Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum What did you play today? Tip for other pianists? Daily......

The Telemann looks nice, but the counterpoint kills me

Gottschalk: Le Bananier, Bamboula Danse de Negres, La Savane

Really, anything Gottschalk.

Gottschalk lived on N. Rampart St in New Orleans as a child. Bamboula was composed using his memory of the sounds coming from Congo Square, near his home. Congo Square was a meeting place for slaves and others of color, where they enjoyed making music and dancing, when they had a day off.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Square

Isabelle......it's worth to study these works.......it's so nice .......have a try......wish you good luck and all the best......from the other side of the world......

Kind regards,
Johan B

Johann, yes I plan to challenge myself to with he Telemann. Oh but that counterpoint. You would think that would be easier than chords or other, but it's not. I wonder what it is about that?

So far today, 5 finger scales in each key, along the full keyboard. Inversions along the full keyboard. Arpeggiated in each key, full keyboard. These just for fun and to feel. Y way around again. A little sight reading with Mozart K 331, K 310, K 309 and K 283. Not the whole of the Mozarts, just enough to get the feel back for the topography of he keyboard, sort of a spatial sudy. Remember it's been 11+ years.

Looked up and copied Ginastera, Rondo on Argentine Children's Folk Tunes. Played this also,about 20 years ago. Hated it at first because of some of the dissonant sounds. It's a fun piece though.

Next round today will be Chopin Étude, Waltz and Beethoven Somata.

Long ago I worked as a nurse doing 12 hour night shifts every Fri, Sat, and Sun (did this for ten years)' so,that I would have most of the day to practice during the week while the house was empty. Retired now and would love to practice the day away, but would probably drive my husband nuts!!!

Isabelle,

When I read your posts I think that you 're playing at advanced level. You also study structured, scales, chords etc.

About roommates........I made the choice for a good digital in my study at the first floor instead of a grand in the living. My wife is not really devoted to pianomusic. Mostly I play piano without headphones, the distance to the living is large enough......when I play in the night, sometimes, I use them of course....

I work part time, four days in the week. My profession teacher highschool. My weekend has three days, time enough to play. The other days I play about two hours a day. Retirement is still three years away......

Nice you share your daily practice.....

Kind regards,
Johan B

Johann, I don't consider myself advanced. After my 11 years away from the piano, it is somewhat of a struggle to get the pieces back. But I am determined and I really don't think it's going too badly. It is frustrating to know that I had all of this music committed to memory and it is taking quite a bit of work to get them back.

The teacher I studied with taught music theory very heavily, plus scales, chords, inversions. He loved to torture me with solfege. He pushed students to the extreme level. I had a lot of time to practice,so I was able to keep up with most of his demands.

About 15 years ago I had a digital piano, but really didn't like the touch or sound I practiced on it only when necessary with headphones when people were in the house. Once I was practicing away with the headphones but they were not plugged in! My husband was about 10 feet away watching television!!! I, sure,he thought I was crazy.

Keep practicing! All we have to waste is time!

5 June

Today played among others.....

Telemann, Ouvertures.....so nice.....
Six ouvertures

Regards,
Johan B

I had the house to myself so put in about 4 hours today!

Ravel Mother Goose Suite - for four hands
Chopin Etude 10/3
Brahms Intermezzo 117/2
Jacquest Ibert Histoires - also for four hands
Lowell Lieberman - Etudes on Songs by Robert Franz

Made a microgram of progress!

PianogrlNW, a microgram here too, maybe even more like a picogram (I think that's a word).

Good one, Isabelle! Nice to know others can relate to the enormous amount of effort it takes to makes some progress at the piano.

Watched/listened to videos of Michelle Candotti. WOW!!! I think she is all of 19. Would love to know how many hours per week she practices? Also, how different her childhood must have been, because one of the videos featured her at 14 or 15. Amazing, but in the youngest video she didn't look too happy after her performance. Kind of sad. Makes me wonder.

Joplin - Solace
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata #1 and #3 (very poorly!)
Hymn - How Great Thou Art

I've been working on pieces from the Young Pianist's Guide to J.S. Bach, arranged by Ylda Novik.

6 juni

Started this morning with
Schumann, Waldszenen
Borodin, Intermezzo
Dvorak, two mazurkas
Telemann, suites
Bach, French suites nr 4 C minor

In the afternoon the Telemann suites again.....

By the way......do you know the cembalo works of Zipoli? (Part two)
Zipoli, Cembalowerke

What did you play today?

Best regards
Johan B

P.S. In the evening........
Again the Telemann ouvertures and some of the French Suites of Bach

I've played more Bach and Hannon, and will do another Czerny.
And every day I play 'Not Enough'...never fails.

This morning, Telemann Overture No. 1, half of first page, counting the rhythm like crazy. Beethoven Op 14 No 2, half off the first page slowly and the 2 against three (four measures).

This after noon, Telemann again. The melody I this piece is just so sweet!!! Chopin Étude (aeolian), first two to three lines. It's been a long time and I think my hands shrunk!

I know the problem Isabelle,.....my hands are too small for Chopin, Liszt etc.....so I made up my mind and play baroque and music of the classical period, like Haydn and Mozart and some Beethoven...the others.....?.....is good for Lang Lang and guys like that.....

Kind regards,
Johan B

Today, watched video on YouTube of Martha Argerich playing Scarlatti sonata 141. The rapid fire unisons!!! Pulled the piece up on the net and played with it a little. Not sure this one can happen in this lifetime. Eventually I will settle on something. At least my fingers have touched the keys every day now for at least 8 or 9 days straight after an almost 11 year hiatus. Need to start focusing on the music in terms of form, looking for similarities, sequences, scale runs,etc. This does make it easier, rather than note for note. Seem to frequently get caught up in the whole of itinstead of the parts which are more important.

This may sound crazy, but I may use an OTC med to improve focus and recall. Over 30 years ago I was taking a college class in endocrinology and at some point during that time I had a cold. One night I took sudafed then read the 60 or so pages assigned. The next morning I could repeat everything I had read the night before almost perfectly. I thought the Sudanese may have had an effect, but didn't really bother to research it. This weekend I did research the effect it has on focus and memory. Interesting. I'm not recommending this but just FYI interesting trivia.

I'm not sure where you are in your musical journey, but I thought I'd interject something real quick. While Hanon does seem to overemphasize the finger-centric elements to playing, even with perfect supporting movements, finger independence is crucial. I'm just saying this because, looking back, I wish I had taken Hanon more seriously.

Decided I should use a metronome. More accurate then my counting which is sometimes all over the place. Found a metronome by Steinway on the Internet for free download to phone or tablet. Glad I didn't go out and buy one.