Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Clair de lune from Scratch - YouTube Piano Lessons

I've been wondering the same thing, but I think the difficult thing to establish is, is the end point "flawless" meaning no mistakes? or a few, but not blaring mistakes (meaning most people wouldn't even notice them as mistakes) And is it the first time you achieve that or when you have consistancy?
Is that being too technical?
Julius

theatrium & knightplayer,
I'll take a stab at an answer. It is solely depnedant on what you want to get out of playing the piano. Want perfection? It could take years, literally. If you just want to get through it without any or many mistakes it will take a lot less time. I've been back to piano for 2 1/2 years now with 5 or 6 years as a kid on the piano and organ and depending on my work schedule can practice up to 3 hours per day. Most days it's less than 1/2 that now. I memorized the Chopin B-minor Waltz (much easier than CdL) in about 4 - 5 months. Right now, about a year later my playing of it is acceptable to my ear. Ah, but to play it like it should be played, and I've heard it played, will take the rest of my life to perfect. So it all boils down to - How well do YOU want to play it? I hope this helps.
Woody

I'm still plodding away too, hit a bit of a wall trying to get bars 10-12 smooth. Slowly getting there though!

Hi HughSung,

This is my first post here, and I've only watched videos 1 and 2 thus far, but I have to say I love the way you describe everything and also review over and over, from the overview to things like the direction of the sound.

I'm very excited to try out your method to learning this song - I just wanted to stop by and say that because when a teacher calls something "magical" in music, I'm pretty much obligated to leave a compliment!

-II

PS: Sorry for the edit, but I was also wondering: is this the full version of the song in the original?

Thanks

II
If you see keyboardklutz's post at the bottom of page one, you will hear it played slightly differently. If you double click the picture it will take you to youtube where you can find more people playing it the same way (same length) (check out pennehk) I think its full length.
If you get past page 3 & 4, page 5 is easier and page 6 is a snap
The tunnel may seem long, but there is definately a light at the end.
Julius

Thanks Julies!

I just wanted to make sure, as I am a stickler and purchase Urtext only (conditioning from years as a percussionist... I am a supremest when it comes to sheet music, ha!). Simply wanted to make sure that the sheet music I follow along with is correct.

Finished lesson five, still going strong

Oh, that isn't a problem... all of the versions of the music I've seen were correct as far as the notes go... Urtext versions don't show fingering and pedaling suggestions (Debussy didn't supply them, figuring that players would find their own solutions). The best versions I've seen are from Alfred, and the fingering and pedaling suggestions (which pretty much follow Hugh's suggestions) are printed in light grey. But there are other versions out there as well, which would work equally well for teaching purposes. As I suggested earlier, it isn't that expensive to buy several copies, mark one up as you work your way through, and keep another for playing from once you get the whole piece in your fingers.

In the same fashion, buy the urtext and copy the sheet music (since it's for personal use, that would still be legal, right?)?

I have the Alfred edition that I don't mark up so much.

I downloaded from IMSLP another copy that I can do with what I want so it doesn't detract from my "good" copy.

I do go back and forth, but it is really nice to play the sections that I don't need all the extra memos for using a clean copy.

I like the Alfred's also for the fingering suggestions (which are very very close to Hugh's, except for some of his unusual suggestions). Alfred's pedaling marks also follow Hugh's suggestions.

So I'm pretty happy with my set-up anyway.

Good luck!

Cheers!
CMOHR

Where'd everybody go? Is anybody still working on this? (I am) Pages 3 & 4 might take a few months.
Is anyone having Clare de lune withdrawl? The last post was last Thursday, but it seems like weeks ago.
Julius

Still here, Julius. Working away at meas. 15-18. But you are right, you can hear the crickets in this thread.

Still here. Worked on 15 - 25 today and still reviewing the videos. I think it works well to review the video, practice and then review the video again. I get a very positive practice that way. Now if I could just get the fingers to work together.
Measures 15 - 18 are now hands together and coming along nicely. I will work the left hand into measures 19 - 25 over the next week.

I think measures 17 & 18 have been the hardest for me so far.
Partly, because I keep changing the fingering for the left hand. Stop it!

I have been following Hugh's lessons from the beginning, only posted once, more of a lurker. Anyway I sure hope that he continues the lessons till the end, as they are very helpful. This break has been good for me as it has given me time to get much better, but I am ready to move on. If he doesn't however, I think he has given us enough tools regarding fingerings, pedaling, practicing, etc., that most people will be able to work through the rest without his lessons, of course it will take longer and be much harder, but it is possible. If you work through it, you can find the fingerings that suit you the best, and you can use Hugh's techniques like the cookie cutter hand pattern, recognizing octaves, and others to come up with ways to play this masterpiece. I think it also helps to listen to a professional play it while reading the music many times (I am partial to Leon Fleisher's recent recording from his Two Hands cd). Also take a look at the russian pdf that someone posted early on in this topic. It has fingerings that may help some, or it might give you ideas on working out your own fingerings. That being said, I still would love Hugh's lessons to return for the second half of the piece.

I'm still here also. Still working on 15 - 25 like your are Carl but it is definately going slow - both in time and speed.

Tiemco, I don't think that Hugh will be back. It's been a few weeks now since he has posted here and the last one didn't include a lesson. From what I've seen on his other sites on the internet,he now has financial backers and he may have been working that aspect instead of the free-bees given here. It sure was nice while it lasted.

Woody

I've made it to the end!
I now play it all the way thru. First 2 pages fairly well, next 2 pages better than 2 weeks ago(but still a long way to go), and last 2 pages are getting there since there is a fair amount that is similar to the first parts.
Tiemco is absolutely right. The needed information is there. Apply it to the parts after the last lesson.
Would this be easier with lessons all the way thru? you bet. But its doable with what's there.
I hope to be able to record after Christmas (with or without Santa). This will be the first piece I post. That gives me a month and a half to get it flawless (hahahaha!). Nothing like a deadline to help push harder.
Julius

Congratulations Julius! Looking forward to hearing your recording. Hope Santa is paying attention!

Congrats Julius, that's quite an achievement!

Well if he isn't coming back it was nice having lessons from a professional pianist of his caliber. I am still hopeful, and if you listen to his language from his last lesson (before the video of him describing the private lessons) it certainly sounds like he intends on continuing till the end. I totally understand if he is unable to continue the free lessons, as they must be very time consuming, but I think Hugh would have let us know if he was in fact not going to finish the piece, and I would be content with just a short note on this thread. I would be much happier with a note and a pdf of the score with the fingerings, both the traditional and his easier fingerings.

My apologies to the class! Between setting up my new online studio at Ashbury Music Hall and the increasing workload at Curtis (the semester is in full swing at this point!), I've been quite frankly overloaded to my eyeballs and beyond!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to update new lessons on a daily basis, but I'll try to do the best I can to plow through to the end. Many thanks for those of you who have used this "hiatus" to catch up and keep up with your study of "Clair de lune". I really appreciate all the words of support that have been expressed both here in this forum and via email/private messages. Let's do our collective best to cross the finish line together!

Lesson #57, m. 41, Part 1

We start with a portion of the right hand, including the extra notes that will be "scooped" from the left hand part. To make things a bit easier, I redraw the left hand notes on the same staff lines with the right hand part. When playing thirds (two notes at a time in one hand), try to lift the non-playing fingers out of the way for better connections.