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Joined: Nov 2012
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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.
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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Joined: Apr 2005
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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.
Last edited by piano_deb; 12/08/13 12:50 AM.
Deborah Charles Walter 1500 Happiness is a shiny red piano.
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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?
Last edited by wimpiano; 12/08/13 03:55 AM.
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Joined: Nov 2011
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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!
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Joined: Oct 2009
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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.
Liebestraum 3, Liszt Standchen-Schubert/Liszt arr Sonata Pathetique-Adagio LVB Estonia L190 #7284
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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.
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Joined: Dec 2012
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I bought a book of Christmas tunes and I use it for sight reading. I had my piano tuned. I feel I made progress on my Mozart. This is a neverending story, because the trickiest parts will take a lot of time!......... LOL. Torquenale, please stop writing my posts for me My Mozart piece is different, and my piano is a modest upright...
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Joined: Sep 2012
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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!
Kawai KG-5. Korg SP-250. Software pianos: Garritan CFX, Ivory II, Ivory Am D, Ravenscroft, Galaxy Vintage D, Alicia's Keys, et al.
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Cathy Perhaps "more music" is always the answer, no matter what the question might be! - Qwerty53
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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. It's a laudable achievement, especially under the circumstances.
"...when you do practice properly, it seems to take no time at all. Just do it right five times or so, and then stop." -- JimF Working on: my aversion to practicing in front of my wife 1978 Vose & Sons spinet "Rufus" 1914 Huntington upright "Mabel" XXIX-XXXII
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Joined: Jan 2011
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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!
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Ragdoll- Will we hear your Christmas piece in the Holiday thread? 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.
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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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. It's a laudable achievement, especially under the circumstances. Amen to that. Sand Tiger--sometimes getting through is a big accomplishment. Keep up the good work!
Learner
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I was perusing "easy" piano music and was reading Mozart's Sonata in C, K545. I didn't actually know what I was reading though... i.e. I'm familiar with the piece (virtually anyone would be who has had even minimal exposure to classical music -- look it up and you'll see, or rather hear what I mean) but I didn't know it's name.
So, I'm reading along, trying to imagine the music (in my head) just by reading the notes, when after a couple dozen measures I realized that I actually recognized the music in my head! Really? Did I have it right? Went to YouTube... yep, I was actually reading music off a page, away from an instrument, in a meaningful way. Crazy! I would not have been able to do that six months ago. 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.
"...when you do practice properly, it seems to take no time at all. Just do it right five times or so, and then stop." -- JimF Working on: my aversion to practicing in front of my wife 1978 Vose & Sons spinet "Rufus" 1914 Huntington upright "Mabel" XXIX-XXXII
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Joined: Mar 2010
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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!!
Last edited by casinitaly; 12/11/13 02:45 AM.
18 ABF Recitals, Order of the Red Dot European Piano Parties - Brussels, Lisbon, Lucern, Milan, Malaga, St. Goar Themed recitals: Grieg and Great American Songbook
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@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.
SoundCloud | Youtube Self-taught since Dec2009 "Don't play what's there, play what's not there."
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@Ragdoll - Looking forward to listen your Christmas song! 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
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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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.
Last edited by JimF; 12/11/13 05:31 PM.
Liebestraum 3, Liszt Standchen-Schubert/Liszt arr Sonata Pathetique-Adagio LVB Estonia L190 #7284
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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.
Surprisingly easy, barely an inconvenience. Kawai K8 & Kawai Novus NV10 13x
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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.
Ron Your brain is a sponge. Keep it wet. Mary Gae George The focus of your personal practice is discipline. Not numbers. Scott Sonnon
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