My 3rd Public Performance...

[jasons]

Hi guys,

Can I have some tips / comments on these please?

I've been learning for about 18 months now and have to play these for my teacher's christmas concert.

Any tips welcome

Jason

1 - Eric Satie, Gnossienne No1
2 - Ludovico Einaudi, Le onde

[justliam]

Hey bud, well done.  I would say for the Gnosienne, listen to a few recordings, due to the fact it has no time sig, although clearly 4/4 , it's interpreted quite widely, so it's always a good idea to listen to a few recordings.  Also it's a little slow, so the temp needs working on before xmas, but I assume your still learning them.  Perhaps try to make your grace notes a little smoother and closer together perhaps. 

Le Onde is difficult to say because you have a slightly simplified version to the one I have, but you seem to play it nicely enough, good tempo as well.  I would perhaps try to accent to melody more on occasions though, just think about it in your head, and it will probably come through naturally. 

Well done, nice pieces, and don't forget to enjoy yourself :p

[jasons]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I have recordings of the satie one by a couple of different pianists. One plays through the whole thing quite fast and with a very fixed rhythm. It lasts a little over 3 mins on that one. I've tried playing it the same way, but it just doesn't 'feel' right. I don't like the recording much either - seems far too metronomic.

The 2nd recording I have plays it at about the same speed as I have in the recording posted, but varies the tempo quite a lot and tends to leave pauses in place that don't feel right (to my ear). I don't like that one much either.

What I went for was the slow pace from my 2nd recording with a more fixed rhythm. Listening to it again though, I think you're right, it does need speeding up. When I'm playing it the slow tempo seems to work for me, but listening to it back it seems a bit too slow and dull

I wasn't aware I had an arrangement of Le onde. I got the sheetmusic from the book for the album: the version I have is the same as the one on that album.

I think the problems I have getting the melody out comes from having to play both the melody and part of the accompaniment in the right hand. I try to 'lean' my right hand over to the right as I'm playing to get more out of fingers 3,4 & 5, but sometimes it doesn't work. Either the melody gets lost, or the right hand part of the accompaniment stick out too much - any tips on this would be most welcome.

Jason

[justliam]

Yeh that is difficult.  Well I can suggest a few ways but so close to you playing them I'm not sure you should try them, but its up to you, some won't hurt some could I guess if you get in the habbit but you could try :
 
Playing notes you sees at part of the melody as Staccato (Not for the performance but just in practise).  If you practise like that, when you play it normally you may find you are slightly accentuating the notes, drawing out the melody

You can imagine the notes of the melody has an sF dynamic marking so you would play it louder and then softer immediately after so the other notes aren't as prodominent.

You can try singing it in your head and just singing the melody can sometimes draw it out. 

The best thing to do though is just really concentrate on the melody if you see that as your big problem, record yourself as much as possibly, and listen back,becuase like you say that can be different to how you percieve it when you play.


Oh and P.S Yeh that is proper music for Le Onde, lol, aint palyed it a while, I imagined more stuff in left hand, but playing it now, tis the same