Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum I refuse to get a teacher

Starving lions normally hunt impalas (or even gazelles, if they are fleet of foot, or elephants, if they have friends to hunt with), not post on internet forums.

Well, I suppose it is possible if you are not a beginner but there is no way to tell from your profile. For all we know, you are a concert pianist who is trolling for trouble.

If you are indeed a beginner, and this is the ABF afterall, and your goal is to play the right notes at the right time, then it may be possible, but if your goal is to play the TE musically and at tempo, then 1) you can't do it on a digital and 2) you need a ton of experience learning and interpreting music that is Liszt's. Anyone can push "the buttons" at the right time.

I'm going to take this bait. StarvingLion, you've suggested at times that people read "The Pianist's Problems" by William Newman. As I recall, Newman suggests that after four years, a serious student should invest in a copy of the complete repertoire (he provides a list by composer and edition), meaning all works by all major composers (I believe starting with Bach and maybe Scarlatti) and sight-read every piece, meaning that after four years a serious student should be able to do such a thing. He defines sight-reading along the lines of being able to play 80% of the notes at a tempo that can be slower than finished speed, but doesn't destroy the integrity of the piece. Newman thinks the procedure should take about a year and is critical to prepare for further serious study. (Disclaimer: I don't play at that level.)

So is this the idea you're riffing off of with these repeated posts that you will now learn and play some significant body of work by some significant composer?

Were these studies derived from said Transcendental Etudes and designed with aiding the student in learning to play them in mind? If not, you might as well be practicing Hanon, Czerny, Dohnanyi, and/or any other random exercises as they won't be directly progressing you towards your goals.

They're Liszt's Etudes. Actually, learning Hanon and Czerny first is the way. Best to learn Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven before Liszt. Generally it works out better if you build the foundation and walls first before the roof, fist floor before the second floor. Though nowadays people have all sorts of "innovation" on how to do things. I'll stick to the old tried and true methods.

I just want to make another announcement. I am hijacking this thread and if anyone cares I just don't care

I am going to play* Gaspard de la Nuit, the Hammerklavier sonata, Rachmaninov's first, Prokofiev's 8th all without a teacher and without practice. All today. Without break. I won't even need the sheet music.

Yes, I AM THAT GOOD.

*on my iPod.

who cares

Yeah, but can you do it with one hand while arm wrestling the Denver Broncos' defensive line with the other? ;-)

Not everyone does well with even a good teacher. Some people have a hard time submitting to someone else's knowledge. That's OK, have fun, Starving Lion, and best of luck to you!

Most probably on a playstation..

what happened to the Starving Lion, is he busy trying to find food?

Here's a suggestion: how about you quit being offensive?

I'm sure that practicing 20+ hours a day leaves little time to post.

Forrest

People need to reel back the personal insults. Besides, the OP is entertaining and probably a decent pianist. He knows what he wants!

@Polyphonist and @Dwscamel. I agree, however it is just a bit too inviting isn't it? Did let myself get a bit carried away, no real pun intended though.

No, yours was appropriate humor, while someone else's was not.

This gives me a good idea actually, not to post recordings of works you're in the process of learning on a serial basis, but to make them and save them, to track progress. I think I'll start doing that.

(edit) Just realized a problem with that plan, the only day I'll be able to do it is on Tuesday nights so it will have to be once a week.

whatcha talkin' bout Willis?

why are you interjecting yourself in things which don't concern you. And explain how that was offensive. Do you not have a sense of humor. I ought to say in street parlance "you mad bra?"