my 2nd grade exam pieces

[littletune]

Well I will post my second grade exam pieces now.... I know I still need to practice a lot, but I just thought if maybe someone would tell me if it seems I'm learning them right or does something sound very wrong.
First piece is: Menuet (or Minuet) by J. Krieger. I'm not sure if I'm playing it too fast or too slow  (sometimes I play it even slower than in this recording)
Second piece is: Mrzulin - Slovenian folk dance.
Third piece is: Gavota (Gavotte) by C. Gurlitt.
And the fourth is: Na reki - that means On the river and it's by E. Moy (and I'm playing with the pedal for the first time so it's kinda hard for me to think about so many things at the same time and I'm not sure if I'm using the pedal right )
Well if anyone had any comments it would be great

[pianowolfi]

I think you have made a lot of progress especially I think that you have enlarged your dynamic range quite a bit! The Krieger could be a slightly bit faster, but I like the thoughtful approach as well.
Nothing wrong about your use of pedal Good job!

[pianisten1989]

1) It's a dance, so I should play it a bit faster and lighter. I should aim for the long note, and see the bar before as an upbeat. Very much as you do already, but a bit more clear, and without the accent in the first bar. And it's a very typical "classical phrasing". First one phrase (2 bars in this case), then almost the same phrase again (the same length and same direction), then there comes a twice as long phrase + an ending. Mostly you do "part 1: Quiet, part 2: a bit louder, part 3 (the long one): start very quiet, and do a big crescendo, and then go back in the ending bar.
I hope I'm not too unclear. And try to stay in tempo in the trill.

The 2nd piece: Very good! Just make sure all notes comes at the same time.

3rd: Also very good.

4th: Very good pedal for a first timer I feel some other might know this piece better than I do, so I leave this to them.

Good luck with your exam! And you've done a great progress.
One thing though.. What's that squeezing sound in the back? It's quite annoying

[littletune]

Thank you very much both for your comments I am very happy that you think I made progress!   
Well I think I understand that explanation about Menuet (I've read it a few times so I think I know what you mean and I will think about it a bit more).
Do you maybe mean a sound like water running? If you mean that then it's aquarium filter for my fish maybe I should turn it off when I'm recording something if it's that annoying (if that's what you mean).
Thank you again pianowolfi and pianisten for listening and for your nice comments!  

[pianowolfi]

One thing though.. What's that squeezing sound in the back? It's quite annoying

Lol that's her pet bird! Actually I was baffled how precisely he commented on the off-beats, at least for a while  

[littletune]

Oh the bird!    I'm so used to him commenting I don't even notice 

[littletune]

Well I'm sorry I know I'm annoying with my grade 2 pieces   but I just wanted to post a recording from my recital (june 1st) and also a recording of me playing on a grand piano (practicing before my exam on june 11th)... well I really wanted to record my exam too and I had my camera in my backpack but then my teacher said I should leave it in another room. I wished I could record me playing on a Steinway Grand piano (that you play on for the exam) but I thought it was cool that I at least recorded when I was warming up before the exam. That was on a Yamaha piano and it was smaller (I think it was maybe a baby grand, but I don't know so much about that). It was so cool because I have never before last week played on a grand piano!!
So I thought I would post that. And my recital (that wasn't on a grand piano). And if maybe anyone would feel like listening... maybe they could tell me if they like the first piece better or the last one    Because I have a recital tomorrow and I still haven't completely decided if I should play the first piece (Menuet) or the last one ( Na reki- On the river). I like both a lot and my mum likes the first one and my friend likes the last one.... and well the first one is easier and I have been practicing it more.... so I will probably play the first one... does anyone know which piece would sound better on a digital piano? because we're playing on a digital piano... and what are pedals like on digital pianos? Because the last piece is with pedal.... 
Oh nooo now I wrote sooo much again!!  Oh probably I'll just play Menuet tomorrow (and it says on the program list I will play Menuet too so... )
well these are the two recordings....     

[pianowolfi]

I don't want to confuse you, but I like personally most how you play "na reki"
Pedals on a digital can be different, but if you always make sure that you use only the one on the right side nothing can go wrong. If there's only one pedal that looks a bit like a computer mouse then use that one.

[littletune]

   oh well I am kinda confused anyway I've been thinking about which piece to play for more than a week, and first I was almost sure I will play "Na reki" then I was almost sure I will play Menuet and then for some time I'm just not sure at all... and then I thought yesterday that my teacher will tell me which one to play... and she just said I played both well....... sooo    I still don't know... and we can only play one piece because there's so many of us.... I don't know I guess I'll know tomorrow ...  or maybe not... maybe I'll just sit there and think about which piece to play for 5 minutes and then someone will come and take me off the stage  and people will be like  ...oh maybe I should just play one piece with one hand and another piece with the other hand    .... well we'll seeeeeeeeeee........ thanks for commenting!!     

[pianowolfi]

  oh well I am kinda confused anyway I've been thinking about which piece to play for more than a week, and first I was almost sure I will play "Na reki" then I was almost sure I will play Menuet and then for some time I'm just not sure at all... and then I thought yesterday that my teacher will tell me which one to play... and she just said I played both well....... sooo    I still don't know... and we can only play one piece because there's so many of us.... I don't know I guess I'll know tomorrow ...  or maybe not... maybe I'll just sit there and think about which piece to play for 5 minutes and then someone will come and take me off the stage  and people will be like  ...oh maybe I should just play one piece with one hand and another piece with the other hand    .... well we'll seeeeeeeeeee........ thanks for commenting!!     

Hee hee that's very funny! 

Anyway, you will do a good job at playing and don't worry and, as always, have fun!

[littletune]

Thank you Wolfi! I'll just wait and see what happens I guess  


edit: well then I really played "Na reki" (On the river). Because we didn't have a digital piano but a real one!!  well I did make a funny mistake in the middle but I'll post a recording here. (and I don't want to make a new post because I'm sure people think I'm annoying with my grade 1 and 2 pieces  so I'll just add a recording here in this post....

[pianowolfi]

Actually I almost didn't notice the mistake. But of course that may be because I don't know the piece so well. You play it beautifully and I like that piece

[littletune]

Thank you Wolfi!!      I really like this piece too! I wish some day I could play it perfectly!   

[pianisten1989]

Very well played! I don't have anything to say really. You're making a great progress

[littletune]

Thank you very very much Pianisten!!!     

[pianisten1989]

May I ask, how old are you?

[littletune]

I thought everyone on the forum knew by now I guess not I will be 12 in about a month (well exactly on August 11th).
(I know some people play really complicated and difficult pieces at 12 and even sooner  but I started playing piano in October and before that I was just playing keyboard just for fun for about a year) . But I really LOVE playing piano!!!     

[pianisten1989]

I started playing when I was 14, so I know how you feel But keep playing, and it will be great

[littletune]

Thank you! I will keep playing I hope this summer holidays I'll play piano really a lot!! (even though I'll have to do some math exercises and some things for school too    ), but I hope I'll have some days just for piano!!! 

[point of grace]

i really liked them all!! congrats for your playing! bravooo...
do you know where i can find the sheet music? the scores?
i'd love to have them.
thanks a lot!!!
yanina

my email is pointofgrace87@yahoo.com.ar

[littletune]

Thank you very much
I listened to the first recordings again and it's so funny because I played all of the pieces sooooo much slower than later on the recordings from recitals and exam   
Well I have the sheet music for these pieces in a book and from my teacher (she gave them to me). I will ask my mum to scan them and then I can send them to you. But there are some things written over them because my teacher is always writing over the sheet music really a lot with all sorts of different colours  

[point of grace]

Thank you very much
I listened to the first recordings again and it's so funny because I played all of the pieces sooooo much slower than later on the recordings from recitals and exam   
Well I have the sheet music for these pieces in a book and from my teacher (she gave them to me). I will ask my mum to scan them and then I can send them to you. But there are some things written over them because my teacher is always writing over the sheet music really a lot with all sorts of different colours  

ok!! i really appreciate it!
also all my books are written by my piano teacher jejeje
thanks you!!!!!!

[birba]

Well I will post my second grade exam pieces now.... I know I still need to practice a lot, but I just thought if maybe someone would tell me if it seems I'm learning them right or does something sound very wrong.
First piece is: Menuet (or Minuet) by J. Krieger. I'm not sure if I'm playing it too fast or too slow  (sometimes I play it even slower than in this recording)
Second piece is: Mrzulin - Slovenian folk dance.
Third piece is: Gavota (Gavotte) by C. Gurlitt.
And the fourth is: Na reki - that means On the river and it's by E. Moy (and I'm playing with the pedal for the first time so it's kinda hard for me to think about so many things at the same time and I'm not sure if I'm using the pedal right )
Well if anyone had any comments it would be great

This is the first time I've heard you play and I like it VERY much!  I especially liked the gavote and Na reki.  Excellent sense of rythm and phrasing in the gavota.  And the Na reki really showed you know how to manage the pedal.  Brava!

[birba]

Your recital tape went very well.  You're a real performer! 

[littletune]

Thank you very very much Birba!    I am very happy you liked my playing!!      Thank you for listening and for your comments!