Sorry I had to end my last note to go do something! Anyway yes my teacher tells me some of these things and just last week she showed me how to end a phrase with a loud then soft chord with a slur. I had got the loud but missed the RH slur. I could see the slur but the loud part wasn't marked but she tells me it is the nature of this style (classical) to play this way. She's given me similar tips in the past but for some reason it clicked on this song. So that's one of my repeated measures to go from a loud 3 note chord to a soft 2 note chord in my Rh while LH stays staccato.

Also while trying to smooth out LH sixteenth notes I
Discovered how weak my LH is! Especially the 4th finger. It's like I have no control at all andnmy
Pinkie flies out in the air! I'll have to ask my teacher about an exercise to help with this on Monday!

So you're probably busy going through all the videos and working on new stuff. I can't wait to hear your next video! Just be careful to not over do it and get sore hands!

Sounds like you have a much better teacher than I ever did! Of course, it's been ages since I had piano lessons (19 years) so I don't remember much, if anything at all. Everything AJ and Birba are teaching me is new to me!!!! I'm like a beginner! LOL!

Will you play your exam pieces by memory? It's up to you, if you'd like to record any of your pieces for me. I really want to watch Tubbie's video, though, since he is working on FI.

I think I'll send Kyle a PM. Have not heard from him in days!! He'll be leaving on Monday. Sigh.

Hi. Yes. I've had moments where I've thought oh geesh she's so particular sometimes! But what a fool I am! She's teaching me and I
Really need to listen. She is from the Ukraine and often tells me what a big focus
Music was back home. Unlike here where we barely find 20 minutes a day for
Our kids (or ourselves) to practice.

She also says we are a rush rush society but with piano we Can not rush everything will happen in it's time. That's why I'm guessing she's not keen on doing super challenging pieces. She really believes in the foundation being solid! I wish I had her as a kid. I can see she is fun but also firm with my son when he does not count or playing without right touch, etc.

I will record my pieces to see what you think! I plan on playing from memory. It's 3 pieces plus two studies. But I don't have to memorize the studies. The studies are giving me more problems than the pieces. Oh well it will be what
Will be!!

I have NOT completed the piece yet but merely learnt the notes. There's still a long way to go.

I had 3.5 years of lessons during teenage years but resumed piano lessons again in May 2010. That's almost 18 years after I've stopped! In between I took up the violin until I could afford a decent piano to recommence lesson.

As promised, here's the video. I generally don't post video of classical music because of harsh comments. Please be kind :-)

Tubbie0075, I just watched your video and it was amazing! I can't provide you with specific comments on technique or anything like that but here is what I heard and saw.

- you are looking very relaxed when you play
- your playing seems very fluid
- it sounded very very good
- the fast part was dynamic and the slow part was delicately played

Overall Wow you got this far in 2 weeks after only ~5.5 years of lessons! That is amazing and something to be proud of!

I would be interested in learning more about your journey since you've resumed lessons. How are your lessons structured, what did you start on first, how do you progress, are you doing exams, etc.

I've seen some of your other videos where you play piano and violin and they were stunning. This one belongs right up there with them.

PS I would love to hear more of your classical music. You play beautifully.

Thank you Zoe. After watching myself in the video, I realized that there are a few nasty bad habits that I haven't got rid of. These will cause problems when I start to increase my tempo. So I need to go back to slow practice with separate hands.

I don't think my learning process was any more special than many others. I remember being very obsessed with piano back in teenage years, practising 3 hours average daily after school. I was born and grew up in Malaysia and we all followed the ABRSM syllabus back then. I didn't learn much techniques and started to struggle a lot around ABRSM grade 7. I think that is the problem of progressing too fast in grades. There are no shortcuts. That said, I give credits to my then teacher for helping me pass with 138/150 at ABRSM grade 3 after 1.5 years of lessons, then the same score a year after at grade 5, then prep me for grade 7 the next year.

It was unfortunate that my family moved to Hong Kong and could no longer afford a piano or lessons for me. So I stopped lessons at around 17. The Canadian school that I studied in HK has 2 pianos, so I tried to play after school whenever I can. Then came university in Melbourne, a job back in Malaysia, Chartered Accountant exams so on and so forth. Later I got myself a digital piano and continued playing, but didn't realize picking up lots of bad playing habits along the way.

After migrating to Australia about 9 years ago, I took up violin and back to my old self, obsessing with music. I passed my AMEB grade 8 in 2008 and started to save for a piano. I won't bore you with the story of how I landed at my current teacher when I was looking for one in 2010, after I got myself a very nice birthday present, a Kawai RX-2 grand!

My teacher is a concert pianist and a composer. He teaches at Melbourne University but only takes a handful of private students. I am very fortunate to end up with him. As you can imagine, I'm probably his least "talented" students!

My teacher teaches the Golandsky methods. We use a lot of walking arms and rotations. You can find some videos of the Golandsky methods on YouTube (search for "Golandsky" or "Taubman"). These are the pieces he taught me since my first lesson (in sequence):

- G major prelude Book II, Bach
- D minor prelude and fugue Book II, Bach
- D flat major Nocturne (op. 27 no. 2), Chopin
- Golliwogg's Cakewalk, Debussy
- Reverie, Debussy
- Ballade, Brahms
- G# minor prelude, Rachmaninov
- F minor Andante and Variation, Haydn
- E minor waltz (no. 14), Chopin
- La Vallee Des Cloches, Ravel
- March from Love of Three Oranges, Prokofiev

I'm now working on Mozart K330, Fantaisie Impromptu and need to start Scalartti B minor sonata soon (when I can find that bloody sheet music!).

He used those pieces to teach me techniques and once I got it, he starts to drill into musicality and tones. he can be very detailed and sometimes only going over a few bars in a lesson just so I get the correct techniques. He never ask me to play any scales and arpeggios apart from those found in the pieces. So I have to self-discipline and make sure I practice them on my own.

My plan is to prepare for AMEB AMUS (diploma) exam this year and take the exam next year. Too bad the Fantaisie Impromptu is only listed in the certificate exam listing. So I can't indulge in spending a lot of time in it.

There you go! Wasn't planning to write my life story here but ended up doing exactly that. I woke up at 5:30am and got nothing to do! It's 6:30am now and I can't wait until 8:00am to start practicing piano again!

Hi Tubbie0075, thanks for such a long and detailed note. I found it fascinating. I will need to look up those videos when I get back home (I'm watching my little boy at swim lessons now!)

I love your idea of a bday present to self! Those really are te best kind huh! I'd love a grand someday. I've loved the Kawai's I've tried. I figure maybe after I pass a certain grade (grade 7 or something) I'll get myself a baby grand (got to start saving first!)

I wonder what Choo will buy. I think she's going grand shopping soon. She is going to love it. Actually I think she will be simply blown away by the power and tone of the acoustic.

I'm going to listen to the pieces you've listed too. I'm interested to hear them as I am not familiar with them.'

Tubbie, thanks for that information on the Taubman approach/technique. I've been online this last hour and have been watching little snippets on all sorts of techniques. I went to that website and the entire set of tapes is $575. Yikes!

Choo, did I see somewhere that you've ordered these? If so, are you going to provide your review of these tapes?

It looks really valuable. It would help me immensely I think. I have to watch more later. This is really good stuff.

Tubbie, I also went and listened to all those pieces you've learned. Wow! I'm curious did you have a favorite? I really liked the 2 you are working on now. I liked the Rach one you listed and the Chopin. My least favorite was the 'Orange' piece.

Zoe, I didn't buy the videos and don't recommend it unless you have a teacher who also teaches the method. The video make things look so easy but there are a lot of things involved. Bad habits can develop from left, right, front and center learning rotation and you won't even realize it without a teacher. That said, the method has opened up possibilities for me :-)

My most favourite pianist at the moment who uses a lot of rotation and does so delicately and beautifully is Valentina Lisitsa. Check her out on TouTube. She makes things look easy and effortless. I think I subconsciously copied her a bit in the FI middle section :-p

My least favourite piece out of those I've learnt is Brahms Ballade, but it's a very good piece to learn how to bring out the melody from a series of chords.

Choo, congrats on buying a baby grand piano. It is the most exciting thing! Any brands you have in mind?

OMG!! I'm truly impressed! You've been playing this piece for 2 weeks, you say? I still don't play as well as you do after nearly 2 months!! You've got more of the last page than I do and you look very relaxed while I'm tense! Good job! I plan to start putting the piece together now since I've been working on parts here and there but I haven't got the last page yet. It's the most difficult, I think. Very impressive debut after such a short time! At this rate, you'll be playing this piece at speed next week while I'm still struggling!

Thanks for sharing a bit of your music history and hey, I'm originally from Malaysia, too! Small world, isn't it? I seem to find myself in the company of people from my homeland! Over on the other side (PianoStreet) there are two from Malaysia!!!! I feel so at home! Your Kawai grand is really nice. Is it a full concert grand? I'm planning to get a baby grand soon but since I play so awfully, I've kind of been postponing it. Oh, I worked in Sydney for a year. And if you've been following the PS thread, AJ, who also provides us with guidance, is from Melbourne as well. Very small world, indeed. Well, it looks like everyone else will complete FI before me and I began this thread! But have the least qualifications for the piece! But I'll complete it.

Zoe: I haven't got into the Taubman stuff. AJ mentioned it and others from PS forum. I just purchased Dr Fink's book and DVD but haven't really got into it yet though I am planning to watch the whole DVD tonight. As for Taubman and other technique stuff, I have to confess that I'm not that interested because playing the piano is purely for pleasure for me and I have no great ambitions. After FI, I have an interest in learning some other pieces: Scherzo 2, Ballade 1, Pathetique Sonata, The Tempest Sonata, to name a few. Those are all LONG pieces so the way I'm going, it will take me the rest of my life!!!! And I'm not kidding! I'll probably begin another blog for another piece when FI is completed so you haven't seen the last of me. Some of you may wish to! Ha ha ha! But this is all fun for me and I get more motivated when I have a blog with others participating.

I haven't done much piano shopping yet. We're supposed to have our flooring done for the kitchen and bathroom in mid-Feb. Then, we need to move some furniture to make room for a baby grand. Then, I'll shop. Hopefully, by then, I would have completed FI.

Well, I need to start putting the piece together like a jigsaw puzzle. My tempo is slow, not much faster than Tubbie's I think but I'll do the best I can. I used to record over and over till I had the best recording (or takes, as Dire Tonic calls it) but now I simply do it the first time and post it!! I basically record a practice video with all the problems for the world to see. So you can expect one in the next week. Hopefully. I look forward to your video, too, Zoe. Whenever. Whatever you like to play.

Tubbie: I also love the way your video fades in and out. How do you do that? Do you need a special camera for that?

Hi Choo. It's nice to have you back! What us the title of that book and DVD you're talking about I'm curious.

Well I recorded my 3 pieces on my digital piano (sorry no video this time). Two sound not bad I think (I hope!) but the Wild horseman sounds like.... well like the horse is dying LOL!!! I just tried to get a fairly clean take but listening back the timing sounds screwy even though when I'm playing it it sounds better. Recording oneself is really valuable I found because sometimes what we think we hear is not what we are actually playing! I will post these some time today as I need to get to a computer (as opposed to my phone!).

Each time I sit down I try to play through my pieces as clean as possible (without warmup) as this is what happens at lesson and will happen for exam too. I am feeling better about it lately as I've gone through almost all the scales and now just working on smoothing out the chords (broken/solid). I can play them at home quite well but for some odd reason they fall apart at lessons! Like really fall apart! I think I'm thinking too hard or something! Got to shut that
Left brain off already!

I look forward to your next video. I bet AJ and Birba are too.

PS you totally deserve a grand piano so don't think Otherwise. But take your time and try as many as you can. My tuner suggested to me to look into the Yamaha and Kawai over 5 feet as it will sound much better. I had asked him about
It because there was a private sale smaller Samick for around $4000 that I was asking him about. He suggested I would be better off Saving for a larger piano as the touch and tone would be much improved. He said he would keep his eyes and ears open for me. Who knows there might
Be a Grand in my future as Well!!

Choo: I wish I have a concert grand! No, it's 5' 10" and any smaller it would have been a baby grand.

Small world in deed. After university, I spent a year in Vancouver. Love it there. So beautiful.

I won't be playing at speed in a week. It is important not to rush but get the problem areas fixed. I think I'll spend about 2 months in total for this piece while working on other pieces assigned. Even then I will play slight below tempo. I'll have to keep playing the piece for 6 months or so before it is at "performable" level.

The fade in and out effects were done on a video editing software. I use Sony Vegas. Once I imported the video to my computer, I use the software to trim, insert text and add effects to it, including the picture of the sheet music at the beginning of the video. It's fun to make video projects like these :-)

Why don't you get a teacher? It doesn't mean you have to take exams. A teacher can help you speed up your learning and expand possibilities for you :-)

Hi Choo, well I feel like I've hijacked your thread, but you asked to hear me play and here is what I've got. This is the first time I've used this site Box.net so I hope this works. Also, it's the first time I've recorded off my digital. It's a bit faster than editing video.

MinuetInDMinor

SonatinaBFlatMajor

WildHorseman

Your pieces were great. My favorite is the Wild Horsemen!! I think it sounded like wild horsemen!! Excellent work! I haven't figured out how to use this BOX thing. How do you do it?

The DVD and book are Dr Fink's MASTERING PIANO TECHNIQUE. I'm going to watch the whole DVD tonight after the Superbowl. Take some time off my FI for it. This book was recommended by AJ and Margherita on the PS forum. It's highly recommended and I got mine from Amazon.ca

Don't worry about hijacking this thread. For a long while, it was so dull that I hardly visited because the action was, and still is, on PS. In fact, at one time, I couldn't even find this thread!! It disappeared way down there but now it's much more interesting so please keep posting here.

Thanks for explaining the fading in and out. I'll take a look at this Sony Vegas. All the time I thought it was a particular video recorder that allowed you to do all that stuff. I'm in the dark ages when it comes to stuff like that.

I was thinking of a Yamaha or Kawai baby. There wouldn't be room in our home for a grand. In fact, there's not enough room for a baby so I may reconsider.

I considered getting a teacher last year before I joined the forums and before I began a blog but the ones I checked out I didn't like and since I've had bad experiences with teachers in the past, I changed my mind. I'm glad because I've received loads of tutoring from Birba and AJ. Birba used to be a concert pianist. He studied with Wilhelm Kempff and some other great Italian masters. He is absolutely terrific and I enjoy learning from him very, very much. AJ is a piano teacher in Melbourne and he is incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable. He has the knowledge of someone much older. I've learned tons from both of them, much more than I ever learned from any of my formal teachers. So I probably won't be looking for another teacher for a while unless I happen to find someone I really like. I do keep my eyes and ears open though to the possibility of finding a teacher I'd like. I guess I also like the freedom of choosing whatever pieces I like and the adventure of learning this way. But it's not out of the question - getting a teacher. I realize there are things that can't be taught through the internet. Birba says that all the time. He tried to teach me an Italian technique and it didn't work. It was too hard to explain through video.

I think it will also take me at least 6 months of work on FI to play it to the satisfaction of Birba and AJ - and myself. I have a lot of problems with it. The octave passage plagues me, especially the pinky accents. I notice you do them well. The last page I also find to be difficult. Also, bars 33 and 34 when played fast.

Hi Choo, thanks for the compliments on those pieces. They sound so simple compared to FI! I have my lesson on Mondays and I slaughtered the Wild Horseman. My teacher was gracious and all I could do was have a little laugh. Then I played it not bad. It only took me 3 tries!

Thanks for the name of the book. I'll have to look into that. Anything that may help I'd love to get my hands on. I just saw your latest video over on PStreet. I think I missed it earlier. Everything is flowing much smoother for you now isn't it? It sure looks that way to me. Don't worry how long it may take you to complete it. You've come so far and boy when it's done it will be amazing for you!

I saw that Birba suggested to add another piece to your FI. Are you going to? I'm wondering what is next on your always wanted to play list!

So for BoxNet. I just set up a free account (only took about 2 minutes signing in, getting password, etc.) Then I had recorded the songs from the digital piano to a USB stick. On the computer I copied the songs from USB stick to iTunes and did some conversion and then saved these files to BoxNet. I think what was the most time saving was just deleting 'takes' that had major screw ups! (and trust me there was several). But I've noticed that if I can't get a decent take in less than 5 takes than it aint likely to happen anytime soon so I usually just stop.

Tubbies videos are nice. Have you seen the ones where he plays violin and then piano and then puts them all together. Really nicely done and a joy to watch and listen to!

Choo, you know how you're wondering where all the views are coming from over on PStreet? Well you already know I'm one of them right! Well here I just noticed that there has been 8900+ views of this thread. So there is alot of interest in your project! It may be that there are more pure beginners here who can't give you much direct feedback but enjoy watching your progress. You got a big fan base!

Hi again Choo. You mentioned somewhere you're rethinking about getting a grand. Well if you don't get a grand then are you going to consider an acoustic upright? I've been told that a high end upright can sound/feel just as nice as an entry level grand. I'm not really skilled enough in my playing to confirm this is so, so I can't comment specifically on this. I've seen some uprights that were $10-$15 thousand. I've also seen some baby grands that were around $10 thousand. Both were Yamaha. I'd find it hard to pay $10000 for an upright. Seems way too high for me. But for a grand I can see it. But then, you'd want one with the best action/feel/tone. Hmm it's a tough decision I think. I wonder what AJ or Birba think about this.

ZOE: You're right! I didn't realize there were over 9000 views on this thread!!!!! Shocking!!! Even more than on PS where the experts are teaching me!! And it's funny you're quoting stuff I'm saying on PS and posting them here! ROFL!! I think it must be that there's a huge interest in learning to play FI. You didn't slaughter it your Horsemen! I thought it was very good. You play much better than I do, believe me. Almost everyone does!

Oh, BOX sounds reeeeeaaaallly difficult! Why don't you just upload to YouTube? It's easier and I can see you play.

Thanks for the kind comment on my impossible octave passage. It's not improved much. I tell you, if I can get to play it well someday, I will feel like those lost travelers in LOST HORIZON. Have you ever watched that movie? They end up in a place called Shangrila! So that's how I'll feel when I can get this octave passage to play like I should play it.

Did Birba want me to begin a new piece? I'm not sure. From his post, it appears to be that way. But he's not telling me to abandon FI. Just to put it on vacation after a while. Good advice.

I feel the same way you do about pianos. I cannot imagine paying upward of $10K for an upright. When I was taking piano lessons, I had a beautiful black Yamaha upright grand. I think I'll end up with a baby grand, perhaps a Kawai or Yamaha. I'm used to Yamaha pianos and their touch. I have a digital Yamaha now. I also like the Kawai touch.

By the time you learn FI, you'll know so much about it you'll learn it with your eyes closed!!!

How long have you been playing your exam pieces?

Choo you are so funny! I love reading your posts! Interesting comment about taking a break from a piece. If I do that for even a couple of weeks that's it I've forgotten most if it. The other day I tried to play one of the Christmas tunes I just did and it wasn't very good I'm afraid. Oh ya and I really slaughtered the horseman today at my lesson. My teacher is too kind she should have just whAcked me over the head :-) I'd probably play better afterwards!! LOL

Ya I'm quoting PStreet because I haven't signed In there and I need to leave you comments!

I never did hear back from Kyle. I tried a few times to send him notes but I guess he had other things to keep him busy. I can understand though. It's probably been tough for him. I do hope once he's home things will look up for him again!

Birba is an excellent teacher I agree! Can you imagine having him for weekly lessons! It would be a blast! That's why I was sad when he deleted those posts From earlier on. Maybe he can resend those to you if he still has them?

AJ is a good teacher too. I've also really enjoyed his videos and learned
From him as well.

I am jealous that I can't play at this level so I could benefit from all this knowledge specific to this piece!!!

Maybe if your next piece is like grade 6 or 7 I could TRY it without hurting myself! Haha but of course you are so past that!! I wonder what Birba would suggest for you?

Oh, I'm glad you enjoy my posts. I just ramble on, you know. Stuff and nonsense. Why don't you join PS? I would enjoy chatting with you there, too! You're already lurking so you might as well join and post comment. Kyle used to chit chat with me on the thread. I really missed him when he got ready to come out here and then came out here and is now back in Brazil. I enjoy chit chatting!

Why is it that I'm the only one who posts bad videos? Every one else only wants to post their best but I post the first one I record, which is usually not the best. I used to record and record till I was tired, to get a good video but my "followers" wanted more videos so now I record once only. WYSIWYG!!!! Oh, well,I guess there's an entertainment aspect to all this. LOL

You're too funny! I'm probably still playing at Gr 3 level!!! Just because I'm doing FI doesn't mean I'm playing at a high level. Believe me! But I have learned a lot. Don't be jealous. You're doing very well. How long have you been taking lessons? I skipped so many grades that's why I play so badly - or maybe it was just my teachers that were bad.

Yeah, I wish I could have Birba for my weekly teacher. I can only dream.

You really should join PS. You can post there and be part of the excitement, not just an onlooker. PS is a very exciting forum. Lots going on. Lots of experts. Soon Kyle will join us, too!

Birba's videos? Yes, he deleted them. He thought we had downloaded them! I miss them very much. I think once deleted, it's gone forever!! But at the end of his last video, he talked about the piece from the beginning, which reminds me, I need to practice it from the beg in slow motion as he suggested. I forgot!

Choo you are right. I'm off to join now!! Why shouldn't I join in the fun there too!

Hey Choo!
A little off topic, but I know you like animals (especially Canada Geese), and I happen to be babysitting a beautiful eclectus parrot right now. It belongs to a friend of mine who just bought her but cannot keep her in his apartment, and is looking for a different apartment. I'm gonna have her in the meantime.

She's such a beautiful bird, and very friendly. This is going to be lots of fun

Sam!!!

Good to hear from you again! I was wondering where you'd gone to. That's a beauty. Is it male or female? Does he/ she talk? How old? As usual, I'm full of questions. I don't care if it's off topic. I need a diversion!!! Oh, what's his/ her name?

I've almost completed FI, but with a lot of mistakes everywhere. The last page is hard, especially bars 127 on. How do you manage to play the RH without muddling? The repeated notes are driving my fingers absolutely NUTS!! HELP!!!

Choo

I haven't gone anywhere! I've been reading every post
I just don't post unless I have something to add.

She's a female, and her name is Lucy. She's about a year old. She talks and whistles and imitates a lot, but not normally when I'm holding her. She does it when she wants attention.


Don't worry about the mistakes in FI! Try to play it slow and relaxed, and make it musical. Once you really internalize the notes you'll be able to play it with much more clarity. Also, I think once you get an acoustic you'll advance even faster. What do you mean by the repeated notes?