Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Rachmaninoff Prelude 32 no 12... 1 chord too big!

It is elitist though. There is a difference between suggesting an alternative method to his learning than to tell him that his method is bad and that there is only one way that he can learn to appreciate music.

OK, sorry.
But then I'm not sure why you brought that in. It's not any easier than the G# minor.

But never mind.

Agree totally.

haha my bad Mark, but yeah it's prelude in G minor I'm currently learning. I love it, absolutely fantastic.

It is, although I'm sure the people had no intention of it.

No, my bad......I just got lost on who was playing what.

Well I think the original idea of this post/thread whatever you wanna call it, was to aid someone with chords. I just simply stated I was learning the same method as that person. Then I got a barrage of people down my throat basically telling me I'd never be able to play it well, if at all. That's why I got so annoyed. Oh and just to confirm, I've about half way though this piece and I'm doing very well for someone in my position who's never been able to take a lesson in his life, I am proud of the pieces I've been able to learn on my own. Ranging from something simple like moonlight sonata 1st movement to rachmaninoff. And I will not accept people telling me what I can and cannot learn. I'm sure you can understand that Mark?

I find that when one's interest in something grows and develops, so does their curiosity and desire to learn as much about it as possible.

For music - especially classical music - it makes sense that once an interest reaches a certain level then the desire to become familiar with the language (notation) composers use to express themselves would naturally follow.

In addition to that natural curiosity, just the basics of communicating about music, and functioning even as a beginner makes learning how to read music a necessity.

As a case in point, the OP - who is attempting to learn notation, but is still in the process - understandibly had trouble communicating the basics of the question he/she had ("it's in a major or a minor key, about 1/3 into it, there is a chord starting with _#, or _b, etc." ; instead of saying "measure 30 of the G minor prelude, the lh chord D#, A#, Bb [ or whatever it was]...").

The fact is, you can learn to play the piece any way you want. no one says you can't. However, not knowing how to read music eventually becomes a liability, and a frustration. It takes longer to learn a piece, memory is more secure when you work from the score because you can use photographic memory as one of the hooks for memorizing.

Also, listening to music with the score can be a very enjoyable experience. You don't always do so, but if you're not able to because you can't read music, then you are missing out on something that can really connect you to the music.

In the old days it was more difficult to learn to read music on your own. Today with all the free online tutorials on note reading, theory, etc., it's quite easy to learn on your own - doesn't matter if you're working class, can't affor lessons, etc.

To each his own, but it's well worth the time to learn to read music.

P.S. A couple of years ago, I heard a presentation that had an interesting TITLE:

"Piano Teaching: 200 Years of Musical Harassment"

Somehow I'm reminded of that.

The presentation wasn't by some idiot; it was by Walter Ponce, a concert pianist. I think he's head of the piano department at UCLA.

You bet.
I might have criticisms of what you wind up with (or not!), but I'm thrilled that you're doing it.

To be honest I think this has gone on long enough. Mark, your favourite interpretation of Prelude in G minor? Horowitz? Gilels?

aww come on. This is subjective people!

Gilels and Hofmann for me TIED.

Actually I think you'll fidn that everyone has a right. Especially when it comes to methods that are not effective. Nobody is attacking you. They are just pointing out what people who are too lazy to read music miss out on.

I think Jorge Bolet's version is underated. He plays it at a really nice tempo, not too fast and not too slow. You get the other extreme however Valentina Lisitsa who plays it way too fast. I'm trying to incorperate the two. Gilels power and use of pedal with bolets tempo.

It's over Nyiregyhazi, move on. Stop putting fuel in the fire and tell us your favourite interpretation of prelude in g minor.

And here I was thinking that this thread was about the G♯ minor.

it was, but tbh it's just decended into chaos so either cut the sarcasm or tell us your favourite intepretation.

Lang Lang but he dont have recording on op 32 no 12 IMO he play op 23 no 2 very good.

Just who the heck do you think you are?

By the way, regarding elitism- there's no more elitist method than not reading. It requires far more talent to play to high standards, if you have nothing to read from. To say that reading music is elitist is like saying that reading language is elitist. Utter nonsense. Reading is to make music accessible.