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Teodor, thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Yeah, I dive straight into it. I don't perform in front of others like you do. I am licking my wound now. I heard it will get better as I perform more often. I will look for some performance opportunities, volunteer or anything that gives me chance to do this more oftern.

About your hands, I think you are doing the right thing. I know it's not as easy as said. If it makes you feel any better, I have to travel most of June for business. No piano for me during those times. I won't give up though. I will keep coming back to practice. I think we soon will be comparing notes how to get our hands back into action. I think reading theory books will do you a world of good and you can learn something actually very useful. But please don't over do it. Take care.

Hi KurtZ – We can compare notes on our recitals on the 8th
What exactly is the Rameu piece? I’ll google it and see what you’re doing. I love being introduced to new music from people who are in the same range as I am!
I love the Burgmuller book – I played that 1st piece “Candore” in Italian, I think “Innocence” in English – for the e-cital last August. I’ve played with a few of the othes but so far haven’t sunk my teeth into any of them.
Loved your analogy on the school system and composers!
It is very exciting – good for you!

FarmGirl – I’m so sorry you are so disappointed with your performance. It may not have been as bad as you thought – but that doesn’t matter, you are feeling rotten about it.
I think it takes a lot of guts to even approach a piece like the Pathetique for a recital and I think it exciting that you’re able to take on that sort of challenge.
Listen to your teacher “It wasn’t so bad”. Remember that you don’t perform in public regularly and nerves will get the better of you. Take what you can to learn from this experience, but don’t dwell on the negative impact – that will just hurt you next time you play. Know if your heart what you can do, and let that knowledge keep your focused for the next time.

EJR – well…. I read some of those threads and then gave up on them. I think that you will not have any trouble resisting for the next while. It seems that Saul has been exiled.
You can get back to piano now

Captain Kawai: very cool. I cant’ do that and I sure would like to!

Sparky McBiff I’ve never heard of Hiromi Uehara –so I’ll be off to do some google research ! What fun that you’ve found pieces you really like AND they’re at a level you can manage!

Teodor, you should certainly talk to your dr. I don’t know if you have to cut out your music and piano 100% - but you do seem to be pretty intense, so reducing might help you.
I still have some pains but things are improving. One thing that is helpful for me is to soak my hands in hot water when I get up, before and after playing. Also, if I play for shorter periods of time with lots of breaks rather than sitting for a long period of time, that seems to be good for me. What is most important is that I have to (and am) developing better technique and having more relaxed hands, arms and shoulders when I play.


Love all your updates folks! You inspire me!

casinitaly, I think proper technique is the key here. It will speed up recovery and will prevent such injuries in the future. The problem is I have to use a PC at the office 2-3 times a week and I don't know proper technique for that, it makes my hands sore after a while... This is why it's hard to take breaks. In the summer I can give my salary to my brother and make him work instead of me but during the school year I need the monthly income to support myself.

Doctors have been of no help to me and couldn't agree on a diagnosis. IF it's tendonitis then how come I was able to weight lift for 3 months with nearly no pain? And how come I can do pull ups and push-up right now and have no pain at that exact time I'm straining the tendons? And how come anti-inflammatory seem to sharpen the unpleasant sensations? No doctor could explain it. One of them recommended 6 months of complete rest, which is impossible.

Also I only play for 1:30 or 2 hours at best and I also skip 1 day ever week, sometimes 2.

Cheryl, thank you for your kind comments. I feel much better after a whole bottle of wine, a few shots (tequila. After all, it's Arizona the wild wild west!) and a whole bag of little chocolate covered ice cream. I cannot remember the name of the ice cream. It was like a mini size klondike i got from the piano teacher's house. It was good with tequilla. Then I got hot, jumped into the swimming pool with my dogs and slept until I woke up this morning. Still smarting a little, but I am gonna be okay.

FarmGirl, I'm glad if my words helped -but are you sure you feel BETTER after all that? I feel ill just reading it !!!

Glad you're on the mend emotionally.

Cheryl,

It's called Minuet in Rondo Form. I've also seen it called "Little Minuet" I believe we found it in the Celebration Series Books. There are several versions on YT but most are by eight year olds and are not very musical. There's a very musical version by Cubusdk but to my ear it's WAY too romantic for a piece from the french baroque.

I'll be rolling video of both me and my son. If I can live with what I hear, I'll post in the June Piano Bar or point you to a YT posting.

I'm loving the Burgmuller. I've got it up to about half speed and hope to play it at or a little faster than 50 bpm to the half note while the book calls for about 75 to the half.

Be well,

Kurt

Hi Kurtz,

I really like these etudes too. I still play nr 1 regularly, as a sort of warming up, or between two parts of a practice session. Even though I've played most of the etudes, I need to get back to them more often, there is so much to learn in these pieces. I've got the notes down for most of them, but making it musical and controlled is a different matter (especially number 7!)...

If you need some comparison for Burgmüller, here is Mitsuru Nagai, playing all 25 pieces (in 5 videos). Somehow these videos are hard to find, but I think there are not many better videos for these etudes.
[video:youtube]vNLOAiZoBzk[/video]

On a related note, the edition of Burgmüllers etudes that I use suggests tempi that my teacher thinks are way too high. It all depends on your ability, but in my case (with my lack of ability ) he suggest to play some of the faster pieces at roughly 25% slower tempo.

for Burgmuller lovers.
I went to Japanese Google site to get this. The performance is by Takashi Fukuyama, he is a well known pianist in Japan. I think the video is taken to promote Bosendorfer piano. I caution you that Arabesque was on the faster side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT3veKfHZr8

The entire list is available here:

http://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AF%E3%83%9F%E3%83%A5%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC+%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB&hl=ja&biw=1003&bih=521&rlz=1R2ADSA_enUS391&tbm=vid&ei=hQbaTYsBiY7yA82FrIQF&start=0&sa=N

Fyi ブルクミュラー = Burgmuller

I went to the Japense site because Burgmuller is one of the most widely used piano music for instructions. It was really fun to listening to the music.

Ok, my ATOW after the recital. Cheryl and Teodor, I am ok now. Well, perhaps gained some pound (LOL) through the drinking and eating ice cream.

I started my assignment, the second movement of pathetique today and was pleasently surprised. I would not say it's a cake but it's not so bad. The number of pages 8 pages + 3 pages of repeat vs. 3 pages with no repeat. I was able to sight read all pages today albeit very slowly. I might be completely wrong but, apart from several spots where articulation could be an issue (staccato in the left hand in the 3rd page), it really did not look so bad. Of course, controling the inner voices are given. We should hear the melody and what a beautiful melody that is. I am very happy again. I still have to take care of Rachy's prelude 23 #5.

Well, I did mess up quite a bit in my last performance but I had so much fun that it didn't matter. I was happy to play a bosendorfer (spelling?) concert grand in perfect condition and to not be nervous at all despite the huge audience. We are all just beginning with performing for other people (a lot of us at least) and messing up is to be expected sometimes.

I think you will enjoy the second movement more. It's not as demanding and is a nice cantabile piece that people love to hear. It's certainly not easy but if you could pull off the first movement this one will surely be easier for you. And to be able to sight-read through it with relative ease even at slow tempo is an achievement in my eyes.
Btw Andras Schiff has a lecture on this and all the other Beethoven sonatas, look it up on google if you haven't, you'll gain useful insight on the piece.

http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/page/0,,1943867,00.html

Many achievements have been had recently. The two that excite me the most are being able to play the C scale with both hands at the same time without messing up and most of all this...

It's the first thing I've learned on my own from reading music. It's still a bit out of my playing range but not too much. Taking lessons was the best thing I've done for myself musically. Should've started sooner. Hindsight...


-Zuul

FarmGirl -- but now after all the suffering, you get to put a piano icon in your signature!

Teodor -- about your hands, something doesn't sound right. Can you consult with another doctor to try to find out exactly what the problem is and what you can do about it, instead of trying to guess? Also, do you have anyone who can help you with ergonomics at your computer? Changing a few things like keyboard height, or chair angle can supposedly have a big effect.

cas -- how exciting that you'll be performing in a live recital! Can't wait to hear the report on how it goes.

After a 3-week break from lessons, I'm very happy that my teacher will be back on Wednesday. I've make some good progress on my pieces since my last lesson (I'm starting to understand what's going on with some of those chords in Claire de Lune, and I think I have all the notes and rhythms down in my Haydn sonata), but I am definitely ready for some professional guidance.

Farmgirl,

Don't feel bad. You got through it.

On the other hand, I had a total train wreck. Just completely and uterly lost my place and unable to restart in the middle.
Got up and returned to my seat.

Returned to the piano just before the intermission and played it just fine on the second try.

All in all a very humiliating experience. But - I'm really glad I got up and played it the second time. Also after the recital was over I went up and played two other pieces as well as my recital piece again. So, at least I got back on the horse right away.

pressed for time right now, will micro-analyse to death sometime in the next 365 days

Jim F - I know how you feel. When you said that you stopped playing in the middle, my heart froze and felt the instant pain for you. Then i read that you got up and played it second time. Phew! I am sooooo proud of you. You played two more pieces. It takes lots of gumptions. Good for you. I think you more than made up for the little snufu and showed everyone what you can do. I will drink a glass of red wine to that tonight. We ABF'ers will rock (eventually)! We don't have enourmous talent like some prodigies but have courage and lots of love for music to stick to it and make it right. Yes, Cheryl, I will stop my little drinking habit soon(maybe after I come back from France).

JimF -

Cathy

This is not an achievement for me but I wanted to share. A friend of mine played this in our concert last week (he wasn't satisfied with his performance but I was in awe). I was kind of reluctant to play on the same night as him but I did anyway. He did this half-asleep and with no rehearsal. Also my camera doesn't give the best quality in terms of sound. His interpretation was amazing when I heard it live. Mark my words we will be paying to hear him in concert in a few years from now. He's only 18 at the moment and just finished high school.




watch in HD if possible.

Teodor - thank you for posting your friend video. He's got technique to die for. He also plays with such mature understanding of the music. Amazing. I donno about me since I am not young but you will eventually get there since you are a talented young person. It seems to me 10 year is a good point to assess one's capability as a pianist. Even for prodigies (mind you, they start around 2 or 3), it takes certain amount of time to progress from the beginning to this level.

My AOTW - Well, I was in the sightreading mode yesterday. I get into this mood whenever I get a little discouraged. I played a piano trascription of a Japanese composition for Koto (Japanese harp played w/ both hands). A real famous one is called as Spring Ocean ("Haru no Umi"). I totally enjoyed it. It's very different from the most of Western music. I will put it on the Piano Bar some time. It's fairly easy. It will be at least entertaining to many of you here.

Well, Day II of the Pathetique movement II.
I also re-started the Rach prelude 23 #5. This one is hard to read. I cannot sight read this one. For one thing, i have to strategize how to use my fingers.. Quite a bit of spread. Also the melody moves from right hand to left hand to the inner voices. I only needed to read 2 pages but I don't think I can do that by tomorrow. 1 page by max. I really have to work measure by measure and then phrase by phrase.. Probably I should not have wasted my time in tinkering around Spring Ocean piece

WOW! YOU ARE WORKING ON MY FAVORITE RACH PRELUDE! I envy you so much right now. From looking at the notes I think one needs to concentrate on working hands separately till you have them mastered and only then proceeding to putting it hands together. Proper fingering will be a very important to perfect having in mind the final tempo. I love the lyrical part towards the middle... It's so beautiful and contrasts so well with the rest of the piece. I love every note of this prelude.

This is possibly one of the pieces I will never be able to play since I have small hands.

In trying to memorize a recital piece, I wrote down the harmony of the beginning of every phrase and created a visual map of the score with section numbers. I don't want to get embarrassed on stage because of a muscle memory slip.

My AOTW is what I did today. It wasn't actually playing, but it was piano related. I've been searching online for things to do with my left hand. I found some exercise for strengthening the left hand,for improving the left hand, for using practice time wisely, things to do with left hand when playing gospel music music, qualities of a successful piano student ~ among others. I have a 3 ring notebook and some clear page protectors. So I'll have some good reading, and some new tasks for my left hand. This has been a pretty productive and successful day for me