What Are You Learning?, ...and how's it going? Options

[Invidia]

Well I'm happy to send it to you if you're interested?

Maybe I will play a bit of it in November and you can see. If I like it myself that is, I just saw the music and got all excited I'm yet to print it off and try and play it...

[Solari]

Well I'm happy to send it to you if you're interested?

Maybe I will play a bit of it in November and you can see. If I like it myself that is, I just saw the music and got all excited I'm yet to print it off and try and play it...

I'd take a gander... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) In the "moody" vein, I quite like Clint Mansell's "Last Man" on Piano - quite simple but very effective, especially on a piano with good bass (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[eldatom]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

[Juniper]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

[clavicembalo]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

That's what happened to me!

For Grade 8 my teacher had suggested some Liszt - Consolation in Db - but the shop didn't have it in stock. In the meantime I had fallen for a piece of Rachmaninov, so I went with that.

So, when it came to choosing what to play for my Diploma, I specifically asked him to come up with something that I myself would not necessarily have chosen - hence the Liszt Petrarch Sonnet 123!

He did get his beloved Liszt into my programme and I must say that I am so very glad that he did; I love it too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

[Juniper]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

That's what happened to me!

For Grade 8 my teacher had suggested some Liszt - Consolation in Db - but the shop didn't have it in stock. In the meantime I had fallen for a piece of Rachmaninov, so I went with that.

So, when it came to choosing what to play for my Diploma, I specifically asked him to come up with something that I myself would not necessarily have chosen - hence the Liszt Petrarch Sonnet 123!

He did get his beloved Liszt into my programme and I must say that I am so very glad that he did; I love it too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

The words that fill me with dread "This will be good for you"! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Of course he's inevitably right, and I wouldn't be getting anywhere near as far without him, I'm just not telling him that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[eldatom]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

I love Le Moulin, I started learning that a couple of weeks ago. It is so dreamy!

[Juniper]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

I love Le Moulin, I started learning that a couple of weeks ago. It is so dreamy!

:-) My friend is a huge Tiersen fan, despite generally being of the opinion Debussy is 'too modern' lol. He recommended that one as my teacher's never heard of him so I wanted the right impression lol

[eldatom]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

I love Le Moulin, I started learning that a couple of weeks ago. It is so dreamy!

:-) My friend is a huge Tiersen fan, despite generally being of the opinion Debussy is 'too modern' lol. He recommended that one as my teacher's never heard of him so I wanted the right impression lol

My friend recommended it to me, my teacher loved it when I played it to her.

[scotliz]

I have decided to move back on to some Clementi, I haven't decided which one that I am going to give my all to yet. I have a book of Clementi Sonatinas Op 36, and have just got through them sight reading. However, I will pull out one or two and really concentrate to get them really polished up to performance level.

Ooh Clementi, another to add to my bag tomorrow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

First lesson after the exam so we're picking some new stuff to start. I'm telling him I'm learning Le Moulin by Tiersen and he can choose the other (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(actually not sure if that is such a good idea, he's bound to choose something challenging!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

That's what happened to me!

For Grade 8 my teacher had suggested some Liszt - Consolation in Db - but the shop didn't have it in stock. In the meantime I had fallen for a piece of Rachmaninov, so I went with that.

So, when it came to choosing what to play for my Diploma, I specifically asked him to come up with something that I myself would not necessarily have chosen - hence the Liszt Petrarch Sonnet 123!

He did get his beloved Liszt into my programme and I must say that I am so very glad that he did; I love it too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

The words that fill me with dread "This will be good for you"! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Of course he's inevitably right, and I wouldn't be getting anywhere near as far without him, I'm just not telling him that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

My teacher is so thankful that Haydn wrote the first movement of his sonata XV1:32 specially for me...to ensure for once that I have to stick at something and will eventually get it right! Humbug!

[clavicembalo]

Oh the joy of starting new material! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hurrah.gif)

Well, today I started on:


Bach Prelude & Fugue in B major (Book 2)

Beethoven Sonata in G, Op.31/1

Chopin Nocturne in C minor, Op.48/1


It has mostly been scrutinizing fingering.

With the Bach Prelude I have become comfortable with the first page (of three).

I tackled the 1st and 3rd movements of the Beethoven (all of the 1st, page or so of the 3rd). Especially with that last movement there are so many held notes whilst other fingers of the same hand are busy!

With the Chopin, having tackled the beginning before, totally disregarding fingering though, I'm having to take care undoing a little bad practice from earlier years. Went as far as the arpeggiated chords on the second page.


My teacher will be in Scotland for the next fortnight, so I'll see how far I can get with my newfound attention to detail! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[MadMatt]

What constitutes learning? Learning all the notes? Or does this include practise once you know what you're doing?

If it's the latter then I can almost play all of Fur Elise without making any mistakes. I can also almost play a piece called Holding my thoughts in my Heart, this is a tune from final fantasy 7 and you can hear me playing it here.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ls7ipyxgjaf4t7v

I'm also practising Chopin's posthumous waltz in A minor. I really like this piece except I need to be able to play it well to be able to play it with all the expression I would ideally like to. This is one of those pieces, at least to me, that sounds somewhat ponderous and rather 'boring' unless you can pull it off effortlessly. Some tunes can sound wonderful even if you play them blandly, this is not one of those.

Then the thing I am learning where I don't know all the notes is Debussy's Arabesque 1. I really should not be able to play any of this considering that up until about 5 weeks ago I hadn't even touched a piano for 14 years and even then I'd only practised for grade 2 (I was 11). But I am finding myself pleasantly surprised at how quickly I'm picking things up when I actually put time in to practise properly.

http://www.mediafire.com/?29u023skc0vz6p8

Is how the Debussy piece is going.

The one problem with the Debussy piece is that it takes a LOT of time to practise and time to learn new stuff from it (I'm a memoriser not a sight reader). The downside of this is it takes time away from learning other, much easier things and I sometimes think - if I hadn't been tempted into trying Arabesque I could play 3 or 4 other pieces by now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Ah well, that's life.

[clavicembalo]

Well, today I started on:


Bach Prelude & Fugue in B major (Book 2)

Beethoven Sonata in G, Op.31/1

Chopin Nocturne in C minor, Op.48/1


It has mostly been scrutinizing fingering.

With the Bach Prelude I have become comfortable with the first page (of three).

I tackled the 1st and 3rd movements of the Beethoven (all of the 1st, page or so of the 3rd). Especially with that last movement there are so many held notes whilst other fingers of the same hand are busy!

With the Chopin, having tackled the beginning before, totally disregarding fingering though, I'm having to take care undoing a little bad practice from earlier years. Went as far as the arpeggiated chords on the second page.


My teacher will be in Scotland for the next fortnight, so I'll see how far I can get with my newfound attention to detail! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Unlike others, I don't bother trying to memorise the pieces that I'm learning, so my progress miight seem swifter for that reason.

I'm now comfortable with the first two pages of the Bach prelude, only the last page to scrutinize. So I started on the fugue. Well. I mean! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Snail's-pace or what? "Keep this finger down, lift that one up ... no, not that one! .... and that note should be played by your left hand!" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

This is me speaking to myself, in my head, as I progress oh, so slowly - about two-thirds of the page looked at in detail today, just until the wonderful counter-subject enters the fray. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


Beethoven-wise, I have progressed as far as the fourth page of the first movement (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) , now faced with half a page of semiquavers, similar motion, to be taken at some lick, so it's "Metronome Time!" - slowly does it ......

(Chopin hasn't had a look-in yet today. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) )

[saxophile]

Mozart K545 - still not inspiring me (trills - bah!), but my teacher told me flatly at my last lesson before the summer break that he didn't require me to like the piece, only to play it (ie it's a piece which is supposed to be "good" for me! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) ). Ho hum...

Schubert sonata in A, 2nd movement - haven't got very far in this yet but it's beautiful. I'm not at all familiar with Schubert, but I suspect that may be about to change (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

Debussy 'Reverie' - also haven't got very far on this, but again am thoroughly enjoying it.

'Polishing' of the Beethoven Pathetique 2nd movt and Granados Spanish Dance no.2 are progressing OK. I can't exactly describe them as 'sparkling' as yet, but the rough edges are gradually becoming fewer.

Still ploughing on with Czerny and Hanon. I wish my fingers would work faster!!

[sbhoa]

'Polishing' of the Beethoven Pathetique 2nd movt

I found an arrangement of that for clarinet and piano in some music I've been given.