I'm finally feeling I'm going to be good to go with my pieces... I probably won't record til around the 10th... Hoping to get the piano tuned and record acoustic rather than the digital option this time.


Mr. Super-Hunky, love your 7 post limit spiel!

I'm pretty determined to submit a (sort of) "original" composition this time. I was undecided, but this weekend I was at Algarve and I had the oportunity to play the piece at the hotel I was staying. At the end, I hear some applauses and I realized that more than 20 guest were listening me playing. At this point, I realized I had to send this piece for the recital...

Btw, I don't know what to write in the "author" field, because I pick up an Einaudi melody and I added some variations. Suggestions?

I agree - but not because we don't know anything - just the opposite: we know too much! We've been here maybe too long now and we've seen it all and heard it all and discussed it all far too many times before - we're worn out and numbed by the constant repetition of topics and opinions - how many times can one talk about the difference between a beginner and an intermediate player, or whether one should get a teacher or not, or the advantages of an acoustic over a digital piano (or vice-versa) - let's face it: except for the Recitals the luster is off!

I think the turnover rate here may be on the somewhat high side because by it's very nature PW has - like most other specialized chat rooms - a limited "shelf life".

But, I still pop in occasionally to post one of my usual pithy and frequently jocular comments on a rare interesting topic.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled thread...


Trap

SH, You are not by chance a Nigerian prince or perhaps an aging English Grandma in need to unload her 5 million pounds for a mere shipping fee of $2,000?

Damn! And now another $1.98. I feel like a snowball heading down this big hill.....

Actually the reason us PW oldtimers don't post so much any more has nothing to do with what we know or what we don't know... IT'S GOTTEN TOO EXPENSIVE TO POST HERE!! A certain un-named person has taken advantage of our senility and is OVERCHARGING us to post! Just to post this reply I will have to hock all of my John Cage sheet music. Is that fair?

Just saying....

hmmm... I see two possibilities: In the first, title the piece "Variations on Einaudi's...." and put yourself down as the composer. In the second, list the composer as "Ludovico Einaudi, arr. by CarlosCC."

It sort of depends on how close you stick to the original melody.

Piano World doesn't like change, it has many members, but most get bored and leave. We seem to also have many non piano related threads. I prefer more education piano topics, which I get on other web sites. The piano bar is great though..

As for threads to hate, how about ones like this...

"I'm 14 years old, am I too old to learn piano?"

I want to shoot myself when these threads show up...

Hmm, I suppose one could get to feeling that way after a while, but on the other hand, with the passage of time, one could turn a jaundiced eye on anything and cynicism is cheap. For others, however, helping someone else out never seems to get old and witnessing a newbie's excitement and enthusiasm can be contagious. When someone you've watched stick with it and develop performs in public for the first time or starts to improvise, it's exciting not only because you get to share the thrill they get from it but because it gives you the courage and wherewithal to say "I can do that too." And even if one does get to the point where none of the above suffice, there's still the value to be had from reflecting on your own process and then having others reflect on it with you.

Now, i'm really confused
My piece has 3 parts:
- 1st: the original piece (btw, it's a very, very short piece);
- 2nd: my own arrangment of the original piece;
- 3rd: something really new... I think I can call it "variations".
All the parts are played one after the other to make the "piece".

I'll do an explanation about my submission, but the doubt about the "author" still remains...

Carlos[: first off your story about playing in front of 20 strangers at a hotel should have its own thread. What a great story. The fact that they applauded when you were done must have felt so incredibly good. I have this dream all the time but it's just a dream. What a fantastic inspiration for all of us.

SUPER-Carlos!

By the way, I've already coined the phrase "original cover" which means exactly that. It is a 'cover' of a tune that is your own original version of it. Unless your playing the piece EXACTLY as written, the piece is YOURS. Just give credit to the original composer whose piece you are using as a 'guide' or 'inspiration' but after that, your own original version or 'cover' of the piece is uniquely your own.

TrapperJohn: Things can get a bit stale over time. You know, the never ending digital vs acoustic debate.
The "I have no motivation to play" threads etc. I don't click on those threads anymore either but I must say I am still here for other reasons. Threads like your "what are you watching on Youtube" one appeal to me a lot since I can discover some really beautiful songs/pieces this way that I was not previously familiar with. Then of course there is the 'reality tv' aspect of the forum where we all get to share our daily adventures which consist of everything from broken backhoes to triple bypass surgery and everything in between.

Peyton: I'll make you a deal. Teach...(spoon feed, step by step) us how to make a video like your incredible Yann Tiersen - Compte D'une Autre Ete performance where you did all that trick photography and I'll give you an unlimited thread reply free pass that is good forever. I still think that was the best ABF video ever made. Please share your secrets!

Monica: Since you were the last person to take the bait, I mean 'request' a performance of Metallicas "Nothing Else Matters", I'm going to be performing this piece for you since I know your such a huge,(and hard-core) Metallica fan! Just thinking about all those years you were teaching as a college professor while wearing a black Metallica t-shirt underneath your clothing really cracks me up. If the students and faculty only knew! hehe.

Casinitaly: I'm actually thinking of doing the exact opposite of what you are doing this time. I have neglected my digital for years and am feeling guilty about it. Plus, getting the room acoustics right will probably make more of a difference on an acoustic recording than tuning an already somewhat in tune piano will. I'm thinking of doing two recordings. One digital and one acoustic. The digital is SO much easier to play and absolutely NO room acoustics to worry about so that recording will be the easy one. It's the acoustic recording that can take days to get and I still haven't mastered the process either.

Mark: People in general don't like change and are usually resistant to it at first. PW is no different since it is comprised of....people.

There have been a few brain-fart ideas implemented on this forum before (like when we all could anonymously rate/rank each other with a corresponding 'star-bar' next to your name) but even Frank realized that this was not the best idea and got rid of it. Change can come slowly but as long as it makes sense and is logical it can happen. I have to say that this site (for the most part) has always changed over time for the better. (I still wouldn't mind seeing an "intermediate" forum at some point) but just the mention of that concept seems to still drive people nutz for some reason. My plan is simply to wait a while until more people are at the intermediate level and attempt this idea again.... for the 5th time!

I asked Frank and the membership in general to start an "Intermediate" forum area about a year or so ago and got shot down. It's not to break away from the beginners (heck I still play like a beginner), but to developed an organized educational area without all the clutter. Make an almost pure education area as it pertains to piano.
I was a proponent for the beginners ie Alfred threads, MOYD etc and would like to see an expansion of ideas like those and more in other threads for the next level...(Intermediate)
I think many beloved old timers left because there was no where to grow in an organized or thoughtful manner. Reading the same types of basic threads after a while makes you want more. I have found great resources on the net on other sites. It a shame it can't be developed here. For me this has become mostly a social site. which is fine, but as a growing player I want more...
But I gave up trying here, and just go to other places to expand my learning...

Mr Super-Hunky, thanks for your words. In fact, it was the second time it happened to me. And at the same hotel . It was a good sensation, because I was so focused on playing that I did not even realize that some guests were listening to (my) music. I must confess that the applause was more intense when I played "Indaco" - the piece I sent to the Recital #26 -. But the first one was "my" cover
Mr SH, if you have that dream why don't you try to book a hotel with a nice piano and... play. Just play. Is as easy as that.


Just the first bars are exactly as written. The rest is a kind of arrangement and/or something new. So, if ABF members don't mind, I'll accept your phrase: "original cover". It sounds good.
Thanks!

It was a real comedy of errors at my house this weekend trying to get a recording - our deaf cat meows at the top of her lungs. I guess she can't hear her own voice, so overcompensates by turning up the volume, but she always does it when I start to play piano. I wonder if the sound of the piano hurts her ears or if it is loud enough for her to really hear, so she responds. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad and vexing at the same time.

She is a very sweet cat though and never goes outside, so she is safe and copes with her deafness well - except when I play piano.

Sam

I can really appreciate the humour of your not so humorous situation, especially since for the last two days I've had my own comedy of miseries to deal with.

On Saturday we were supposed to meet my husband's cousin and her husband for dinner on their once-a-year visit to California. They called the morning of our dinner and left a message that they had to cancel because they were both sick with colds and didn't want to get us sick. I knew how much they'd wanted to see us and suggested to my husband that he call them back and tell them we'd take our chances if they felt up to it, since hot saki and miso soup were not the worst things for a cold. He said he didn't want me to get sick since I have a much weaker immune system than him and I left it at that.

His cousin loves Sushi and we'd planned on going to Tokyo Lobby, but instead consoled ourselves that night by going to one of the best restaurants in town and having a hamburger while listening to piano and sax. About an hour after we got home, I started experience severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. Cut to the chase, I spent the worse night of my life in a torture chamber of pain, nausea, and continuous vomiting. This continued in the morning. I really thought I wasn't going to make it. An emergency trip to the hospital confirmed it was food poisoning and I was prescribed medication. I'm better now but still weak and only able to get broth down. The irony of course is that had I met my sick family and eaten raw fish, I'd probably be just fine.

[swoons] Can't wait to hear it! I may have to get a Super-Hunky t-shirt to wear along with my Metallica shirt.

(In all seriousness, I have quite the collection of Nightwish t-shirts, and wear them often, which raises more than a few eyebrows as they depict typical symphonic metal symbols such as guillotines, curved ax-head thingies, and much doom and gloom--not exactly the wardrobe you'd predict for a middle-aged woman. )

Starr Keys, glad to hear you're okay! Food poisoning is not to be taken lightly.

Thanks, for your good wishes.

Ha! I've never turned a jaundiced eye on anything - an evil eye maybe, and sometimes a wary or critical eye, but never a jaundiced one

And as far as cynicism goes, it doesn't have to be cheap - if done properly it takes an enormous and expensive investment in time and energy and effort over many years to be truly accomplished at it

OK, here is my report:

1 - C. Bechstein Concert Grand

2 - AKG 414 Mics; These were positioned about 8 inches above the dampers and each one about 2 octaves in from left and right.

1 - Neumann U87 at far end of piano; 2.5' I would say from the very end. In the middle, and about 8" again off the strings.

Then of course all the professional recording and mixing equipment in a huge separate room for this.

Nonetheless, it didn't go well for me. Getting used to the piano action was too much I guess and I could not get a performance I was happy with. We may have been able to paste a bunch of stuff together. But, that is really not what this is about.

The piano was lovely, and the recorded sound was terrific. My performance however, was terrible. So, back to my home studio and 40" console.

Anyway, it was fun to try, but don't think I will be doing any time again soon. At least not with Bach. Their normal rates, for just studio (mastering is separate) is $100/hour and I think I would have needed a full day. Not even sure I would have come close with full day. It was bad ...

In the end though, I will be much happier to submit a good (my best) performance with a mediocre recording, vs. mediocre and doctored performance with a professional recorded sound.

Don't feel bad Greener - even the pros have difficulty in a situation like that, especially with the clock ticking and the meter running.

Sam

Bummer Greener. I know that even when I really think I have a piece down it's rare that I can get a good recording right off. With the additional time and money restraints I doubt I could have done it either. Too bad also because I would really loved to have heard the quality of the recording. Interesting about the mics. They position those AKG's pretty close to where I put mine although I have found that 8 inches off I pick up some damper noise and have been placing them a bit further out. That could just be my piano. So was that a total of 3 mics? 2 AKG's and 1 U87 ?

Thanks Sam. To be honest I was a bit down about it. But, not so much now that I know I haven't lost my touch completely. Everything is fine again on the ole' clunker



I still have access to all the recordings, Peyton. If you just want to hear a snippet, I can get this for you. But will need to send separately as I don't want to steal my own thunder for the big show. I'll work on getting a little piece of it for you, (one reasonably clean A) but not for broad consumption.

Correct, 3 mics. That's it. Apparently they often have two room mics mounted on the wall, but they were not there today and we were not planning to use anyway.

What an experience, Greener. I did a demo cd this summer - just 3 short snips, fade in fade out, and it gave me an even greater appreciation for what the pros really do. They're amazing. Fortunately, each snip was only a minute or so, and we could take it from anywhere in the recording, so I could get 3 relatively errorless pieces. But it was, um, humbling

But still, a great experience. Bet you loved the way it sounded - and I bet it ups your game a lot, too. Good for you for doing it.

Cathy

Maybe you could post some clips from your professional recording venture after the recital. I bet more than a few people (including me) would be interested to hear the difference in sound between home and studio recording.

Thanks, Cathy. Yes I agree, I'm glad I did it, and now know that there is a lot more involved than I ever thought.



OK, I would be happy to, MaryBee. Or at the very least will send you one.

I'm pleased that I have now completed all my home recording. I think the differences are mostly subtle. I believe that where technology is these days, we can all do (and are achieving) a quite respectable home recording production, and on a reasonable budget, to boot.

In my set up there is an obvious hiss and the over all sound would be cleaner in the pro studio, and of course the much better piano. The other thing they do though is bring it up to industry standard levels for production of CD's. So, a lot of work and expense I think to bring it all up that little extra level (10-15% better is my guess,) but necessary for professional production.

I'm quite pleased now with my little home studio $300 set up.

And very excited for recital submissions to open ...

Yikes! I haven't even set up the Zoom yet. Time to panic.

I've got a column deadline tonight, and I have written exactly 28 of the required 500 words. So the recital thread may open late tonight, or tomorrow morning, depending. That'll keep y'all guessing and hopping.

Classic quote (mr. super hanky) with reference to metallica's "nothing else matters" and done by Mr. SH as a "ballad" quote "its a rock piece"

Pw member dipsey had never heard this piece so I utubed it for her..Metallica's official video so no mistaken bedroom version done by a 14 yr old...

Just a mere three beats in and she was in total agreement that this "rock piece" is actually a ballad after all, albeit a "rock ballad"

The thing about being pedantic, is,(probably) one must strive to be correctly pedantic, without being wrong at the same time.


TJ, I do feel for you , mainly because I know how much difficulty you have feeling for yourself.

How can you be jaded by the wealth of diverse opinions on PW?

Finished my recording tonight! =) There's a few little blips in it, but overall I'm satisfied. It isn't the greatest quality, as I'm just using a single Samson GoMic and Audacity (I haven't figured out all the stuff about hooking up the laptop to the keyboard yet and don't have any cords)

Everything OK Monica?

Monica, do you need help?


Ok, now I understand...

Everything's fine, wouter. If you had looked two posts above yours, you would have seen that there was nothing to worry about. But the recital is open now. Go for it.