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Hey everyone,

Thought I'd check in with an update. I'm working on unit 4 this week, which covers the major and minor triads. Since one of my goals is to be able to play from lead sheets, I'm going to try to set aside a few minutes each day to work on learning them all and getting fluid at playing them in blocked and broken forms.

In other piano playing news, our class teacher informed us that we're getting together with her other class to perform a recital for family and friends on December 17. I am beyond nervous and have no idea what to select for a recital piece. On the plus side I'll get to play on a grand piano for the first time.

Ralph - So glad that bullet missed you, and congrats on getting a high score on your exam!! Regarding DP volume, I now have mine dialed all the way up. It seems so loud to me now but like you said, it does provide a better range of dynamics. So that'll help at home, but at school the volume is only up around half-way. I guess so it's not too distracting to the other students when we're playing for the teacher. I'll ask her about it at the next class.

Trevor - I work on a few pieces at a time, along with learning the theory and technique material in the lesson book. I can see why a teacher would spend longer on some units, especially as the material gets more complicated and the pieces get longer, but I can't imagine why they'd skip a unit. So far my teacher hasn't skipped over any material.

Mario - Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

Brian - I wish I could memorize as easily as you do. I'm one of those who have a hard time retaining stuff. Well, not so much short term, but long term... forget it (haha). I really haven't bothered trying lately and instead rely on the score. But then at my last lesson after I finished playing "Malaguena" for the teacher she wrote "Memorize!" at the top of the page. So I guess I better start exercising my memory muscles and hopefully do a better job playing it next week.

Hi Brian and Ralph,

I should clarify that I don't play a piece at most 3 times ever, I just mean I don't play it more than 3 times per day. That being said, if there is a very difficult phrase in the piece I will play that phrase over and over till I have memorized it.

I do end up memorizing to a certain extent but it is, I believe, memorizing of the good kind. I end up not memorizing the whole piece by heart but only chunks of the piece. Thus I still have to follow the score but I don't follow it note by note.

However if I played the whole piece more than three times a day I would end up memorizing the piece and then not follow the score at all, and thus getting susceptible to memory glitches completely stopping and ruining my play.

I believe in the neuroscience literature this is called memory chunking. When you first learn to drive a car you are conscious of every thing; you foot on the accelerator, your hand changing gears and steering, etc. Once parts are chunked in memory you drive without much thinking of what you are doing driving-wise, but just trying to focus on the road especially if it is unfamiliar territory.

Being able relatively easily memorize has its benefits. Sometimes, if I really like a piece I'll memorize it and then I don't need a score at all. But not having a good memory has the advantage of forcing one to focus on the score; thus playing from the score is relatively easy for those people.

+1

Update on my travels through Unit 7 at the end of 3B:

I'm about half done, having learned 4 pages of exercises, and two pieces from the Lesson book and one piece from the Performance book.

That leaves one piece remaining in the three core books (not counting theory). Hopefully these will be learned and mastered by mid-December.

I think it is this unit especially that shows why I like the Faber books so much. When you first look at the pieces in this unit, you see plenty of sixteenth notes, triplets, grace notes, and complicated left/right hand measures. But after slowly and carefully starting with the exercises and moving to each piece, things are going quite well.

I think this concept is carried through in all of the books, all levels. I like the way these books build skills one at a time, and then layer those skills upon pieces later on.

I'll give you a very specific example: In Level 3A Alberti Bass is introduced. I had a lot of issues with that; it took weeks to get the hang of it. One of my current pieces has several measures of Alberti Bass (albeit in sixteenth notes and moving through black keys in IV chords ). I'll be darn if that part of the piece is no problem for me.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!! I"m quite sure I would break several fingers if I attempted that!

I'm glad that progress is coming to you smoothly. I agree with your assessment of the effectiveness of the Fabers' methods. They are outstanding teachers and their method is very well thought out.

I had a nice metronome experience the last two days. I am preparing a piece for the current ABF recital. The CD recording that came with the book had the piece played at 192 bpm in 4/4 time. For various reasons, my progress has been delayed, and I recently grew concerned that I would not have it ready by the deadline, or, would have to submit a version played at a substantially slower tempo. I did not like that idea as I find the piece delightful at original tempo, but not so much at slower pace.

As of the night before last, I was comfortably and nicely playing it at 140 bpm. At quicker tempos, I was getting ragged. I decided to use the metronome to slowly increase the pace, a little bit at a time, to see what happened.

So, I put it up to 145, only slightly faster than I had already been playing. In very short order, I was playing it well a 145.

So, I put it up to 150. Again, in very short order, I was playing it smoothly.

I kept going up in increments of 5bpm, and, each time I was smoothly playing at the increased pace in only moments. I couldn't believe what was happening.

My progress finally ground to a halt at 170. Though I was not yet at proper tempo, I was ecstatic over how much progress was made is just one practice session.

So, last night, I resumed this practice, starting at 160, and working my way all the way up to 180.

And, this afternoon, I made it to proper tempo, 190!!!! yeah, me!!!!!!!!!!! It is not as smooth as I would like it yet, and, I could tell that I sacrificed some control in the area of dynamics, but I was hitting the notes at 192 bpm.

So, I have some work to do in terms of dynamics and getting it to sound more musical. Luckily, I had already accomplished that at the slower tempos, so, I know what sound I am looking for, and where to improve it. I'm optimistic I can have a performance I am happy with by the Saturday deadline.

I can't believe I hadn't already discovered this application of the metronome.

I hope you are all doing well.

Great to read about everyone's progress.

I am beginning again at the start of level 1 basic version.

I played for 6 weeks then took ill in July. I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. I have stabilised a bit now, on meds and getting hearing aids. It could take 30 years to lose my hearing altogether or it could just be a few. It just makes me all the more determined that I will learn to play first. A dream stays a dream until we take action, so I am determined I am not going to let this get me down.
I have restarted lessons last week and treated myself to a new digital piano, a Kawai CA97.My teacher says it is the closest to a real piano he has come across and it has a lovely balanced sound.

So I have revised my scales and they are more or less still there.
I have Eb, F, A, C , E, G, B, D Major and minor covered and Bb and F# major. Will keep practicing them for a few weeks before adding any more and as I said will restart PA level 1 today. My teacher isn't using a method book with me, so will be doing it on my own.

Wow Smurfette, best of luck for your treatments of this disease. From what I've read, there are many possible treatments that can help you live with this for quite a long time. And who knows, maybe in a few years there will be a pill you can take a couple of times a week to kick its butt. At least for now, you and Beethoven have several things in common (the most important one being love of music). Unlike Beethoven, you have 21st century medicine on your side.

I kind of know what it feels like to be on a tight schedule with my piano studies. My teacher has called me "relentless" in this regard. There are several reasons for this that I will not go into at this point. The main thing is, it is important to always enjoy the journey so that ambitions don't detract from things.

Keep us informed as to your PA Level 1 adventures.

Hey Smurfette. It's good to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear about your recent troubles and diagnosis. Life presents many obstacles, but, it's the rough patches in life that give such lovely definition to the good parts. I hope you are able to manage the condition well.

I am on a hiatus from the Level 1 book, as, I enrolled in a community college piano course which uses Alfred's. But, I may be back to Faber PA when the semester ends in December. If so, it will be nice to have someone moving through the same level at the same time.

Keep us posted. And, keep your chin up!

Hi Smurfette, and welcome. What a wonderful attitude you have regarding your health issues and continuing with your piano journey. Are you a smurfette because you like the blues?

Hi all,

Had a good lesson this week. Got passed on to the next unit where they go over the 1st inversions. That seems like a simple enough concept, which makes me wonder if I'm missing something. Maybe this theory stuff isn't so scary after all.

Still undecided on a recital piece. The one piece I had sort of decided on my teacher shot down as being too simple. So I think I might try the Gavotte piece that I picked for the PW Baroque recital. I'm just not confident I can learn it by December 17.

There's a very tiny chance I might submit something for the November PW recital. If I do it'll be a short piece from the last unit I did, nothing fancy.

Well, seems like everyone else is chugging along just fine. Time for me to get some practicing in.

Yes, while symptoms are regular, the actual progression of the disease is variable with each individual, so I just have to remain positive and do as much as I can with my music in the meantime, though I doubt I will ever compare to Beethoven lol



People say I am patient, but I am not, I want everything done as soon as poss, preferably yesterday lol, but I do have a determination to get things done. I am autistic and love routine , organisation and pattern, so when I set my mind on something I give it a lot of my time.




It most certainly does. Yes it will be good to have someone on the same level. I will be slow probably as I have other stuff assigned by my teacher. Currently revising Bach's Prelude in C and learning Chopin's Wiosna.



LOL, no It is what my hubby called me when we first met, I'm petite, like the smurfs and had blue hair at the time .

That is encouraging that your teacher thought your first choice too simple, good luck with your recital preparation.

I just submitted my first recording to the Nov Recital. Bach's Prelude in C. I think I forgot to breathe while playing !
It is rather scary recording a piece, compared to the relaxation of playing on your own, much worse than playing for my teacher.
Oh well 'tis done now...... LOL

That's great, Smurfette. I was going to try to record something this morning but I can't find the cable that connects to my DP's headphone jack. Now that I just wrote that I realize I don't know where my headphones are either. Huh. Back to searching...

I found the cable and headphones and got a recording submitted. It's just a short piece from the lesson book. Looking forward to listening to everybody's submissions.

Interesting. Since by the end of this year I will have reached by initial goals set in the fall of 2013 when I started lessons, I want to start working on a "reach for it" piece to be learned sometime by mid-2016. That piece is Wiosna.

Keep us informed as to your progress. Bach's Prelude in C is covered at the end of Faber Level 4, which I also hope to get to by the end of 2016.

My teacher is using ABRSM exam books as well as some repertoire books I own to teach me. Currently doing one grade 1 piece and a grade 3 one as my challenge piece.
When prelude in C was assigned I split it into 4 chunks and spent 20 mins day on each bit. Wiosna I just added a bar at a time. My teacher did laugh as Wiosna was supposed to take 2 months not 2 weeks.
I did express concern that just dumping the earlier grades and beginning at grade 3 would mean a gap in technique, so we will continue with one difficult piece and lots of grade 1 pieces.
I have a lot to cover with scale practice anyway.
PA will be my way of making sure methodical technique acquisition occurs, I will be doing it alone but if I struggle with any exercise I will ask teacher for help.

Linda I am glad you found your cable and was able to submit a piece to the recital. I listened to it and it sounds fun and lively. Well played !

By the way Linda and Smurfette: Nice job on your recital recordings!

I played the Malaguena in front of 25 people last year and boy was I nervous! Still, I love to hear this Faber piece; brings a smile to my face...

One other thing: Yesterday my wife and I played at our teacher's adult-only musicale. Of the 8 non-expert performers, five of us are at Faber Level 3. It's nice to have company and hear other folks playing pieces I have learned in the not-too distant past.

On Wednesday I will probably be assigned the last piece in the 3B core books. It's been an interesting journey since I stated 3B in late February; Switching out the first edition for the second edition in the middle, three multi-week vacations, and really challenging pieces that I thought were unplayable.

Faber may certainly not be for everyone, I understand that. But the combination of my teacher, the Faber books, and my consistent practice regime has worked for me.

Throw in the completely unexpected composition of five original pieces by my own hand (two performed in public), 2015 has been a great year.

Thanks and you too Brian, well played. I am sure Wiosna will be easy for you.
Congrats on playing in front of a live audience.

Hi Brian,

Congrats on your achievement. You have been and continue to be an inspiration to us.

It would be nice to hear your original pieces if you would be willing to share them with us.

Regards

Mario