Non-Classical Lovers lol

[sunshine_keys]

Hey everyone!

I'm starting to feel like I'm the only one on here that's not into classical pieces.... haha. Anyone else?

And if so...what kind of stuff do you like to play? and maybe you could post a few of your favorite pieces.

~Karen

[jimbo320]

How about classical in a rock or blues form?

[49410enrique]

.

[pianoplunker]

Well I play lots and lots of classic rock in club bands. I dont listen to classical music very much but I absolutely love to practice and play it. I only wish I had more hours like I used to. Last night I was downtown playing loud, this morning I was running thru sections of Mozart's K.397 and K.331. I also was playing the chords to  Roy Orbison's "Love so Beautiful" and trying to sing it.  I will be posting stuff soon, just getting to know how it all works right now.

Hey everyone!

I'm starting to feel like I'm the only one on here that's not into classical pieces.... haha. Anyone else?

And if so...what kind of stuff do you like to play? and maybe you could post a few of your favorite pieces.

~Karen

[williampiano]

I like lots of non-classical music, (like rock music) and I tend to listen to it more than classical music, but I never really get into playing piano arrangements of it and whatnot. When I play piano, I mainly just learn classical pieces, as I just find them more interesting to play. I do sometimes like to learn ragtime pieces though.

[cagal]

I would say I never listen to classical on the radio other than to improve my own playing - mostly alt rock or some clasiic rock (only if DH is in car with me LOL).  However, I rarely learn anything other than classical music for piano.  I tried a few things and they were either way to easy or what I like is simply not suited to piano.  Only exception was Bowie as DH and I tried to learn piano/guitar to play together and it was hard for both of us.

[pianoplayjl]

I like lots of non-classical music, (like rock music) and I tend to listen to it more than classical music, but I never really get into playing piano arrangements of it and whatnot. When I play piano, I mainly just learn classical pieces, as I just find them more interesting to play. I do sometimes like to learn ragtime pieces though.

Agreed. I listen to rock/pop/hip-hop/dance/electro house music on my ipod more than I listen to piano music on my computer. Once in a while I might browse the internet for transcriptions of those songs but as I look at them thye tend to be too hard for me to play by myself. Sometimes I get really bored with practicing that I just stop playing and just randomly play tunes from current hit songs.

JL

[mmflzyjv]

Well I believe that classical is a good genre of music, not necessarily my favorite genre. The main reason I do classical pieces is to fortify my technique and help me think outside the box when I am arranging music that I listen to by ear, which I feel is one of my strengths.

[larapool]

I listen to many styles of music but my #1 favorite is power metal -- neoclassical guitar/keyboard playing is so fun to listen to.  Bands like Rhapsody and Stratovarius and all that, that use orchestras and choirs and rely heavily on classical patterns and techniques.  Great stuff!

[sunshine_keys]

I'm talking about what you play on the piano.. I find most classical songs, such as Bach and all those other ones, very annoying. It drives me insane when I try to listen to it or play it.

I'm more into the New Age stuff that's pretty and "romantic" I've recently started playing a few songs like Christina Perri's or Listen To Your Heart.

[larapool]

Oh in that case, you'll definitely want to play some Yanni.  There are books for his music out there and it's not hard to play, yet it's beautiful music.  I love me some Yanni 

[49410enrique]

ryuchi sakomoto has a really nice sound when it comes to this genre, the music is pretty easy to buy/find.  here's one example

[sunshine_keys]

Oh in that case, you'll definitely want to play some Yanni.  There are books for his music out there and it's not hard to play, yet it's beautiful music.  I love me some Yanni 

I'll have to look em up. never heard of Yanni. thanks!

@enrique, very pretty! I'll have to see if I can find some sheets.

thanks!

[ajspiano]

i've been working on a solo piano arrangement of this..

will post once its worked out a bit better..

[49410enrique]

this is kinda cool i guess because i like metalica but this transcription isn't edgy enough for my tastes, props for having the cojones to wear leather pants lol

https://www.inspiringpiano.com/sheetmusic.html
this one has bit more bite and i think works better

[sunshine_keys]

Oh in that case, you'll definitely want to play some Yanni.  There are books for his music out there and it's not hard to play, yet it's beautiful music.  I love me some Yanni 

oh my gosh. I think you have my hooked. lol You now know who I'm gonna be playing.

[deric]

My favs are the jazzy arrangements of pop songs and the best of pop songs.  Don't go Changin-Billy Joel and all the Great American Song Book.  I like Monk's works-Round Midnight of course.  There are a few dumbed down classicals I play like Johnny Pachebels Cannon in D and Eric Satie's Gymnopede is absolutely awsome! See the Youtube of Jacques Lassier of that one.  name spell is off.  Cinema Paradiso! I have a book of classical themes because I do want to play a bit of it but that's as far as it goes.  Check out the playing of Mike Melvoin on Tom Waits  Nighthawks at the Diner!  Phillip Keveren arr. of Just the Two of Us.  There is an absolutely amazing dark arr. in Db of Fav. Valentine you can get from MusicNotesplus.com.  Drive Time or Look of Love by Botti on youtube.  Want to talk about hard work?  I'm working on Oscar Peterson's Over the Rainbow and Round Midnight.  There's a good Youtube of Dick Cavette interviewing him.  I just don't understand how someone could do what he does!  Oscar could do anything effortlessly without sheet music.  Stones, Doors, Beatles I like to put in jazzy effects.  How about California by John Mayall awesome!  Much of my sheet music I get from musicnotesplus.com instant downloads.  Maybe my favorite is Lullabye of Birdland.  Then there is Lovers Concerto by Calico Cat on youtube.  I got that down by ear-pretty easy.  What do you play?

[starstruck5]

I like this chick on YouTube - amazing

I used to produce Trance a while back-but have given that up now - concentrating on classical piano forever.

[49410enrique]

I like this chick on YouTube - amazing

I used to produce Trance a while back-but have given that up now - concentrating on classical piano forever.

righteous! that was so rad.  yeah on the trance thing i have a liking for it myself ad still have quitye a bit of melodic trance on my psp for when working out and such.

[deric]

I like this chick on YouTube - amazing

 Thanks for pointing me to Vika!  Incredible!

[pianowolfi]

I like this chick on YouTube - amazing

I used to produce Trance a while back-but have given that up now - concentrating on classical piano forever.

Well yeah "this chick" has a "classical" education and foundation.

If she feels really happy with what she's doing it's of course absolutely okay. But if I'd do what she does I would feel like I'm just prostituting myself because I am entirely different and after 30 minutes playing that stuff I'd feel empty, and sad, and lonely, and lost, and burned out. People are different.

[sunshine_keys]

I like this chick on YouTube - amazing

I used to produce Trance a while back-but have given that up now - concentrating on classical piano forever.

I don't know what this is...but it's not really what I call piano. lol. When I think of piano I think of soft, pretty, romantic pieces. something like this is for electric guitar or something

[pianowolfi]

I don't know what this is...but it's not really what I call piano. lol. When I think of piano I think of soft, pretty, romantic pieces. something like this is for electric guitar or something

Yeah you are thinking only of piano. She thinks only of forte it seems   We definitely are not up to date with the correct name for our wonderful instrument. It should be called Piano e forte e crescendo-decrescendo-morendo-sforzato-smorzando-cantabile-precipitato-voice-of-the-soul etc.etc.  

[sunshine_keys]

LOL. I'm not into the forte crap.. me likes piano.

[pianowolfi]

LOL. I'm not into the forte crap.. me likes piano.

Me too. But what about the rest? There's not only forte and piano. 

[sunshine_keys]

yeah....but. idk. lol

[pianowolfi]

Especially the cantabile, rubato, smorzando, delicatissimo, smooth, romantic type of pieces might be your kind of stuff And there are so many like this. "River flows in you" can be a bridge to Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in c# minor, for instance.

[ajspiano]

I like this chick on YouTube - amazing

I used to produce Trance a while back-but have given that up now - concentrating on classical piano forever.

It's quite impressive.. It's pretty much a note for note copy though, and Metallica songs have so much more harmonic potential. She is most certainly capable of something better too. Even within this version there is so much room for dynamic variation..

[sunshine_keys]

Especially the cantabile, rubato, smorzando, delicatissimo, smooth, romantic type of pieces might be your kind of stuff And there are so many like this. "River flows in you" can be a bridge to Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in c# minor, for instance.

very pretty...see, I just need people to recommend me some songs, cause I get really disappointed when I try to find them myself.. it's so hard. and I don't know what I should be looking for.

and also...finding stuff on my level. I'm still taking lessons, but my teacher isn't even teaching me theory anymore. I finished all the Bastien levels so now she's just telling me what songs to practice each week, I practice them, go back play them for her, and do it all over again. I'm really getting annoyed with it now.

[ajspiano]

she's just telling me what songs to practice each week, I practice them, go back play them for her, and do it all over again. I'm really getting annoyed with it now.

Have you discussed that with your teacher?

[sunshine_keys]

Have you discussed that with your teacher?

no...not yet.. but I'm really thinking about it. I know she was saying something about getting some theory books for me. but she still hasn't.

[ajspiano]

no...not yet.. but I'm really thinking about it. I know she was saying something about getting some theory books for me. but she still hasn't.

You could always take a look at them yourself - You have that other thread where you are talking about a student that you have..  If you are going to be a teacher at all you'll have to start getting the habit of solving problems yourself rather than waiting for your teacher to fix them for you because you will have students with problems asking you to solve them.

I'm not saying you should ignore your teacher altogether and just go off doing your own thing, but its ok to have some input and take a certain amount of control over the direction of your study. You can do what your teacher wants, and something you want..  If you get stuck with something you can then take it to your teacher for help..?

[sunshine_keys]

You could always take a look at them yourself - You have that other thread where you are talking about a student that you have..  If you are going to be a teacher at all you'll have to start getting the habit of solving problems yourself rather than waiting for your teacher to fix them for you because you will have students with problems asking you to solve them.

I'm not saying you should ignore your teacher altogether and just go off doing your own thing, but its ok to have some input and take a certain amount of control over the direction of your study. You can do what your teacher wants, and something you want..  If you get stuck with something you can then take it to your teacher for help..?

True.. I could. But I know as the teacher, I would hate it if my student went off trying to find something on her own, without knowing what I had in mind for her. I really don't know what my teacher has in mind for me... or what she was planning on doing. I'll try to talk to her about it on my next lesson.. I completely forgot yesterday.

i might try to look up some stuff on my own just to see...but I don't want to "take over" the teaching or whatever.

I understand the part about trying to solve problems.. but like I said.. I don't want to "take over" and be overbearing with it or something. Me being the teacher is kinda different.. but if my student started to tell me what I should and shouldn't do.. or starts trying to get my own books and stuff. She always gets them for me.. and wants to.

I'm just really getting annoyed with having to play these stupid songs that I hate...and that I'm never ever going to play again. Half the stuff that she makes me play I don't ever want to play again. if I pick out the pieces myself then I love them....most of the time. But right now she has me playing from a freakin' classical book and I've hated every song I've played in there so far. I've been printing off some songs too...but it's hard for me to find ones that I love every week. lol.

do you think i should talk to her about it? like....what should I say? lol I don't want to come across as... idk. pushy or whatever

[ajspiano]

Teachers are all different, and I know I'm certainly not the norm..  but I actually love students that do there own thing.

I get to be the "mentor" as much as the "teacher" - its a lot more fun for me that way, but that's just me.

That aside, I don't want you to be rude to the teacher obviously..  but you are the client, you are paying for lessons, with actual money. This means that you get to have a say. You're not trying to tell your teacher what to do, just letting her know that you find it difficult to be motivated about what you're currently working on..  Or that you're interested in something like theory, which is sometimes uncommon and a teacher might avoid giving too much of it. Maybe you could do some of what she wants and some of what you want??

...if your teacher knows you want to do theory, and what kind of music you like then she/he knows how to structure a lesson that will motivate you and that you will enjoy. And if your teacher doesnt want you to enjoy your lessons I'm not too sure that being a teacher is a great idea for him/her. I'm sure your teacher would welcome your input - at the moment your teacher might think that you really like what you are doing?!

[sunshine_keys]

Teachers are all different, and I know I'm certainly not the norm..  but I actually love students that do there own thing.

I get to be the "mentor" as much as the "teacher" - its a lot more fun for me that way, but that's just me.

That aside, I don't want you to be rude to the teacher obviously..  but you are the client, you are paying for lessons, with actual money. This means that you get to have a say. You're not trying to tell your teacher what to do, just letting her know that you find it difficult to be motivated about what you're currently working on..  Or that you're interested in something like theory, which is sometimes uncommon and a teacher might avoid giving too much of it. Maybe you could do some of what she wants and some of what you want??

...if your teacher knows you want to do theory, and what kind of music you like then she/he knows how to structure a lesson that will motivate you and that you will enjoy. And if your teacher doesnt want you to enjoy your lessons I'm not too sure that being a teacher is a great idea for him/her. I'm sure your teacher would welcome your input - at the moment your teacher might think that you really like what you are doing?!

true...I am the client so I have some say in this. And that's exactly why I want to talk to her about it and see what she had/has in mind.

She wants me to enjoy it...but I think she thought I needed to work on some classical pieces or something. idk. But she will usually let me at least pick out one of my songs for the week.  I used to enjoy it a lot. Now it's like...ughhhhhh, another piano lesson. And I don't want to practice the songs I have. I know most people say "DO NOT TAKE A BREAK FROM PIANO." But I would really like to right now. I would still play.....the songs I want to. lol. That's the thing...I love piano, so even when I'm not supposed to be practicing my other pieces or whatever...I'll go get another piece that I want to learn and try it out.

She knows I don't enjoy classical pieces.....and she also knows what kind of pieces I do like playing.. so idk.

[49410enrique]

have you explored some 'modern classical', i think maybe you might enjoy this, i have this and am considering learning it again after many years just for fun (i may do an official performance of it later down the line since i haven't really done anything in this sytle i quite some time).  i don't have an exact link to a performance of this version since this is a sample of the offically published form (this is a sample from the publisher), but if you are familiar with the old debeers diamond commercials it will become apparent quite quickly what you're listing to. i have found that people that don't like classical music still really seem to enjoy this, perhaps it would be a good learning piece for you?

i hope to get a recording of this up in the audition room someime in the next few month once i clear some of my current repertoire workload off.

orchestrated version from his album

[roseamelia]

Don't worry Your not the only one I'm not a fan of classical music either I like jazz it's my favorite kind of music I like how bouncy it sounds.

[tombowler]

Before I started out as a piano student I wouldn't touch classical music with a 10ft pole, prefering rock reggae soul and jazz. The rock has now gone but if anything the jazz has become more diverse. Keith Jarrett and Ramsey Lewis was the type of thing I'd listen to just after I started playing but the sheer amount of jazz pianists out there is stunning. The Jacques Loussier plays Bach is something you should listen to roseamelia - it's fantastic classical-jazz crossover.

[sunshine_keys]

lol. I don't like Jazz either.

[roseamelia]

Thanks I'll see it sometime.

[sunshine_keys]

have you explored some 'modern classical', i think maybe you might enjoy this, i have this and am considering learning it again after many years just for fun (i may do an official performance of it later down the line since i haven't really done anything in this sytle i quite some time).  i don't have an exact link to a performance of this version since this is a sample of the offically published form (this is a sample from the publisher), but if you are familiar with the old debeers diamond commercials it will become apparent quite quickly what you're listing to. i have found that people that don't like classical music still really seem to enjoy this, perhaps it would be a good learning piece for you?

i hope to get a recording of this up in the audition room someime in the next few month once i clear some of my current repertoire workload off.

orchestrated version from his album

lol. I don't really like that either.

[49410enrique]

the 'theme of love' from the old school rpg final fantasy iv is really quiet pretty, i have the original japanese sheets but can't post for copyrights.  however vincent lo did a wonderful original version of it and it is available for free thrugh his website (i think it is down for maintenance but he usually fixes things pretty quick). overall his style is quiet good in terms of knowing how to write for the hands.

[indespair]

alt rock? pop? hip-hop? my goodness, watever happened to Keith Emerson? Jimmy smith? Otis Spann? Deep purple? Led Zeppelin!!!

[countrymath]

Im just like Larapool. I'm very down into power metal music. Its very classicaly influenced and its very fun to listen/play.I also like Yanni and all kind of new age music.