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rnaple thank you for posting. I enjoyed your piece. There was a great sense of mystery and anticipation in your playing. Well done.

Those are thirds... Double thirds would be if each hand had a third. 5-3 left hand, 1-3 right hand, start marching up the scale. They're incredibly difficult to do smoothly, and there are some virtuoso level pieces that use them to great effect because only an expert can deliver.

The problem is, obviously, that after the third note of the scale, both hands have run out of fingers, lol! So you have this very weird cross over pattern that you have to do verry smoothly and quickly in both hands if you hope to keep some semblance of legato. Obviously I am NOT there, and while my teacher has assigned double thirds, I am going extremely slowly with them and they are the first thing I don't bother doing if I have a limited amount of time to practice.

I'm still trying to figure out how to record it! That's just my iPhone, propped up on the side of the keyboard. I have a nice digital SLR camera, so maybe I'll figure out how to set it up and get some better audio since obviously this is mostly all about the audio, right?



No, that makes PERFECT sense. I would rather play the same thing much better. And, in fact, that's exactly what I am trying to do. No more rushing ahead and feel like I'm barely hanging on, which is, frankly, how I spent the entire first 10 years of playing piano and probably why I quit. As soon as things were marginally mastered, it was on to harder things, with the end result that everything was slightly sub par. Had I been a better student, I probably would have not ended up that way. But I was incredibly inefficient when I practiced, and very unfocused, so I was playing catch up all the time.

So, My Piano Journey, Book 2: 25 Years Later. I am taking lessons, yes. I really don't see any other way. She is giving me a lot of guidance, and it's actually better than it was. The scales look better than the piece because I'm really listening to her more with hand position and general attack on the scales and then on the pieces I tend to rely more on old instincts, which are not there anymore, so everything tenses up. It was actually the recording of me that saw that I wasn't really listening to my teacher's corrections that well when it comes to the music making portion, because old habits die hard.

I've only been back three weeks, so I've had only three lessons. I'll keep working on it, and much slower. I need to really concentrate on how my arm moves, and the weight I'm putting into the keys. She's giving me the corrections and the visualization to understand it, I'm just not really translating it into that much tangible change yet though little by little I am getting it.

As for the pieces, well, she chose them. I was reluctant to show her what I had been working on when I quit, though of course it was her first question. I felt it would give a false sense of level placement, frankly. What's the point of telling her that I used to play, say, Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso, when clearly that's not possible right now? So I told her that I used to play, but probably am at a very basic level on certain things, which is true.

I must have really understated it, because she showed up with some books introducing the musical staff and which finger goes on middle C. Ultimately I had to fess up because there are some things about my skill set that could not be described as basic. I explained that I feel like part of me getting better is going back and picking up all the dropped pieces along the way, and some of these things are lying on the ground very far back, honestly, which is why I feel like "basic" would describe some of those things.

As much as it gave me great panic, I reluctantly surrendered the stack of books I used to use, and she picked a few pieces I'd played before (including the Rondo! AHHH!) and listened to me attempt to play them, evaluating what was missing, what was there.

We talked some about my goals, and ultimately she picked the Chopin Nocturne and a Mozart Sonata (the K310, A minor), both of which are not terribly easy pieces, though nobody would mistake them for advanced. I think I'm ok with working on a harder piece for longer than the other way around. I just have to be VERY careful, especially in the Mozart, with not bringing the speed up until I've got fingering and notes locked in and I've changed my finger weight and tension level.

Really, the trouble is, as you can see, recalibrating what to expect yet. On the one hand, I can look at both pieces and see them as essentially straightforward, somewhat easy. After all, when I quit, I was playing much more difficult pieces. And even now, if you put any new piece of music in front of me, I can play it out. Maybe I'll knock a few notes off the bottom of a large rolled chord so I can keep going, or I'll mark one hand in octaves, but I clearly have not forgotten how to read music and my hands go where they need to be.

But then of course the next step is to PLAY the piece, and that's where things kind of slow way down because the years have not been kind to that part of the process. And I'm more mature now, and I know what I want and what I need to change. I know how to practice better, and I've got the focus and motivation to do it. It's just I thought I'd slowed down enough. Those scales do not sound fast to me. But they are too fast for me now. So when something is too fast for now, but my brain is not registering them as fast because they are not objectively fast from a pianist's standpoint, my hands just tense up. My brain is confused. You're doing it slowly, so why are you struggling to stay on the beat? So instant tension.

Anyway, I'm at a tempo in the Mozart that is laughably slow. But I know that if I really drill it there, it gives me the time to concentrate on the hand position, tension and note pressure that I need to change before I can hope to get better. Unfortunately, I can snap to a much faster tempo and not make a mistake, but of course at the expense of the relearning of the positioning, tension, and finger weight. The absence of which I do not immediately notice, so it's a constant fight to make myself stay slow, or I am cheating my progress in the long term.

So, long story short, I'm slowing everything way down, as per some suggestions. I have this urge to go faster simply because these things USED to be easier for me, but I can see that there's a lot of tension and stiffness when I do that, even at these speeds which are slower than I used to do them at. And just knowing that I need to change is not the same as actually doing the changing, so each week is a new insight for me on how I'm going to tackle this process so I can achieve what it is I want to achieve here.

TwoSnowflakes:
Your scales were pretty mesmerizing, to be honest! So even, after 25 years off! I wish my scales sounded like that. I'm beginning to wonder why we don't see more scales - they're rather fun to watch.
Your Chopin sounds great, and while you feel tense, the fact that you could play that piece, let alone record it, 3 weeks in, is very impressive! I have a feeling that once your confidence builds back it won't so tough on you to fix the other areas you want to improve.

Ron:
I remember that piece.. I like what you did with it, and your dynamics sound fantastic! I like the loud rushing and then quiet - rather seductive, in a sense!

I'd like to thank you all for the kind words. The recording itself; lame. You wouldn't believe how good my piano actually sounds. I think it was the mp3 format of that recorder. Has much higher formats. At least I got through the basic idea of my creativity with that song. That's the important part. After all...this is Ecco Fatto... that describes what I did.


You wouldn't believe all I've been through lately on my computer. I came extremely close to buying a Mac mini today.

Very nice job Ron. Next time I'd enjoy something a bit longer but this was nicely played and thanks for posting it. Here have a brew on me(_)]. Are you glad it's Ecco Fatto?

Very nice TwoSnowflakes. It made my computer hang up until I installed an update to quicktime. Enjoyed it much, also your scales were well done, much better than I'm able and I practice scales daily. Bravo!

Well, I committed myself to this a couple of weeks ago and I have been struggling with it ever since. Scarborough Fair has given me fits (as someone else described). I could get my hands doing roughly what I wanted but then to add in the pedalling...impossible! So this is my best effort because I don't really want to spend any more time on this piece.

As you can easily tell I am a complete beginner and have been working through the first Alfred's book on my own (except for the input from these very helpful Forums!) so please be kind...

https://www.box.com/s/t18p2yfo6r8ql7mr6fce

Wow, dagdvm, that was wonderful. It had such a wistful quality - I could see a young woman standing witn the wind in her long hair, talking with her young man - are you going to Scarborough Fair? And it was cool that the tempo was steady until the ritardando at the end. Very nice.

Cathy

I sure am. Got it out to get it done.
I shouldn't be having these problems in the future. I went ahead and got me my Mac mini. Will receive it today or tomorrow.
I need badly to get back to concentrating on music...not technical problems.

Very nice dagdvm. It flowed quite nicely with a good steady rythym. Well done for your first public contribution.

Wonderful!! I'm glad you had the courage to put up this first recording. You did a great job, and I enjoyed listening to it.

Dagdvm - one of my all time favourites - your performance is charming - soft, gentle, wistful, Bravo!

I was the one who Scarborough Fair sent into fits, so I feel your pain!

All of your hard work has paid off. The emotion and care you put into this piece made it sound way more than a hurdle to jump over on your pursuit to get to the next piece in Alfred's. This sounded like meaningful music! Well played.

I think you're done with this piece! I look forward to hearing more out of you!

Bump!!

Who's next up?

Thank you to everyone - you are the kindest people in the world!

I really appreciate your gentle comments and the opportunity to post here at Ecco Fatto Cafe. I know you have all been through this process yourselves and that makes your comments more valuable to me because you all know the difficulties and mind games we go through on this self-chosen musical journey.

So thank you once again and happy playing!

dagdvm

Hello PianoWorld!

This is not only my first recording, but also my first post.
I am 30, from Brazil, one 11 month old son and a full time job.

I don't consider myself a beginner in a strict sense of the word, since I have been playing for 15 years. But due to my lack of discipline I am still at a beginner level.

Sorry fot my poor english.

Now I present you my very first recording. It's the 3rd Mov from Mozart K 331, the well known rondo alla turca. It's not perfect, but I really liked it.

https://www.box.com/s/sr8eenpg16nld4o7z3m4

Thanks for listening!

jfmartins, congratulations on your first post and recording! Very nice, I enjoyed it.

I look forward to more.

scorpio, thank you for listening and enjoying!
You can't imagine how big is the smile in my face right now!

I would also like to thank AimeeO for the creation of the Ecco Fatto Café and earlofmar for the hints on how to use truepianos over the web.

jfmartins - that put a smile on my face and set my foot tapping! A really fun piece, and I like the playfullness you put in it. Thanks for posting.

Cathy

Welcome, jfmartins!!

Your English is great! Hope you are having a nice winter down there!

WOW! First post and first recording.. Love it! (I want your guts! hehehe) I am a huge fan of rondo alla turca, so I was excited to hear your piece. I was not disappointed! This is piece is quite challenging, and you pulled it off with style and confidence - you owned it! It started off with a bang and never looked back. You kept the jubilant attitude going throughout! Very impressive!
I can't wait to hear more from you..