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

Oops... I got so caught up in replies that I forgot to include my original content...

First, dynamobt & I discovered that we're one town over from one another. We're only about 5 miles apart! Dynamobt takes lessons at the music school across the street from where my daughter used to take her lessons. How cool is that?

Two AOTWs...

The first is learning the first 10 bars of New York State of Mind. This is a really stupid AOTW though, truly. Like I don't already have enough distractions from actually getting songs/pieces ready that I will actually be able to play through to the end? Anyway, it's great fun.

2nd AOTW is getting the 1st draft re-arrangement of "Song #2 for my wife" complete. It's a very tedious process, but I'm eternally grateful to everyone who has poured their heart and countless hours of time into MuseScore to make it possible to do this on a shoestring budget.

Having studied music theory online (informally) over the last year or so has helped me have more of a clue of what I'm doing when arranging. Arranging helps to strengthen that learning through practical application as well, it's a virtuous cycle, which is always a good thing.

I won't say I'm chuffed, but it's good to feel like I'm on the right track again (pun intended re: Cheryl's pic). Only 11 weeks until my wedding anniversary. Yikes!

AOTW...big time...

Had my first piano lesson in person today. This lady is a teacher! She knows how to keep you learning. Any hint of nervousness or anything. She knows just what to say. After all...she's retired from spending 30 years as a school band director. She's heard more mistakes than I could create for her.
She's so easy to play for. The one piece she asked me to play. I flew through it. No creating mistakes. No creating new mistakes. No nervousness. No trying to be the parrot. Was like I was at home playing for myself.
She's also doing a great job of focusing on understanding. Knowing my end intent is to compose. She went through a sheet of music. Made sure I understood, or learned everything it was telling me. Be good enough and at home enough with piano to do that. We're off to a great start. I hope this keeps going like this.
Was so interesting. Her telling me the different parts of the keyboard. Telling me where the other instruments belonged on the keyboard. Interesting. She also told me about when she was in college. She'd play in a band that was all music majors. So they all were learning/playing all the instruments. Sometimes somebody wouldn't show. The professor would say: Hey, you, you clarinet...we have enough of those today...go play that baritone. They all had to do or be able to do it. She said it happened often.
Very interesting lady to learn from. Tons of experience. Tons of understanding.

Ron, that sounds great! A band teacher is perfect if you're looking to compose. My brother's started composing full-band/orchestra stuff and has a huge book about orchestration, but having someone show you on the piano where they all fit in pitch is way cool! I think you've hit the jackpot.

Cathy

I practiced both JimF's and MaryBee's suggestions for my struggles with the difficult (for me) passages in the Canon in D yesterday and today.

I can't say I see significant improvement in my playing yet but certainly I see how it has improved my practice, so it's just a matter of time. I am grateful to them both for these ideas. Mary's suggestion of blocking off only the measure being practiced with post-it note (still love the metaphor of "surgical drapes"). is very effective in helping me to STOP when they appear. Jim's for stopping after 5 or so plays in one sitting is great as well. Sooo, I suppose this is an achievement of sorts, AOTW = more effective practice.

After practicing Hungary (Rapsodie Mignonne Op. 410) piece for the last 4 months I am now able to play the entire song!!:) This piece is giving me a headache!:)

Not really an achievement. But, thanks to PW, I have learned of the existence of the Hanon Exercises. No question I should have started these when I was much younger and fingers and hands more agile. Luckily, I can harldy get worse than I am now by doing them!!! I have lots of room for improvement. My left hand is WEAK!!! Really weak! But, I am hoping that by beginning these exercizes that I amy eventually be capable of more difficult music. That would be great as I aspire to play bigger and better pieces! So, this week is the beginning of really buckling down and trying to become a pianist!!!! That's got to count for something!!! LOL!!!

No AOTW's this week. I failed at my stated goal of playing the second movement of the Moonlight Sonata smoothly by the end of Easter break. And the Bürgmuller I thought I had mastered fell apart really badly during my lesson. I could make a recording and you'd all say that it was wonderful (because that's the kind of people you are), but that doesn't change the fact that I can't seem to get my [censored] together when it really counts.

Oh, well. Better next week, I guess.



You know, 'they' say it's harder to unlearn old habits than to learn new ones. I believe them. So while this may be boring (a pronouncement I happen to disagree with, but that's beside the point), it's also a pretty big achievement; especially since it's the kind of thing that will continue to benefit you in any other piece with block chords that you play (and they pretty much all have them, so ...). Congratulations!



I am so happy for you! Really. Myself, despite having written here last week that I had my spark back (which I did, at that point ... sort of ...), I'm still stuck in the land of no progress despite daily attempts at practicing properly. I wish I could join you in happy door Scotsman land.



You can say that again!

I've got the tuner scheduled for next Saturday. I had said I wouldn't play the Moonlight anymore, but I think I might re-record just one more time after I get the piano tuned. There is nothing more heavenly, in my mind, than playing a piece you know intimately on a well-tuned, well-regulated piano (see also: one of my very first posts on this thread, in which I gushed about having played the Moonlight on a Fazioli at the store).



I think your alternative to learning new stuff is actually very helpful. Mastery of scales and arpeggio's is like a gift that keeps on giving: useful in every piece you choose to tackle afterwards, and a speed booster in terms of learning.



It does sound lovely. Thank you for that! But wasn't this written for organ, originally?



Getting a 'pass' on *any* Bach Invention is indeed a major accomplishment. Way to go!



Good for you! Playing in my lesson when I haven't made much progress at home is a boundary I still haven't really crossed. I imagine the ability to that helps a lot in making progress even when life has thrown a monkey wrench into your schedule (which life is bound to do, no matter what).



You say that as if it doesn't count. But it does. It's a great (and indispensable) first step. Now go make it into an even better AOTW, by actually executing on it!



Great! Sounds like you're making good progress towards the upcoming recital!



Oh wow, Jim. I'm impressed! Might actually try your practice technique with one of the pieces I'm working on right now. It's been stalled at the hands separate stage for far too long.



/me gives Heather the high five.



I had a hard time getting my mind wrapped around the idea of the metronome markings not being the point in my Bürgmuller book. But apparently, they really *are* beside the point. Or else, our teachers are just being nice to us poor adults who won't ever be able to play up to tempo anyway (see a previous discussion on this thread, sparked by someone quoting a teacher who said that very thing!). Anyway, congrats on finishing opus 849!



That's an endearingly specific AOTW. I admire your ability to 'zoom in' close enough to find an achievement worth bragging about.



Except that, as I understand it, it's basically the bass line to your entire piece. So that's not nothing!



Yay. Another 'mother of all AOTW's'. May this be the start of a very interesting, long and rewarding piano journey for you!



Do be flattered. Ditch the nerves. You are pretty incredible, for someone who started playing the piano from scratch not even four months ago. I'm sure the recording will be fabulous!



Another one of those gifts that keeps on giving. That seems to be a theme here, this week. Congratulations for figuring it out! Who cares how long it took you?



That's great. To be put on the spot like that, and still just sit down and play without blinking. Be proud!



Sounds fabulous! I can't wait to hear it.



This is exactly what I try to prevent myself from doing, because I'm convinced that once a piece is 'in my head' after I've heard it played by someone else, I don't really read anymore. But I am really happy for you that this works, in your case, and that it's helping you progress faster!



But you have a complete song. 11 weeks is plenty to get it mastered! Go, TallGuy!



This is the other 'parent' of all AOTW's. So may this be the start of a very interesting, long and rewarding piano journey for you, too .



Lovely! Congratulations.



You bet it does! Getting the basics right from the very beginning is the best thing you will ever do for yourself in terms of learning to play the piano. Good for you!

Ragdoll - Give it time...specifically sleep time. Play it right, stop, sleep on it. Do it right again, stop, sleep on it. Before you know it those night time neural connections start feeling really solid.

dynamobt - Great that you found Hannon, but do be careful. Teachers today will caution you to totally ignore the original Hannon instructions regarding lifting your fingers high. A real injury risk if you overdo it, or perform the exercises improperly.

Hi all,
My company opened a kind of "artists contest" for the employees. They will give some travel vouchers to the winners, so, I think I'm going to enter in the music category (even thinking that my company has 10,000 employees...)
You may ask: "Is this a AOW?" - Oh yes, because I'm not a competitive guy by nature, but I decide to enter in the contest, even knowing that my chances are low.

So, I just have to send a 3 minutes (home) video to try to pass to the second phase - it's a kind of preliminary phase -. The deadline is 26/april, and I've decided that I'm going to send 3 minutes of INDACO - Ludovico Einaudi (I remember your comments on my ABF Recital nº26. Thanks again!).

I don't know if this is a "true" AOW, but I wanted to share my decision with you, and I'd love to know what do you think about it.

About the contest:
The contest has only 2 phases. Only 3 competitors can pass the preliminary phase on each category (music, dance, and representation). Then each one will make a professional video and the video will be voted by all the employees. The video with more votes, it's the winner.

Good luck CarlosCC, it's a sure thing, better start thinking about where you want to travel too.

Ahaha, my chances are not so high, but thanks anyway my friend.
And Australia is on the top of my list!

that's awesome!! well, you gotta be in it to win it right? good luck!

Thanks for the caution, Jim. No super curled fingers for me!!! And moderation is important!!! Besides, my left hand tires. No question about it. I will be careful!!!

Thank you Cathy. I think I hit the jackpot also. She is a really nice and great lady. Very knowledgeable. I think of questions to ask her and...hold off...she will answer them without asking. She's a seasoned teacher. She knows. I also love that she is so easy to play for. Some people are so distracting. But not her. She knows.
EDIT: I also wanted to add. I was surprised. When she looked at my chord wheel. She said: Oh...you'll get to where you know where to put your hands. That's all this is. In other words...I think...she's gonna teach me well. She got excited when she saw my book of music from LesMiserables. Someday

Also...I noticed you playing with some Italian words on another thread with Cas. If you want to play with the Italian word for fatso...It's "Punzone".
Also a common Italian saying that's like the African American term: Yo Mama. It's: Ma'non. To be exact it means: That mother of mine. A person would say that like Homer Simpson says; Doh. When they goof up. Or when they're frustrated. I think the deeper Italian meaning is: Why did she have me?
I'm not sure I spelled either of those right. Did get how they sound though.
I used to hear them alot.

Edwardian Piano: I don’t under stand the knack folks have for learning faster with youtube than with the score. I think that’s quite something to be able to do. I don’t have the patience to watch the slow-motion tutorials, even for pieces I dearly love. Nor can I figure out what to do just by listening. I do use youtube recordings to give me a feel for how my piece should sound, but that’s the extent (and sometimes finding a decent recording of a beginner piece is really not simple!!)

TallGuy – how cool that you and dynamobt are “neighbours” (yes, I’m Canadian, we use the “u” ). I had to look up NY State of Mind

[video:youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZh8YjbDiVk[/video]

Great music. I do like Billy Joel! You must be having fun learning the piece.
How many years of wedded bliss are you celebrating? Our anniversary is in 9 weeks, 28 years!

Rmaple- Ron – wow! Your teacher sounds fabulous!!!!!! I’m so happy for you! What a treasure chest of knowledge and experience she has to draw on. Congratulations on such a great find.

Ragdoll--- I do believe we’ll hear your Canon at one of the recitals in the not too distant future!

Augustina: If I remember correctly the Hungary (rapsodie Mignonne Op. 410) is 5 or seven pages long? – Being able to play the whole thing is truly an achievement.

Dynamobt: I haven’t ever played Hanon – it seems the general concensus is that they are like liver. Folks love them or hate them. Have fun discovering what your opinion is!

Saranoya, well, that stinks, that you couldn’t play as well as you thought you would at a moment /for a deadline that was important to you. I like your “better next week” philosophy!

CarlosCC – Good for you for entering the competition! (Your company must be a fairly big one –how many people work there?) --- You will have to keep us posted on your progress, we will cheer for you!

Rmaple (again!) …. I think the “punzone” for fatso is a regional thing – here it would be ciccione (ch like church --- chee cheeOH neh) or “ciccio” for short. I’ve never heard “Ma’non” – except as “ma, no” – meaning, literally “but no” with the intention of expressing “no way!” .

I have no notable achievement of the week- or maybe I did earlier this week, I lose track of when I’ve posted. I’m working on adjusting my hand placement so that I’m in the right position faster. For example when I have to play an arpeggio, I have to learn to place my hand so that I’ve got 1, 2, 4 and 5 (or which ever are necessary) all lined up and right over the keys so that I can play them much more smoothly and quickly. I have “discovered” lol how nifty this is and can see a wee move in the right direction.

My achievement was getting back on track with practice, so the piece I was working on sounded quite good in the end. I now have two new pieces, as I think the book I'm working from is getting a bit easy now.

MYOB was brought about unexpectedly by heavy rain cancelling a cycle around town. Meant I started piano on a wet cool (for these parts) Saturday morning and played for the remainder of the day. Learned little things but had a ball. Hope it's better tomorrow my fingers couldn't take another big day.

Interesting. I'm learning. The region would either be Sicily, or Northern Italy. A few others I remember well:
Nona...Grandma
Nonu...Grandpa
Pai'son....(or maybe) "Pie'son"...or...Piesan ?... Old friend from the same place. Kinda like African American's say "Home Boy". Spanish speaking friends of mine recognized this term. But a little different. They didn't accent the first part so much like an Italian would.
My teacher told me there was a big deal about speaking Italian and composing. Everything in music is from Italian. She said when Copelan started. They wouldn't accept him seriously in Europe. He didn't speak Italian. How could he compose?

EDIT: Wanted to add. When I took my lesson. It was a bad weather day. So I went in there right after finishing work. I apologized to my new teacher for my appearance. Told her I had the books with me while working. If I couldn't get done before lesson time. I was just going to pull my truck in the back and park it. Well... I went in there with my work clothes on. Bib overalls, safety vest, lime green reflective hat, etc. Had a big plastic bag of "something" with me. My books she wanted to see. When I left the lesson. I walked out. Hesitated at the door while all these people looked at me. I said: Don't worry...it's not another bomb. And they laughed. They didn't know what to make of me. I found out a little while later. My teacher came out of the practice room. They all looked at her. Silence. Wondering? .... all she did was smile and say: He's good.

Oh Cheryl, if you only knew how badly I want to do this but alas it will not be in "the near future" to be sure. I have considered PMing you about a significant issue with the Canon and other pieces beyond my current level that I haven't disclosed here. Not that I believe I couldn't get help with from the archipelago of PW supporters here but it concerns my teacher's attitude about my studying this piece. For all I know she lurks here! Do you accept PM?

FWIW, posting my rendition of the Canon is a determined goal I have but a different piece will most likely be my first.

Now I'm learning regional Italian! PW is infinite in its possibilities, no?

I liked your story, Ron - the lime green hat put a picture in my head

Cathy