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I just came home from my first "adult student potluck."

My new teacher organizes informal "recitals" for his adult students 3 or 4 times a year, as the adults don't generally like to play in his formal recitals and this gives an opportunity for performance experience. The evening (as I understand it, I'm the n00b) normally consists of gathering at one student's home, everyone playing a piece or part of one they're working on or just listening if you don't want to play, followed by dinner.

So, I played even though I hadn't planned to. I had a disheartening lesson earlier in the week where nothing was right. Tempos, phrasings, staccatos, legatos, fingerings, volume levels...all wrong. Kinda took the enthusiasm right out of me.

After one false start; a piece I've had memorized for years completely abandoned me for 5 minutes or so...couldn't remember the opening notes! But it came back and I got through with only a minor flub. Teacher told me "You're a much better performer than you give youself credit for." I feel better about things now! Dinner was pretty good too.

Jeanie, sounds like a positive experience! Thanks for sharing. Good Music + Good Music =

My AtoW - I practiced on my own piano. I love my piano. I have to do lots of scales and hanon to make up for the lost time. Even though I was able to practice on my company's piano, it's nothing like practicing on my piano.

Hello again guys!
So here's a preliminary recording I just made of Fantaisie Impromptu. I know it needs some work, and I plan to record it on a grand piano (instead of my upright) for the ABF recital. The worst of it is the mistake at 4:14 and the fact that I went too fast at 3:27. All comments are appreciated!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10B2AaH8zPo

Wow Sam, that sounds really good.

My AOTW is that I finally learned how to play all the notes of Für Elise. Now I will focus on dynamics, but I'm still playing it at a low speed. It boosts my confidence though that I can play it from begin to end. I never had a piece this long.

Zoe, good for you. I don't know if I would do very well in that situation, I admire you courage! As for the recital - go for it - that IS great fun.

Bessel: I head about Grand Obsession here at PW, and very much enjoyed it. I liked reading about how pianos are built too, it was interesting to follow the whole procedure from tree to finished product.
Sounds like you are really having a wondeful time with dynamics! It makes everything sound so new and exciting, doesn't it? (well, I imagine. - I'm not the best with my dynamics)

JeanieA - what lovely feedback from your teacher, and what a great comfortable environment in which to share your music. A special evening indeed.

Sam, you've been playing less than a year? On a better day I'd say "wow, I'm inspired" - today I can only say "wow....wow, wow - How do you do that?" I'm so impressed.

But also a bit depressed. I think I must be the slowest adult beginner ever.

Paperclip - good for you - I hope you'll play in the recital for us!



We had friends over yesterday- total of 4 couples and one in each couple is a musician - (I include myself in that group, though I have to be considered the weak link in the chain, for sure!)..... The other three who played were on piano, guitar and accordion - they were great - playing from lead sheets , ad libbing, it was marvellous to hear the house resounding with music.

(I played a bit, when people were chatting, or out on the balcony, trying hard to keep in mind I've been playing less than 2 years).






.

Sam, would you mind sharing your course of self-study that led you to this level of playing? According to your other YouTube video, you wrote: "I starting playing in September of 2010 (less than a year prior to now, having never played any instrument before that), and I have not had a teacher or any lessons thus far."

If only a year of independent learning can produce this level of music, I'm sure many here would like to learn from your experiences. Which instructional material(s) have you used? How long do you practice each day? What is your typical practice session like? Thanks!

casiinitaly -

It's just practice, practice and more practice. Also, it's a bit more than a year (I think I'm at close to 13 months now). I've been working on this piece for for 3 1/2 months or so, and playing more than an hour a day typically.

Don't be depressed! I'm sure you're much better than you give yourself credit for. I'm very much looking forward to hearing you play! Do you have any recordings available now?

I started with a digital keyboard and the Alfred's adult beginner book to learn the very basics. I used a drill online to learn the notes on the staff, and I've also used presto keys to further drill that. I started playing Ballade no 1 (Chopin) even though it was (and still is) way above my head. At that time, I didn't understand some of the musical notation, so I was just going on what I heard in performances I liked on youtube. I made mistakes along the way, but I've tried to learn from them. I also did Nocturne in C sharp minor and other bits and pieces. I don't have much of a routine; I just play and play a lot. I've watched some instructional stuff on youtube, and a couple people have shown me things in person (fingering for octaves and chromatic scales). I have another book with scales and chords which I plan to work on more now.

EDIT:
I disabled ratings on the video, since it wasn't doing anything but making me feel lousy. There's lots to critique, but now hopefully I'll get some useful written criticism instead of haters silently hitting the dislike button.

Well Sam your technique is certainly effective.
I can't imagine why someone would put a dislike. I loved your piece, I'm just envious watching your fingers fly and listening to what you are able to do!

+1 + Ditto + Like

Double. That was great.

The best thing about this (working on dynamics) is that I'm not worrying so much about whether I get all the notes right...which means that I get more of the notes right.





Good for you! I would love to get to that "improvisational" point, down the road... in part I picked up the piano because I never got there with the guitar, though I can't say I put regular serious effort into the guitar. My piano practice is way more regular... probably just because it turns out I enjoy the piano more. (Why did it take me so long to figure that out?)

This week I realised there are far more scales I know than don't know.

Throwing the enharmonic scales into the mix reduces the unknown further.

But that just makes it worse for me! My teacher says, "Just play it without worrying about getting the right notes." And then instead of thinking about playing the right notes, I'm thinking about how to NOT worry about playing the right notes, and then it's really messed up!

Cas, don't feel bad. For us mere mortals, it's a much slower process. We'll get there someday. Great playing, BTW, Sam!

Uh oh, I think I'm going to be thinking too hard when I try not to think about this when I practice tonight.

This week I realised there are far more scales I know than don't know.

Throwing the enharmonic scales into the mix reduces the unknown further.

Ok, Mary Bee, --- reality check: mere mortal not Super-Piano woman. Sigh...no it is not to be! (too much piankronite near my house I think, it robs me of my super powers)

And as for what you and Bessel said about dynamics and wrong notes... I think I'll reply to that next week when I figure it out.

Eglantine, I'm sorry we didn't reply right away, ...YES there are a LOT of scales!!! Think of piano as just another truism about life...the more you know, the more you realize you don't know - it is a never ending journey.

Hi all,

Today I started to learn each day a new song. Sort of sight reading but with repeat practise. I don't like to practise sight reading or scales, so I think this would be a good compromise. The song is very simple hymn of Amazing Grace, a traditional American melody.

Casinitaly, what are you saying? That you don't have laserbeam eyes? I'm speechless...

I wouldn't worry too much Cheryl ... my experience is that when I concentrate on dynamics instead of wrong notes I just get wrong dynamics and wrong notes.

My AotW: I just played the third movement of my Clementi Sonatina at breakneck speed (OK, the tempo it's supposed to be played at ) and it didn't sound like a huge mess of wrong notes. In fact I could probably work at just a few passages and play it tolerably well at that speed. I suspect my teacher wouldn't be much amused but it was fun to just let the fingers fly!