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

[Fantasia in P major]

Son has decided to learn "Flight of the Bumblebee" on piano and play it as fast as he can! Truly entertaining!

[lotstolearn]

Allegro - Allegro giocoso Mozart from Classics to Moderns and revising C maj scale 2 octaves both hands

[eldatom]

Son has decided to learn "Flight of the Bumblebee" on piano and play it as fast as he can! Truly entertaining!

Oh I love that, he must be very good to play that so fast!

[clavicembalo]

Whilst waiting 'on the bench' for diploma results I posted Marc-Andre Hamelin's arrangement of the Abreu piece 'Tico-tico'. Subsequently I realised that I in fact owned a copy of the sheet music - goodness knows whatever else is squirrelled away untried and untested on my music shelves!

Within the piece however, Hamelin incorporates Chopin Etude Op.10/2 - the one where the 4th & 5th fingers crawl chromatically up and down thhe keyboard (at least in my attempts they crawl!).

So I thought I'd switch my attentions to the Etude in question, try it out for a bit and then return armed as it were, to tackle the Hamelin. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Fate will determine what happens! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[maledictis]

Chopin etude op.10 no.12 - but only really 'cos 2 of my pupils are learning it and it would seem kinda bad form not to be able to play it myself...

[Mad Tom]

Within the piece however, Hamelin incorporates Chopin Etude Op.10/2 - the one where the 4th & 5th fingers crawl chromatically up and down thhe keyboard (at least in my attempts they crawl!).

So I thought I'd switch my attentions to the Etude in question, ...

it might seem more challenging at first encounter, but in the long run it is actually easier than your Op. 10 No. 3

[clavicembalo]

Within the piece however, Hamelin incorporates Chopin Etude Op.10/2 - the one where the 4th & 5th fingers crawl chromatically up and down thhe keyboard (at least in my attempts they crawl!).

So I thought I'd switch my attentions to the Etude in question, ...

it might seem more challenging at first encounter, but in the long run it is actually easier than your Op. 10 No. 3

When I tried it, earlier this evening, for the first time, I was surprised that it flowed more readily than I had feared it might. Of course, maintaining the flow for all four pages will be a challenge.

[Juan Carlos]

I've started learning a Liszt Romance in E minor (an alternatice set piece for the Grade 7 2011-2012 syllabus) and am enjoying it a lot. Even learning the notes (coordination, leaps, etc.) is really hard and then there'll be issues related to touch, balance, 'cantabile' tone etc but it's really nice. I'm also learning a Presto from a Mozart Sonata in F and that gave me more satisfaction as I was able to learn two pages in a relatively short time. That, too, will later pose problems connected with neatness, touch and so on but still, learning two pages in less than 3 weeks is not bad for a very very bad sight-reader as I am ... List C is always a little problem with me as I find it difficult to fall in love with pieces in that style. However Black Coffee is a likely one. I'd also love to try the Kabalevsky Presto but it sounds too far beyond my capabilities ...

[Solari]

Well, now I have myself a shiny new digital metronome, which is easier to use than my Clav's one, I've been spending a lot more time working on the Schubert Adagio to get things tighter, and I've now got that run sorted in time at the end of page 2... the only issue is that there's a fermata above the note before it with a trill, so judging how long to trill for before the run and then getting the run to sound right is quite difficult...

Also breaking down page 2 of the D959 which is now getting somewhere (but pg3 will be a long-term project!). The odd thing is that some performers seem to play a quaver and a semiquaver quaver triplet instead of the 4 semiquaver pattern on the 3rd line arpeggios on page 2... At least that's what it sounds like (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) I think it sounds much better, but hrmmm.. Maybe it will sound better as printed when I actually speed it up.

[Clarimoo]

Menuet in G
Now is the Month of Maying
Study in F
Top Cat
Quajira

and I'll learn the rest in the book if/when I pass the exam.

Hows it going? well I can do the Menuet but I need to give it a minuet style, Month of Maying is just coming into into a singable tune. Study in F is slow. Top Cat is still much too slow and the rhythms are not qite right due to my slowness. and Quajira is still at the myterious muddle stage. Yes I know it might be more efficient to perfect one before starting another but how can I not try when they are all so inviting? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Juan Carlos]

Menuet in G
Now is the Month of Maying
Study in F
Top Cat
Quajira

and I'll learn the rest in the book if/when I pass the exam.

Hows it going? well I can do the Menuet but I need to give it a minuet style, Month of Maying is just coming into into a singable tune. Study in F is slow. Top Cat is still much too slow and the rhythms are not qite right due to my slowness. and Quajira is still at the myterious muddle stage. Yes I know it might be more efficient to perfect one before starting another but how can I not try when they are all so inviting? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

It isn't bad at all to start two or more pieces simulraneously ... motivation is great and should be seconded ... enjoy!

[Clarimoo]

Menuet in G
Now is the Month of Maying
Study in F
Top Cat
Quajira

and I'll learn the rest in the book if/when I pass the exam.

Hows it going? well I can do the Menuet but I need to give it a minuet style, Month of Maying is just coming into into a singable tune. Study in F is slow. Top Cat is still much too slow and the rhythms are not qite right due to my slowness. and Quajira is still at the myterious muddle stage. Yes I know it might be more efficient to perfect one before starting another but how can I not try when they are all so inviting? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

It isn't bad at all to start two or more pieces simulraneously ... motivation is great and should be seconded ... enjoy!

Thank you. I aim to make a little bit of progress (at least) on each one every day and Yes, I enjoy them all enormously.

[indigwolf]

Finally got my G2 result (violin) after leaving bully of a teacher and have decided to spend the Summer speeding up my fingering by playing jigs and reels!!!

'Im indoors is a piper and has found 'The Judges Lament' and 'PM Donald MacLeod' for me to wrestle with. I am also playing through some wee Shetland folk tunes - is this blasphemy????

[MadMatt]

It isn't bad at all to start two or more pieces simulraneously ... motivation is great and should be seconded ... enjoy!

I find that learning two pieces at once is actually a good idea. It keeps you less focused on one piece. And where that could be seen as a bad thing, it gives you the option to switch to the other one, if you've had enough of the first.

Alternatively, if you've got one piece that you find quite difficult and very demanding, you can learn that one slowly and have a few other easier pieces lined up at the same time. That way you don't feel so bummed out about the other one being so much of a challenge, as you're still learning new pieces at the same time.

[Clarimoo]

It isn't bad at all to start two or more pieces simulraneously ... motivation is great and should be seconded ... enjoy!

I find that learning two pieces at once is actually a good idea. It keeps you less focused on one piece. And where that could be seen as a bad thing, it gives you the option to switch to the other one, if you've had enough of the first.

Alternatively, if you've got one piece that you find quite difficult and very demanding, you can learn that one slowly and have a few other easier pieces lined up at the same time. That way you don't feel so bummed out about the other one being so much of a challenge, as you're still learning new pieces at the same time.

Ha, yes, and it is very exciting learning new pieces. I love the way it suddenly switches from "struggle struggle struggle" to "aha that's how it goes". I wish I could bottle that moment and keep it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)