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Starting Bach's Invention 1 with my teacher-oh boy!!!

Good luck with that! I'm on my first inventions too ;-) (4/8)

What a lot to catch up on!
First- Happy birthday Zoe - sorry, I missed that! Glad you have joined us.

Groucho ---ok, I'm really fighting the envy here. I loved your Rhapsody. I'm beyond impressed. Complimenti indeed!

Jaack - you're playing Chopin 10/2...wow. That was the subject of a few really intense threads about 6-8 months ago - I had a listen and a look at the score and wondered if I would EVER even just plod my way through that at 1/4 time Good for you!

JimF - I know what you mean about being presented with new music. That happens to me several times a week. I feel that I'm in a real phase of being educated on a regular basis and loving it.

Today we were listening to a Granados (12 Spanish Dances) and Albeniz (Spanish Suite) ..... my husband is enjoying them as much or more than I am, ...and to think that I had never heard of either until a couple of months ago.....and only because of this thread!

Eglantine - very cool playing public and being appreciated!
Topi - I haven't played any Inventions yet, but I do love them.

Shannonia - Tiersen is another composer I learned about from this site - so far I like everything I've heard.
Paperclip - a 4 page piece! wow. I don't know that I'd have the stamina for that just yet.
Displaced Ficus - yes the recital! It really is great fun to particpate!

Farm Girl - I am so glad you have found a host who lets you play while you are on your travels. That is really wonderful!

I know the week isn't up but I've been having fun with my sight reading and having a few of those "ah, this is coming together" moments.... nothing spectacular, just good fun without frustrations!

AOTW: After initially doubting whether I could do it, I got my assignment finished in time for my lesson -- memorized the first 8 measures of the Beethoven piece I'm learning. It's slow progress, but I think my memorization is improving. Now I'm almost done memorizing the next 8 measures, and it only took me 2 days instead of a week! (Well, it helped that there were some similarities in the two sections, but I guess learning to recognize those similarities is part of the process.)

My ,motivation this week was my first lesson in two months! We discussed goals for the year and I'm pumped to begin my new pieces!

MaryBee, congratulations! Doesn't it feel great to be able to play a piece by heart and to focus on listening to the sounds that are produced...Enjoy!

Welcome back to lessons! Goals for the year...wow! I need to do that with my teacher...but most of my previous proposals/goals have been unrealistic/shot down by my teacher, so I'll probably just ask my teacher what goals she has for me. She has a better sense of my abilities! What pieces are you studying?

I just realised that when I played as a child I was afraid of semi-quavers, and now they are not scary at all.

I'm still scared of semi-quavers but luckily sixteenth notes aren't a problem at all

...I don't get it?

A semiquaver by any other name would smell as sweet, or be just as scary.....;)

Hi,

Still practising the chopin etude 2 op 10.
Got an old/new idea.

This study needs the hand to be extremely free and flexible. And the fingers must be very exact and independent.

So idea:
At the same time when you play a key or chord pay extra attention to releasing all tensions that are connected with playing the previous key or chord. The quicker the relaxation is, the better it is to play.
And only the finger that is actually playing is in the supportive position.
At the same time hand is having free and flexible longer motions that create the parallel musical line.

If this relaxing becomes a strong habit it gives a feeling, that all we have to do is play one key or chord at the same time and this is not a too hard task:)

Jaak

Crotchet = 1/4 note.
Quaver = 1/8 note.
Semi-quaver = 1/16 note.


I grew up in the UK so I learnt about minims, breves and so on but I'm fully Americanized and use the (much easier to remember) whole note, half note, etc.. Yup, you wouldn't catch me using forrin' terms nowadays. Just good ol' American terms like forte and allegro molto for me.

I continue learning the Prelude by Chopin Op. 28 Nº 4. I’m practicing the last bars, so it’s hard to get achievements for me.

This couple of bars is so difficult!




The first time that I tried to do it, I thought: “It’s absolutely impossible that I manage to play this some day”. But at least this week, I’ve felt I’m able to play it. I suppose the secret is always the same: practice, practice and practice.

Recaredo, my brain hurts while just looking at those two bars.

My compliments to your for your determination. You're right, practice practice practice.

I'm glad you are seeing some results!!

I'm starting to look at that chopin etude op. 10 no. 12. I am taking it so slow, hands separate. But my gosh, even then, when I hear the harmonies and chord progressions, it gives me goosebumps and makes me thank God that I'm alive!

Recardo: That's how I feel. I need that Practice (cubed) too! Hopefully I'd get it soon, too!

When are we going to have study group threads again??

You can start a study group thread any time you like.
The OP 10 n 12, if I remember correctly , had a number of threads in the Pianist Corner, and one here several months ago.
If this is the piece I'm thinking of, it is beyond the scope of most (certainly not all) who regularly participate in this thread.

I suggest if you want to chat it up, either start a new thread, or resurrect an old one!
Have fun!

Not always. If you do the "practice, practice, and practice" and you still can't play a section, you might need to try another approach: break it up into very small, simple parts that you can play, and then slowly put them back together. (I learned that secret from my teacher.)

My AOTW is that "Monday" is already finished. I have to practice (and practice and practice and practice) to get a better flow in some parts, and to reach a nice dynamic in the piece. Btw, I have all the piece memorized.
So, I started learning "Password" (yes, another Einaudi piece...) because I want to work on "hands independece". I don't know if I can do it, but I'll give it a try.