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My apologetic beginner's rendition of "Nearness of You"


here's the direct link:

http://site.box.net/public/exgc1hs3g0

First post of a recording here at Pianoworld. Quick background, I've been playing piano for about 4 months now. I have played other instruments in the past. I'm learning piano by a combination of Pianomagic and self teaching, bottom line is everything I play is by ear.

Here is Hymne a l\'Amour (If You Love Me)

Let me know the good the bad and the ugly

DeepElem,

Wow that was awesome...especially the main melody measures...I didn't care for the chorus (not your playing just the music), and there was a couple of breakups in the recording...but your timing and musicality was great throughout!

Hope I can play in a comparable fashion when I reach 4 months

Ragnhild: Thank you, but you have GOT TO BE KIDDING!

You jealous of me? When I heard you play the 55.1, I was astonished. My abilities pale in comparison to yours.

I will try to record one of the other nocturnes I've been trying to polish. They just never seem to get to the point where they "shine" enough.

Regards,
Kathleen

Sig and Deep Elm:

You both should be so proud of yourselves.

I just can't over how well you are doing after such a short time.

Please consider this a pat on the back. Great job.

Kathleen

Kathleen, thank you for the kind words. It's so nice to get a pat on the back from someone who plays as well as you do.

Sid, I listened to your recording and it was really great!!! How long have you been playing? I agree with your comments about the Chorus on my song. I think I'll cut that part down in the future.

Thanks, Kathleen.

Thanks a lot Deep Elem...I've been at it for almost a month now...I love it that I'm still learning things (for example how to pedal from mahlzeit & signa just today), but for some reason I still feel like I'm going too slow (and running out of time...probably true for everyone here)...I think I'll have to rework that last piece again, it's still too rough when I add the pedal.

...I have to say again how beautiful your melody line was (and I've never heard it before!!...like so much of the music that's posted here).

I hope you'll keep posting (even/especially if it's still rough)...I get a lot of ideas from just listening to how others play (and just to be exposed to new music)...it's also great to have some really good players to try and imitate

By the way, I'm continually impressed by how well you pianomagic people can phrase things...the players I want to sound like all seem to be pianomagic players.

Is Box.net playing up?

I can't get either sid or DeepElem to play? I have tried 2 browsers firefox and internet explorer with no luck whatsoever

is it me or them?


Lee

Kathleen,

That is GREAT playing! Not just technically but you really have a nice touch for the piece.

Deepelm, that was wonderful! I really did feel like I was at a piano bar. How did you record that? I thought the quality was quite nice. Four months???

Sid...beginner? Could have fooled me. What is it with beginners these days...you guys are pullijng ahead so quickly?

Sid: For someone who has been playing for a month that is absolutely amazing.

What I would like you to do is this...play that song back to yourself and sing a long with it....you should notice that it is played like waaay too fast.

This is a song that can have huge breathing spaces and wonderful phrasing because it is such a beautiful song and it suits being played really slowly...then try and play it and sing-along with yourself. Don't rush to make a new recording take your time (it really isn't a race) get really comfy with playing this song and slow yourself down.

Your enthusiasm is contageous Sid, don't get frustrated or tire yourself out.

Doing good sir


regards


Lee

Peyton,

Thanks, I feel like I'm on a tight schedule, gotta squeeze so much in before life catches up with me and I have to rejoin the rat race...

Seaside,

Yeah, first version was way fast, the second version (2B) is slowed down somewhat (not as much as it should be as I was distracted trying to integrate the pedal)...great advice on singing the lyrics while playing, I tried to do this on the second run and it does sound better (better enunciated anyway), but I think both you and mahlzeit are absolutely correct on slowing it down even further...will give it a go and try to sing even slower this time

It's not a race!!??

DeepElem!!!


What a haunting melody that is...I'm gonna have to try that one...I love it

For someone who has been playing piano for 4 months...4 MONTHS!!! that is simply awesome

I've mentioned it before but, you have taken to pianomagic like a duck to water.

Infact, you are just too good and I am going to take a tip from Mr Super-hunky and I'm gonna get a voodoo doll of you made and then I'm gonna stick some pins in it


regards


Lee

Whew! Just back from 5 days away and trying to catch up!

Kathleen, Sid and DeepElem- Bravo! Very nice playing from all of you!!!

Kathleen, your playing just may lure me someday into learning a little Chopin. I loved your smooth, relaxed pace. It sounded like you were actually enjoying the red dot process!

Sid, no need to apologize: Your playing was excellent, and the recording quality was great. I was particularly impressed by how smooth that last run trickled off your fingertips. I can't do runs like that smoothly to save my life.

DeepElem, four months?!? And you're playing that by ear!?! Just flat-out impressive. [thinks to self that there really is something to that PianoMagic stuff...]

Monica,

Thank you for the nice compliment, I really appreciate it.

...I wanted to add something new to the piece and that run at the end felt like a joke at the time, but frankly I'm still in shock that I managed to pull that off.

I keep listening to this recording over and over (when I'm not listening to Seaside's demos of the same piece...trying to figure out how he does what he does) and poor as it is, I still can't believe that it's me doing this, and have to get up and go to the piano and replay it just to make sure it's not some wicked dream...all of a sudden I find myself up late at night paging thru the baby grand pictures on this forum and having lecherous thoughts

sid don't sweat it ...I don't know how I do it either sometimes

Its all just part of the process of being taught to play by ear, I didn't use a book I just made it up and played what sounded right to me (magically ) (its a freedom I cannot explain? but, wish everyone could experience )

All I want you to become aware of and hear, at this moment in time... is:-

1. playing slower
2. the phrasing, the little pauses etc
3. sing along with my version and then sing at the same speed when you play..it will feel like you are playing in slow motion! (trust me I know)

ya think?


regards


Lee

Here's a piece I recorded as a backup for recital 2 but never got around to submitting. It's called "Pegasus," written by Vicki Logan, who is one of my favorite new age artists and who should, imo, be a lot better known than she is. [Warning to Frank_W: do not click on this link--the left hand is entirely an Alberti bass. ]


Pegasus

Man I'm going to start playing new age music! That was great! (what's an Alberti bass? and do you mind if I ask how you recorded that? Where were your mics placed?)

Alberti bass is when you play a repetitive arpeggio pattern in the left hand, in this case it was 1-3-5-1-3-5-1-3-repeat. I included that warning because there was a thread where Frank_W practically burst into tears because he hates Alberti basses.

I recorded it using my trusty Samson USB microphone plugged into my laptop, positioned in the curve of the piano probably a foot away, with the top of the mic about 10 inches above rim-level.

Monica, Monica!!!

That is unbelievable!!

I must say that alberti bass sounds a piece of cake to play {{not}}...yikes

Excellent playing, I like all of it , it is just so confidently played...inspiring stuff indeedy


regards


Lee