Am I doing well? (Before and now - practice summary)

[gleeok]

Okay, I started playing again by the end of June this year, this makes slightly more than 4 months. I have no teacher, and I practice daily whenever I can, some days that sums up easily to more than 3 hours, some count only a few minutes (20-40).

Since I don't have anyone literate in music to give me a consistent feedback in person, its hard to judge if I am progressing enough for the time I've been playing. I was able to learn a few easier pieces and my reading seems to be improving. I will provide you some information before jumping to what I have learned, in therms of pieces.

Reading:

first 2 months: Could barely read the Bass clef without counting the notes several times and most times memorizing where each note was. Tremble clef was considerably easier but anything a few notes bellow or above the lines added a considerable difficulty, had to count and often write on top of these. As for the speed, pauses and other notations (general interpretation), I never had too much difficulty, but thats probably due to the simplistic nature of what I am practicing (?) and also because when I have doubts I try listening to them and accompanying on the sheet, helps a lot.

Now: Seems like I can more or less read both clefs including tremble's higher and lower ones, and easily follow the notes of not so fast pieces while listening. First time I got Bach's Minuet BWV 113 I could read the piece but it seemed like I had no confidence to put it into full or almost full speed on the first time (of course), had to practice but reading was not a problem like before. It got to the point where I suspect I can read the pieces for my level, but I still have no technical ability to play them as fast as I read (?), is this even possible?

Either way, the fact is that I definitely quit writing on top of notes and counting the lines, seems like an improvement I guess!

Often I find myself not knowing what  a note is on a chord/arpeggio, but then I abstractly use references and quickly "join them up" by taking previous chord/arpeggios as models, this seems to work quite often! I eventually end up memorizing what I didn't knew anyways

Hand/fingering/posture

I bought "What every Pianist needs to know about the body" By Thomas Mark, and been reading it. I changed a few bad habits I had before, and since then I haven't had to stop playing because of arm/wrist/back pain. My playing definitely seems to be "smoother" by the videos, but I still have problems with fingering although I am creating less troublesome/weird sequences now :T

Here:
https://www.facebook.com/v/3410075869724

This if for gesture/fingering, this video is quite recent.

Now to the pieces I learned..

From memory I can play:

Canon in D - Oborin
Canon in D - Lee Galloway
Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach Minuet BWV 113
Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach Minuet BWV 114
Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach Minuet BWV 115

Pop: Hachiko a Dog's story main theme "Goodbye" (very simple piece) (NOT ME. Sample video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdeKazWyLBg (**this is not me**)

With score: "Bokura no Message" (wave?) (NOT ME. Sample video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbz7p7dYz7c (**this is not me**)

Currently learning: Pachelbel Canon in D (Trans. C) "Intermediate" https://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=33863

That last one prompted me to write this tread as I could easily read and understand everything but not play with the same ease. Currently practicing.

Before I go, I'd like to ask you: Are there any chances of someone without a teacher play much harder pieces like this version of Pirates of caribbean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzGgX1DihPw, yes I want to learn it at some point. As well as Chopin Nocturne Op. 55 No. 1, Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 (or op. 66?). Are there ANY chances? or I WILL need a professional guiding me at some point?

Looking forward your opinion.

[outin]

Since I don't have anyone literate in music to give me a consistent feedback in person, its hard to judge if I am progressing enough for the time I've been playing.

There really isn't such a thing as enough for the time you have been playing! Everyone has (and should have) their own pace. Your playing sounds pleasant to me and you have no pains or problems, so you should be happy with your progress. It is true that you would probably learn more difficult pieces easier with a teacher, but possibly after spending a year or so learning the basics again to his/her satisfaction 

[gleeok]

There really isn't such a thing as enough for the time you have been playing! Everyone has (and should have) their own pace. Your playing sounds pleasant to me and you have no pains or problems, so you should be happy with your progress. It is true that you would probably learn more difficult pieces easier with a teacher, but possibly after spending a year or so learning the basics again to his/her satisfaction  

Thanks, and I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way, I expressed myself poorly. I'm just worried about this risky approach of learning alone, because I recognize learning something might be hard, but learning something wrong might ruin everything and demand long periods of fixing.

What I wanted to know is if I am progressing or simply running in circles while thinking I am progressing.

Maybe I am getting paranoid about that  

[gleeok]

It is true that you would probably learn more difficult pieces easier with a teacher, but possibly after spending a year or so learning the basics again to his/her satisfaction 

Yus, that would be a pain xD

[sucom]

Well, I think you're doing great so far!

Regarding lessons with a teacher, it all depends where you wish to take your playing.  In truth, if you want to make the absolute most of your inner potential and perhaps learn a piece like those you mentioned, a good teacher is going to be of help to you for quite a few reasons.  It all depends on how far you wish to take your playing.  If you're enjoying yourself, go for it alone!  If you can afford lessons and are able to find the right teacher for you, take lessons. 

When I was watching you play the first piece you mentioned in your post, I found myself wondering if the right hand notes at the beginning are supposed to be detached or if you had deliberately chosen to play them this way.  If they are detached in the music, then no problem.  Tell me to mind my own business because you're on track   If they're not, then my first thought would be to ensure they are legato without relying wholly on the pedal. 

Also, one other thought crossed my mind while you were playing - you have a little habit of occasionally counting the beat with your wrist/hand/arm, lifting it up and down as you play.  I would suggest feeling each phrase of the music flowing like a sentence in a book.  You don't do this ALL the time, your music is flowing nicely so don't take my suggestion too critically.  I'm only trying to be helpful to you for improving your playing, not your critic! 

I think you're doing great - keep at it!

[gleeok]

When I was watching you play the first piece you mentioned in your post, I found myself wondering if the right hand notes at the beginning are supposed to be detached or if you had deliberately chosen to play them this way.  If they are detached in the music, then no problem.  Tell me to mind my own business because you're on track   If they're not, then my first thought would be to ensure they are legato without relying wholly on the pedal. 

Also, one other thought crossed my mind while you were playing - you have a little habit of occasionally counting the beat with your wrist/hand/arm, lifting it up and down as you play.  I would suggest feeling each phrase of the music flowing like a sentence in a book.  You don't do this ALL the time, your music is flowing nicely so don't take my suggestion too critically.  I'm only trying to be helpful to you for improving your playing, not your critic! 

I think you're doing great - keep at it!

Thank you for the constructive feedback and advices!

Uhm.. This might seem weird but I didn't have the opportunity to acquire a pedal for my keyboard yet xD, maybe this week. I thought I would just practice pieces that didn't rely on it so much before getting one, I know I should not have been playing Canon without a pedal, but that was mostly to improve my hand technique because I had absolutely no experience and I had to pick some pieces to play either way, once I get a pedal and learn how to use it I will update the videos.

No they are not that detached, in the professional recording at least, when I first listened to my own recording I noticed how detached they seemed but I didn't intend to play them so detached like that. These videos are months old, I definitely need to update them haha! Some of them were from on my old keyboard o.O.

Thanks for the advice regarding legato / attached notes, I will pay more attention!

As for: "you have a little habit of occasionally counting the beat with your wrist/hand/arm, lifting it up and down as you play"

O.o I actually do that? I swear I didn't notice, I usually try counting the rhythm on my read, exclusively, but I always end up doing it by instinct/automatic and often that makes me go faster without my awareness, but..I will try improving my gestures that way! Maybe it will ensure I don't go faster or slower.

Still, I'm glad I haven't heard a "you are COMPLETELY off the rhythm" yet xD. I've done VERY few exercises with the metronome.

---

Thank you for your suggestions and observation! I will take them into account during my practice.

[outin]

Still, I'm glad I haven't heard a "you are COMPLETELY off the rhythm" yet xD. I've done VERY few exercises with the metronome.

I know some people disagree but I don't think metronome has anything to do with learning to play rhythm correctly and you'll be fine without it.