Chopin - Raindrop Prelude (beginner warning :p)

[buebo]

Hi everyone.
This is my second post here (I think ).
I started piano last december, and began my weekly lessons in januari. I have been playing guitar for 9-something years and also have some drumming experience. Through coincidence my love for classical music fired up only a couple of months before starting the piano. I always enjoyed it (my sister studied among other things piano at a conservatory) but never really actively listened to it myself. I always thought the piano was a superiour instrument for playing classical considering the amount that was composed for it compared to classical guitar (only my humble opnion). So I finally started playing the instrument that I've been hearing my sis' play for many years. My teacher pushes my quite a bit regarding the level I'm at, and the level of the pieces he gives me. So after a couple of pieces I started the raindrop prelude. I've been playing it for some weeks now still improving, because there is still so much I can improve on in this piece. Anyways this is the progress I made so far. I know I still need to work on getting it cleaner and more lyrical a lot, but I would really like to hear some opnions and tips/criticism of the people here. Also I have no experience recording and it makes quite nervous (even when recording guitar I sometimes still do!) which I can really tell (short memory lapses, uncertainty in my playing).  I hope I didn't butcher it for you . Hope hearing some replies!

Greets, Buebo.

(ps: I play a digital roland piano)

[nsvppp]

Hello Buebo,

I am amazed at your Raindrops. I've been playing piano for 2 years now and my greatest struggle is to play the right notes. You seemed to have no difficulty with that, I didn't notice any. Perhaps some "stiffness" occurred, just because of your attention at playing the right notes.

I started to like your piece more and more the further you progressed. Congratulations.

nsvppp

[instromp]

Hey buebo

Good to hear that your learning this too, well in your case learned. Cant really give advice on this since i am undone with it myself.

I like your tempo, it's not  fast, as with some pianists play it faster. It has a nice "slowness" to it,lol. And ur pauses in some areas in this piece, like add a "atmosphere" to it, so to say. Well thats what i think about it.Best wishes with it!

Instromp

[jlh]

For someone who's been only playing piano for 5 months it is quite good!!  You are very sensitive in your playing and you have a nice tone.

The performance is a bit too metronomic and could be freer, but that is something that comes from experience, so don't feel bad about that.  I would say just make sure the melody doesn't get lost behind the harmonies.

Good job!

[buebo]

Thank you for all your really kind comments! I really appreciate it. Regarding more use of rubato (or less metronomic playing), I've taken this into consideration before (same advice was given by my sister). Anyways my problem is, is that I don't want to play it freely solely for the purpose of making it sound more freely, I think I need to feel why I phrase things faster or slower. Perhaps this sense of the flow of the piece comes with more experience as you (jlh) already said.
Thank you for the advice of keeping the melody on top of the harmony. This is something I need to conciously think about a bit more!
To instromp: thank you, I enjoy a tempo which is a bit slower than most pianists play it as well
Further tips and criticism are still much appreciated .

Greets, Buebo.

[instromp]

Thank you for all your really kind comments! I really appreciate it. Regarding more use of rubato (or less metronomic playing), I've taken this into consideration before (same advice was given by my sister). Anyways my problem is, is that I don't want to play it freely solely for the purpose of making it sound more freely, I think I need to feel why I phrase things faster or slower. Perhaps this sense of the flow of the piece comes with more experience as you (jlh) already said.
Thank you for the advice of keeping the melody on top of the harmony. This is something I need to conciously think about a bit more!
To instromp: thank you, I enjoy a tempo which is a bit slower than most pianists play it as well
Further tips and criticism are still much appreciated .

Greets, Buebo.

U r very much welcome

[jlh]

Thank you for all your really kind comments! I really appreciate it. Regarding more use of rubato (or less metronomic playing), I've taken this into consideration before (same advice was given by my sister). Anyways my problem is, is that I don't want to play it freely solely for the purpose of making it sound more freely, I think I need to feel why I phrase things faster or slower. Perhaps this sense of the flow of the piece comes with more experience as you (jlh) already said.
Thank you for the advice of keeping the melody on top of the harmony. This is something I need to conciously think about a bit more!
To instromp: thank you, I enjoy a tempo which is a bit slower than most pianists play it as well
Further tips and criticism are still much appreciated .

Greets, Buebo.

Well, from a purely stylistic standpoint, Chopin should never be constrained by a metronome.  His melodies need the freedom to breath and playing it very strictly in time makes the whole piece sound cold.  Also, consider that this is the Raindrop Prelude.  Not that this is a very appropriate title, but from it I will attempt to explain why some rubato is needed.  What are some characteristics of rain?  Maybe different sizes of the drops or different temperatures of the water?  Do all raindrops fall in the same direction, or do some of them fly the other way when a bit of wind directs them?  In the same way, this piece needs a bit of 'ebb and flow', so that it sounds natural and not manufactured.  Give the melodies room to grow and evolve.  That said, a little bit goes a long way.

[jlh]

Your tempo is fine, don't change it.