Etudes and Performance

[loonbohol]

Don't be shocked that I only studied piano only for 4 years but I have a problem,
My First piano piece with the word etude on it's title is Franz Liszt 'La Campanella'.
It took me almost 3 months to finish it. The problem is that my weakness is about the chromatic styles that I cannot even execute it properly for the video in youtube that i wan't to display
And the second problem is that after I finish La Campanella. How am I supposed to look good on youtube and I have just reached 15 years old.
The third problem is that I don't know what etude am I supposed to learn next.
I have just been given a gift that is a book about Chopin etude opus 25.
I wan't to be a concert pianist.

Please Indicate what problem is that you are solving.

[m]

Don't be shocked that I only studied piano only for 4 years but I have a problem,
My First piano piece with the word etude on it's title is Franz Liszt 'La Campanella'.
It took me almost 3 months to finish it. The problem is that my weakness is about the chromatic styles that I cannot even execute it properly for the video in youtube that i wan't to display
And the second problem is that after I finish La Campanella. How am I supposed to look good on youtube and I have just reached 15 years old.
The third problem is that I don't know what etude am I supposed to learn next.
I have just been given a gift that is a book about Chopin etude opus 25.
I wan't to be a concert pianist.

Please Indicate what problem is that you are solving.

May I ask a few counter question?
If you call a doctor and say you have a stomachache, how the doctor supposed to know what is wrong without seeing you, so without seeing and listening what is wrong with your chromatic scales, how can we know what is wrong there?
If we don't know how you look in the present form, how we suppose to know how you suppose to look on youtube?
If we don't know what are your strengths and weaknesses, how can we know what next etude for you to play?

You see, we just don't have enough information to answer your questions properly.
Nevertherless, I am sure you will get many advises here, but... (especially) considering you want to become a concert pianist I'd strongly suggest you to find a good teacher, who would address all of those.

Best regards, M

[akonow]

May I ask a few counter question?
If you call a doctor and say you have a stomachache, how the doctor supposed to know what is wrong without seeing you, so without seeing and listening what is wrong with your chromatic scales, how can we know what is wrong there?
If we don't know how you look in the present form, how we suppose to know how you suppose to look on youtube?
If we don't know what are your strengths and weaknesses, how can we know what next etude for you to play?

You see, we just don't have enough information to answer your questions properly.
Nevertherless, I am sure you will get many advises here, but... (especially) considering you want to become a concert pianist I'd strongly suggest you to find a good teacher, who would address all of those.

Best regards, M

I wholeheartedly agree.

[loonbohol]

I am sorry If I am an Idiot.

I am good at memorizing and my being an idiot might have came from my Filipino ancestral blood.
I am not going to argue more on the attire.
Only that I am so good when It comes to finger Strength but my low velocity and poor finger flexibility finds chromatic style hindering that I have to play at random and mask it to give it an Illusion of flowing chromatic style.
As an example then, If I begin learning "Transcendental Etude No.5 (Feux Follet)"
I will never begin or I will hang on up to the beggining.

I need "finger velocity etudes","Etudes for Chromatic styles","Etudes for flexibility",
"Etudes for Stamina". (WINTER WIND ETUDE IS MECHANICALLY VERY HORRIBLE FOR ME).

[Petter]

I am good at memorizing and my being an idiot might have came from my Filipino ancestral blood.

Oh...

[faulty_damper]

So I guess the next rational step is to breed with a Russian so that your offspring will have the desirable traits of good memorization and technique.  I don't know who they'd have to breed with to get good musicality, though. 

[healdie]

  I don't know who they'd have to breed with to get good musicality, though. 

A German 

[franz_]

Is this a joke?

[loonbohol]

 

Oh...

What's with the race. I dont get it but Is it really relative that your ability to play the piano and your musicality is directly proportional to the ancestral blood.
I would rather post the video of La Campanella in YouTube right away.
By the way, My account is Boloysew.
!COMING SOON!(Maybe Sept 15-30)

But you may continue the Chat box.
I have another question to be posted refer to the Classical Composer.

[pinoypianist]

I am good at memorizing and my being an idiot might have came from my Filipino ancestral blood.
 

why are you calling yourself an idiot?  who's your piano teacher here in the Philippines  do you even have a teacher?

[thierry13]

A German 

A Quebecker.

[loonbohol]

why are you calling yourself an idiot?  who's your piano teacher here in the Philippines  do you even have a teacher?

When I was at the age of 7-11. Yes I had a piano teacher.
Now I am up to myself. And my gifts from my mother
or to compose an even better composition than the world re-known composer called
"Madam Kajiura Yuki". She is my idol.

[faulty_damper]

I would suggest opening the front door and walk outside, see some sunlight.  Get some color in that pale hide called skin.  Maybe even talk to someone.

[db05]

What's with the race. I dont get it but Is it really relative that your ability to play the piano and your musicality is directly proportional to the ancestral blood.
I would rather post the video of La Campanella in YouTube right away.
By the way, My account is Boloysew.
!COMING SOON!(Maybe Sept 15-30)

*cough cough* I don't Filipinos are necessarily idiots by blood. But having small bodies and hands is a disadvantage. Living in a hot country is a disadvantage. Lack of good teachers is a huge disadvantage.

How is your playing? Do you have a youtube account now?

[loonbohol]

sorry but sending videos is harder than I expected. can you help me how

[momopi]

Loonbohol,

You know, I kind of like you. For some reasons, I find this forum a little too polite and serious. Somehow, you have this comic relief going on which I really like. (Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!)

But you know, you seem to lack forethought in the things you say and it may be interpreted by a lot of people in a negative light. First, I suggest you use a question mark whenever you'd ask a question. Second, be careful about your statements. Saying Please Indicate what problem is that you are solving, I'm sorry if, I'm an idiot and I am good at memorizing and my being an idiot might have came from my Filipino ancestral blood are not very becoming to a young person like you. Maybe they would come off as funny in your language but in English, they really sound strange, if not derogatory - to yourself and to other Filipinos as well.

You seem like you want to prove yourself to yourself and to the world (mainly through youtube). Why don't get another teacher who can help you well? You may not find a perfect teacher but at least you have a guide and a critic. Recitals are good venues for exposure. She can also help you train for your audition to the conservatory. (I've heard UP Coll. of Music is very good.)

I hope I'm not being bossy but I also suggest that you take more advance communication classes so you can articulate your ideas in a more decent manner.



 
Momopi

[db05]

(I've heard UP Coll. of Music is very good.)

I hope I'm not being bossy but I also suggest that you take more advance communication classes so you can articulate your ideas in a more decent manner.

There are few very good schools in this country. And I doubt a public school like UP is one of them.   

His english is understandable, the grammar is correct, and except for the point I argued above, he has been most polite... I have seen and heard worse lol. 


Watch more movies in English language or (correct) subtitles. Read more books. You can improve your language while having fun; I just sort of picked it up myself. Find materials you like and try deciphering the heiroglyphs. Like books on Chopin. 

sorry but sending videos is harder than I expected. can you help me how

I have no idea; I'd want to upload videos too, but we don't even have a digital video camera. I have a youtube account as a watcher nonetheless. My schoolmates have made low-quality vids using cellphones. (Mine doesn't have a camera.) That's all know.

[momopi]

There are few very good schools in this country. And I doubt a public school like UP is one of them.   

I'm curious. Tell me, what makes it not good enough?

[pinoypianist]

except the part about the competition the piano course is generally good in UP. We are trying to increase our standard and we are the only college here inthe philippines (as far as I know) that has weekly performance classes for piano students to perform their pieces and get constructive criticisms from their fellow students. The problem is sometimes there are students who only prepare for the auditions and they don't know what it's like to study piano seriously in college.

[db05]

I'm curious. Tell me, what makes it not good enough?

The problem is sometimes there are students who only prepare for the auditions and they don't know what it's like to study piano seriously in college.

Really...?

The auditions are stringent enough; I don't think students are to blame. Granted, big universities like UP have entrance exams to weed out the less intelligent/ less talented. That is reality. Sheer preparation/ hard work will not make you pass, and even if you did, you'd be struggling all the time, trying to keep up with the best of the best. In this case, there is little to help you there. Transfer.

The big difference between the well-known universities and underrated ones are NOT necessarily the quality of teaching, but the entrance exams.

Therefore my criteria won't be reputation, but seeing the campus facilities for myself. UP is a public school with low funds  and honestly, my family can afford UST, PWU and the like, so I'd leave UP to the most talented who can handle it.

[pinoypianist]

we

Really...?

The auditions are stringent enough; I don't think students are to blame. Granted, big universities like UP have entrance exams to weed out the less intelligent/ less talented. That is reality. Sheer preparation/ hard work will not make you pass, and even if you did, you'd be struggling all the time, trying to keep up with the best of the best. In this case, there is little to help you there. Transfer.

Yes really, we have a lot of piano majors who shifted already, because the exams are once a semester and you have to play at least a 30 minute program in front of the whole piano faculty and if you don't take the exam it's an automatic fail. some of them aren't able to cope with it.


 And you can pass if you work hard enough. As for funding, the college of music has an extension program that admits non-UP students to study music (and it generates alot of money). So we are fortunate enough to have good equipment. If you don't want to go to UP, I'd rather you go to UST. They also have agood piano program.

[db05]

Yes really, we have a lot of piano majors who shifted already, because the exams are once a semester and you have to play at least a 30 minute program in front of the whole piano faculty and if you don't take the exam it's an automatic fail. some of them aren't able to cope with it.

So you think if they can't cope with it, it's their fault?? 

Automatic fail, you said. It means the school isn't willing to help people get better at what they do, instead they automatically fail anyone who cannot meet such stringent requirements. This is worse than I thought. Apparently "increasing the standard" means pretty much failing more students. That's insane! They should be helping the weakest students instead imo.

Find me a school that can turn a "struggling student" into a "master of the instrument", a "failure" into a "success". THAT'S where I want to go.

You are so typical skolar ng bayan; I have to admit I used to think that way too, when I was in a supposedly "good school".

[pinoypianist]

So you think if they can't cope with it, it's their fault?? 

Automatic fail, you said. It means the school isn't willing to help people get better at what they do, instead they automatically fail anyone who cannot meet such stringent requirements. This is worse than I thought. Apparently "increasing the standard" means pretty much failing more students. That's insane! They should be helping the weakest students instead imo.

Find me a school that can turn a "struggling student" into a "master of the instrument", a "failure" into a "success". THAT'S where I want to go.

You are so typical skolar ng bayan; I have to admit I used to think that way too, when I was in a supposedly "good school".

personally i dont know if it's the students fault or teachers fault because I see the practicing and participating in performance class. That's whats nice about UST, theyre willing to train you from scratch.
 
and about increasing the standard I don't mean that everything needs to be perfect.we just try to make a more "pianistic" environment like more concert opportunities for our pianists because we barely get any, and of course the weekly perf. classes.

[db05]

In our school, many are being trained from scratch but the teachers don't seem to mind. But there is also lack of teachers, so if you're not switching every year or so, you're lucky. This is my 4th piano teacher, but looks like she's here to stay. If it weren't for that teacher problem, it's a good course + environment, not much competition + stress.

Really, UST? Interesting! I don't know if I'll risk traditional schooling anymore though. I'd just given up, honestly.

[pinoypianist]

yep, and it's a conservatory. which means less acamemics (i think)

Personsally I don't like trad. school either, I was homeschooled till college. but the teacher who I study with now charges too high for private lessons.

[db05]

I studied traditionally ever since up to last year, but had a tutor in grade school. This put me way ahead of most. I thought my school was good, maybe it is but I can't make that assessment. I had an unfair advantage that was lost to me later.

Now I can't stay in college in a year in any course to save my life. Granted, I can pass the entrance exams for any academic course in any school in the country. Seriously. I'm not bragging, just telling.

How do you cope with the university life, I wonder...

[pinoypianist]

I don't know, I just love playing the piano and my teacher is great. And i'm taking the diploma course which doesn't require so much academics.

[db05]

I don't know, I just love playing the piano and my teacher is great. And i'm taking the diploma course which doesn't require so much academics.

Oh yeah I forgot, what's required for diploma course? This seems weird for me though since I've already got IC and a few college units. Starting all over again.

[momopi]

What is traditional schooling?

Why don't you like university life? What made it difficult?

[db05]

What is traditional schooling?

Why don't you like university life? What made it difficult?

It is simply going to school like everyone else. Here there are 2-3 years pre-elementary, 6-7 years grade school, 4 years high school and 4-5 years college (unless it's medicine, law or... music...).

Lots of things. Come on, you know my story... 

[loonbohol]

My video cam has lost it's software.
I should have double checked the set-up before I wrote this forum and I regretted writing this forum.

Without the software I cannot make this videos run on any computer and I did'nt double check.

[pinoypianist]

Oh yeah I forgot, what's required for diploma course? This seems weird for me though since I've already got IC and a few college units. Starting all over again.

First of all, you don't need to take the UPCAT (whew) you just have to pass the theory and solfege exam then after you pass that you can take the talent exam. And you can audition for at least, I think, 2 courses.

The diploma course curicullum is mostly music subjects. and the acads are 4 foreign languages and 2 english subjects and 1 social science subject, 4 PEs and rizal studies. If can upgrade it to a bachelors degree if you want to. 

[db05]

First of all, you don't need to take the UPCAT (whew)

Damn, I passed. What's the use.

Never mind, I'll just see the site or something. Or go to the college itself. NAMCYA Saturday? I'll be there.

[pinoypianist]

Yes it's on saturday. it's the semifinals

[momopi]

First of all, you don't need to take the UPCAT (whew) you just have to pass the theory and solfege exam then after you pass that you can take the talent exam. And you can audition for at least, I think, 2 courses.

Is the exam that difficult?

It is simply going to school like everyone else. Here there are 2-3 years pre-elementary, 6-7 years grade school, 4 years high school and 4-5 years college (unless it's medicine, law or... music...).

Isn't taking piano lessons traditional as well? Isn't mass high school educational program a more recent development? Each school, program and teacher have their own curriculum, teaching method, and philosophy. These curricula and methods are not constant. Aren't you generalizing a little too much? Besides, medicine, law, and music are far more traditional than you think.

There are lots of researches being done in order to improve the system of education at different levels. Generalizing a diverse institution such as multi-level education into something simple like traditional education is too simplistic, IMO.

Lots of things. Come on, you know my story... 

Are you referring to the fact that you failed university? What's that got to do with loonbohol's choice to enter the university? Why would you discourage him to apply to a top-tier university? Because you had lots of difficulties in it so you think he might have the same difficulties too? But don't we all have difficulties in our lives?

Let him handle it. If he proves to be very talented, I'm sure the professors (or at least, someone) will make an effort to find him a scholarship in a conservatory abroad. As you know, top-tier universities have connections to a number of foreign institutions. If he cannot handle university life, then let his stay in the university be a humbling experience for someone like him.



 
Momopi

[db05]

Isn't taking piano lessons traditional as well? Isn't mass high school educational program a more recent development? Each school, program and teacher have their own curriculum, teaching method, and philosophy. These curricula and methods are not constant. Aren't you generalizing a little too much? Besides, medicine, law, and music are far more traditional than you think.

There are lots of researches being done in order to improve the system of education at different levels. Generalizing a diverse institution such as multi-level education into something simple like traditional education is too simplistic, IMO.

True, that. There are some changes. But the main idea still says the same. Mass education with a grading system. This means competition, and while you're required to study, it doesn't necessary mean you'd learn. You can struggle all those 10+ years and still not get anything from it (except maybe a diploma and a job.) Some students cheat to pass. Some even fake their diplomas. Non-graded system is still a small minority. Piano lessons, thank heavens, is usually one-on-one so it's more flexible and effective. And you can't cheat the piano. An individualized approach is the best, imo.

I just put the exception on the other courses since they take longer than 5 years. And maybe, just maybe, after studying for so long you do learn something.

Are you referring to the fact that you failed university? What's that got to do with loonbohol's choice to enter the university? Why would you discourage him to apply to a top-tier university? Because you had lots of difficulties in it so you think he might have the same difficulties too? But don't we all have difficulties in our lives?

Let him handle it. If he proves to be very talented, I'm sure the professors (or at least, someone) will make an effort to find him a scholarship in a conservatory abroad. As you know, top-tier universities have connections to a number of foreign institutions. If he cannot handle university life, then let his stay in the university be a humbling experience for someone like him.

He reminds me of me. That's it. If I had the choice, I'd do things differently. I was much too naive then. It would have saved some people a lot of pain. We all have difficulties yes. But we can choose our battles. You don't have to do what people expect of you, that's what I'm thinking. You don't have to be in a top university to be good, you don't even have to go to one if you don't want to.

He can try, why not? It's just that I don't recommend it right now.

"Humbling experience" huh. I don't believe in bringing down people, even if it is "for their own good".

By now you know pretty much how I think. I believe in the individual, not in institutions. 

[momopi]

The only thing I could say to you is this:




I feel sorry for you.

[db05]

The only thing I could say to you is this:




I feel sorry for you.

Haha. You're nice after all.