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How nice to have a thread celebrating success. I have finished memorizing a Chopin waltz for the PC recital and today I played through it at about 3/4 speed. I wanted to get to this point early enough that I can go back to some other things I was working on. I just want to give it a break and come back in a week or two. Meanwhile I might polish something else to submit for the ABF quarterly.

I hear you about 30 mins lessons. I am going to change to 1 hr even if I only do it half the times. I feel I will get more of one single hour lesson than 2x30mins.


And my achievement yesterday...finally finished learning the so called Moonlight Sonata 1st movement.
Now to work on making it mine and as best as I can perform it.

TallGuy - interesing links and ideas on improv. I'm not there yet but hope that as I move along this path I'll get to working on that some day!

Torquenale, it is sometimes really great to simply get a piece "off the list" so to speak! I'm delighted you and your family are booked for Lisbon!

SwissMS- I'm looking forward to hearing your Joplin!!

Stubbie- glad to hear things seem to be working out well with the teacher! That's great news.

Pathbreaker- I will be curious to see - or rather hear - what you play for the recital AND I look forward to hearing the Chopin waltz. I love Chopin waltzes

Shaolin: good for you - just one question -- why do you say the "so-called" Moonlight Sonata?

My AOTW is that I decided just to run through the whole sonatina which I had not played for about 10 days (I've only been playing the 3rd movment). I was astonished at how well it went! It just flew off my fingertips. Wow. I was so thrilled. I still can't do that consistently enough to feel confident about recording it all for the recital but I'll play it again after the tuner comes and record everything I do - who knows, I may get an acceptable recording of the whole thing!

stubbie - sounds like this teacher might stick. Hope it continues to go well.

C - Thats good news about the sonatina. Isn't it nice to put something aside for a while and then find it HASN'T disappeared. To me, that means you have learned it well.

My AOTW is I got my piano tuned today. It sounds wonderful. Actually had only moved by a cent or two, so it is really holding its tune nicely. And he fixed an annoying little squeak that had crept into my sustain pedal.

That's awesome, I hope you can repeat this when you do your recordings. I love the process of recording my progress, I only started doing this last fall and it's been really helpful.

It's been a really great time learning this Chopin waltz. I've never really played much Chopin and this is my first waltz. I think I will be doing more of these.

For the quarterly I really don't know what I will do. I have one piece that I know pretty well and another that I've struggled to play decently. I'm leaning towards recording the second one because I need to get an official record of it and honestly this is about as good as it's ever been. I need about a week to get a good recording of it, I think. Whatever comes out will have to do. I'm not going to mention what they are!

Well, I have taken a lot of interest in learning about Beethoven's life watching documentaries, reading and even the Immortal Beloved movie. In a way, I am trying to learn about the character of the man behind the music so that when I perform one of his pieces I have a better idea of what is behind it.
Aside from the "small detail" of him being a genius, gifted musician and I am not being any where near that, I find many things that I share in common with him (which for sure I wont explain here lol). And as you probably know, I only said that since it was not the name given to the piece by Beethoven so I usually refer to it by the so called now when on a forum like this so that others dont jump on me to correct me

Jim, isn't it lovely to have your piano freshly tuned? My tuner is coming today! I can't wait!!
(I should also note that my husband asked how often I have it tuned "4 times a year" to which I replied..."Well I'd like to do it that often, but I have it done twice a year". To which HE replied..."Well, as you're playing more now, maybe you should have it done more". I love this man

Pathbreaker - try to resist the temptation to get a "perfect" recording. You can drive yourself insane!!! Give yourself a number and say - ok--- I'll take the best of 5. I find that if I keep working to get a better rendition I inevitably end up making more and more mistakes as I go on.

Shaolin, I really doubt anyone here would jump on you for that. Everyone here generally does call it the Moonlight -- just like some of Chopin's works are referred to as the "Raindrop" etc. I confess that until I joined this forum I had no idea that the names were given by other people, not the composers, --- live and learn! (Now if you posted in the Pianist Corner, it is quite possible that someone would feel the need to correct you - they are a different kettle of fish ! )

My AOTW is probably the same for a few of us. I managed to make a recording for the recital without too many problems. Yes there was a few takes but happy how quick and painless it was. Must be getting used to the camera or as I suspect my piece was leaned months ago and only needed a bit of spit and polish.

You're right, I usually have trouble letting go. But I won't be able to record it for about a week because it will take that long for me to get it back in my fingers. It's memorized but I haven't really been playing it lately.

ATallGuyNH, I watched that Bill Hilton video about beginner irmprovisation. It has some good information, thank you.

SwissMS and CasinItaly, I'm sure it was exciting to visit. I am a bit spoiled by the number of musicians that I know locally.

Week 99: I do some more recording. Like almost everyone, it is a frustating process. I continue with the Mozart Coursera, and start a new one on songwriting taught by Pat Pattison at Berklee College of Music. The songwriting course makes a lot more sense and has much more potential for application for me, than the Mozart class. The homework for the Pattison course is another matter. I am used to just dashing off a song without giving much thought to the structure or grammar. I never liked grammar, so it will be a hurdle for me.

I am picking up bits and pieces from the Singapore University Mozart class, but much is beyond my playing skill, and the notation and jargon are difficult for me to follow. Slow exposure to the jargon is how I tend to learn. I know folks that intuitively understand all the jargon, but I am not one of them.

I had a lesson yesterday and studio class today. My teacher had lots of comments on my pieces. From application of rubato rhythm to fingering and tempo of Bach. Phew. Lots of work. While listening to her demonstrating the way (faulty way) I was playing, I was getting seriously mad at myself and her. So I was determined to fix those areas last night and show what I can do. I'm that way. I don't like to cow down. I made other mistakes but I fixed all the mistakes pointed by her in my performance today at the studio. When I proudly looked at my teacher, she was smiling. I realized that she might have learned that pi**ing me off works!

I accompanied my husband Viola this week. Well I got Suzuki viola accompaniment book. It's really fun and at the level that I can easily sight read. There were some Menuets I did as a child too. The same melody as the piano version. Accompaniment part could be exactly the same. But I don't remember.

I recorded my Bach prelude. I am not sure if I post it to Quarterly since the purpose if recording is to compare two different versions of trills. I will submit if I decide the current version prevails. Otherwise I have to relearn the trills. Everyone, happy practicing!

I also changed to hour long lessons every other week. A half hour after only having a week to work on my assigned music did not foster growth.

I bought my first--and last--acoustic piano: a 7' Mason & Hamlin BB!!! It's driving me crazy that I have to wait till I close on my new house before having it delivered!

I hope you don't have to wait too long. That sounds really stressful! But congrats on you new home AND piano!

Wow, Silverkeys. Congrats on the new piano.

Get your camera limbered up because we want pics!

Silverkeys, that's awesome. M&H are a great piano. Cannot wait to see the pic. Congrats.

Congratulations, Silverkeys! A Mason Hamlin BB is a dream come true, wonderful piano. Have fun with it!

SandTiger- week 99-- wow! Time flies. Love hearing your updates - what a great log it makes for you too as you continue on your journey.

Farmgirl - sounds like a lovely musical week for you!

Halfstep - great that you were able to get the longer lessons!

Silverkeys - congratulations - can't wait to see pictures!!!

My ATOW is getting my piano tuned but the excitement was really tarnished by the girl downstairs actually BANGING ON THE WALL while I played. We live metres apart. If she is truly disturbed why can't she be a civilized person and come up and ask me to stop. This rudeness is Beyond belief and makes me sick at heart. I have cut down playing the acoustic so very much and it still isn't enough. I think the only solution would be to never play it ...but that isn't going to happen.
If you hear strange things on my recital recording...well, you'll know what it is.....:(

Congrats Silverkeys! New home and piano...how great.

This is my first post here. I just started playing end of Dec., have taken my first 1hr lesson. I too was going to do 30 min, but after 30 min went so fast, I quickly changed my mind

I'm practicing a couple hrs/dy. I'm really happy with my progression, and this week in particular what with the lesson and new book. Nothing major, but I do feel like this was a productive week for me.

Chris

Sorry about your neighbor... Neighbors really can suck, for lack of a better term.