Yes it does contain The Swallow.

Many thanks for that, fsm - will investigate; they email me occasionally so will look for it. So glad no. 45 hasn't been completely overlooked because although it may lack fireworks it has charm and humour and I'm very fond of it.

I started grade 8 pieces last night.


Oh, why aren't I allowed to pick two B list pieces and no A list pieces...

Putting hands together for Purcell's Hornpipe, and I have made a start on Annandale by Phamie Gow.

Oh you have some Phamie Gow music? I had intended to order some as I love what I have heard of her on classical, but I was concerned that it may be a very hard grade?

Did you get her book of pieces or just the one, and did you order it by email?

ET

Ordered the book by email, and had an email chat to her Dad, Nigel.
If you go to the official web site, you will find her Dad's email address to order. I bought the book with all the music for Moments in Time. It arrived promptly.

Yes I do have his email, didn't realise he was her dad, thought maybe brother or husband. So Moments in time is playable then?

I had meant to sort it out before last Christmas but with one thing and another it has been overlooked.

Off to Pro Corda tomorrow and then back Sunday evening for my exam with OU on Monday - after that should have a clearer head and will order it.

Do me a favour if you can remember, give me a jog and ask me if I have ordered it yet next week?

Oh I just love her music, it is grea......................t!

A list from what I've seen so far is always the fiddliest.

Mozart - Minuet in B flat. Some cracking chords for a beginner to get their fingers round!

Yes, and I don't think the pieces are as nice. In the B list, there's three really nice pieces and I can't decide which one I want to play. In the A list, there is one that is nicer than the other two, so I've got for that, (a piece by Scarlatti, I think it might be called something like sonata in F# minor, but I'm not sure).

Added to the list

Burgmuller Arabesque (Thanks Solari!)
Mozart Funeral March

Think piano teacher has realised he can push me to work a bit harder

Wait 'til you get to "The Clear Stream"...such a pretty piece of music (been playing it this morning)! Best book I've bought in ages!

The Arabesque is one of my favourites in the Burgmuller 25 pieces book - which keeps evading me, I have now bought two copies and lost both of them! It's almost as if it knows it's my favourite book and goes hiding!

Currently working on some grade 3 pieces from a 2001-2 exam book a friend gave me:

Saraband in C - Blow
Proud Horseman - Fuchs
Melancholy - Schoenmehl

Also looking (literally) at the Fantasia in D minor - C.P.E. Bach which my girlfriend described as "look at all the notes I know". The Bach family pieces tend to have that feel to them.

Haha, I like that I am at the moment trying to pluck up the courage to tell my teacher I want to play Muppet Christmas Carol stuff instead of carols. i think he may lose all respect for me!

I'm still trying to muster the courage to tell my teacher that I want to learn some old-time singalong stuff ("Roll out the Barrel" etc...)

I started on this last night and have got to bar 15 and hit problems... Excellent octave and chord reading practice and somehow I've memorised the first 8 bars! Last time I tried this I gave up after Bar 2...

http://solari.adsl24.co.uk/marcia-alla-turca.jpg

That would be FUN!!!!!!



Well done, I had a look at your picture link, that's impressive!

I am playing (thanks to Solari ) Prelude no 1 in C major by Bach.



I recently bought two books full of sing-along songs (which my teacher doesn't know about yet....)

the national songbook

the national songbook 2

they've got some fabulous tunes in them..... I don't think roll out the barrel is there though. There's a full list of contents on the websites though so you can decide for yourself if they'll be useful.

I'll maybe play what I can of it on Saturday It looks really evil but it's not actually that bad so far. I am slowly getting over my fear of anything that looks remotely complicated...



Haha, great!

Thanks for those links, I'll take a look!

That's good Sol! Onwards and upwards!

That's the plan! Before I took up the piano again, I spent so much time at the pub, it was more likely to be sideways and outwards!

OMG.. looking at the link.. I *must* learn "Don't Dilly Dally/My Old Man"... that would go down a storm with... *ahem* modifed lyrics...

My old man, said be an Arsenal fan.....

Just started learning In The Night Garden. Anyone who is not a parent of very young children will have no idea what this is. At first glance it appears to be a very simple lullably - grade 1 level....but my fingers are stretching all over the place - I'm beginning to question whether it was even written for piano.

I can do the first few bars so the kids will be happy.

Most of these kids' programmes seem to be devised by people under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, so it wouldn't surprise me if the musicians are on the same stuff, hence the unconventional scoring?

yep, loved that one

ET

I told you they were fabulous books

The second part was a bit hard to get my head around at first but I'm getting there I don't like it at Allegro Vivace speed - it turns into a mess and is a really nice piece at a slower speed IMO.

Hymns for church on Sunday... I don't even know the second one the regular pianist chose them. And everyone will expect me to play the last one, 'Praise my soul the king of Heaven', as fast as he does, which could be interesting when they hear my 'Molto adagio' version!!

I started going over Massenet's "Meditation" from the Thaïs opera in my lesson last night.

Absolutely heart-achingly beautiful piece and I've fallen in love with it! Playing quintuplets(?) against 2 quavers is a bit odd though. 3s against 2s I can handle but...

I'm being educated in football songs by my Arsenal supporting boyf - I was beginning to think he was making them up, but it seems not. Maybe I should learn that one too.

LOL, he might not like you singing that one as it's a Spurs chant

It is beautiful. I had to play it for my grade 7 violin - best exam piece ever (although it may get some competition soon from TopCat on the grade 3 piano syllabus!)

Yep, I'm determined to learn it all the way through. I think it's probably easier than some of the other horrors I've been tackling lately so just needs time

Haha - Top Cat seems to drive some people completely mad I love it though!

I can remember the cartoon being shown on BBC1 in the afternoons (useless fact : called 'Boss Cat' in this country because 'Top Cat' was a brand of cat food, and the powers that be wanted to avoid a legal battle over the name!) - so it has a certain nostalgic feel!

He is quite non-partisan in his appreciation of this art form. That is still one of his faves.

Just seen this : glad you're making use of it

Where did you get it?
Does it have the lovely counter melody too?

No more Chopin's C# minor Waltz for me - well until I can get my exam over.

Playing Solfegietto - C.P.E Bach, which I find the trickiest out of all 3, I have to get it to the right tempo, not too slow, but then again not so fast that I stumble over every note! : ( Argh! It's too hard:(

Adagio by Beethoven which is simply amazing, and so much expression can be put into it! But I just need to add more of it into the piece, and keeping all the semiquavers even through the whole thing!

Gnosienne no.3 by Satie! The one I can play best : D The notes are easy, it's paying attention to the weird instructions, like play 'open minded', and trying to nail them which is the difficulty!

I've been looking at the Gnossiene #1 and am a bit at some of the performance directions!

I've just ordered some Easy Piano Collection books - Gershwin, Beethoven and Debussy. I probably should have asked here first but has anyone else used them and if so, how would you rate them? I'm an adult beginner, about to take Grade 2. Any comments welcome!

Currently ironing out the creases in Hear the Cry of the Planet, and Lifestream from ff7

Beethoven - Sonatina in F Major. Can't get as far as the Rondo yet!

That is what my friend has suggested that I give a try, have you been working on it long?

ET



I love Satie's little comments.

Hiya, I have a few of that series, bought about the time of my grade 2. I would say some are about grade 2 others are a bit scary, but that is only me. Enjoy your new books

Teacher suggested I look at it between lessons (he doesn't teach half-term) so been at it for just over a week. It's really good for getting LH and RH doing different rhythms and finger patterns without being fiendishly difficult!

I'm sure you would enjoy it

ET,

I played the first movement of it on saturday.

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/0/0f..._in_F_AnH_5.pdf

As Steve says, the second movement is slightly harder.

Jo.

thanks Jo and Stetnorve

I have printed that off, would you believe it though that I should have said in "F Minor". Don't know where I can find that one do you?

ET

Only way I can find it is in the ABRSM Beethoven seven sonatinas. Hope this helps a bit

This one ?
http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/7a..._in_F_minor.pdf

For Beethoven in general try here:

http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_compositions..._.28spurious.29

Thanks Jo, I had a go at the Sonatina in F Major earlier on, it is really nice isn't it, just need to speed it up now.

ET

Hi Juniper - many thanks for the reply! My books have now arrived and although listed as being grade 1 - 3, I would say that most of the pieces seem to be at the grade 3 end of this!! I'm playing Fur Elise and trying the Minuet in G from the Beethoven book but I suspect that the three books will last me a very long time!

I just love this Beethoven Sonatina in F Major, I have been playing it all afternoon. Think I will leave the F Minor at the moment. I have also been playing a Clementi sonatina and a shorter version of Beethoven Pathetique.

Have had a great time, and just realised that I haven't cooked dinner yet, can't the fairies come tonight! I was having far too much fun on my piano!

ET