please comment on this vid: moonlight sonata mov 1.

[nadia goh]

hi. this is my first time posting a video in this forum for people to comment. this is my second year of taking piano lessons on weekends. playing piano is my serious hobby.

below is the link to the video of me playing beethoven's moonlight sonata mov 1. i stopped and continued in the middle of playing the piece because i was playing from memory and suddenly i forgot. okay, despite the fact that i stopped halfway, i'd like you guys to comment on my playing. i wish to improve really well in the future.

thanx 


P/S: wish to have a lot more piano friends 

[musicluvr49]

Hi ridiculousme (intersting name..  )


So, it looks like you've got the timing down, good job. I've heard a lot of people play those top notes wrong.
I may be wrong.. but I think there were quite a few wrong notes. They didn't sound bad exactly... but I think you just played them at the wrong time. I haven't played the piece in a long time, so I can't tell you exactly which notes were wrong. Maybe you just need more practicing with the sheet music.
Your playing does not have much dynamic range... dynamics pretty much stay the same throughought the piece. Work more on your interpretation..
Also, try to voice those upper notes a lot more than you are now. Think of the arpeggios as the accompaniement, and the higher notes as the melody.

Seems like you've put a lot of work into this, keep up the great work and good luck !  

[nadia goh]

thnx musicluvr49 i think maybe i've played the notes wrongly cuz i've memorised the piece months ago. i don't really like looking at the sheet when playing but i'll reread it again to improve.

Thnx again. ur comment is really helpful

are u a piano teacher, btw?

[musicluvr49]

Your welcome.

And no I'm not a teacher, I'm only 16. I would like to teach beginner lessons though...

[nadia goh]

thnx again. u're still young. i'm 23. i started taking piano lessons late..wish i have had lessons at a younger age so that i can be a professional pianist..huhu...

all the best to u!

[jollisg]

Hi!

As musicluvr49 said, you have to work a little on the dynamics and to voice the upper notes.
I may see wrong, but your hands look really tensed? Try to relax them while playing.
You've done a great job!

[nadia goh]

thanks jollisg. i agree that i AM a bit tensed when i play...i don't know how to use the weight of my arm...i'm still learning it...

anyway thnx   

[oxy60]

Because this movement is often taught to young pianists as part of their first steps into "real" music by well known composers, don't be lulled into thinking it is easy. I played it when I was 11 in recital. Everybody was impressed. (People were very kind.) Decades later I still play it and continue to discover the what was in the mind of the genius who wrote it.

My advice would be to continue to work on it with the music in front of you and get those triplets absolutely even throughout. Display your audio recording on your computer. Your goal should be to have those lines representing the notes come up to the same level each time.

All of a sudden such an "easy" piece takes on new challenges.