Hi,
I just want to add this thread so we can share our journey with learning our skills in piano.
I hope this will motivate us to practice and practice and practice consistently. I believe this is what sometimes is missing. So, stay tuned to this post thread and lets practice everyday, for as long you need or you can. Let's share our experience here. Let's commit here to practice and follow what we write here to do. Let's push ourselves a little bit... and share what we are doing right now. So,
to keep it short what is your plan for today to improve your skills? Share it with me/us and lets improve our skills DAILY
All the best,
And another week starts, loads of expectation for things to happen. One is certain, one we can control which is: WE CAN, and I hope you will join me and you will PLAY/LEARN and most of it ENJOY Let's start this week nicely: PLAY!
For me, half way today, Virtuoso Pianist book was in action plus my fingers - loads to accomplish, great challenge The best left for evening which is further work on Sonatina (2nd part will be recorded soon)... so join me in the evening or any time you can play and let's have some FUN today/tonight and PLAY and let's ENJOY what we can do... AGAIN
And again, again and again... till end of times: PLAY, LEARN, HAVE FUN! In our case with our pianos and instruments we play. How great way of spending time it is you can only appreciate once you start doing it, and further you go you will get more, yes, challenges, but because you do it daily you can overcome them, and take from it what is waiting for you: REAL PLEASURE! REAL FUN!... and that keeps you going! So, Let's do it again and PLAY - TODAY!
Let's play again today! Even a bit. It is worth it. It will lead you to the point where you will need MORE and MORE. Only daily tasks will stop you to sit and play. But on the other hand that need to play, that drive will push you to organise better, to win that time for you and your instrument to do what we like if not love to do: PLAY and GROW. So, it is time for our mantra now: PLAY, LEARN, HAVE FUN! TODAY!
Yes, after about two days I lose some facility. And it takes about an hour of 'fast' playing to get it back, but it's a very negative feeling all around..
One thing it does for you, I have to say, is you feel an empathy for other players who are just beginning the roller coaster swings, and don't have experience with how to play 'fast' to get it back. This isn't easy to relate about in a forum.
Since I've tuned pianos as a part-time job for many years i've rarely been away from pianos.. (someone's piano). But after 3 weeks of not playing, you must start at an earlier level. This happened once in my life.
I wish this wasn't the sad facts of it.
How about make this Saturday count? PLAY! HAVE FUN!
Finally back on recording, it was great to have break, but everything must move forward again, that is why, below recorded... don't know you can call it progress in full but there are some small steps taken I guess, and few challenges I still work on while playing that beautiful piece of music... so challenging but at the same time so enjoyable to play Anyway, below is where I am NOW. Hiding nothing, no point to do that, few bits I struggle with while gaining some speed but decided to record with that tempo 160 (Spiritoso) and 66 (Andante) because then those challenging moments appear... something to work on while absorbing and learning last part of Sonatina Op 36 no 1 Enjoy watching and I am as always grateful for any suggestions you might have
I've thought of going to a piano teacher who I don't know. Just to see what they advise. "Here, take this book home and play the first lesson(s). Come back next week and we'll see how it went." I go to my next lesson and play the simple piece for my teacher.. Her eyes light up.
"Promised land" is somewhere ahead and the only way to get there is to march there step by step. Let's take another one today: PLAY, LEARN and HAVE FUN
It is challenging to find time on those like for example my Friday, loads of tasks to perform not related to our passion. So, if you as me have days like this, let's not waste too much time for wandering around and do what is necessary to PLAY, LEARN and of course ENJOY Have fun with your piano today, too
Scary times today. My piano plays tricks with me... For a moment with tears in my eyes I thought it died... luckily not. So, let's PLAY, LEARN and HAVE FUN
What is wonderful with doing what brings us JOY that even we need to work hard it doesn't feel like work. It is always leads to some kind of fulfilment and further we go we want MORE So, let's PLAY, LEARN and ENJOY today AGAIN
Clouds in my head... why? Below videos. Somehow I feel bad about those, but looking forward for your insides to IMPROVE. All exercises are from book The Virtuoso Pianist: Hanons, Scales, Arpeggios. So far, I am here as videos show, though some more exercises in practice already, some scales mastered too, though using previously PM app. Now for those exercises I rely only on the book and metronome oh... and of course, PLAY, LEARN, and HAVE FUN with your PIANO or any instrument of your choice ENJOY!
First video are simply Hanons first six exercises from the book The Virtuoso Piano played together.
Second video again Hanons first six exercises tried with legato, though... well waiting for insides
Third video are scales played twice, second of each should be legato... I hope there is some hope
Fourth video, arpeggios in C major, F major, A minor, D minor.
1. Don't move your body (left-right) so much. Try to use only your hands and the arms.
2. Keep your tempo stable, also after you have made a mistake. Your tendency is to make the pace faster and this is no good, because it is a new mistake (bad) after a mistake.(this is NOT bad)
3. When you practice your Arpeggios (let us say C) don't forget to make arpeggios for the positions E & G and not only for the base C! Every arpeggio has 3 positions to be performed! So ---> C, E, G / E,G,C / G,C,E! Do this always in 4 octaves. (or 2) Up and down, as you are doing.
4. Every C, E & G (the first note of the arpeggio) must be CLEARLY intonated! The other notes less. C (strong), E (normal),G (normal), C (strong), E (normal) etc... Equally how your are playing the arpeggio this is VERY useful and good for your technic.
5. When you have the feeling that your hands are tired, make an interval. Don't continue. Fatigue is bad for the outcome.
They say 10,000 hours are needed for a person to be competent at any skill or artistry.. it's such a huge investment...that's why finding an approach that will work needs to be referred to at the beginning.
So, it's not that most people can't do it, it's what they know upfront that will be - the ticket to eventual success.
Fridays are days for me when I can have only a taste of piano time yet, but maybe you can have a feast: PLAY, LEARN and as always take your piece of FUN from it
I hoped I was going to have a scale feast from this video, but I couldn't find the section he plays. Very challenging. Such fluidity! About 2 minutes in;
Remember, this is a light-hearted musical essay, for this TV episode.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Classical Music Forum
2.6M posts
40.6K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to classical music for musicians and other enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about composers, compositions, arrangements, collections, recordings, techniques, instruments, styles, reviews, classifieds, and more!