What did you do today to improve your piano / music abilities?

[violinist]

Today's piano workout:

Let's see.  I woke up and went to work and did nothing so far on the piano.

I wish I could have said that I practiced for two hours and what I practice but... zip.  Well maybe I could say while I was at work I logged onto piano street - yah that's all I did piano related.  And I listened to the Kinderscenen II .mp3 file posted by Gaer (Gary).  Maybe I'll absorb his piano skills by listening to this file over and over.

Post what you did so far today for piano!  Make me jealous.

[infectedmushroom]

Practised/played some songs:

  Nobuo Uematsu - Melodies of Life
  Nobuo Uematsu - Tifa's Theme
  Nobuo Uematsu - To Zanarkand
  Secret Garden - Heartstrings
  Secret Garden - Song From A Secret Garden
  Franz Liszt - Consolation (don't master this piece completely yet)
  And some simple Mario things, but they're cool to play imo.


And I practised octaves. I wanna learn them to play really fast, cause my goal is to play Mazeppa one day, so I gues I start learning to play a "bit" faster. 

Today I started to do some music theory too. The problem with me is that I can't read notes... I still play on a keyboard atm and the good thing about it, is that I can see wich note I'm playing (a little screen on the keyboard shows me what notes I'm playing). So I just play a bit with that and by ear, but still it takes so much more time to learn a song.

[violinist]

I could talk about what I did to further my music skills:

I practiced violin.. (but no piano - yet - maybe later)
 
I played my mozart concerto slowly a few times to make sure my memory of the piece is intact, and slow practice also helps me develop finesse and control.

I practiced for an hour and 10 minutes.

[gorbee natcase]

Nothing too intense, I enjoyed running through some of the WTC to pass a couple of hours

[g_s_223]

I tried out Bernhard's suggestion of playing scales with one hand at twice/3x the speed of the other. Fantastic idea! 

[zheer]

I learnt Mendelssons Etude in Bflatminor today in one day, can know play very well.

[ted]

I was going to answer very little but then I suppose I did quite a bit really. I thought of a way of generating large numbers of new voicings on the fly during improvisation (whether it's any good remains to be seen), I thought of an easier physical approach to a section of Frank French's "Bucktown Buck", I thought of a new, hilarious but effective fingering for the scale at the beginning of Mazeppa, I thought of a much easier approach to the difficult final strain of Waller's "Gladyse", I listened to some of Jarrett's "Radiance" and took note of several interesting voicings in his left hand, I listened to quantum's "Halloween" improvisation and speculated on the universality of certain figurations he had in common with Bridge and Ives ..... and a good deal more.

Actually, this sort of thread does people like me, the sort whose influx of ideas far outpaces their ability to remember and consolidate, a good service because it forces us to think about a thing twice. I find that if I can do something TWICE, it stands a chance of being remembered.

[danyal]

I went to school... practised there for half the day cos the academic teachers are useless, went to a lesson... was excellent. He was going on about my improvement etc etc... got home, practsied some more, went to an art exhibition, got home, practised again... stopped about an hour ago.

Just worked on refining some of my pieces today, and started a new one.

[stringoverstrung]

I tried out Bernhard's suggestion of playing scales with one hand at twice/3x the speed of the other. Fantastic idea! 

And it sounds twice as nice as a normal scale 

[Jacey1973]

I had a pretty crap practise day. Basically played thru my pieces couldn't be bothred to do actual "practise" - taking the music apart etc, i was too tired and lethargic. Went to a talk about romantic piano music tonight also, wasn't that useful though.

[Tash]

i celebrated the fact that i didn't have uni today (and don't have it for the next 4 month yay!! (to a degree i actually like going to uni so give me 2 weeks and i'll be hell bored) ) so did a good productive practice attempting to perfect my 2 audition pieces and working on the tougher bits in my new piece (debussy toccata) so it's almost sounding fluent (on a slow tempo!) and started sightreading beethoven op 31. no.3. so i am happy my new pieces are starting to glue together woo
and now i'm going to go perfect my debussy some more cos i'm bored....

[rc]

hah! neat idea.

- practiced some broken chords in Db, np.
- worked out LH jumps in a nifty jazz piece, got 'em blind. Very pleased.
- worked on making Db arpeggio (RH ascending) smooth and connected. Became frustrated, fingers got cold, and everything began to bother me. Might have made progress.
- Worked on fun little Christmas arrangement that should be easy for me. For some reason couldn't get it. cold fingers, distracting noises and failure escalate into white rage. Battle with thoughts of destroying things.
- Take a break before something bad happens. Steam for a while.

...and now, I'm going to bed. Gonna lay there and ponder what went wrong. Figure out why the practice routine has gone to sh*t this week and remedy it. I have a few notions of what could be wrong.

Good night people.

[sleepingcats]

I revised my practice log sheet (again) so it's easier to view & mark on. It's just a one pager, with sections printed in different colors to separate chords/inversions from scales, in-progress pieces, etc.

Using this new log sheet, I practiced my pieces in a more efficient manner. It's better for me to see everything I need to do on one sheet so I don't forget anything. I don't practice each scale and arpeggio everyday, but I can keep track as to which I did practice.

I'm working on:

Sonatina No. 4 (by Clementi),  Mazurka (by Gliere),  Bourree No. 2 (by Kirnberger), Sonatina in G (Beethoven),  Andantino (by Khachaturian), No Holly for Miss Quinn (by Enya), Hugh (by Nightnoise), several Diabelli duets, and some simple etudes.
 

[stringoverstrung]

I walked the pianostreet for yet more info 

[infectedmushroom]

I started with the intro from Mazeppa and the first 3 bars with the 3rds in it. I'm not in a hurry to learn this, but it's always good to start remembering it etc. I'm trying to play the 3rds with the 2 4 fingering, but it's kinda hard to play it real fast.


And today I started to learn some scales. Just some basic ones wich I download from the internet.

[rc]

I revised my practice log sheet (again) so it's easier to view & mark on. It's just a one pager, with sections printed in different colors to separate chords/inversions from scales, in-progress pieces, etc.

Using this new log sheet, I practiced my pieces in a more efficient manner. It's better for me to see everything I need to do on one sheet so I don't forget anything. I don't practice each scale and arpeggio everyday, but I can keep track as to which I did practice.

I use a whiteboard divided up into 8 days to keep track of what I've been doing. Very useful for the daily things, deciding what to do based on what was done the previous day, easy to cleanup/restart after the 8 days have passed. It works well for me...

[danyal]

Its 14:05 now... I suppose I've already practised about 4 hours since waking up, should be able to get about another 4 or 5 in before I have to leave for a friends birthday later... Its been a pretty good day.

I worked on my SA piece for a competition a bit this morning (oh help, its so gross!), then on Chopin op 10 no 4 just for a bit of technique work, then for the rest of the day its been my concerto for the same comp. Saint Saens African fantasy. I have to learn it completely by February next year. Started it a week and a half ago. Help. Better go practise some more...

[finn magnus]

Practised Alfred Cortot: exercises for individual fingers and trills. Prelude & Fuge in C-Major Book II for 2 hours. Chopin Etyde: Op.10 No. 8 F-major for 1 hour. A half hour Lullaby of Birdland. Yeah, a little bit of my jazz homework there.   

[pianogeek_cz]

Sheesh, some people are making me feel so -little-... Right, I'm talking about you, Danysalwan... 

Didn't do much today...
Took the TE no. 2 apart, analysed, came up with a conception. I've printed it yesterday. Also tried to somehow grasp the crazy octave jumps, now I think I've got the hang of it. Revised TE no. 1, just went slowly through it several times to make sure I didn't forget anything.
Also revised the Revolutionary, mostly LH dynamics. Also did the daily dose of LH technique. I hope I can get it up and running by Christmas...
Made sure I still remember the Schubert Impromtus op. 90 no. 2 and 3. Toyed with dynamics in the B minor part of the no. 2.
Had a look at the Raindrop prelude.
Almost mastered A flat major arpeggios.

Will have yet a look at the TE no. 2 and Revolutionary.
Maybe will try to read through Chopin Polonaise op. 40 no. 1.

And that will be all... Just 2 1/2 hours left before the neighbor-given deadline of 10 PM... I live in a slab block.  (I'm jealous when I hear about some of you practicing till midnight... Wish I could do that...)

P.S. Any tips on the TE no. 2?

[rc]

(I'm jealous when I hear about some of you practicing till midnight... Wish I could do that...)

Digital piano through headphones. Mine wasn't too expensive to acquire... On the other hand, I'm jealous of all you who get to practice on a real piano all the time, heh. Headphones or speakers will never compare to actual vibrating strings.

...Aside from regular practice, today I plan on hunting down whatever gadgets I'll need to be able to record my playing. Gonna try listening back to myself, to better hear what I could improve.

I'm not eager to having to play around with the electronics though. Nothing has more potential to make me angry than electronics.

[musik_man]

Continued to be sick.  Woke up thinking I was mostly better.  After walking to church realized I was wrong.  Spent rest of the day in bed watching movies so I'll get better soon.  I haven't practiced since Tuesday.

[princessdecadence]

Mozart's Twinkle Twinkle Variations! I'm crazy about them.

[pianogeek_cz]

Digital piano through headphones. Mine wasn't too expensive to acquire...

The point is, I have just 12 m2 to stack my bed, table, bookshelves AND of course my 80-year-old Petrof upright in and at the same time be able to move around...  Plus I'd still have to earn the money for the digital...

Another point is, parents... 

Had a bad piano day today. Just around an hour and a half of practice... terrible.  I hope it gets better tomorrow... I'm going to have a small semi-recital 'round Christmas, and it's already under two months!

[paris]

today i had 1 hour harmony lesson and 1 hour contrapunct (poliphony) in my music school. i came home and i felt terrible cos i haven't tackled chopin 10/1 for almost a week. i practised almost 3 hours just few bars of chopin 10/1...those on 3rd page...i was sooo annoyed cos they went to hell and i had to recover them blah. then i worked 1 hour on stupid czerny etude and got all pissed off cos whenever i play it i feel like an idiot. (who, oh who wrote competition requirements??)
then i worked 2 hours on the rest chopin 10/1 and got it clear in faster tempo. another 1 hour i spent on mozart concerto and after all i took bach prelude and fugue and wanted to work a bit on it but my mum came and asked wheter i want to join her in shopping...poor bach...new shirt was obviously more important then lovely d minor fugue at that time 
but overall today was pretty good day for practising

[celticqt]

Worked on the last movement of Schumann's sonata in f, which has to be performance-ready by the end of January.  Got frustrated with  it after a few hours and then read through 15 Christmas octavos that I need to know by the 30th of the month -- I'm accompanying a couple of high school choirs for their Christmas concerts.   

[m1469]

Well, so far I have worked mainly on my acting abilites.  That's very important for piano  .  I finally figured out all of the places in the first movement of the Haydn sonata I am working on where I am going to look up at the cieling and put a big cheesey grin on my face, maybe with my mouth open wide and my teeth showing.  a cross between this  and this 

And then in the second movement, I figured out all of the places where I am going to close my eyes and lean way back on the bench and make a face like I am deeply hurting and almost cry  so the audience will know what they are supposed to be feeling there.  he he.

And in the third movement I decided where I am going to laugh outloud and dance around on the bench so the audience knows they are supposed to be having a really good time when they are listening to those parts.... he he.


Okay, in all seriousness now, I so far have practiced the poopies out of that Haydn sonata and have sincerely started to enjoy the piece as a whole, even the first movement.  I am starting to really have fun with it.  That's kinda cool.  But I have a bunch more to do still. 


bye bye,

m1469

[berrt]

put a big cheesey grin on my face, maybe with my mouth open wide and my teeth showing.

Add some hair-throwing and you will get sponsored by tooth-paste and shampoo producers.. 

Today i improve my virtuosity with the cd-player (gabriela montero: chopin, falla, ginastera, granados, liszt... and SO good looking on the cover)

Bye
Berrt

[pianistimo]

speaking of granados, i listened to the spanish dances last night played by the guy who invented the 10 string guitar.  i can't remember his name right off, but i was thinking that i should take a few more listens before i play those dances again.  he had some great interpretations of the dances.

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

I am so far stuck in school learning absolutely nothing except Choir and a little bit of poetry (Thus my post in repertoire board). I can barely fit in 3 hours of practice at home because of school. At least I get access to sheet music and poems so school isn't that bad sometimes.

[rc]

Greetings.

I am so far stuck in school learning absolutely nothing except Choir and a little bit of poetry (Thus my post in repertoire board). I can barely fit in 3 hours of practice at home because of school. At least I get access to sheet music and poems so school isn't that bad sometimes.

I was never taught anything about poetry in school. I've tried a little on my own to get into it, but somehow I just don't get the idea... Any hints for a noob?

[debussy symbolism]

The school just barely touched on poetry and I got into it. Poetry is very ambiguous and difficult to interpret. First you want to see how the rhythm flows. Whether the poet talks in a strong beat first, or weak beat. Such as: The town was old man and women (You may recognize this from Bernstein's lectures on the "Unanswered Question" or for example: "I went to night." The beat falls strongly on the first syllable, such as in a word "Mother". The poet uses these and other "devices" to create poetry. Pentameter, triameter, ect. The poet also includes references to other things such as religious figures, nature, ect. Poetry should be read in a poetic, ambiguous way, and as with all reading, the more you read the more you understand. I don't understand alot on the first read, but after consecutive studies I comprehend some meanings. Of course you can understand poetry and you can do it in your own way. It just takes some time and reading. I am still just a toddler in poetry, so there are things to consider. The obfusticated and ambiguous faces of poetry are like music in fact. Bernstein talks about this in his lectures. I enjoyed them so much I ask my piano teacher to let me watch them again......and again. They are a treat. Anyways, yes you can do it.


Glad to help.

[pianistimo]

learning intention by seeing patterns is cool, too.  kinda mathematic.  when i first scan a piece of music, i look for similarities in repeats - and also differences.  also, to see how the piece fits together (form).  after you take in the form and style, also the closeness to the autographed manuscript.  looking at all the little starred places doesn't take that long.  a piece of music to a musician is like a microbe to a microbiologist.  you start realizing that you can't take anything forgranted or just believe what everyone else tells you.  you have to research a bit for yourself and listen to recordings of various interpretations.

today - i still haven't looked up who invented the ten string guitar (must do it now).  anyway, i heard him play granados spanish dances last night and was intrigued by his interpretations.  understanding more about dance (as well as poetry) seems useful. ok he's narcisco yepes.  have to look up more, but will probably first listen again to him on amazon.

[dinosaurtales]

I worked like a DOG on the last 3 pages of Beethoven's c minor variations - you know, the bit with 4's and 5's in the left hand with 3's 4's in the right?  nasty bit of timing to get the pulse and all!  Don't worry, though. I'll get it!

[bearzinthehood]

I randomly worked on Chopin 10/1.  I remember giving up on this piece like 9 months ago, but in the past 2 days I've tried it randomly and it's so much easier.  First page is up to 130 with no errors.  The weird thing is I feel like I can go much faster, although I'm afraid I'll start ingraining some sloppyness.

[violinist]

Today

I worked on playing the Debussy Arabesque # 1 slower.  Trying to make it more "romantic" sounding... but not too romantic.  It's actually harder to play it slower.

I tried to memorize the second page of the Chopin Nocturne 72/1.  Still getting hang ups.

And I'm trying out the right hand to the two hands version of the Hesitation Tango by Barber - this piece is so beautiful, but seems so hard.

[m1469]

Add some hair-throwing and you will get sponsored by tooth-paste and shampoo producers.. 

Bye
Berrt

Done and Done    J/K - no commercials yet 

[gouldfischer]

Good topic...

Well, so far I've only played Goldberg Variation #3 (separated voices), mentally, while I was swimming during my lunch time break (from work)... not that much of a training session, I'm sure :-) but I've been improving a lot with these abstractions (besides my humble 100 minutes, daily, at the piano, of course...)

[ako]

I worked on gestures for better two hand coordination. I also worked on using key speed to control my tone quality.