[Taggart]

Had my piano lesson yesterday. The action on the Kawai upright that I have my lesson on is quite lighter than my Knabe at home. As such that threw me off when I was trying to demonstrate my crescendos and decrescendos. Darn. Still have a bit of nerves playing in front of my instructor as well......I hope and expect that will improve in the coming weeks.

It does get better! Getting used to different pianos is part of the fun of learning the piano. It tests your articulation in ways that you don't expect. If you can translate your touch between instruments then you have got a better sense of touch for your own instrument.

 

[Taggart]

Grade 2 Piano exam today
wish me luck

Good luck! Hope it all goes well and you get the grade you deserve despite any nerves!

 

[Taggart]

By eisteddfod you mean festival (for those of us who don't speak German). I was a vocal major but Lieder was not my forte.

Drat! I thought it was one of those weird Welsh things where druid bards got crowned!

 

[Taggart]

On Wednesday my piano teacher gave me a copy of Margo Guryan's Chopsticks Variations. I love them so much! I'd put down a video, but I can't seem to find a complete playlist/video. Oh well.

Try this guy on you tube and see if you can find something we'd like.

 

[Taggart]

Beginning the Bach sinfonia as a way of approaching the WTC.

 

[Taggart]

I've decided to suspend lessons for a while until my confidence as a player increases. I get so nervous and often play like an absolute ninny at lessons! In the meantime, I still plan to work on The Moonlight Sonata, Bach's Toccata in D Minor (sans the fugue), and Chopin's Prelude No.4. When I get the Bach under my fingers a little more, then I plan to start Mozart's Fantasy in D minor. Those 32nd note runs look hard, but maybe they fall under the fingers comfortably.

Real Catch 22 - you play well at home but badly in the lessons; you need the lessons to help you improve your technique.

You have to realise that getting something "under your fingers" means being absolutely secure. The trouble is that you are learning and it isn't (totally) secure so the extra pressure of "the lesson" makes you wobble.

Try something totally mechanical in a lesson - one of the Hanons that you know well enough to play without music. Play it at home with a metronome for added security. Try the same thing in the lesson. Often the added problem of keeping to a metronome will give you something to focus on that is not "the lesson" and mean that you can play better.

 

[Taggart]

My current piano teacher likes to work through things rather than at things. In some ways, it's good as it develops flexibility; in other ways it doesn't help as much with technique.

I've been currently working through the ABRSM Mozart Sonatas for Pianoforte. I've got up to the Sonata in A minor, K. 310. I'm not entirely in sympathy with this sort of music compared to the Baroque which makes it more of a challenge. The move to a more harmonic style with lots of arpeggios and patterned bass figures makes for a number of technical challenges.