Playing with Orchestra

[pinklemonade]

Does anyone know where I can get for free online tracks of orchestral parts only in concerto (like the Music Minus One discs) so that I can play concertos along with it? I am looking for any well-known piano concertos.

[invictious]

I don't recommend it, unless you have all godly timing and can count extremely accurately. it makes your playing rigid too.
not to mention THEY don't have all godly timing..so any tuttis are difficult to coordinate.

Instead, get a friend who can play second piano part for you.

[mcgillcomposer]

I second that...it caused more frustration for me than it helped.

[teresa_b]

Agree...Not helpful to practice for a real concert.  If you're just looking to have fun, it's OK.  However, I don't know where you can get these online, sorry.

Teresa

[victor_ching]

check out musicminusone.com...

they have quite a few good ones there

[timothy42b]

I do not agree.

Besides being fun, it helps teach the skill of playing with others, which is something pianists often need work at.

If you can't play with a metronome or with a recording, then your ability to play with your ideal image of interpretation is also compromised. 

[teresa_b]

I do not agree.

Besides being fun, it helps teach the skill of playing with others, which is something pianists often need work at.

If you can't play with a metronome or with a recording, then your ability to play with your ideal image of interpretation is also compromised. 

Have you actually tried musicminusone?  I have, and it is counterproductive.  As I said, for fun it may be fine.  But to develop the skills you mention it's close to worthless. 

There is a fixed tempo and the chance that it's your preferred tempo is slim.  So you end up playing along at a strange tempo.  You can't really focus on interpretation at all, as you are far too focused on keeping with the recording.  Any nuance you want to put it is lost as you get off by 1/4 beat and rush to catch up, etc. 

While evenness is important, and it is valuable to practice at times with a metronome, metronomic playing is not what you want to end up with!

Teresa

[Bob]

SmartMusic might have something -- It's a computer program that accompanies soloists.  I'm not sure if they do piano concerti though.

There is also another program just like SmartMusic but specifically for piano concerti.  I forget the title -- orchestra, solist, something along those lines.

But those programs will follow you.

[pianistimo]

or, make your own.  i'm doing that with leroy anderson's pc.  it's kind of an easy pc (both parts) so i'm hoping to record the secondo part first. 

there are some recording people that can take your favorite cd and minimize one part or the other.  but, i don't think this is legal to sell or anything.  just to practice with.  an idea anyways.

[invictious]

Good idea actually, pianistimo.
You can record the 2nd piano part yourself, and it's useful in the process since you will know the concerto much better.
Again, you don't have godly timing, so it will obviously be off, and then it might be a pain to follow it again.
As I said, get a friend who can do it, it will benefit you, instead of wasting time trying to follow fruitless paths.