tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297357252024-03-18T12:13:42.143-04:00Picking Up the PiecesThoughts and piano progress updates from a mostly deaf but reasonably talented adult amateur pianist who has returned to piano after years away.Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02560933499700939011noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-78521350862365639802024-03-18T07:11:00.000-04:002024-03-18T12:12:58.725-04:00Maple Leaf Rag, Progress Video<p>This weekend, I decided to (finally) figure out the tempo at which I can play Maple Leaf Rag (MLR) without missing notes in the octaves.</p><p>It looks like 72 is the magic number. I can play parts of MLR at a faster tempo, but Section C, along with the final line of Section D, keeps me stuck at 72.</p><p>Now that I have all the notes and the piece is memorized, today begins the journey of picking up speed, just a few metronome notches every few days. As I'm doing this, I'll work more on articulation and working a few ornaments into the repeats.</p><p>Here is MLR at 72. The goal? Technically 100, but I'm going to push it a little higher (120?) so that (1) 100 is easy, and (2) I'm prepared to play a fast "show off" rendition for an audience if I so desire.</p><p>It will be a long journey even to 100, but I'm on my way!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rjhdG8DgnDo?si=0YfOSFefNDbrh66C" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-5662816835140940312024-03-17T19:12:00.000-04:002024-03-18T12:11:05.429-04:00Bare Necessities, Page 2As mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I'm planning to spend one week per page learning Jonny May's arrangement of the Disney classic song "Bare Necessities." I started Week 3/Page 3 today(the ragtime section) and realized I'd never posted a video for page 2.<div><br /></div><div>So, friends, here is page 2. I'm playing slowly, still working on muscle memory and getting the notes right.</div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9cWlQaj7rcY?si=R2SnFb3Wm1zKY7PW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-91508911463165798942024-03-15T11:30:00.014-04:002024-03-15T12:41:47.525-04:00Weekend Plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeIJ1fr7vkdYWwOWH9qm2AuQw8wNYuOTQMfiZAuF2ff3YnVtzbgweO2RiKvgwsfD_n29ZCfV_2cU3JfJTQniVrcyPytTYUpK_n09p-Vvatzb4CeR5iwmIrD3mesc_foeKsnnA-hHqIKScF-UQzeBd3WlmybsD6UZChGXiGT4n9RaauediRb10CA/s1920/Beige%20Clean%20To%20Do%20List%20Instagram%20Story%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeIJ1fr7vkdYWwOWH9qm2AuQw8wNYuOTQMfiZAuF2ff3YnVtzbgweO2RiKvgwsfD_n29ZCfV_2cU3JfJTQniVrcyPytTYUpK_n09p-Vvatzb4CeR5iwmIrD3mesc_foeKsnnA-hHqIKScF-UQzeBd3WlmybsD6UZChGXiGT4n9RaauediRb10CA/w360-h640/Beige%20Clean%20To%20Do%20List%20Instagram%20Story%20(1).png" width="360" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I am so excited about this weekend!</p><p>It's weird to think that just a month and a half ago, I dreaded waking up every day, even if it was a weekend. Now? I'm so excited about getting home from work this evening because I know that Roland Nicholas the Piano is waiting for me!</p><p>Goals for This Weekend:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Make a video of me playing the F minor nocturne beautifully.</li><li>Practice Maple Leaf at 80, multiple times, and don't go any faster.</li><li>Do similar slow practice on page 2 of Bare Necessities, also combining with page 1.</li><li>Start Lesson 3 of the 10-Lesson Blues Challenge.</li><li>Work on dominant sevenths.</li><li>Work on shell chords with several lead sheets.</li></ul><p></p><p>By the end of the weekend, I hope to have at least three videos to share:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Chopin F Minor Nocturne</li><li>Bare Necessities Progress Video</li><li>A nice arrangement of one of my lead sheet songs</li></ul><p></p><p>In addition to that, we have volleyball practice tonight, team pictures tomorrow afternoon, church on Sunday, and a short hike in the woods to celebrate my husband's birthday. All in all, it should be a good weekend!</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-89999615727802177342024-03-15T06:47:00.001-04:002024-03-15T11:35:04.136-04:00Playing the Blues: Easy Blues Shuffle<p>Did I mention I also want to learn blues piano? To be honest, I'm feeling more of a pull from blues than from jazz. It was a little disturbing to realize this, as I've wanted to learn jazz for such a long time. But blues feels much more like <i>my </i>music, for some reason. Jazz feels ... like a person I don't know that well, and who might not like me all that much anyway. Blues, on the other hand, feels like family. In a good way.</p><p>Maybe it's because I spent so much of my life in Baton Rouge, going to those blues festivals every year, and hitting Tabby's Blues Box whenever I could in my early 20s. Maybe that's why blues feels like home.</p><p>But playing the blues has been a whole new thing for me. I might be at an advanced classical level, but I'm a rank beginner when it comes to playing the blues. Here is a video of me playing something called an "easy blues shuffle" ... which I didn't find easy at all! It felt more natural with practice and repetition, though, and I finally have something to share after working on this a few days.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AC8CzHcbzdA" title="Easy Blues Shuffle" width="560"></iframe></p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-47859992495617814762024-03-14T06:13:00.003-04:002024-03-14T09:44:45.427-04:00Chopin Quote from Josh Wright<p>Here is a wonderful quote from Chopin from the book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chopin-Pianist-Teacher-Seen-Pupils/dp/0521367093/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18XPULUJGN6H9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.shAnbvm_Z6qIkqLm_I3Pcfw6E0S52P9OpS1seY3u0YA5TWUIjs-xemxsNMyi02J2.6A8Bgk6judV9qAI38LimRuwbzZ4_0AMcaBTPG3fF7oI&dib_tag=se&keywords=chopin+pianist+and+teacher+as+seen+by+his+pupils&qid=1710422351&sprefix=chopin+pianist+an%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Chopin: Pianist and Teacher</a></i>, as read by pianist and teacher Josh Wright:</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x7Nb00pAhv4?si=Acnuyea8wXjEL3Ez" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><div>The passage was written by a student of Chopin's, regarding how Chopin responded when the student felt inhibited and unable to express himself (herself?) at the piano.</div><div><br /></div><div>"With what delicate nuances of behavior he adapts his own being with that of another," they write about Chopin as a teacher.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Imagine you're at the <i>conservatoire</i>," Chopin said, "listening to the most beautiful performance in the world. Make yourself <i>want </i>to hear it, and then you'll hear yourself playing it, right here."</div><div><br /></div><div>He told the student, "I see that timidity and lack of self-confidence form a kind of armor around you, but through this armor I perceive something else that you don't always dare to express, and so you deprive us all."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Be bold and confident in your own powers and strengths."</div><div><br /></div><div>There are good reminders, from the mouth of the great Chopin himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm going to try that little "<i>conservatoire</i>" exercise tonight, imagining that the music I'm playing is actually music I'm overhearing, and that it's being played by a world-class pianist. Will it make a difference? We'll see!</div></div>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-26371099258380209952024-03-13T21:38:00.003-04:002024-03-14T09:44:59.559-04:00Maple Leaf Rag - 3/13/24 Update<p> "Maple Leaf Rag" continues to be <a href="https://pianopractice.blogspot.com/2024/03/maple-leaf-rag-update.html" target="_blank">coming together</a>.</p><p>I have reached a point where I'm thinking about style -- which octaves I will bring out, where I'll play <i>forte </i>or <i>piano</i>, where which notes in a chord I want to bring out most -- but I'm still also focusing on playing cleanly, without missing notes, without accidentally hitting more notes than anticipated, etc.</p><p>This video is an example of that. I'm still playing at a moderately slow tempo, and I'm focusing hard on playing cleanly and with an even tempo. I still have memory lapses here and there (particularly in the D section, which I learned most recently), and I still plunk a few notes I shouldn't, but it's coming along. I'm not worried that it sounds a little wooden; that's all part of the process.</p><p>This weekend, I'm going do another brief <a href="https://pianopractice.blogspot.com/2024/02/fast-practice-and-happiness.html" target="_blank">fast practice</a> of it, and then I hope to spend most of next week continuing with "clean practice" while upping the tempo. I'm also planning to give that D section and the transitions some extra work this weekend since I clearly don't have them down 100% just yet.</p><p>I'm so excited about this piece! And I feel like I'm so close.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vmD0ga4Nnwo?si=TnErz213liuDgVAs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-60609543656177809552024-03-13T19:46:00.001-04:002024-03-13T19:46:00.311-04:00Lesson Report for March 13, 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ3pG7hOapcvGSzc1l7MFs2ELZpqlAaCDGoy3giOdp9DrwWzA5s9H0PyvRxw6-q39saXquYldE7S3dVF7Ey87vSMcpb7yONNjT9sNsdnXbsC0hrRQpIw9rw-kE3AC2xWmOwC1-GGwTY88A4hHhl3yv5OXbs7ygQuOYrBMQl5_JDeIIUhyphenhyphens28y-g/s2245/Copy%20of%20Pink%20And%20Black%20Creative%20Illustration%20Piano%20Lesson%20Promotion%20Print%20Poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2245" data-original-width="1587" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ3pG7hOapcvGSzc1l7MFs2ELZpqlAaCDGoy3giOdp9DrwWzA5s9H0PyvRxw6-q39saXquYldE7S3dVF7Ey87vSMcpb7yONNjT9sNsdnXbsC0hrRQpIw9rw-kE3AC2xWmOwC1-GGwTY88A4hHhl3yv5OXbs7ygQuOYrBMQl5_JDeIIUhyphenhyphens28y-g/w452-h640/Copy%20of%20Pink%20And%20Black%20Creative%20Illustration%20Piano%20Lesson%20Promotion%20Print%20Poster.png" width="452" /></a></div><p></p><p>Yesterday was my mostly-classical piano lesson. As a reminder, I meet with this teacher for a half-hour once every other week. It really isn't enough -- I mean, it's enough time for me to play something and get feedback, but there really isn't time for a lesson that covers more than one piece. While I've enjoyed the lessons and really like the teacher, I'll have to think about whether to renew the lessons later this spring.</p><p>At yesterday's lesson, I'd hoped to spend a few minutes on Chopin and then move on to Maple Leaf Rag for the bulk of the lesson. I played through the Chopin, quite badly I might add. I have so much trouble adjusting to an acoustic piano after doing all of my practicing on a digital. Nothing sounds or feels right.</p><p>Anyway, I made it through the piece, and, as usual, he made some observations and gave me some valuable feedback, as well as a few things to think about regarding interpretation.</p><p>And that was it. No time for Maple Leaf. Time to go.</p><p>At the end of this four-lesson package, I will need to decide whether to (1) stop doing lessons or (2) see about having a one-hour meeting every other week, or possibly even once a month. I'm self-directed enough that monthly could work, but, at the same time, that's a long time to go without a lesson.</p><p>And if I'm going to do just once a month, why not make a monthly visit to Asheville and meet with Deborah?</p><p>In case anyone is wondering, I don't have the money for weekly one-hour lessons, and I also don't want to spend that much time/effort on classical since I mainly want to focus on blues and stride/ragtime and later jazz. I just want to keep up a few classical pieces as I'm doing all this other stuff.</p><p>For now, I'm enjoying the mostly-classical lessons, except for the fact that they're too short. And I'm certainly benefitting from them. So I'll keep on keeping on, and I'll make decisions later.</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-24860646438428429532024-03-13T06:20:00.014-04:002024-03-15T09:54:30.073-04:00Chord Focus for March: Dominant Sevenths<p>The Level 4 Foundations course at PWJ focuses on sevenths: major, dominant, minor, diminished, and half-diminished.</p><p>For most of my piano-playing life, if you had asked me to define one of those, or at least play one, I could have done it. I might have had to think about it for a moment, particularly in a key like Gb or B, or I might have had to think hard about which is diminished and which is half-diminished, but I would have been OK.</p><p>But did I really understand what made these different types of sevenths unique? More importantly, did I understand their unique sounds and effects? Could I discern the difference between a C minor seventh, a C diminished seventh, and a C half-diminished seventh, just by listening?</p><p>Maybe? If someone had put me to the test, I probably would've made a few correct semi-educated guesses. But they would mostly have been guesses.</p><p>So when I joined PWJ back in February, I decided to start at the early intermediate level because I knew my understanding of seventh chords was shaky and full of holes. I spent the month of February focusing on major sevenths, and now that it's March, I'm deep in a study of dominant sevenths.</p><p>Included in the course are a bunch of great exercises to make dominant sevenths feel ever more natural under my hands. I've been focusing on the circle-of-fifths block and broken chords, and I've started working on inversions as well.</p><p>Dominant-seventh study has been much easier than major-seventh study. Dominant sevenths are so much more common in both classical and pop music, so it's the most familiar type of seventh to me. Still, I'm finding the exercises both challenging and helpful.</p><p>Here is the exercise for block chords going counter-clockwise around the circle of fifths. Not the most exciting video, but it will be good to go back and look at this a year from now to see how I've improved.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jSWRnuRGh-s" title="Dominant 7th Block Chords" width="560"></iframe></p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-1128625223979339032024-03-12T06:38:00.004-04:002024-03-15T11:44:34.874-04:00"The Mad Chase" Section in Chopin<p> The Chopin nocturne I am working on has a section that I refer to as "The Mad Chase." This nocturne is a mix of relatively easy passages (i.e., the first sections) and several different, more challenging passages. "The Mad Chase" is one of the harder ones, mainly due to hand stretches (and chord changes) in the left hand, and, to a lesser degree, the brief counterpoint in the right hand.</p><p>It took me several weeks to start feeling confident that I even had the notes worked out. I experimented with the fingering, trying one for a few days before trying another, and then another. I'm still not confident that I've worked out the best fingering. Here is where I am as of this past weekend--I still have some work to do, but this section has come along a lot in the past few days.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j1G4QgY-KU0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Yes, there are a few missed notes, and yes, I started the big climactic section of The Mad Chase and decided not to go through with it, <i>but</i> ... a big milestone is that this section has started to feel more <i>comfortable</i>. I'm able to play it at a decent tempo, and I'm able to think about bringing the alto voice out in the RH counterpoint. I'm also able to think about just how I want the LH to sound: agressive and pursuing? thoughtful and tentative? a threatening rumble?</p><p>I think I have settled on the <b>threatening rumble</b>. I originally envisioned a chase going on, with the LH the murderous pursuer, and the right hand the victim who is growing increasingly panicked. The falling alto voice is a kind of indication of the fact that, no matter how fast she runs, she's not going to get away.</p><p>But now? It's more that she senses a rumbling, or maybe she hears, from far off, the sound of the black horse of death racing in her direction.</p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/NONg06Pf0v8?si=Sd3BzCLiZMcCsHo0&t=210" target="_blank">Here's how Rubinstein plays it.</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/cDVBtuWkMS8?si=Mbbn1-SAhiDXRMal&t=197" target="_blank">Here's how Horowitz plays it. </a> I think Horowitz has more of a threatening rumble; Rubinstein's notes are more clear, less rumbly But both are beautiful!</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-42504884385526140112024-03-10T21:02:00.008-04:002024-03-11T09:06:58.398-04:00The Inner Game of Playing "Misty"<p> I recently read Timothy Gallwey's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Inner-Game-of-Tennis-audiobook/dp/B0012FK22S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N8DMRIZBWS32&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.d8oUAvKF63uvqN2JAjrvXA9c_XDERkjnN5wnZlc9H57SAtnEFeJUNI8_I3nHtRaEBssXiPTj8lV7MyoZZBv5XDChYoREKFdZQcY4DWgDlUJNjhDHcs7iS6NElOsnfonoQrd4FA1jvQYgg3dgs5mx8Ba2zMNWJkTEXvnPUuAa3xkoEtCHJMa9FO4gqXGLzKHsMuRmHnAAVdn0PtnLH0aoUGZCF4654TVLiF7G5KvMBSg.UTyxim3j__sYDFVzCtu8V9uSwK2YuAdKaBrB64coUrg&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+inner+game+of+tennis&qid=1710162066&sprefix=the+innter+game+of+%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>The Inner Game of Tennis</i></a>, a good that gave me many good insights into how I can be a better volleyball coach. (Not that I coach anything more than rec ball, but still ...)</p><p>I knew there was a book called <a href=" https://www.amazon.com/The-Inner-Game-of-Music/dp/B0B8F4W2D3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3L9PRDHYIR8VC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sWnYZzPQhrYNaNrK-CUlIZ2f71tS2nmI1W_vlR9NjD41OdQ40bQkBPnvZHy91dpAL12MgDTByMR0Du6MIpMd_g.w6NOr6NmxE6NQPrmWuCi8pd2fxg8BQIUgdOUSfEOkdY&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+inner+game+of+music&qid=1710162076&s=audible&sprefix=the+inner+game+of+music%2Caudible%2C91&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>The Inner Game of Music</i></a>, based on Gallwey's book, so I listened to part of it on my commute. It's not as engaging at <i>The Inner Game of Tennis</i>, but I'm still gleaning some good things from it.</p><p>One was this: Friday night when I was trying to record a "perfect" version of "Misty," I decide to stop worrying so much about the notes and just focus on playing it beautifully. After all, I'd learned the notes. I'd drilled the notes. I <i>knew </i>the notes. I was just getting nervous when recording, and that was causing me to forget the notes. I was also sounding a little wooden and not playing as beautifully as I knew I could.</p><p>So I focused on beauty as I made video after video of my getting to some point or another before missing. I even went overboard in some ways, slowing more than I should, contrasting the dynamics more than I'm supposed to. And even though I eventually toned it down, I found a few little touches that I kept, like the louder staccato in the transition to the B section.</p><p>I finally got an almost-perfect video ... and in the one spot where I paused, I make a face saying, "Yeah, I know I paused there."</p><p>I had a lot of fun making the video. Something about knowing I can make faces at the camera makes me less nervous. Makes me feel more like I'm playing for a friend instead of an invisible crowd.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBDvaCUyk1M?si=FM5YDkqrsIc3LHmS" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-40447459777689583472024-03-09T08:44:00.001-05:002024-03-11T08:46:13.536-04:00Bare Necessities Update: Fun with Video<p>I had so much fun last night. I learned that I tend to be less stressed if I can talk to the camera and just have fun with the fact that I'm making a video. Here is my most recent progress on "Bare Necessities.</p><p>I'm planning to start page 2 tomorrow (Sunday)!</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/92FWkjgj-0U?si=N27irAMHBE05kEJn" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-74969947295796258102024-03-06T07:45:00.004-05:002024-03-14T09:42:20.456-04:00Maple Leaf Rag Update - 3/6/24<p> Maple Leaf Rag is coming together for me. It's been coming together for a while. I'm ready to graduate from "it's coming together" to "it's performance-ready." But I'm not there yet. I still have a few areas to attend to:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>The D section</b> (I have this section down pretty well, but I'm still stumbling a little at the very end.)</li><li><b>Sloppy left hand</b>, particularly in the B and C sections.</li><li><b>Weakness in the 4th and 5th fingers</b> in my right hand in one small part of Section A.</li><li><b>Transitions </b>(I'm really close with these, but I'm not quite there yet.)</li><li><b>Consistent speed</b>. (The C and D sections are new to me, so I tend to slow down when I get to them. I've also noticed that I'm speeding up in the B section without meaning to.)</li><li><b>Consistent tone</b>. (Listening to this recording, I can hear that I don't press some of the keys down far enough, which results in a kind of spottiness of tone.)</li></ul><p></p><p>For my most recent practice session (shown in the video below), I focused on the LH, working to get it cleaner and more even. I ended up playing through the whole piece at a slow pace, barely touching the notes in the RH and bringing out the LH. I think I get so focused on the RH that I kind of forget about the LH (which causes me to ignore it when bits of sloppiness creep in), and this exercise was a step toward remedying that.</p><p>If you listen, you will hear that stumble at the end of the D section, and you will probably hear my 4th and 5th fingers miss in the A section. And, while I'm doing better with the transitions between sections, you'll hear that they still need some work.</p><p>So, I'm getting there, but there is still work to do.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Br-eQvuD5oA?si=mJMXEXjqqDCjZ9kQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-67637228908864424912024-03-06T05:57:00.004-05:002024-03-06T10:02:51.826-05:00Bare Necessities, Day 3<p>I'm planning to give regular updates on <a href="https://pianopractice.blogspot.com/2024/03/march-ragtime-goal-bare-necessities.html" target="_blank">Bare Necessities</a>. This version is a real showpiece, and it will be a challenge to learn it, memorize it, and get it to a good performance tempo. Translation: I'm going to be living with this one for a long time. How long? I have no idea. I'm guessing anywhere between 3 and 6 months, though it could be a year.</p><p>I started learning the piece on Monday, and I've been encouraged by how (relatively) quickly I've picked up the first page. I can now play it through, hands together, at a slow pace. I'm going to stick with this for a couple of days, playing it over and over again until it feels completely natural under my hands. Throughout this process I'll be working on memorizing as well.</p><p>I won't have access to a piano for most of the weekend, so I'm thinking I won't start the B section until late Sunday, or early Monday morning. In fact, I'm wondering if I can learn this at a rate of one page a week. The piece is eight pages long, roughly two pages per section plus a finale. If I can do a page a week, that's 8 weeks to get the entire piece hands-together. And then I can spend a few weeks working on speed and style.</p><p>So maybe I can get this thing down in three months. It's something to think about!</p><p>Anyway, here is my s-l-o-w rendition of the "A" section. I'm not concerned here with style, dynamics, etc. At this point, I'm just working on notes and rhythms.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aeBRVFTctUI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-63057175806106479062024-03-05T20:30:00.000-05:002024-03-05T20:30:00.139-05:00Taking Breaks<p> I stumbled across a series of videos by a Dr. Molly Gebrian yesterday. In them, she talks about the importance of taking breaks when you're learning something. The mind needs time to put structures in place to accommodate the new learning, so we need to take breaks to allow it to do that.</p><p>She compares it to road work: You have to shut down the road in order to repair it. I also think of it as being like pouring concrete. Once you've poured the concrete, you absolutely need to stay off of it for a while so it can harden and thus become useful. If you pour it and then you keep walking on it, trying to even it out here and there, you'll end up with a mess. Similarly, we need to let our brains "cement" the new information before we can build on it.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Forced Practice Breaks</h3><p>I think there could be something to this idea. When I was in college (and even during COVID), I would practice several hours a day, sometimes several times d day, but I was often frustrated at how slow my progress seemed. Now? I'm lucky if I can get in a whole hour of practice each day (and even then, it's broken up into a few minutes before work, a few minutes after work, and a few minutes before I go to bed). But I'm learning, and even memorizing, more efficiently and effectively than I have in the past. The music I'm learning isn't any easier than what I was doing before. I just seem better able to learn and memorize.</p><p>Maybe those forced breaks between practice sessions have been good for me.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">An Experiment</h3><p>I'm going to do an experiment with contrary-motion minor scales. I can play them all, but I'm stumbling a bit with a few of them, particularly B minor, F# minor, and Eb minor. Currently, I'm playing the similar/contrary motion scales for majors and minors in all keys on alternating days. I'll keep doing that, but I'm only going to include the minors that are easy for me. But in addition to that, I'm going to spend a little extra time on one of those minor scales each week. I'll do three days of focused practice on, say B minor, and then take a day off. And then on the fourth day, I'll add B minor to my regular exercise and see if it's improved.</p><p>If it has, I'll do the same thing with F# minor. And since I know my two readers will be sitting on the edge of their seats, wondering if my experiement works. I'll report the results next week. Meanwhile, here is the first of the videos on taking breaks.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/InIPp0HzAqM?si=AlshwN8QG-hrKNBS" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-22787739106427623692024-03-05T07:00:00.003-05:002024-03-05T07:00:00.208-05:00Bare Necessities, "A" Section, Right Hand Only<p>My "Bare Necessities" adventure has begun! Here is a video of the right hand only at a very slow pace. I'm going to stick to this for a few days, mainly so I can build muscle memory as well as mental memory, and then I will begin work on the left hand for this section.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fkS66Jo-rww?si=rynfcJnApXsFQRJU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-18424054183803658322024-03-03T17:50:00.023-05:002024-03-04T09:34:05.090-05:00"Misty" Progress Video<p>Well, if the "Misty" course for the February challenge was a course in school, and my ability to play it constituted the final exam, I would say I made a good, solid B+. Below is the video I posted on the PWJ Facebook page. It does have a few pauses and missed notes in the second half, <i>but ...</i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'm playing from memory.</li><li>I kept going.</li><li>It sounds nice.</li></ul><div>I would like to make a video where I play it perfectly, or at least with fewer obvious goofs, and that's why I'm calling this a "progress video." The more I play this, the smoother it will get. Meanwhile, here is my end-of-the-challenge video:</div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErxAchWKjw?si=BREZetC1u3eb-VPz" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-88365554660738086272024-03-01T07:35:00.006-05:002024-03-01T07:35:00.142-05:00March Ragtime Goal: Bare Necessities<p> Oh, man. So, I have always loved the Disney tune "The Bare Necessities."</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6BH-Rxd-NBo?si=G9GCNFWwcPBSVA1V" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>Baloo the Bear is one of my favorite characters in all of Disney, and his song is one of the best. I also love, love, love just about anything Jonny May (of <a href="http://pianowithjonny.com" target="_blank">Piano with Jonny</a>) does, so I got onto Spotify to see if he has a rendition of "Bare Necessities." I thought he might, since he was once-upon-a-time a Disneyland pianist.</p><p>Well, what do you know? He does have one! And it's amazing! And even better, he<i> has videos on how to play it</i>! Along with the sheet music!</p><p>So, friends, my goal for March, once I'm finished with the "Misty" challenge, is to learn this magnificent arrangement of "Bare Necessities."</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8-5G8BcnRGM?si=x54Z1UOQy78XRFfE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>Looking at the music and watching Jonny's teaching videos, it doesn't look <i>too</i> terribly hard, but when I watch this video of him playing it, I'm convinced that it's positively virtuosic and that there's a chance I won't be able to play it, no matter how hard I try.</p><p>But I'm going to try. As soon as I've posted my final "Misty" video (which will probably be Saturday, or maybe Sunday), I'll print out the "Bare Necessities" music and start working on it in earnest.</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-51215479571672166402024-02-29T07:00:00.006-05:002024-02-29T10:44:51.454-05:00Piano Goals for March 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRZ33iN0KznoHpthZLwPos6ywPnCoHTLVhOiBYWNUHijTQWBH3wGW-Ebpwmep2SopDHX7p2NzXUNEH2XhfECkDgmEF7W7A2t1kFP0hnc_J6s1EF_sqiF0gPwg8B7zcF1lWXxUK2MMD7crRB5o2MCsV-PJNQlQ77fIFInMTw8PwMD_n7aqed80Ng/s1640/Copy%20of%20White%20and%20Orange%20Minimal%20Aesthetic%20Hello%20Fall%20Facebook%20Cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRZ33iN0KznoHpthZLwPos6ywPnCoHTLVhOiBYWNUHijTQWBH3wGW-Ebpwmep2SopDHX7p2NzXUNEH2XhfECkDgmEF7W7A2t1kFP0hnc_J6s1EF_sqiF0gPwg8B7zcF1lWXxUK2MMD7crRB5o2MCsV-PJNQlQ77fIFInMTw8PwMD_n7aqed80Ng/w640-h360/Copy%20of%20White%20and%20Orange%20Minimal%20Aesthetic%20Hello%20Fall%20Facebook%20Cover.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Here are my piano goals for March 2024. I'll divide them into categories for easier reading. For those items that are nearing completion, I'll also include a "what's next" to show that I'm already thinking ahead to the next goal. Both my classical and ragtime goals are pretty ambitious, so I may end up selecting one or more easier pieces as alternatives.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Classical</h3><p>I know Chopin is Romantic, not Classical, but anyway ... my goal for March is to have the entire F Minor Nocturne by memory and performance-ready by the end of the month. My "performance" will probably just be a video that I post here.</p><p>What's Next: Hopefully <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfAw693rYRQ" target="_blank">Mozart, Rondo alla Turca</a></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ragtime</h3><p>As with the nocturne, my goal is to have "Maple Leaf Rag" by memory and performance-ready by the end of the month.</p><p>What's Next: Either "The Entertainer" or "Solace" ... or something else.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Seventh Chords</h3><p>Dominant Sevenths! Just as February was a deep-dive into the major sevenths, March will be devoted to dominant sevenths.</p><p>What's Next: Minor sevenths</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Scales</h3><p>I've started playing scales again, alternating between major and minor each day. By the end of the month, I'd like to be able to play both scales in all keys, similar and contrary motion, at 80 on the metronome. I can already do this with most of the major scales, so I may go past 80 on those.</p><p>What's Next: Faster major and minor scales! Also, modes.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Styles and Improvisation</h3><p>I really didn't spend a lot of time on styles and improvisation in February. I'd planned to, but then I took on the advanced "Misty" challenge, and that took up a big chunk of my piano time last month. Since I am going to be living with dominant sevenths all month, I would like to delve into playing/improvising blues style. But we'll see.</p><p>What's Next: I don't know. Both the jazz and blues styles seem so far beyond where I am now, even though I've made a lot of progress.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Practice Time</h3><p>I practiced a total of about 38 hours in February. My goal for March? Forty hours. That's just over an hour a day, which I think will be very doable, as long as I keep up with my pre-work practices and am able to put in a few extra hours most weekends.</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-7512543548260004312024-02-28T09:53:00.010-05:002024-02-28T09:59:42.107-05:00Goals Recap for February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif9mJzVcs0yKjy2fV3HCfdSjt3f78hAS2cpW-IppQf_A9h6xeQtKK2PydPisX0FOWD52_ZfYpY5679RWx9Gy8ehbZpjHxS97ptzBuPDEzqZ-Xu_1fgntuWfCNbBY8giYJR4_vGt_vGnMhMjaOhKK-ziKT-dwU0D84wFykZMbaTkUfox_GRVCDsg/s1640/White%20and%20Orange%20Minimal%20Aesthetic%20Hello%20Fall%20Facebook%20Cover%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif9mJzVcs0yKjy2fV3HCfdSjt3f78hAS2cpW-IppQf_A9h6xeQtKK2PydPisX0FOWD52_ZfYpY5679RWx9Gy8ehbZpjHxS97ptzBuPDEzqZ-Xu_1fgntuWfCNbBY8giYJR4_vGt_vGnMhMjaOhKK-ziKT-dwU0D84wFykZMbaTkUfox_GRVCDsg/w640-h360/White%20and%20Orange%20Minimal%20Aesthetic%20Hello%20Fall%20Facebook%20Cover%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Here is my goals recap for February. I didn't really start February with discernible goals, so I'll just list the accomplishments.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I have learned <b>"Misty."</b> It's still a little shaky in places and I don't think I'll get to the soloing element of the challenge, but I will have it solid and ready to perform/video for the PWJ Facebook group by the end of this weekend.<br /><br /></li><li>I can play through the <b>nocturne</b>. Now it is time to memorize anything I haven't memorized, and really work on getting the difficult sections feeling smooth and natural.<br /><br /></li><li>I can play through <b>Maple Leaf Rag</b>. As with the nocturne, it's now just a matter of memorizing anything that isn't memorized (i.e., the transistion sections and the D section), getting things up to speed, and working in any stylistic touches I want to include.<br /><br /></li><li>I've gotten pretty good at <b>major sevenths</b>, both playing them and understanding them. I enjoy doing the exercises, and they will now be part of my standard warmup.<br /><br /></li><li>The <b>2-5-1 progressions with color tones </b>have come along as well. I'll keep doing those regularly, but I'm also ready to branch out into using them in lead sheets. This is a major thing I want to talk about with Quentin at the jazz lesson tomorrow night.<br /><br /></li><li>According to my PWJ practice log, I have practiced <b>34 hours and 14 minutes</b> in the past month. I still have two more days, so that will be 36 or so hours by the time February comes to an end. I've been practicing every morning before work, anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on when I can get started. In the evenings, I'll usually practice another 30 minutes to an hour if there's time. All in all, I averaged a little over <b>an hour a day of practice</b> in February.</li></ol><p></p><p>I'll be posting my March goals soon. Life outside of piano feels like a train wreck, but in the world of piano? Things are humming. I'm excited about developing my March goals and beginning work toward them this weekend.</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-59488548202480945692024-02-27T10:37:00.011-05:002024-02-27T10:43:37.878-05:00Piano Lesson Week<p> Y'all, it is Piano Lesson Week in my life, and I am here for it.</p><p>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.</p><p>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!)</p><p>1. <a href="https://pianopractice.blogspot.com/2024/02/slow-practice-chopin-nocturne-in-f-minor.html" target="_blank"><b>The Transcendence</b></a>: 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.</p><p>2. <b>The Mad Chase</b>: 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.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF48_6-O7lskq04HG46P9fYQTkXq6P1HZxMKpAXA8ttKpa2ckK8YjyUF9lLb8vhhwLSPBKEqleIQrZLjtxFITAm8xsUkhJf7EHtBS5OwjfGnZngQMKoMUEuMQvL7qjdd8OF3JDprJNRQsUtz8T9AGyAiy4P45ypY3vsRnx29R4b969wm3Ftser8w/s2108/IMG_3893.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2108" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF48_6-O7lskq04HG46P9fYQTkXq6P1HZxMKpAXA8ttKpa2ckK8YjyUF9lLb8vhhwLSPBKEqleIQrZLjtxFITAm8xsUkhJf7EHtBS5OwjfGnZngQMKoMUEuMQvL7qjdd8OF3JDprJNRQsUtz8T9AGyAiy4P45ypY3vsRnx29R4b969wm3Ftser8w/w640-h428/IMG_3893.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Mad Chase," measures 57-64, also 65-68</td></tr></tbody></table><p>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.</p><p>3. <b>The <i>Stretto </i>Chord Section</b>: 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.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHz9pjTw2xRZi4s-DFMwSf-HKBjFDUplfoYIyHImPKMqlTZ3JuAaaw3QQ63x6cDQ6NiERA1JXZQOYDYlXnUG86CnID8SW1CtKK5ba1eq8Vc84RJcgjkVG2f83spvQadtN0_xzi1booDfHStlfSCcVpAIWnL04Jjpbl_M4VOVDxwh0zSvAnzT-ug/s3294/IMG_3997.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="3294" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHz9pjTw2xRZi4s-DFMwSf-HKBjFDUplfoYIyHImPKMqlTZ3JuAaaw3QQ63x6cDQ6NiERA1JXZQOYDYlXnUG86CnID8SW1CtKK5ba1eq8Vc84RJcgjkVG2f83spvQadtN0_xzi1booDfHStlfSCcVpAIWnL04Jjpbl_M4VOVDxwh0zSvAnzT-ug/w640-h288/IMG_3997.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stretto </i>chord section</td></tr></tbody></table><p>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 <i>ad nauseam</i> 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.</p><p>4. <b>The Voice from the Grave/Voice of the Dead</b>: 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.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhi181Dul4jqpYZsh_vnxnxjnHgMvM5CyXs2etuy_YqONA9gvuxZ0RAPRs72lyvfNYH-fiCRSZiehrmcqCNDHX08qZSsQYvA1moNXm6snsdVXeDXJPQnbwxzpvRKpn9MMdJ01n81u4LQNS_0YszBtK0EqdUaBPxjsiVqKkfkZJZ9FwpA3KUnB69Q/s2080/IMG_3894.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="2080" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhi181Dul4jqpYZsh_vnxnxjnHgMvM5CyXs2etuy_YqONA9gvuxZ0RAPRs72lyvfNYH-fiCRSZiehrmcqCNDHX08qZSsQYvA1moNXm6snsdVXeDXJPQnbwxzpvRKpn9MMdJ01n81u4LQNS_0YszBtK0EqdUaBPxjsiVqKkfkZJZ9FwpA3KUnB69Q/w640-h292/IMG_3894.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Voice of the Dead"</td></tr></tbody></table><p>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.</p><p>This has been a long entry, so I'll write more about the upcoming jazz lesson on Thursday. For now, <a href="https://youtu.be/E3qHO9aOQYM?si=_F1tF2biXu0Mkh2T" target="_blank">here is a video of someone (not me) playing the Chopin piece I just discussed</a>.</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-9856205639633372412024-02-26T09:26:00.000-05:002024-02-27T10:25:46.844-05:00Update on Sevenths<div>I'm very excited. My deep-dive into major sevenths is coming to an end, and I'll soon be embarking upon the wonderful world of dominant sevenths. I'm very familiar with dominant sevenths already, but I'm looking forward to gaining the same kind of deep understanding of them that I have with the major sevenths.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll continue to do major seventh exercises every day as part of my warm-ups. I'm a little concerned that my brain and hands are going to get confused between major seventh and dominant seventh exercises, but I suppose I'll survive.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a couple of videos where I'm doing two of my major seventh exercises with the metronome at 80. The broken chords feel a little rushed because they are, but they're going to get more flowing as I practice them more. I don't know if you can tell, but the white-key sevenths (second half of the broken-chord video: E, A, D, G, and C) flow more naturally for me than the black-key sevenths.</div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2_GutHzzkjM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-79936354621507862012024-02-25T09:53:00.000-05:002024-02-27T10:25:36.926-05:00"Misty" Progress Video<p> I am in my fourth and final week of learning "Misty." The goal for this week? Hands together. There are some jazz solo options available, but I'm kinda feeling ready to move on to something new. This piece has been difficult, partly because the whole jazz language is unfamiliar to me. But I want to finish it, and I'm getting close.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gxxOiM4sTHc?si=s2OOUg-gMKcZlyPV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><p>This rendition is far from perfect, and you'll hear plenty of flubs and pauses before you get to the end. I'll post a "final version" soon, probably this weekend, where (hopefully) all of those will be ironed out.</p><p>(It is freezing in my house, hence the long-sleeves-halfway-down-my-hand look.)</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-45226414797263529332024-02-23T11:14:00.009-05:002024-02-23T11:19:09.503-05:00Fast Practice and Happiness<p>Recently I watched a webinar on music memorization. The speaker covered the various tools we use to memorize -- music analysis, motor memory, visual memory, auditory memory, etc. Someone asked if fast practice was a good tool for muscle memory. I don't remember what he answered, but I realized at that moment that <i>I'd forgotten all about fast practice</i>. I used to occasionally (OK, more than occasionally, which was too often, but still ...) engage in fast practice, where I played a piece a good bit faster than I'd been practicing it, and even a good bit faster than the recommended tempo. There was something about forcing the faster tempo that made the piece easier to play at tempo the next time.</p><p>Only problem is, I have always loved to play fast. Quiet, mousy little me actually has quite an inner showoff that comes out occasionally, even I'm only showing off for myself. So I can fall into a habit of playing too fast, or playing the piece all the way through, and then getting sloppy when it comes time for a lesson or performance.</p><p>At one piano lesson many moons ago, after I flubbed measure after measure of various pieces I'd played through all week long, my piano teacher gave me this wise advice:</p><p><b>"Performing loosens screws. Drilling tightens them." </b>So, while you should of course play a piece through, at tempo, on occasion, much of your practice time should focus on drilling bits and pieces.</p><p>And so I've learned to drill, drill, drill, and not to think so much about performance. (Also, who am I performing for, anyway? No one, that's who.)</p><p>My practices now are very focused—this measure, or that section, or the transition between this section and that section. Practice is slow; I rarely play anything at tempo until I absolutely know that it's ready. I enjoy the slow focus; it forces my mind to slow down, and I fall easily into The Zone where time ceases to exist.</p><p>But then I started thinking about fast practice. And then I watched a few videos of people playing "Maple Leaf Rag," some of them lightning-fast. And I thought about how I'd love to be able to tear through "Maple Leaf Rag" at breakneck speed, just once or twice, and call it "practice."</p><p>For the rest of the day, I thought about "Maple Leaf Rag," and how I couldn't wait to get home and rip through it.</p><p>And that's pretty much what I did. A few minutes after I got home, I sat at Roland Nicholas and flew through the A, B, and C sections, and then I flew through the D section, at a slightly slower tempo but still much faster than what I'm used to.</p><p>And it didn't sound terrible!</p><p>I ripped through it again and felt like dancing at the keyboard. I may indeed have been dancing at the keyboard.</p><p>After that, as I drove to Augusta for a volleyball meeting, I thought to myself, "I feel truly happy in this moment."</p><p>Friends, that was the first time I've felt truly happy in over a year.</p><p>I fast-practiced the first couple of sections once more this morning for the video at the end of this post, but I'll be back to drilling and slow practice after that. I'm thinking I may designate one day a month for unadulteratedly fast practice. Because after I made this video, I flew through all of the major chords around the circle of fifths with the metronome on 120 and didn't start missing notes until I got to A-flat. I was so much fun, and, weirdly, I felt happy again. It think it would be fun to allow myself to do this every once in a while, as long as I don't make it a habit.</p><p>I'm certain that the next time I play scales or "Maple Leaf Rag" at a more normal pace, they'll be easy. I think this may be a bit of a breakthrough for me. We'll see if it sticks! Meanwhile, enjoy my imperfect-yet-fast-and-fun rendition of the A and B sections!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/seNWI4jei1M?si=NZ495DK_QjwEw3R2" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-56024410651339062092024-02-22T09:07:00.000-05:002024-02-27T09:10:46.652-05:00Misty Week 3: Right Hand Only<p> Here is my video from week 3 of the "Misty" challenge from <a href="http://pianowithjonny.com" target="_blank">Piano With Jonny</a>. It's right-hand only, and I'm a little nervous about putting the right and left hands together. The right hand/melody part wasn't too hard (though some parts were tricky), but I'm still trying to get the left hand to feel smooth and natural.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u7L_XLClNVI?si=dQVi2LNQSesPtj3O" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29735725.post-34744909223743900452024-02-21T11:01:00.007-05:002024-02-21T11:03:46.388-05:00Major 7ths, Keeping Me Sane<p>I am about three weeks into my month-long deep-dive into major seventh chords. I have <a href="https://pianopractice.blogspot.com/2024/02/as-key-turns.html" target="_blank">learned so much</a>, and I was thinking I was ready to move on to dominant sevenths ... but then I discovered all of these exercises on <a href="https://pianowithjonny.com/" target="_blank">PWJ</a> that I could (sort of) play through but that didn't feel natural or automatic. So, I've decided to finish out the month by really concentrating on becoming better at these exercises.</p><p>They include block and broken chords from the root position, going both ways around the circle of fifths and moving up and down chromatically; broken chords up and down the keyboard; block and broken-chord inversions; and movement from the I to the IV. I've mostly practiced the broken inversions and the chromatic movement (see video for an example), so I want to become better at moving around the circle of fifths. I can do those exercises slowly (with the metronome at 40 or 44), but the goal is to get them up to 60/120.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FVESqMo-Ayk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>As I was working on making the short video above this morning, I thought to myself, "Why am I doing this?" Why am I spending so much time becoming intimately familiar with major sevenths? Why am I doing this "Misty" challenge? Why did I spend 30 minutes last night memorizing the "Mad Chase" section of the Chopin? What's the point of it all?</p><p>Friends, I am not sure what the point of it all is. All I know is that I love music, and if I didn't have piano in my life right now, I would probably be suicidal. Music is what is pulling me through.</p><p>So I work on major seventh chords and look forward to starting dominant sevenths in another week or so. I focus on small things and rejoice in meeting piano goals, like <a href="https://pianopractice.blogspot.com/2024/02/learning-misty-part-2.html" target="_blank">memorizing the "Misty" LH</a> or playing the "D" section of "Maple Leaf Rag" perfectly with the metronome at 40. I feel like that is all I can manage right now, and so I'm managing it. As it has in the past, piano is keeping me sane.</p><p>For my next video, I'm hoping to record the C and/or D sections of "Maple Leaf Rag." It's nowhere near the desired tempo, but I'm just tickled that I can play them at all! More later ...</p>Nina a.k.a. Waterfallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05631598309320436904noreply@blogger.com0