Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Achievement of the week - what got you excited?

Farmgirl, what a beautiful pup. They are so cute and adorable.

Actually, my friend just got one one those new 'labrakeet' pups since the labradoodle craze took off so well. It's the next big thing.

Check it out.

I'm thinking of getting one, I just don't know how big they get. Nobody does!

A Labrakeet, oh, I'd love one! But maybe I'll wait a year or so and see what the feedback is on the grown up size.....

My dear, dear Farmgirl. May I give you a friendly nudge? Why are you comparing yourself to
Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Barenboim? People who were full time musicians. People who played for their whole lives, people who played professionally.

You can not listen to their music and think "why can't I do that?". That is soul destroying. I'm glad you added you were inspired to see where you had missed on some points, but really you are doing yourself an injustice if you try to compare your playing to theirs.

I think that what is happening to you is actually a good thing. You are making enough progress to feel dis-satisfied with what you are doing. You must be on the edge of a break through. You have a new awareness of where the weak points are and what you want to improve. This is all good stuff.

Before this, you were focusing on just getting the notes into your head and fingers. (And let us not forget that the pieces you are working on are a lot more advanced than what a lot of us are working on) You are dealing with a completely different level of challenge.

Don't be downhearted - see this frustration as the first step of moving into a new and exciting phase where your skills are going to be polished and refined!!

Farmgirl,
I know it's frustrating but just sit back and think... you're playing Rachmaninoff!
That is awesome in itself.
Aimee
(check out Richter's recording.. it made me fall in love with the piece)

Look forward to hearing you again!

OMG! Mr. S/H.. The bird / dog will have a complex. While the bird part of the animal will keep it from shedding, the dog part of it will keep it from flying (you know how food motivated labs are! they will soon get too heavy for the tiny wings). I can almost hear a conversation in the poor animal's head "who am I" and most importantly "who's going to mate me? dog or bird?" On the other hand, the animal may become an artist of sorts. Struggle for self identify is.. after all.. a modern pain shared by many.... Ahn,, sexual frustration too.

Cheryl - thank you for your kind comments. i know I should not compare with those masters but I would want me to sound at least 10% of what they do.. When it sounds unrecognizable, that's when I got depressed. Rach piece is difficult. it's okay, I will progress one step at a time.

AimeeO - thanks for encouragement. But the fact is anyone can play Rach pieces... How you play is where all the differences are made.

Lain - Hey, thanks. Recalling how you played your pieces, I know you have already crossed the struggle that I am experiencing right now. How to bring out melodies buried all over the piece. Many times melody line is not on the top.. it may be in my middle fingers or the 4th finger in my left hand.. I know you understand what I mean.. I look forward to getting your comments - you are always very kind and helpful.

Farmgirl, I bet sometimes you do sound like the masters. My Chopin Prelude in e minor is very pedestrian, but I can play those last three chords and sound like Jean-Yves Thibaudet!

Speaking of chords, my teacher has been telling me not to read notes, but read patterns. And telling me, and telling me. You don't read letters, right, you read words.

Well, somehow, it's starting to happen. I can see and feel the chord shapes now, instead of individual notes. I had the same feeling of accomplishment in first grade when I read Dick and Jane.

AimeeO, you are so right. Richer is so good. Although i still like Prokofiev's B-section of the piece, Richer played wonderfully. This piece is deceptively difficult not only because of the voicing involved in the B section but also it tempts pianist to start banging from the beginning. It should start "piano" but many people start banging like a horse cart running full speed on cobble stone. Once you get sucked into the mode, good part of the beauty is lost in my opinion. I love the way Richter brought out the delicate beauty involved in the piece. Thanks for your recommend.

I'm glad you like it, Farmgirl. I have the cd in my car as we speak. I will have to listen to Prokofiev version.

No accomplishments this week. I will have one next week, though!

I don't post here much, but love to check in and see everyone's progress! You all are really inspiring.

And I would be happy to sound at least 10% as good as you do! Everyone has a role model

Plowboy - I know what you mean about recognzing patterns - it is pretty exciting when you realize it is FINALLY happening!


My AOTW is that I "wowed" my teacher with the progress I'd made on my new blues piece. I got rid of a lot of the hesitations and had it really rockin' - she was clearly delighted with my progress. (As was I).

We outlined some new pieces from my Classics to Modern books and I'm doing a walse and another piece by Rhené-Baton (never heard of him before... live and learn!)

And... we found a Granados piece, but agreed it is just a bit beyond my level right now - but my objective is to be ready for it by the summer

It has been a good week - not only for music - work seems to be picking up to...at least requests are starting to come in. This is all encouraging stuff!

Funny that you mentioned Rhené-Baton. There is a sweet little piece of his called "Valsette" in my More Easy Classics to Moderns. I found it a few months ago when I was doing some sight reading work and just loved it. I had never heard of him before, either.

Big piano day today - my first lesson in over a month, which gave me good things to work on for both my minuet (hmm, maybe resubmit to the recital in a few days after working on them?) and for my sonatina...

And my son had a ball in his lesson, playing duets with our instructor. That was very fun to listen to.

This afternoon my wife and I went to a concert featuring three former winners of the Cleveland International Piano competition, and another fellow who didn't win but has gone on to great things, and the new director accompanying a violinist from the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. This was to honor the woman who just retired as director of the piano competition. A great smorgasbord of players, playing Chopin, Liszt, and others. One (from Italy) played what he thought was the American premiere of two songs by a little known composer (name escapes me now) who may have been Beethoven's first teacher, and is just now being discovered and explored by scholars... very cool. The whole event was really really fun, invigorating, and inspiring.

So my achievement of the week, in addition to having submitted a piece to the renowned ABF recital, was to have had a stellar piano day today.

I finished Beethoven Sonata No. 5, op 10/1, and started the Pathétique! Big day in my piano life =D

I'm starting with the first movement, and trying to learn the exposition at the moment.

Cheryl - Thank you for your compliment. But you know what - You are so much more talented than I. I cannot believe the progress you made in a short amount of time. You play your piece very musically. I am constantly surprised by the progress of you and others in the ABF forum who started piano in their adulthood. I have to think that all of you are innately musical but did not have chance to take lessons when you were kids. In my case, Piano and violin lessons were forced on me and I did not fully appreciate it until a few years ago when I decided to come back. I am a very late bloomer (hope i spelled it right. sorry i am so lazy to check. i swear I did not mean the cousin of the knickers). BTW I love Granado's pieces too:)

Bessel - Congratulations for having wonderful piano day. It sounds like you have a very musical family. I really wish I had a kid.. I knew I would've been a good piano mom although my hubby does not think so - he is looking at me putting peanut butter on keys of our toy piano for Charlie the puppy.

Fernando - Hey, i am working on the same sonata. I studied 1st and 2nd movements and am on the 3rd. 1st movement is very dramatic and fun to play - but it was very difficult and I struggled through it. I spent a lot of time but I could not quite get there, you know, how I wanted to sound. I am looking forward to hearing your recording someday here in the forum. I learn a lot from others.

About ABF recital - I don't know... I am debating if I should not enter this time. I am not even 50% satisfied with my Rach piece. I will play for my teacher and get her feedback on it on Wednesday. She hasn't heard it since November last year. We got too busy preparing for the annual piano ensemble in February and pushed everything on the back burner...

MaryBee - the Valsette is one of my assigned pieces, as is the next one "Chanson" - I have both books and I get mixed up between which is which. (Easy Classics to Moderns and MORE Easy Classics to Moderns). I also found a hilarious little piece called The Music Box, which is played in the highest part of they keyboard...it really does sound like a music box!

Bessel - sounds like a marvelous musical day indeed! There are a number of PW people near Cleveland , you folks should have a piano party!

Fernando - the Pathetique! Wow! That's exciting. You'll have a great time with it, I'm sure.

Farmgirl - well, ..thanks! I am generally pretty happy with my progress. I think the thing I am most UNhappy with is how much trouble I have playing when friends come over. I get quite nervous. Mind you my friends are all musicians who have played for 30 and 40 years!!! They are wonderful and supportive, but I feel how far I have to go. I was fortunate to have music classes in high school, (I played Bass Clarinet) and I was in the school concert bands for five years. This gave me a fantastic introduction to all kinds of music, and to music theory. I don't consciously remember a lot of the theory, but it comes back to me now and then I also play guitar, not really well, but enough for Girl Guide singalongs and amusing myself. So while I am new to piano as an adult (and also the bass clef! All my high school music was written in the treble)....I'm not new to music. I think that has to help !

I suggest you join the recital with a less complicated piece -something that doesn't stress you. Something that lets you share the joy that comes when you are relaxed and making music you love.

Congrats Bessel, Fernando, and casinitaly on this week's achievements.

I'm feeling pretty good about piano today. I can't play the Krieger minuet perfectly, but I'm making progress. And I've learned the right hand of Musette. I didn't get much practice in this week, so I was happy that my lesson went so well. She's started me on another minuet already (D minor, I think). Though if this week is like last, I won't' get to it!

Farmgirl -

I'm with cas, hoping that you can find something to submit to the recital... doesn't have to be your Rach! I've listened to some of the previous recitals (I've only been here for one) and have enjoyed your playing... hope to hear more!

By the way, I don't think I congratulated you on your canine acquisition yet... congratulations! Very cute, looks like a lot of fun.

Farmgirl, don’t deprive us of your participation in ABR! I’m sure you have many mastered pieces to offer us.

Congrats on your progresses, MaryAnn. That minuet in D minor is so beautiful (BWV Anh. 132). I studied it the last year, and loved it.

This week I’ve managed to play the first part of the little prelude BWV 934. This is the best thing of playing piano. When I begin learning a new piece, I often think that I’m not able to play it, but finally I manage to learn the piece. Obviously I play into my poor technique, but it’s pretty satisfying.

Cheers!

bessel - nice piano day. I forget how wonderful it is to hear someone else play piano, tho I get live music a lot which is also a real upper. But last month a friend and I went to hear Anderson and Roe, the piano duettists and it was great! I think all of it was their own arrangements, and they sell sheet music so you can try it at home Then a couple of weeks ago I was in a music marathon fundraiser with all kinds of live music, including lots of piano, and I was in heaven.

FarmGirl - like Cheryl, Bessel and Recaredo I'd love hearing something that you've played for a long time and feel comfortable with if you don't want to do the Rachmaninoff. That's what I've done the last couple of times, and this time, too - a real vanilla arrangement of something, but one that I can nail, after about 10 takes So please feel free to join us.

Cathy

Cheryl - Glad to hear about your progress on the bluesy piece. I seem to remember that kind of thing gave you some trouble a while back...... or was that someone else. Anyway, congrats.

I get the same feeling around my musician friends who have played together for years - even worse, none of them play piano, so they are unlikely to understand how doggone hard this instrument is to learn. Most are self-taught guitarists.

Ooooooo, an accessible Grandos piece?........ "Dedicatoria"?

Jim