Looking for some advice: finding a teacher and how to continue...

[lars_o]

Hi all...

I'm currently searching a piano teacher. I've had some musical education as a kid 20 years ago (electronic keyboards/organ and later some guitar, also played a bit in a rock-band during highschool). So I can figure basic stuff out and I do not consider myself to be entirely unmusical. I never had actual piano lessons so far. I find coordination of the left and right hand very difficult so far. For a lot of music I look at I can play the right hand pretty much by sight and I can figure out the left hand on its own but hands together is so much more difficult for me. I'm interested both in classical (baroque/classic/romanic) and also modern music, improvisation, being able to whip something up from a lead-sheet etc...

To document the current state of affairs, I tried to record my attempt at Liszt's Consolation No.1 which is the first non-trivial piece I've been able to figure out by myself to some degree, since I've finally gotten my hands on a real Piano (we were able to take it over from the previous owner when we moved in our new home)...

From what I describe above and from what you can see/hear in the recording, can anyone recommend what type of teacher and learning strategy I should be looking into? Also, if you see any obvious mistakes (seat position, posture etc.) please let me know so I don't built up too many bad habits while searching for a teacher...

Also, what might be a reasonable learning goal for a year? I'd love to be able to play one of the easier Beethoven sonatas (Op. 49) but I fear that might be too ambitious. What do you think? It's not like I want to just work on those for an entire year, I'm rather looking for a path of pieces to work on that may be leading up to getting to a level where it's reasonable to tackle Op. 49...

Thanks,
Lars

[perfect_pitch]

Okay - I have a student learning this exact consolation. Here are a couple of the main drawbacks in your performance that do need a little bit of work.

Overall you've got to try and sustain one tempo, despite the little rits and small accel's we allow to build drama and suspense. Bars 5 - 8 seem to be in a different tempo from Bars 1 & 4... same with the ending. Different tempos... try to keep them consistent.

The voicing needs a lot of work. All the top notes of the chords have to shine (sound out) more than the lower notes, and this can be done by splitting the top note from the others... and to play the top note loud, then quickly after play the other notes soft. Mainly bars 1 - 8 need this and the last couple of passages in the book.

Think of the underlying emotional aspects to this piece. It may help you think about it and play it in a different light. What emotion do you think the piece is trying to display in Bars 1 - 8, 9 - 12, 13 - 16, 17 - 24?

Here's a recording I made for a student who wanted to hear it in full:

Hope that helps. These things are small things to work on, because overall you seem to have a good touch on the piano, dynamically and your learning seems to be pretty accurate and true to the music. Now I think just little things will make the piece come alive.

Keep up the good work - If you can master this, I don't think Beethovens Op 49 will be a big jump, may be a little one - but you should be capable of it provided you are careful in playing the quavers and triplet quavers evenly and lightly.

[lars_o]

Peter, that is extremely helpful (and encouraging) advice... I'll try and see whether I can get the voicing bit to work (and the tempo of course...). Thanks a lot!