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Yes, I'm using the external mic I bought. Haven't tested the built in yet...

Thanks, Paul. The video was interesting. I've been thinking of upgrading from my zoomH2 (or is it H1?, I always forget).

Would you mind saying what kind of external mic you bought? and maybe why? Is your plan to use it in addition to the onboard mics to record piano playing, or completely separate?

thanks, Jim

Hi Jim,

I upgraded from a Zoom h2n, because the SD card slot broke on the thing..

I bought the superlux s502. It's a budget ORTF stereo microphone of which I have read lots of goods things about. So I thought I'd give it a go. I know the built in mics of the zoom are pretty good already, but this gives me more options.

I always wanted a good microphone, and play with it. I created a new thread containing some recordings.

I'd be interested in a "one recording take only" online recital where we all vow to post whatever happens on our FIRST recording run through, whether bad or good! That might help simulate a live performance situation more effectively. Of course, it would have to be on the honor system....

Might have a little problem here; if you use Pianoteq (or similar) software, everything you play is recorded. So whenever you practice, and you get it sorta right. . .

We d have to just decide on a "sit down (switch on haha) and play" approach.

This sounds like serious fun to me. .

And announce the piece before you start playing.

Is adult vocabulary allowed for this challenge? 'Cause not on a digital so all the sounds get picked up.

Ha!!! I think it might take me about 100 years to participate in such a recital, but y'all have fun!

Would it have to be the first take *ever* of a piece or just the first take of the day?
I have plenty of (horrible) first takes already on my computer to choose from

Hmmmm....I would say the first take on the decided "recital day" would be sufficient.

This sounds like my worst nightmare to me .. Or perhaps the listener's worst nightmare!

Not for me! It would be even worse than a live recital, because the mistakes will be recorded for ever and listened to again and again.
Playing live, if you recover after a mistake people will (hopefully) forget it!

I'd love to post some random thoughts, but, I just can't seem to get un-organized.

That would probably be good for me, since my first take often is the best. But then I get obsessed with some details, cannot stop trying and end up choosing something worse

Please stay cat, oh!
If I play more legato?

(Shakespeare was baptised 26 April 1564. And no, he didn't write the above. And yes,he would have used an "s" instead of a "z" in baptised.)

What I appreciate about Czerny, is that he does not protect the beginning student from the scary experience of reading and playing notes and scale runs in the uppermost register.
With different combinations such as: 16th notes in the RH against regular 8th note chords in LH, and staccato 8ths in the RH against regular 8th note chords in LH.
Also different inversions of the chords for the LH which makes sense. E.g. less density LH chords at appropriate times and fuller harmonies at other times, which a "popular" piano method does not consider at all.
Getting to dust off the keys all the way up to the top "F" at the moment, and in a good amount.

Of course you could play any exercise you want in any register you want. Using the extremes might be a good idea, saving wear and tear on the mid range where most of the music lives.

It's a unique experience when a composition centers in a mid-range region, then later in a contrasting section it focuses in a higher region.
And more, it also demands reading in more unfamiliar territory. And that is what many "popular" methods like to avoid exposing the student to.

I've also noted that focusing and studying Rests in Czerny's material does not mean a "pause" in the music flow for either hand, but rather a study of "pause" between the flow of notes in either hand against different time-value notes in the other hand.
Quite a significant difference to modern methods.

I am doing better at memorizing things this month. It seems like the more that I memorize, the better at it I get. I had a mental block regarding it for a long time, so this is a very good thing!