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Review of Zoom H2 mic/recorder

I would try to have the mic very close to the piano with the piano lid open.

Thanks, fliper! Yeah, I did briefly browse through the thread, but at first I thought it was a video+audio recorder... until I read it again following your pointer. sounds like it's audio only? I was wondering how to record video with decent sound...

so I searched on internet, found out that I can do video recording with just webcam and Windows movie maker... tried that... now I can see all the problems that a human being can have with my hands on keyboard: my fingers don't curve (I thought I did!), my wrist sometimes sinks below the fingers... and more! I'll have to work on it...

I still think it's good idea to go back and review some pieces once in a while.

When I was getting bored and dispassionate about playing one song I had been working on for several weeks, I decided to put it aside and go back and start playing pieces starting from the earlier part of the book. This got me reanimated and also showed me that I hadn't really learned some of the pieces all that well, or at least they would take anywhere from 5 minutes several hours to get it right again.

Also, I know when I first started the book, I would sometimes ignore instructions like, "2nd time 8va higher". I would understand what had to be done, but I didn't put the effort into actually putting into practice the quick hand movements to move an octave up without losing a beat.

I finally started putting more effort into the pieces about halfway through the book after Fliper posted one of his recordings. I went back and tried to play the piece which I thought I had learned a few weeks earlier and it took me two or three days to get it right again.

So, doing a little review now and then of what one has previously learned is a good idea.

You might want to look into some of the pieces from the Suzuki Piano method book, Volume 2. They have, among others, some nice pieces by Bach which would probably be about at the level of someone who has finished or who has nearly finished Alfred's Book #1.

I was trying to learn a bit of Bach's Minuet 2. It's probably a little ahead of my comfort zone (arpeggio octave runs) but it is a beautiful piece.

@Wish4 Thing - Here is my recording: Long, Long, Ago Perhaps too late to fit into your March recital page, but better late than never.

Listening to it, I think I should have tried to have played the left hand softer. I didn't use the metronome either so I believe the pace is a little inconsistent.

Thanks for sharing, Johnny D! It is my background music now:) Both hands are softer than my version.

I remember I had a comment on fliper's recording regarding the uneven pace. I had a second thought afterwards... I think it may not be a bad thing... when you play with feelings, the pace is also a way of expressing yourself. For example, the last measure of your recording:)

My playing is always very mechanical...

looking forward to your Bach and MaryAnn's new Bach:)

@ Wish4 Thing - In my opinion the right hand should be somewhat louder than the left in Long, Long, Ago as it represents the melody.

Did you know that Long, Long, Ago features in Suzuki's Volume 1? That's probably why it's so popular in Asia.

When I was learning this I always ended up speeding up as I went along, so trying to maintain an even pace was a little tricky for me. My slowing down at the end was intentional though.

As to Bach, it may take a long time before I get that one down. I spent a couple of weeks on the first part, and I still make mistakes on it. Really like the song though.

Agreed. In my later recordings, I paid special attention to my left hand. but I don't know if people can tell by listening to the recordings... (a good example is "He's got whole world in his hands":)



I didn't... as a matter of fact, I didn't know there're so many different kind of method books until I read through this whole thread:) In China, I think every teacher/student is talking about John Thompson...


I noticed that in several of your recordings:) different but nice:)


Yeah, I tried hands separately some time ago... love it. but I think I'll focus finishing book 1 first... work got crazily busy lately, I don't have much time to practice and make progress... I come here to read posts just to keep myself motivated...:) and you guys are all part of the motivation. Thank you!

The Suzuki Method is primarily for little children which teaches them to play classical music by ear at an early age. My 6 year-old is learning by this method with a teacher. Currently she is learning Lightly Row which features in some versions of Alfred's, but the Suzuki version is longer and more difficult.

One drawback and criticism of the Suzuki method is that children become too reliant on playing by ear and then later they have trouble learning how to sight read.

On a related note, I was looking at John Thompson's Grade 1 book at amazon.com and it looks like it tries to emphasize sight reading from the start by learning easy pieces.

interesting. I just learned about ritardo and rubato last night in my lesson. My teacher wants me to do ritardo at the end of the Bach piece I'm learning now.

Hi im new here 40 year old student is it ever to late,I hope not i started playing 5 month ago and just started lessons 1 month ago i must admit my lessons are not what i thought they would be (He just sits there while i practice the complete piano player book 1 very basic but its what he suggest although im on pages 90 to 100 on Alfred's book 1) I think i will stick with him for a few more weeks if i feel like i feel now ill find another teacher. What is the typical process of a teacher ? . I have enjoyed reading through this lengthy thread and im glad im not the only old and struggling piano student. I notice there is a lot of people from the USA is there many from the UK ?

Welcome to this thread, satnav.


It is not my case, I am trying to do as written in the book, but I do not use metronome. I like your recordings. Why not try to make a recording without the metronome?


I am now in "Jericho" - page 127. "O Solo Mio" needs more training.

Hello all,

Im returning to the forum (and incidentally the alfred course) for about my third attempt at staying with it and finishing it. For one reason or another ive gotten side tracked and distracted from playing but im serious this time about learning and at the very least finishing book one. Im sick of learning and relearning Blow the Man Down !!

Anyway, hello

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M-Audio ProKeys 88sx

Working on Cafe Vienna & Lullaby (p 94/95)

Hello SmokestackLightnin, welcome back. I am sure that re-learning of those pieces will take much less time than first time. I hope tis time you can finish the Alfred 1!

Made it to page 73 so far ... been working on Book 1 for eight months ... also working on a timing book and a technique book ... along with learning the pieces in Alfreds Greatest Hits Level One ... and the Scales Bootcamp book ... I'm thankful that I have a teacher who covers all the bases ... she's been teaching forty years ... her mother was a Julliard grad and a concert pianist so she has an extensive background ... I hope to finish book one before summer break ...

Carry On

Thanks, Johnny D! I've learned a lot from you and others in this thread! I'll look into John Thompson when I finish Alfred's... not sure when yet:)

For whatever it's worth, here is my friend's son playing piano. He is using some other method book... He made huge progress after switching to this new teacher...





Good to hear that you are making steady progress! I'll try without metronome when I finish Level 1.

Satnav and keysangler welcome to the thread!

SmokestackLightnin, welcome back! I've already lost count how many times beginner I am... restarted more than 10 times now...:) but even with the same songs in the same book, I still feel I made some sort of progress every single time. I hope you enjoy the process! I do:)

Here is my first video recording, "The Entertainer", I'd appreciate any feedback!

nice!

Two nice videos!
I liked your The Entretainer, smooth played. Your hands look good to me, left hand seems slightly not in line with the arm (it seems a little higher) but I think it is not a problem. You play relaxed, looking good. Your piano (a true piano) looks nice too!
I also liked the sound, did you change the mic position relative to your previous recordings?

Thanks MaryAnn and fliper!



Video recording is really helpful for me to identify my own problems and I've been trying to fix the problem you pointed out, it's better than before but it still takes time to correct bad habit I've developed...

You have keen ears too... (as well as Johnny D:) The audio recordings I had previously was edited with concert hall effect... The Entertainer was recorded using Microsoft Movie Maker, I haven't figured out how to separate audio from video and edit it... but I guess you like the non-reverbed recording better anyway, I remember you mentioned that before:) So this one is "raw" recording. Same built-in mic from my laptop...:)

The nice thing about recording with a sound editing software is that I can see the sound waveform as I play and that helps me to work on my dynamics...

Thanks for the feedback!

Wish4Thing, I enjoyed your Entertainer. Very smoothly played.