db05's middle/ short term plan (1 year)

[db05]

Thanks for the input on my long-term plan thread. 

I've revised the 100 pieces a bit, but I'm not so sure so I'm not posting it yet. Teacher is giving me a sonata next, so that messed it up lots. I asked for a Bach upgrade, too, but no, so I'm still doing First Lessons. I also have to take that into account.

So the pieces I want to learn by next year (2009) are:

First Lessons in Bach - required 
Kuhlau Sonatina in C 1st mvt
Satie Sonatine Bureaucratique
Mozart Sonata No.5 in G
Beethoven Sonata No. 25 (Sonatine - Alla Tedesca) or 19/ 20 (Leichte Sonate)
3 short pieces:https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,7810.msg78598.html#msg78598
Scarlatti - Sonata K208
Bach - Prelude in Cm (from 12 Little Preludes)
Chopin - Prelude No. 20 in Cm (I didn't mean to pick the same key LOL)
Prelude No. 15 in Db (Raindrop)
Prokofieff - Gavotte from Classical Symphony
Beethoven - Fur Elise
Brahms - Waltz in Ab
Albeniz - Tango
Debussy - The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
Pi - Oops Fugue
Masuda - Sadness and Sorrow
Sakamoto - Energy Flow
Mitsuda - Scars of Time


The sonatas are quite hard for me so everything else must be easy enough. I will study 3-5 pieces at a time, including the required sonata mvt + Bach. Having a hard time with consistency, though, that's why I didn't get to do the 3 pieces in 10 days as Sir bernhard expected. I think it is very possible, but there is always something in the way for me, usually my moods. And I think fear is a factor, as it does require me to practice my required exercises/ pieces less. Working on 2 pieces at a time is quite a comfort zone for me. I want to study at least 3 pieces, so I can learn something of my choice.

The sonatina mvt is half-done and I might be able to play in the December recital. The plan requires that I learn 1 sonata mvt a month, is that reasonable?

Edit: Kuhlau sonatina mvt is 3/4 done. Having trouble with pedaling. Performing it in December is almost a sure thing. 1 sonata mvt a month still seems a stretch. Am pondering cancelling Alla Tedesca and replacing it withan easier sonata. Teacher says we start Mozart on January, but I've already learned the 1st 8 bars in my excitement. This is actually nice despite Mozart.

[pinoypianist]

 The plan requires that I learn 1 sonata mvt a month, is that reasonable?

I think thats reasonable.

[thierry13]

I think thats reasonable.

It's all about how dedicated you are to practice !

[db05]

I think thats reasonable.

We need 1 whole sonata/ sonatina for 1 semester. I know they do more in your school, bro. But I'm not used to this yet.

It's all about how dedicated you are to practice !

Well I get these high days when I could play through exhaustion and still be focused for 2 hours straight. And then there are the lows when I'm too distracted and sick to think. Like today. I think consistency is the missing link here, also has something to do with physical/ mental health. Practicing is like running a marathon. You have to be fit.

[thierry13]

Practicing is like running a marathon. You have to be fit.

It's more that you have to know how to be fit.

[db05]

It's more that you have to know how to be fit.

Precisely, sir. It's not so easy as "setting your mind to it".

Hmmm... I guess "piano stamina" does exist. For some people, it's easier to spend hours practicing, but I am much more emotional and I have to "cool off". But I'm sure I'll pass this piano relationship stage and eventually marry the piano.

I know what I want from piano, but what does piano want from me? That I don't understand. Music is a different language from what I'm used to (words). I hate to be so... unsure... 

[pinoypianist]

We need 1 whole sonata/ sonatina for 1 semester. I know they do more in your school, bro. But I'm not used to this yet.

you'd be surprised that we don't, we're just required one sonata for a year. of course there's the other pieces.......

[pinoypianist]

But I'm not used to this yet.

Just be patient. You can try like one page a day and before you know it your done already. BTW I like the wide variety of composers you chose.

[j.s. bach the 534th]

Well I get these high days when I could play through exhaustion and still be focused for 2 hours straight. And then there are the lows when I'm too distracted and sick to think. Like today. I think consistency is the missing link here, also has something to do with physical/ mental health. Practicing is like running a marathon. You have to be fit.

I've had this problem too, but I've learned to work around it. When I'm having one of those horrible days, I just take a break from the piano and focus on something else for awhile. A couple hours later, I come back and try playing again. Do not let the bad times frustrate you so much that you can't practice at all that day; just take a break and let your mind relax.

[shinerl]

I might visit Manila. So where does DB_05 study and where can you find him
I mean Loonbohol 

I want to hear and meet you.

[loonbohol]

I am Done with the & Impromptu's   

After you rest for a while then you will be as lively as a firecracker.
 I kind the like Mitsuda's "sands of time" of yours.

There are times that when I am tred f composing then I cannot yield good music.
My seven Impromptus did not improve from one to seven. 

We'll hello Db_05

[concerto_love]

db, guess your moving so quckly!!  Lat time I chat with cai she said, "That db, she's moving so fast!!"  You're really make a big progress, guess I have to practice more too...

Well, I think your plan is good. I can't comment anything since I dunno what to say.  But more practice is better, I guess...  Ganbatte, db! 

[db05]

you'd be surprised that we don't, we're just required one sonata for a year. of course there's the other pieces.......

Just be patient. You can try like one page a day and before you know it your done already. BTW I like the wide variety of composers you chose.

Oh. I know it's 1 sonatina/ sem for us, but not really sure if the same goes if we  upgrade to sonatas. Maybe I can get away with just 1 sonata (the Mozart one) for the entire school year. (But ugh, that means I have to redo the plan AGAIN.) Thanks, bro.

I might visit Manila. So where does DB_05 study and where can you find him

I study in Yamaha Main Office, Makati. loon is in Bohol, I think. Awww it's embarrassing. Wait a few years.

I am Done with the & Impromptu's  

After you rest for a while then you will be as lively as a firecracker.
 I kind the like Mitsuda's "sands of time" of yours.

Yay!
I just happened to have a copy. I'm a Chrono Cross fan, so I should definitely play this!

---

I feel sick of my classmates and teachers, they're all about playing harder stuff and I am looking for more beautiful pieces (imo) that are not necessarily harder. Plus the classical discipline of playing exactly as written, I don't understand it. I have to feel my way around, otherwise I'm calculating everything and not hearing music at all. I get so self-conscious, I don't enjoy practice anymore. 

Stopped practicing piano for a few days, but I still feel sick.............
I guess I'll have to practice tomorrow despite how I feel. Exams are next week, too.

I'm reeeeaaaaally confused, should I quit guitar? Should I play keyboard in a band? I don't know if I can focus on piano full-time... 

[db05]

I am sick right now and taking a break. I haven't practiced at all yesterday and I still feel awful. *cough cough* I'm glad I copped out of the Halloween party. I'm in no shape for partying.

I discovered Satie's Sonatine Bureaucratique and now it's one of my favorites. I wantwantwant to play it. The hard part is convincing my teacher to teach me. Maybe I'll learn it on my own. 

I still have to do First Lessons in Bach, if it's the entire book I'm in an awkward situation. I don't sight-read that well; assign me a short piece and I have to work at it and partially memorize it. That takes a lot of time and throws the plan waaaaaay off.

I'll edit the list above as I go.

[shinerl]

I am sick right now and taking a break. I haven't practiced at all yesterday and I still feel awful. *cough cough* I'm glad I copped out of the Halloween party. I'm in no shape for partying.

I discovered Satie's Sonatine Bureaucratique and now it's one of my favorites. I wantwantwant to play it. The hard part is convincing my teacher to teach me. Maybe I'll learn it on my own. 

I still have to do First Lessons in Bach, if it's the entire book I'm in an awkward situation. I don't sight-read that well; assign me a short piece and I have to work at it and partially memorize it. That takes a lot of time and throws the plan waaaaaay off.

I'll edit the list above as I go.

Satie is such a strange man .  Try gymnopedie no.1

[db05]

Satie is such a strange man .  Try gymnopedie no.1

I like the sonatina better. 


Edit: I wish Sir bernhard were here.

[db05]

I realize I've been overstaying at "Level 2". I must move on, so I'm changing the list again:

entries marked (*) are still under deliberation

First Lessons in Bach - still required 
Kuhlau Sonatina in C - complete - required
Mozart Sonata No.5 in G - complete - required
Fantasy in Dm
*Scarlatti - Sonata K208
*Bach - Prelude in Cm (from 12 Little Preludes)
*Chopin - Prelude No. 20 in Cm (I didn't mean to pick the same key LOL)
Nocturne in Eb
Prelude No. 15 in Db (Raindrop)
*Prokofieff - Gavotte from Classical Symphony
Beethoven - Fur Elise
Brahms - Waltz in Ab
Albeniz - Tango
Debussy - The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
Reverie
*Pi - Oops Fugue
*Masuda - Sadness and Sorrow
Sakamoto - Energy Flow
Mitsuda - Scars of Time
Granados - Orientale
Spanish Dance No. 5
Ravel - Prelude
Rach - Prelude in C#m
*Liszt - Consolation
*Grieg - Notturno

Suggestions would be most welcome; as you can see, I have a lack of good music between "Level 2 - 5".

[gyzzzmo]

Dont forget to add some etudes, trying to play these pieces only will keep you behind your competitors

[db05]

Dont forget to add some etudes, trying to play these pieces only will keep you behind your competitors

Oh. You replied on here, too. What do you mean? It's too easy? I forgot to mention that I'm always learning something from Hanon and Czerny. Scales and arpeggios, required stuff... Other etudes I know little about, except Chopin is out of reach atm. 

I'm obviously confused, and I posted this even though I haven't decided to continue studying yet. Taking this seriously implies that I'm going to continue, and I'm not so sure.

PS. I saw your guide on how to learn (Chopin) etudes. You are one weird fellow.  Like sir lostin, I never thought of getting technique from Chopin.

[gyzzzmo]

Oh. You replied on here, too. What do you mean? It's too easy? I forgot to mention that I'm always learning something from Hanon and Czerny. Scales and arpeggios, required stuff... Other etudes I know little about, except Chopin is out of reach atm. 

I'm obviously confused, and I posted this even though I haven't decided to continue studying yet. Taking this seriously implies that I'm going to continue, and I'm not so sure.

PS. I saw your guide on how to learn (Chopin) etudes. You are one weird fellow.  Like sir lostin, I never thought of getting technique from Chopin.

The problem is that you have a wishlist of pieces wich all have about the same grade. That means you will spend an entire year learning pieces that will hardly improve you. And about your etudes.... Hanon is only useful in some situation and only if you handle them properly (with your brains and not with your fingers, unless training strength), scales and arpeggio's are also hardly increasing anything since theyre only a very limited part of technique.
Czerny is pretty good though. Pick etudes THAT HANDLE YOUR WEAKNESSES, so dont play some random etude. Realise that etudes usually have 2 functions: 1) getting your brains used to certain movements (so always think about what you're doing when playing an etude), and 2) getting finger strength, so dont play fast things only mP, play them also F or FF to get accuracy and finger strength.

And about those Chopin Etudes and the guide i wrote... Chopin Etudes are one of the few concert etudes wich are actually etudes instead of just a bunch of fast notes. And yes you can get alot of technique of those, but only if you train them concentrated and slowly, as i wrote in that guide. And if you dont really understand the actual process of how gaining technique works, you have to have a good teacher who controls your training.

gyzzzmo

[db05]

The problem is that you have a wishlist of pieces wich all have about the same grade. That means you will spend an entire year learning pieces that will hardly improve you.

What do you mean? I think the updated list is pretty hard, for what I'd expect to play in a year's time.

Edit:
Whatever do you mean, gyzzzmo? What pieces do you have in mind, for instance? And what etudes? I can't venture to guess. Your suggestion is so weird that it's interesting.

[gyzzzmo]

What do you mean? I think the updated list is pretty hard, for what I'd expect to play in a year's time.

Edit:
Whatever do you mean, gyzzzmo? What pieces do you have in mind, for instance? And what etudes? I can't venture to guess. Your suggestion is so weird that it's interesting.

That is something you should discuss with your teacher, because i dont know your weaknesses (thus not know wich etudes you should do) and you have to work together with your teacher anyway. But i'll give you an example so you might get an idea: Your 4th and 5th finger of your right and left hand are probably pretty weak and you have little control over them. So you have to think about wich etude has alot of 4-5 fingering in it... In case of the Chopin etudes, opus 10/2 and 25/6 give you control training, and opus 10/1 for example gives you fingerstrength and accuracy. But there are ofcourse czerny examples for those too, discuss that with your teacher.
Thats the way you should start thinking if you want a much better technical progress. Musically is a different story, but that cant be explained in words.

gyzzzmo

[db05]

No reading of books or articles about piano playing is required. As long as you have insight in WHAT and HOW you're practising things. Anyway, i'm gonna stick to that other topic of yours on the student corner, switching between 2 doesnt make much sense and is probably only confusing 

Insight. That goes much deeper, doesn't it? Whether my classmates have it or not, I wouldn't know. All I know is I was always the careful one. Maybe you're right, and I should push the envelope a little. But I'm not familiar/ interested in more technical pieces. As you can see, I'm quite fond of slow, lyrical pieces... So I don't know... For the sake of study, I'd learn some technique, but I don't see the point.

[gyzzzmo]

Insight. That goes much deeper, doesn't it? Whether my classmates have it or not, I wouldn't know. All I know is I was always the careful one. Maybe you're right, and I should push the envelope a little. But I'm not familiar/ interested in more technical pieces. As you can see, I'm quite fond of slow, lyrical pieces... So I don't know... For the sake of study, I'd learn some technique, but I don't see the point.

You should be very interested in etudes/more technical pieces, because they are the basis to be able to play more difficult (and beautiful) pieces, AND they are the basis for being able to put musicality into those pieces.  And 'hacking' into pieces isnt that bad, as long as you perform when you have to.

[db05]

You should be very interested in etudes/more technical pieces, because they are the basis to be able to play more difficult (and beautiful) pieces, AND they are the basis for being able to put musicality into those pieces.  And 'hacking' into pieces isnt that bad, as long as you perform when you have to.

That explains it. Although I really feel that some etudes are just a bunch of fast notes. Either I'm not getting the point or it's just not my type of music. I'll add some technical stuff anyhow. Not giving up... yet. Thanks.

[gyzzzmo]

That explains it. Although I really feel that some etudes are just a bunch of fast notes. Either I'm not getting the point or it's just not my type of music. I'll add some technical stuff anyhow. Not giving up... yet. Thanks.

Some etudes are indeed just a bunch of fast notes, for example Hanon, but even they have their purpose, although pretty limited. But dont forget there are beautiful melodic etudes that are even educative, for example Czerny's and ofcourse Chopin's etudes.

So see etudes as an awsome tool to be able to play pieces more beautiful, instead of a bunch of notes you dont see the point of practising for. Thats the idea that should be motivating you, and you'll only become a good pianist if you start realising that.

gyzzzmo

[db05]

UPDATE

Right now: sick with cold+cough, tired of all the "grand recital" BS in our school

Working on these pieces:
March from First Lessons in Bach No. 9 - for recital on Dec. 13
Kuhlau Sonatina Op. 20 in C - complete - for professor's next visit on January
Invention No. 1 - for January

Teacher lined up for me a Chopin Waltz (Ab maybe) and a Mozart Sonata, which I shall start working on ASAP.

The previous lists are cancelled, so forget about them. Will take pieces one at a time, according to my level and uhm, mood atm. Still want a nice variety of style/ technique. So I decided to stick with completely different pieces, Fur Elise ("easy" and massively overplayed) and Girl with the Flaxen Hair ("difficult" and not so popular here). Wanted to do something Romantic too, but that's covered as soon as I get the Waltz.

Hope I get well and cheer up soon. This is ruining my practice.