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I have been a slacker this week pianowise. Slacked up on keeping my log, and I can really tell the difference. Back to logging for me.
My metronome on my digital and I have a love-hate relationship. Sometimes I work well with it, and sometimes it just the sound of it throws me off completely.
My teacher pulled hers out last week.. it was a smartphone app(not an iPhone), and all kinds of bells and whistles. Didn't sound too annoying either.

I did have one small AOTW. I have a hard time going very slowly. I have a horrible habit of wanting to go as close to the speed of the piece as possible. I make lots of errors that way. We have moved on to the next part of my Gypsy Rondo, and it is very tricky. I guess I was in the right frame of mind, and I was able to do it very slowly, with the metronome!

Cheryl,

Re metronomes. When I switched from the digital to the grand I picked up this inexpensive digital metronome after searching and reading several lengthy metronome threads here at PW.

Metronome at Amazon

The best part about this model is the sound it makes. A very rewarding sounding "thock" - just like it was made of wood. A simple dial for speeds on the face, a very easy volume adjustment wheel on the side. It has a row of lights at the top for visual clues, has optional beat one sound, and actually could serve as a tuner since it will sound an A at various frequencies.




I know what you mean. Fortunately, I've had that exercise often in my doz.-a-days, plus that last Bach piece, the Gavotte au Musette, had a left hand G (on LH 5) held down for almost the entire length of the piece while LH 4,3,2,1 played their own melody in counter to RH. Makes me suspect my teacher was setting me up for the Beethhoven, bless her forward thinking heart. Anyway, you will get over the clumsy feeling. Have you tried playing it as a block chord just to get used to the feeling of holding it for the duration?

For the Romanze, I tried something new - learning it HT from back to front. So, for me, the last 6-10 measures are currently my strongest! LOL. I have just a few more measures to go, so I hope I can get it into my fingers for my lesson tomorrow afternoon. (very slooooow ,of course, and loud, but with no errors.)

Good advice from Jim, at least from my POV. I find a metronome that make electronic beeps entirely unacceptable, and much prefer a nice woody "thock"-ing sound.

ETA: I've had latency issues with software metronomes. Have they managed to get around that with the iPhone apps?

Thanks JimF

I could order that metronome from amazon.com, yup. I can have it delivered to my aunt in the US, who will bring it to me at my dad's or my sister's place later this month - yes, I have travel plans

As for the clumsy notes - no, I haven't tried it as the block chord. (um, it sometimes ends up as a block chord, but not because I wish it to, !!!!)

Interesting you chose to start with the end of the Romanza.
I'm still working at those last bars - they are pretty rough.

I will depart on Thursday and I'll be gone for a month - I will have access to a piano at my sister's place -but I don't know how much we'll play. I'm on vacation, travelling and though I hope to play daily when we're "at home" - and with my nieces! - I am considering myself as "travelling" and not obliged to play (I am after all the master of my domain! )
Once I'm up at Dad's place...no piano ah well. A bit of time off won't hurt me.

AOTW - Not really. My teacher is taking vacation now. So I am sightreading fun stuff, Alexandre Desplat, King's Speech. Oh, it's fun. I love the sound track. I know I should be practicing my assignment but it's too tempting to resist. If any of you liked the movie, I highly recommend it.

I am moving very slowly with my Rach piece. It's really tough to bring out the melody.. My teacher says that I am making progress (she is very nice). I have certain idea how the piece should sound. But my fingers don't do what they were told, not very cooperative anyway..

I loved the movie - where did you get the sheet music from ?

Cheryl, it's published by Music Sales America and distributed by Hal.Leonard. It has Website www.halleonard.com. I saw it in my teachers office and bought it from her. She always keeps interesting music for her students (esp. for her highschoolers). She told me that it was so fun that she could not stop playing the first night when she came home with it. Most of the pieces in the book is not so hard. There are lots of patterns. This will be a very good book for expanding your sightreading skills.

Thanks FarmGirl - I will check it out. (Though my husband seems to think I have enough sheet music....silly man!)

I sight-read through a Mozart fantasy today and a Chopin Nocturno. It wasn't sounding too good most of the time but I enjoyed trying it, some parts did sound ok

http://dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/nma_cont.php?vsep=202&gen=edition&l=1&p1=30

If it wasn't for the presto parts I would try to study it but those require some years of having played scales

In other words I avoid practicing assigned pieces by "practicing" sight-reading but this venetian boat song gives me sea sickness I feel like puking when I think about it. The piece is great but only when I listen to it, playing it is not fun.

Teodor, you never cease to amaze me.

ENOUGH sheet music? Whatever could that mean Cas? Driving home from dog training class last night I shared that I was looking for UPS. "What are you expecting" he asks. "Guess" I say. "Must be a book". "Yes new piano books". I ordered two lower grade books from the Celebration series for sight reading and a copy of the theory exam practice samples. Now I have to decode the exam process. It's the RCM exam and I'm hoping to take Level 5. I know some of you have done the exams. RCM or ABRSM? Is the theory exam all written or do I play for them too. Hmmmmmmmm

Spending 6 or 7 spells per day (15-20 minutes each) at the piano over the last 7 days. It's done wonders. I won't have the opportunity again (after Friday) until second week of September, and I'm almost resenting going on holiday now. However, my neighbours will be pleased.

A long, long, long time ago (25 years I guess) I took ABRSM theory grade 5 and it was purely a written exam.

I searched for a song called Dark Eyes Boogie from Gerald Martin. I found the song in the book The Joy of Boogie and Blues. Luckily my library has that book. But it'll be a heck of a search, because the library assorted the piano books no better than 'there with the other piano books'.

So after a long search ... I found that book! Though I always know that songs I find this way, will be WAAAY to difficult for me to play. So I was amazed that the book title said: for easy to intermediate grade. Hah!! That doubled my excitement.

Here is the song. It looks difficult to me though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArYsK_mYI9k&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Chris

Chris, if you like the song, you will master it. It’s a nice song.


This week I have got to play the Fantasy of Telemann at 130 bpm. It’s still a slow tempo, but it’s enough for me.

Now, I’m going to learn other piece. I doubt between Handel’s Impertinence and some Little Prelude by Bach. It's very exciting to choose a new piece to learning.

Good job finishing your piece, Recaredo. 130bpm is still quite fast. Getting a new piece gets me all giddy.

Thanks Aimee for your kind answer!

Recaredo: Will we get to hear you play that piece? Seems like you've been working very hard on it!

Recaredo
Some of us would be thrilled to get to 130bpm on anything with more than quarter notes. Nothing wrong with that

Lain, thanks for asking!


My playing is still too immature, the rhythm is not firm and I am not able to give a clear version of the piece. I really enjoy playing the Fantasy, but listening to my recording, I know that the result is not very good.


I’d like to participate on ABF recital, but I prefer waiting to get a little better playing.

Cheers!