer science, but that's sooooo boring. It made me very depressive in the past. I quit my job as a system programmer and do something simple until now.

Playing the piano makes me aware that talent doesn't really matter. I don't have a real talent to play music, but it's so fun to do it. I have to work really hard to learn simple pieces, but it gives me so much satisfaction in return. I enjoy the process.

Teodor has inspired me to go after what I really want. I know I love cooking and food like I love piano. He gave me confidence to go for it. I won't be a masterchef, but I'm sure I go to my job as a cook with a big smile on my face every day.

So Teodor, if you read this, thank you for inspiring me! 

PianoStudent88, she has taken out the run of 1/8th notes in the 8th and 12th bars.