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Joined: Nov 2012
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<SIGH> Well last week I posted that I was finally able to get Stardust under both hands but just barely and with not a lot of mistakes and hesitations. Well, I have to recant that statement. I had recorded it in practice, and listened/watched it yesterday evening and it is, in a word, heinous. It needs lots of polishing and possibly other work before it's solid! I played it three times this morning and the concept of "slow down" finally made it into my thick skull. At any rate, this mornings effort was extremely satisfying despite the glacial tempo, each time a tiny bit faster and more satisfying. I can't emphasize enough how valuable recording yourself can be. It gives such a different perspective about how you're playing. I am just so happy about learning this song, now I can concentrate on really polishing it; dynamics, tempo, pedaling, etc, to say nothing of bringing it to musicality. EVERY teacher I've ever had has told me repeatedly SLOW DOWN!! It's funny how you think your doing so when that's not the case at all. The sections I "can" play at tempo encourage me to try to play the ones I can't at the same tempo and the wheels come off before long. My other lesson things I'm pretty confident I'll be passed on Wednesday. Be glad to get something new too. Stardust will stay in my repertoire though and will need a good two more weeks of finesse before I will call it good. I'm gonna keep that crap recording to remind me not to bounce anymore reality checks again. All in all though some very good AOTW.
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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Remodeling! It always costs twice the estimate. Glad you're finished with it though. Got pictures?
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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I am also making some very pleasing progress on the 3rd movement of Clementi, specifically with some very nice details in the dynamics. I am still working on the first 2 movements and have got the speed up on both, and have been becoming more precise with little details in the second as well. I think I will be ready to record the whole thing in another few weeks! Glad to hear it Cheryl, can't wait to hear it.
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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ATOW - not sure, my teacher is trying to talk me into to starting a grade 7 piece and I am resisting. Oh how the tide has turned. Well??? Are you going to do it? What is the piece? (Yes, it is an AOTW, so congratulations.) The piece is Granados - Spanish Dance No 5. My teacher seems to think I am capable but my confidence has taken a battering of late with a few lack lustre pieces. Still I may start it......unofficially. Real AOTW is completing over 2,000 posts, looks like this isn't a passing fad.
Surprisingly easy, barely an inconvenience. Kawai K8 & Kawai Novus NV10 13x
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I have thought a great deal about the topic of learning "reach for it" pieces, and earlofmar's comments have brought this to the surface of my current thinking. Although he and I are within 6 months of piano learning experience I reckon, there is quite a difference in the toughest pieces we seem to be learning. Right now I have just arrived (I hope) at the late-elementary level, according to my lesson books. So far, to my knowledge I have not attempted to learn anything above grade 1. However, there are several grade 2 pieces coming up in the next month or so. I have examined these pieces and have determined that they are quite "doable" in my typical learning timeframe. That timeframe for the harder pieces in my book, starts at 30-60 minutes to get the basic fingering down, another 1-2 hours to get the basic dynamics and timing down, and then anywhere from 1-3 weeks with my teacher to get it the point where she is satisfied I have extracted whatever skills are embedded within. I think obviously everyone learns differently, and each teacher has their own methods and materials. However, for me this "step by very small step" approach has been very successful, as in 17 months I've learned a lot, and have not had any major hurdles or confidence-shaking episodes. I think at this point spending several months trying to master a grade 3 or 4 piece (which I'm sure I could do given the right instruction and sufficient time) could be very harmful to my confidence. Now that's just me, your mileage may vary!
Yamaha C2X | Yamaha M500-F Groucho Marx: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." Curriculum: Faber Developing Artist (Book 3) Current: German Dance in D Major (Haydn) (OF); Melody (Schumann) (OF)
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Joined: Dec 2014
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Recorded Chopin's 4th prelude for my 40 piece challenge, and my first Chopin piece. Woo hoo!
August Förster 190
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My achievement this week is getting both of my Schumann pieces recorded. Woohoo! They were both a challenge, and I am very happy to get them to the recordable stage. The second one (Sonata in G Theme and Variatons) I will have around for a long time, though. It is one of my ABRSM grade 6 exam pieces this coming fall.
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ATOW - not sure, my teacher is trying to talk me into to starting a grade 7 piece and I am resisting. Oh how the tide has turned. Well??? Are you going to do it? What is the piece? (Yes, it is an AOTW, so congratulations.) The piece is Granados - Spanish Dance No 5. My teacher seems to think I am capable but my confidence has taken a battering of late with a few lack lustre pieces. Still I may start it......unofficially. Real AOTW is completing over 2,000 posts, looks like this isn't a passing fad. Whether or not you decide to take it on, it's a vote of confidence from your teacher, and that is good. Starting it unofficially is a good waffle way around a decision. Seriously, you can probably get a feel for just how much of a stretch (or not) this would be and then come back to your teacher with a firm decision. For myself, I'm okay with a stretch goal piece as long as the teacher has given it serious thought and has in mind some technique or musical aspect that I need to learn. It's not enough that the piece is beautiful--there's all kinds of music out there that satisfies the criteria of (a) gorgeous music and (b) too advanced for me.
Yamaha C3X In summer, the song sings itself. --William Carlos Williams
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Getting caught up on other folk's news here before making my own post! I seem to have missed several posts over the past couple of weeks! pspicer: getting through the various scales is a slog, there's only so much you can do to make scales "fun" to play. In the end though, the pay-off is worth every minute you spend working at it - on to the next 5th! Saranoya - I missed your post about getting back to your lessons. I'm so glad you're there again. I am curious as to what your teacher learned from you - I know I learn things from my students all the time, but the things I pick up tend to be cultural or vocabulary/idiomatic expressions, not so much teaching-related. Ragdoll - I think it is really neat you are playing pieces in diferent keys, just for the fun of it! Transposing on the fly - that's quite an achievement! Brava! As for mixing up the names of a piece.... hey, there are a lot pieces that borrow from , or are based on other pieces.... live and learn! I bet your in-laws will be delighted no matter what you call it! As for your points on slowing down... you are sooooo right. I have finally learned my lesson. It was a painful lesson to learn, but it is paying off and it bears repeating because it takes forever for this message to permeate our brains and really get into our playing!!! Malkin - I do hope we get to hear your waltz - That's quite a challenging piece, you should really enjoy studying it! Moonshine: A simple Chopin score? Well, I have to look that up! Good work on the memorizing! Medden: congrats on your progress on YOUR Chopin piece - we have a lot of Chopin in the works recently, don't we? Palmpirate: you're a whirlwind of activity! I haven't played any Debussy, but I love his music. Are you going to let us hear you play? Stubbie: those simple words "much improved" - how they warm our hearts. I have often noticed that a really disasterous lesson is often followed by a much beter one. I think it is because we "fight" harder after derailing and our focus improves somehow! Hang in there - remember we work in baby steps, but even with babysteps we move forward. BrianDx : it is nice when you get to the point where you're playing the piece, and can focus on little adjustments that make all the difference as you bring it up to performance level! You seem to be flying on the wings of great progress recently - that's really exciting! Agfinguy: I remember the first time I had that feeling of "actually playing the piano". What a thrill. Farmgirl: I hope you're feeling better now!!!! I had the flu at the end of January and it really knocked me for a loop. ugh. Good for you managing to get through the concert! Barbaram: I am looking forward to hearing your Schumann! Leantotail: congrats on your composing effort - now you just have to play it and record it for posterity! EarlofMar - I love Granados! If your teacher is suggesting it - go for it! SwissMs - I can't wait to hear your Schumann pieces! My ATOW...well I have my lesson today so I should probably wait to see how it goes, but.... I am really pleased with progress on my dynamics in all my pieces. I also note that I am now able to play forte with my right hand while keeping the left hand softer! I am amazed. I have also been pulling up random pieces for prima vista - true sight reading of never before looked at material, and am very pleased with how well I'm able to manage. And, I pulled out the Beethoven Sonatina I had started working on a few years ago (had to quit due to tension problems, and could never get back into it).....and I was REALLY amazed at how "easy" (everything is relative) it was. I am seriously thinking of picking it up again and working on it to get it to performance level.
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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Joined: Oct 2013
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No real achievement. I just sat down this evening and practiced and it all went so well. It makes it all worthwhile.
Currently working towards "Twinkle twinkle little star"
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As for your points on slowing down... you are sooooo right. I have finally learned my lesson. It was a painful lesson to learn, but it is paying off and it bears repeating because it takes forever for this message to permeate our brains and really get into our playing!!! Oh yah, If I played something at 1/2 tempo I thought that was slow. One thing about trying to sight read something new... That will definitely slow one down big time!
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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Joined: Jan 2013
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I am really working hard on the Debussy Bergamesque Prelude and the Brahms Intermezzo. I say 'working hard' but that give a negative connotation and its not like that. It is both a challenge and a joy. I try and give them a half hour each at least, usually 45mins and if I'm lucky I get and hour each! It has been a few months now and it seems that each time I tackle something, a different problem arises. I say 'tackle' but that suggests a fight. It's not like that. It is again both a challenge and a joy! I really go slowly, and try to make my mistakes and corrections in my head, before I play the notes. That way I only play and hear the right notes. After all, it is not the piano that makes the mistakes. And who was it that said 'Once is a mistake, but twice is a choice" I stop each time there is a mistake and follow that 7x's rule. It all really does help but is very slow and really is a test one's self discipline - the only one you try and fool is yourself! It all began to get me down about my abilities. Occasionally I allow myself the treat of playing through and realize my progress. Then I am heartened by remembering another chant of my teachers - 'Learning to play the piano is cumulative. When you have a new piece that's a 'challenge' then you pull what you need from the bag of tricks you've already learned And there'll always be a few new challenges and new 'tricks' to learn!
I read most of the posts in AOTW and those who are doing scales - yes , its tough at first, but then, the composers go and change it all on you and you have to learn a different way to play a run. But - learning the standard way gives you a head start. Those of you tackling Chopin and Schumann, terrific! Those of you who can improvise - I envy you!
I guess my AOTW is to really enjoy the process and to allow myself to be content with where I am at with my pieces. It does take time and there's no real short cut. I play when I can and am glad to be able to, given the crazy way life jolts me around these days. One day I really shall RE-tire, first time round has been unbelievable. I only hope I'll have enough grey cells left to keep learning piano! I shall record myself on the iPhone before we start on our 2 month trip. I am taking my RD64 so will do what I can, and record myself again when I get back. This year I am determined to get something up here as I am sure it will change me quite a bit to meet that challenge!
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Just came from my lesson, passed everything* and got new stuff to learn Yay! *Not Stardust but she gave me a nice compliment on how far I've come with it. Finished up Group II of the dozen a day with flying colors and on to Group III, two new pieces from Alfred's Book #2. Those are my AOTW
Ragdoll At first, she only flew when she thought no one was watching.
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Stitched my latest project together end-to-end for the first time today, very slowly! This one seems to be coming together much faster than my previous. (Famous last words.)
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This week my AOTW is counting aloud. Comments by zrtf90 and verqueue among others on the value of counting *aloud* and not just in your head led me to give it a go, and it's been a revelation. My trickier Schumann piece features a variety of tempo directions. Counting aloud has really helped me control the intentional tempo changes while identifying and minimizing the unintentional ones. Admittedly, I found it took a lot of concentration, and that had impacts on other things. But (a) it got a lot easier just in one or two goes and (b) it gave me a feel for it that largely stuck when I then played without counting aloud
On the other hand, I'm now feeling a bit panicky about the impending deadline - after so much time, effort and progress, I'm still a fair way off where I'd like to be with this.
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I finally learned to play the complete Bach Well-Tempered Clavier Prelude (the Ave Maria one)! This was a big accomplishment for me.
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I am eager to see if my left hand is ready to get off of the injured reserve list, and to make another run at recording my Schumann piece which I am pretty thoroughly ready to be finished with!
Learner
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... make another run at recording my Schumann piece which I am pretty thoroughly ready to be finished with! Yes, I am ready to be done with mine too! I managed a better recording of Op 68 no 26 and now I am officially done with that. Still hoping to get a better one for Op 68 no 39 - I was going well this morning when the dog started going nuts and put me right off, so had to abandon until later. Hope your hand recovers for you!
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I pilled too much on my plate and got stalled, then I abandoned the Schumann recital, missed the Feb ABF Recital, which felt rather bad, so this week, it was good that my teacher finally let me get away with putting one of my pieces away, even though it is far from what I would have liked. It is an etude of staccato scales of thirds and sixths for both hands. At first, this piece gave me serious back pains, but eventually, with my teacher's help, I got to be able to practice it non-stop for extended time without ache and pains, locking up hands, shoulders, back, is a major lesson in itself for playing something so technical and begging for tension from the first note to the last and every single note in between! Playing staccato scales and making them sound half way like music and not like an exercise, when tax to my technical limit, well, just tough. I have to say I learned a lot, now given the permission to put it away, happy and mostly relieved. I would have made it to Feb ABF Recital with this if I didn't get so side tracked by Mr. Schumann. Here it is, Etude in C, op. 24, no. 10 by Concone: https://soundcloud.com/8octaves/conconestudyincop24no1
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Wow, that sounds marvelous and difficult at the same time. I can hear why it got a pass from your teacher, it's faultless.
Surprisingly easy, barely an inconvenience. Kawai K8 & Kawai Novus NV10 13x
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