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Piano Lesson Week

 Y'all, it is Piano Lesson Week in my life, and I am here for it.

This afternoon I meet with Eric for my classical (well, Chopin's F minor nocturne and Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag") lesson, and Thursday I meet with Quentin for jazz. I'm looking forward to both lessons, for different reasons.

I meet Eric every other week, and so far, our main focus has alternated between my two pieces; a month ago it was the nocturne, then two weeks ago it was Maple Leaf Rag. So I imagine this week we'll primarily work on the Chopin again. I've started playing through the whole piece, at slow tempo, several times a week, but my focused practice has been on the following sections. (Note: The section names are names I've given them; they aren't official titles!)

1. The Transcendence: This section (measures 77-82, also 83-85) is so beautiful, but it has been a bear to learn! Once I have all the notes in place (a challenge in itself), it will start out light and airy and slow, and will grow faster and louder until it softens again at the end. It's so beautiful and dramatic, but I won't be able to play it until I get the danged notes down! I've slow-practiced and fast-practiced, block-chord-practiced, and hands-separately practiced. I've analyzed and worked in rhythms. And ... it's coming along. Slowly. And I will get there.

2. The Mad Chase: Like the Transcendence, I have practiced this section (mainly measures 57-64; 65-68 isn't so bad) in so many different ways, including memorizing it (fingering, hand shapes, and chord analysis) because it was too much to do the various jumps while trying to read the music.

"The Mad Chase," measures 57-64, also 65-68

This section is also a challenge because there are some biggish hand stretches, and I do not have a biggish hand. I played it last night and felt a little frustrated that I still don't have this section down, but then I realized that it sounds so much better now than it did even a few days ago. So I think I'm over the hump and will soon have it enough in my hands that I can shift my focus to voicing and interpretation.

3. The Stretto Chord Section: This is a very short section (just two measures, 71 and 72), but I have struggled with it for some reason--partly because I simply haven't given it the attention it needs, seeing as it's just a short transitional moment right between the long, slowing descent of the Mad Chase section and the repeat of the main theme.

Stretto chord section

Block-chord practice helped here, though not as much as I thought it would. Once I did the analysis and realized it was more-or-less one dominant seventh after the other, it started to become manageable. But I had to do repetitions ad nauseam on this one before I could play at tempo (well, almost) it without hesitating between chords. I'm still not 100% there yet, but I'm close.

4. The Voice from the Grave/Voice of the Dead: This section isn't all that hard--it's mostly broken diminished chords in the right hand and a descending theme (the "Voice") in the left hand. But I need to spend some time on it, and I hadn't done that previously. It also has some hand-stretches due to holding the low "F" with the fifth finger of my left hand, which has added to the challenge.

"The Voice of the Dead"

These are the four parts I'd like to go over with Eric in my lesson, to see if there is anything I'm doing that I shouldn't, or not doing that I should.

This has been a long entry, so I'll write more about the upcoming jazz lesson on Thursday. For now, here is a video of someone (not me) playing the Chopin piece I just discussed.

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