Pianist Envy, The adult piano learners' thread. Options

[dave brum]

I've dug out my Grade 2 pass certificate from 2009. Of course I know how I did overall but as this bit of paper has been sitting in an unused pile of sheet music in the cupboard for over a year...18 out of a possible 18 for aural, my best mark. Worst marks were for the three pieces, 24, 26, 27 out of 30, meaning I have a confidence issue when playing.

Sight reading was 19/21 - okay you might think for my Achilles' heel subject but it was not done confidently. And he picked me up on my expression markings!

The pieces I'll be playing teach today will certainly have emphasis on the dynamics, indeed right from my first practice of the piece it did!

[Pixie*Porsche]

Dave - have you kept up your practise despite not having lessons? How quickly did you progress to grade 2? You sound like you don't have any problems with the supporting tests, which is excellent! Polishing pieces sounds like what you need to do to get to that next level and that can be hard if you don't really practise properly (taking thinks right apart).

If your interested in practise technique see the thread in the General Music board or PM me and I'll send you some advice I give to my pupils that works very well for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

You will love you piano journey and if practised well you should be able to progress quickly too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[dave brum]

Dave - have you kept up your practise despite not having lessons? How quickly did you progress to grade 2? You sound like you don't have any problems with the supporting tests, which is excellent! Polishing pieces sounds like what you need to do to get to that next level and that can be hard if you don't really practise properly (taking thinks right apart).

If your interested in practise technique see the thread in the General Music board or PM me and I'll send you some advice I give to my pupils that works very well for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

You will love you piano journey and if practised well you should be able to progress quickly too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Pixie, the answer to your initial question is NOPE. Up until just before Christmas my Yamaha YDP131 has stood idle since my last piano lesson apart from when I dust and/or polish it.

I used to practice relentlessly in the period that I had lessons, scales, arpeggios, Hanons, pieces (mostly classical) until that moment last year when I realised I was pumping money into a failed notion. During 2011 most of what I'd learned vanished into the haze, apart from the note names, 3 major and 1 minor scales, and where the notes are on the grand stave (I'd relentlessly play note reading games on the musicteachers.co.uk website)

Guess I sometimes felt like the only pianist in the world, apart from my old teacher! But I've never given up on the fact maybe I've gone about it the wrong way and there are more than one way for a bloke in his 40s to learn the pianner classically!

[dave brum]

Okay. had my piano lesson. My teachers such a great teacher, he's so enthusiastic and bubbly, enjoys everything he does and is very proffessional.

But he has given me two new pieces to learn from the 'Classics to Moderns' book 1, one of which is in the key of Bbmajor, of which I had forgotten the scale of. Plus the G minor scale with the augmented seventh, the name of which has also disappeared into t'haze. Harmonic?? Melodic??

I'm having a lesson weekly so this will involve lots of sitting upstairs in the coldcold practising.; I think I'm going to really enjoy it this time around!!! I think I deserve a lower fat toad in the hole made with oil!

[jazzycat]

Excellent, dave brum - glad you enjoyed your lesson (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
G minor with the augmented second E flat to F sharp is harmonic.
Have fun with your new pieces!

[sbhoa]

Worst marks were for the three pieces, 24, 26, 27 out of 30, meaning I have a confidence issue when playing.

They are very respectable marks for pieces!

Hope you enjoy being back learning. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[dave brum]

Worst marks were for the three pieces, 24, 26, 27 out of 30, meaning I have a confidence issue when playing.

They are very respectable marks for pieces!

Hope you enjoy being back learning. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Teach told me the same thing and that I have a good sightreading skill. I just ain't confident.
It was also good to play a duet with him also on one of my homework pieces. Anne would never have done that! (sorry Annecakes:-(()

[dave brum]

Spent an interesting 45 minutes upstairs at the pianner.

Now I realise I have much to learn. As far as hand co-ordination goes I need to learn it all over again from one, and why do I always want to play the Bbs and Ebs as Bs and ###### E's, I'll never know.

Plus I was starting to get frostbite on my shoulders and arms. I need a brew to warm me up!!!

[nicki_flute]

Spent an interesting 45 minutes upstairs at the pianner.

Now I realise I have much to learn. As far as hand co-ordination goes I need to learn it all over again from one, and why do I always want to play the Bbs and Ebs as Bs and ###### E's, I'll never know.

Plus I was starting to get frostbite on my shoulders and arms. I need a brew to warm me up!!!

Music is a never ending journey, but it is so fun and interesting. Allow yourself time to catch up - you haven't played for a while but it sounds like it is still in there (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[corenfa]

Spent an interesting 45 minutes upstairs at the pianner.

Now I realise I have much to learn. As far as hand co-ordination goes I need to learn it all over again from one, and why do I always want to play the Bbs and Ebs as Bs and ###### E's, I'll never know.

Plus I was starting to get frostbite on my shoulders and arms. I need a brew to warm me up!!!

When I restarted piano my coordination was terrible, but it came back quicker than it took me to learn it in the first place. Ditto reading music! I had 15 years off.

[dave brum]

I can see me having to replace the radiator in the piano room as I'm going to be spending more time up there in 2012. Now, how to persuade wife moving piano downstairs would be wise...

[schraeubchen]

Hi Dave,

seems like you found just the right teacher for you. It sounds like she is extremly encouraging.
Maybe it is wiser to replace the radiator rather then moving the piano down. I apreciate to feel on my own when practicing because otherwise I tend to play and not do propper practice.

[dave brum]

I had a little notion today while I was out driving. I have this skill of being able to adjust the temperature control, radio volume and other dashboard controls whilst my eyes are firmly fixed on the road ahead. Is it like this for a piano player I was wondering, with theplayer devoting his/her concentration on the printed music - and infact when my teach plays, she doesn't look down at all!!!

[schraeubchen]

I had a little notion today while I was out driving. I have this skill of being able to adjust the temperature control, radio volume and other dashboard controls whilst my eyes are firmly fixed on the road ahead. Is it like this for a piano player I was wondering, with theplayer devoting his/her concentration on the printed music - and infact when my teach plays, she doesn't look down at all!!!

Do you look on the keyboard when typing? I think it is similar but it might take a long while to get to this state.

[dave brum]

I do for most words, but many 'common' English words such as 'you', 'the' etc. I can type without looking down (using 2 fingers!)