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

My AOTW is... I finally have two new Christmas songs in both hands. Not quite up to tempo in places but it's coming along. At the expense of my regular study I might add. But what the heck, it's almost ready to face the dreaded Red Dot. I hope before Dec 24.

Worked on CBTS today for the first time in 3 days YIKES! Gotta get back to my routine practice.

Wimpiano, thank you for introducing me to such an evocative piece. I suspect you hear more imperfections than your listeners; I quite enjoyed your playing, which conveyed a depth of emotion.

Please do share in the Ecco Fatte Café when ready. I don't suppose posting here will prevent you from making an initial "public" performamce in the Café thread.

-----------
EDITED TO ADD

Pulled out some Christmas tunes for sight-reading practice today. Good idea, mixed results ... my sight-reading is for the birds! Yes, that is certainly proof that I need to do *more* of it. Onwards and upwards.

Hi @piano_deb sorry, that (youtube link) is Mikhail Pletnev playing it. I wish it was me. My goal is to play it like that. Sorry if I didn't make that enough clear.

My current playing is more a technical representation of the notes.
Boring actually, little variation in the dynamics. Sometimes the tempo is not correct.

What especially bothers me is that I cannot get it to sound smooth.. The highest notes also don't have this nice sustain, perhaps I should use the pedal there?

Hello. Hisashiburi desu. Do you remember me?

My achievement of the week was to sit down at the piano and play for the first time since August 3.

The last time I posted here, I was getting over troubles with a ganglion cyst, and months of playing right hand only. Well, guess what happened next?! I broke my left wrist! A distal radius fracture that required pins. I'm just now getting enough strength and mobility back to be able to think about playing. It's a bit painful, but no more than any other physical therapy, and I'm taking it really slow.

I did phone my piano teacher from the emergency room, full of morphine, to let her know I wasn't going to make it to my lesson that night!

Wimpiano - remember, it will never be perfect. It is a nice piece and fun to play. The fact that you can hear your imperfections is actually a huge positive....it means you understand the musical requirements and have a good idea of how to improve the way you play it. Sometimes they just have to ripen for while.

MaryAnn - Welcome back to AOTW and to your piano. Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. I like the idea of piano as physical therapy....not much of stretch from there to mental therapy, which strikes me as the other thing piano is great for.

Week 91: About the only thing I can claim is practicing every day. With the week away, and limited time, there is only so much I can do. Have a good week everyone.

My Mozart piece is different, and my piano is a modest upright...

Achievement: Am learning the A and B sections of The Easy Money for the Joplin recital and after a month of hard practice with LH and RH, I can finally put them together (slowly) for part A. The goal may be attainable!

Yea, AZ Astro!

Cathy

It's a laudable achievement, especially under the circumstances.

Welcome back, MaryAnn! It sounds like you have some awful luck! A broken wrist is no small matter. I have found piano playing very rehabilitating so hopefully, it will help you quickly regain strength and dexterity.

AZ Astro - These Joplin pieces seem to be challenging for everyone. Congratulations on your progress.

Ragdoll- Will we hear your Christmas piece in the Holiday thread?

Piano deb- Good for you deciding not to play the Chopin Waltz before it is ready. That is a tough decision, but is better than having a bad experience performing something that isn't comfortable yet. Now you can relax and enjoy playing at the party!

I do not have a specific AOTW this week, just steady progress. I am stumbling along without a teacher until the second week of January, so I am trying to be a good student, and apply what I have learned. All my pieces are coming along. One thing I have noticed is I seem to learn pieces more quickly than I did a few months ago. The steady stream of deadlines- themed recitals, quarterly recitals, live recitals, have really focused my practice and improved my efficiency. I just love this forum!

I certainly hope so SwissMS. If I'm not able to get a good recording of the new piece soon, I'll surely post something Holidayish. Holidayish! Is that even a word? Well it is now.

Amen to that. Sand Tiger--sometimes getting through is a big accomplishment. Keep up the good work!

That was me back in May.

I managed to do this again today. It was with a hymn that I've only heard/sung once, that I can recall anyway, which was at a hymn sing away from home back in October. I really liked the tune, but forgot to make note of what it was at the time.

This morning, we were reading the verses of the hymn (an odd and unusual thing, not sure why we did that). I decided to read the music as everyone was reciting the lyrics. I imagine the lyrics may have helped subconsciously, but I was definitely hearing the notes that I was reading, at least in relative pitch. After just a couple bars I thought "Hmmmm... this 'sounds' like that new one I liked from the hymn sing." By the end of the verse, I was certain.

Great fun! And, this time I knew for certain, without needing to check YouTube (it wasn't sung or played at all today, just recited). Lyrics were definitely a factor on that aspect, but still, it felt good overall.

Loved reading everyone's news.
Welcome back MaryAnn - you sure have had a rough time. I hope you can get back into playing without discomfort|

I had a not-very-satisfying lesson last week. Another case of thinking I was at a certain point and trying to pick up my tempo to show what I could do...and flubbing miserably.
This past week I worked hard at getting it right (Clementi Op36 N2) and did huge amounts of focused practice and SLOWED IT DOWN.
I still flubbed at the lesson a bit, but I think we all know the difference between out of control flubs and flubs where you just miss on the positioning.

Fortunately I really like this piece because I can see how much more work it is going to take to pull it together for a performance.

I've been playing a bit of Christmas music but not that much. My "Oh Holy Night" is coming along nicely.


Lots of baking and cooking up a storm going on in our home. We had a ravioli making fest on the weekend and have lots of the little goodies in the freezer to enjoy over the holidays - and a tourtiere (French Canadian meat pie) - plus the Christmas cakes and puddings... and today or Tomorrow I start on my coconut-walnut-hazelnut squares. My AOTW for the coming week will likely be in the kitchen rather than at the piano!
(oh, btw - we don't eat all those sweets on our own - they are for sharing and for gifts too!!

@Palmpirate - Looking forward to listen your Bethoven and Chopin pieces
@torquenale - A tuned piano and a Christmas song book? What are you waiting for?
@piano_deb - A teacher party seems to be fun. Are you ready?
@wimpiano - Thanks for sharing
@Ragdoll - Looking forward to listen your Christmas song!
@MaryAnn - Welcome back, and get better soon!
@Sand Tiger - Life's not easy... Practicing every day is also what I try to do...
@AZ_Astro - Congrats with your progress!
@aTallGuyNH - "trying to imagine the music (in my head)" - Good approach!
@casinitaly - Christmas time = busy times! looking forward to listen your "Oh Holy Night"

As I told in other thread: I've been too busy with job/family stuff and, unfortunately, my piano time is decreasing every day. To make things more difficult, I have some extra tasks related with the TV program: we've been visiting some places to do the filming - I tested several pianos in amazing places! -, and the producer is requesting my presence in some meetings with the TV crew.
So, busy times, as you can see.

Thanks Carlos, I have saved a Box recording of my first attempts with both hands together just so I can gauge if I'm really improving until/if I get one that I won't be embarrassed to put up in PW. I don't know if there is a deadline for the "Holiday" thread but if I can't get it before Dec 25, well, it's not strictly speaking A "Christmas" song so I suppose I've got until Dec 31.

This book came with a CD accompaniment; I may try to record with it this week and see if I can stay on tempo with it. FWIW My song is "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" from Faber's "Christmas for All Time" book 2

Hi Ragdoll,

LOL. I picked that one as my throw away this week. Just started this morning. Last week was Oh, Holy Night, which I think Cheryl is working on too. Have fun with it, you needn't make it perfect to show it off to us.

Don't have any single ATOW but having my last lesson before the summer holidays (and yes it's hot down here) concludes my first year of lessons. Feeling pretty darn good about how far I have come in that year. Last year over the break I was struggling to learn my only piece at the time, a simple version of The Can Can while during this break I will be attempting the Moonlight Sonata.

I must confess..... big big excitement... I ordered me a VPC. Shipped out today.
Ever since my M8000 went down. Haven't had feel for the keys on my old entry level DP. It just ain't there. I've been missing my M8000. So I've tightened my financial belt. Very excited and looking forward to my VPC.