Winter break project

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Okay SO...  This is how it is...

For those of you in school, winter break is probably comming up soon.  Do you know what that means? 

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

So what I suggest is that we should find that one piece that you MUST learn before you kick the bucket.  Something that you haven't attempted yet because you either don't have enough time because it's too long, or because it's too hard.  And when you find that piece, you have to see how much you can learn before the end of break. 

My break starts Dec. 21 and ends Jan. 8, so that's like freaking 18 days!  I'm going to be doing Rachmaninoff's 1st piano sonata.

Tell us what you will be doing and how long your break is.  Keep up posted with your progress.




AND DON'T FREAKING CHEAT!!!  You're only allowed to start learning it one you're on break.

[chopin2015]

Beethoven sonata no 7 in D major, hopefully. I just finished mephisto valse no 1 and ballade no 2, but you probably will not hear those for a while.

[j_menz]

For those of you in school, winter break is probably comming up soon.  Do you know what that means? 

You're in the northern hemisphere.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You're in the northern hemisphere.

You're a professional pianist.  So you don't count.

[49410enrique]

I've always advocated to me fellow piano and other inst music student peers that the breaks are THE time to learn new rep. ESP at the collegiate level where the winter beak on average is a full month or slightly more. I have found that if u show up to the first semester lesson and at least most to all of your major assignments are not basically learned you'll be behind and catching up most of the term and chasing deadlines like recital or jury performances vs being easy ahead of them and just patiently waiting on the dates to catch up to ur prep.

At my prev school one of the professors wouldn't even hear you or give u your lesson unless u showed up w the assigned or chosen music fully memorized and at an acceptable tempo. Period. No discussion or excuses.  My teachers have not explicitly called for this but I have made it my goal for a while to have this as a personal standard as I don't want to spend lesson times fixing notes and rhythms...I can do that on my own.

 So yeah get after it and practice practice practice I will be there w u in spirit. I plan on learning at the minimum two of my main assignments  I plan to work w my new piano teacher I start w in January at at least have the basics unpacked on my own personal side projects and works I won't be working onw an instructor.

[chopin2015]

I've always advocated to me fellow piano and other inst music student peers that the breaks are THE time to learn new rep. ESP at the collegiate level where the winter beak on average is a full month or slightly more. I have found that if u show up to the first semester lesson and at least most to all of your major assignments are not basically learned you'll be behind and catching up most of the term and chasing deadlines like recital or jury performances vs being easy ahead of them and just patiently waiting on the dates to catch up to ur prep.

At my prev school one of the professors wouldn't even hear you or give u your lesson unless u showed up w the assigned or chosen music fully memorized and at an acceptable tempo. Period. No discussion or excuses.  My teachers have not explicitly called for this but I have made it my goal for a while to have this as a personal standard as I don't want to spend lesson times fixing notes and rhythms...I can do that on my own.

 So yeah get after it and practice practice practice I will be there w u in spirit. I plan on learning at the minimum two of my main assignments  I plan to work w my new piano teacher I start w in January at at least have the basics unpacked on my own personal side projects and works I won't be working onw an instructor.

So how does that work when its a long piece?do you still have to memorize it in a week?

[vsrinivasa]

I'm a professor, so I get winter break "off" (I still have to write 3 proposals due at the end of December, meet with colleagues and students, and keep doing work during the holidays; I just don't have to go to the office and I don't get paid ). I get a bit more than a month "off", so I will have more time to practice then. I'm going to be trying Ravel's Ondine, and maybe Le Gibet if I have time. I'm definitely staying away from Scarbo though! I won't be doing that for at least three years.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'm a professor, so I get winter break "off" (I still have to write 3 proposals due at the end of December, meet with colleagues and students, and keep doing work during the holidays; I just don't have to go to the office and I don't get paid ). I get a bit more than a month "off", so I will have more time to practice then. I'm going to be trying Ravel's Ondine, and maybe Le Gibet if I have time. I'm definitely staying away from Scarbo though! I won't be doing that for at least three years.

You're supposed to learn whatever you want irrespective of difficulty!!!

So go and practice that Scarborough to death!

[vsrinivasa]

You're supposed to learn whatever you want irrespective of difficulty!!!

So go and practice that Scarborough to death!

You mean Scarbo . Actually, I think I am going to try to learn all of Gaspard de la Nuit, including Scarbo. The only issue will be time... Scarbo is really difficult. I listened to it yesterday with the sheet music, and I'm only now realizing its true difficulty.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You mean Scarbo . Actually, I think I am going to try to learn all of Gaspard de la Nuit, including Scarbo. The only issue will be time... Scarbo is really difficult. I listened to it yesterday with the sheet music, and I'm only now realizing its true difficulty.

I spelled it wrong because of this iPads outrageously stupid autocorrect.

[vsrinivasa]

I spelled it wrong because of this iPads outrageously stupid autocorrect.

I'm using an iPad too, and you can disable autocorrect. Go to Settings>General>Keyboard (it's near the bottom of the menu)>Auto Correction, then press Off.

[chopin2015]

Ondine is not that difficult mostly, but it would be good for you to look at it so i can ask you questions instead of getting flamed by j_menz

[vsrinivasa]

Ondine is not that difficult mostly, but it would be good for you to look at it so i can ask you questions instead of getting flamed by j_menz

Does that mean you also are playing/want to play/have played Ondine? If it's the last one, be prepared for me asking you for tips. 

[perprocrastinate]

I'm learning Alkan's Concerto for Solo Piano.

Ha, just kidding.

I'm considering starting the Chopin 10/4, seeing how far I can take it before I KNOW I'm just going to butcher it if I go any further.

I dunno, maybe my crazy impulses are going to die out by the break, and I'm just going to end up practicing the Bach Inventions until my four extremities fall off.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'm using an iPad too, and you can disable autocorrect. Go to Settings>General>Keyboard (it's near the bottom of the menu)>Auto Correction, then press Off.

Thank you sooooo much dude.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Ondine is not that difficult mostly, but it would be good for you to look at it so i can ask you questions instead of getting flamed by j_menz

Lol I remember this



You:  hey, what the heck kind of fingering do you guys use for this passage in Ondine?

Everyone on pianostreet:  you freaking suck!!!  Why the heck are you asking us for fingering on Ondine?!?!  You should be figuring that out yourself!!!  YOU SUCK!!!!  GO KILL YOURSELF!!!

[chopin2015]

Does that mean you also are playing/want to play/have played Ondine? If it's the last one, be prepared for me asking you for tips. 

I got pretty far on it, but my teacher gave me other stuff to do so i barely ever get to refresh what i learnt.

[vsrinivasa]

Lol I remember this



You:  hey, what the heck kind of fingering do you guys use for this passage in Ondine?

Everyone on pianostreet:  you freaking suck!!!  Why the heck are you asking us for fingering on Ondine?!?!  You should be figuring that out yourself!!!  YOU SUCK!!!!  GO KILL YOURSELF!!!

@rach_forever: Where is this thread? I want to look at it before I start Ondine, so that I can see what happens if I get stuck halfway through Scarbo or something.

@chopin2015: I think you did the right thing by asking Pianostreet how to do the fingering. There are some really good pianists here. They can be really rude though. Like I said, be prepared for lots of fingering questions.

[perprocrastinate]

@rach_forever: Where is this thread?

I'm not r_4, but I found it.

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=48154.0

[j_menz]

I'm not r_4

Maybe you are......

[vsrinivasa]

I'm not r_4, but I found it.

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=48154.0

Thanks

Well, I guess now I know what happens if I start a thread about repeated notes in Scarbo or something...

[vsrinivasa]

Maybe you are......

Do you mean that maybe perprocrastinate and rach_forever are the same person? I think someone posted that you and ajspiano are the same person. I don't believe them though.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Do you mean that maybe perprocrastinate and rach_forever are the same person? I think someone posted that you and ajspiano are the same person. I don't believe them though.

I wasn't the only person who said that J Menz and ajspiano were the same person.

In fact, someone else suggested that perpocrastinate, J Menz, and ajspiano were the same person.

[perprocrastinate]

Maybe you are......

I have proof that I'm not. Well, sort of.

You might be able to see it: I broke my left pinky a while ago.

I need to buy new hands. These don't work.

https://postimage.org/image/nli7hyt07/

Skin color similarity: not even close

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I have proof that I'm not. Well, sort of.

Skin color similarity: not even close

+1

[vsrinivasa]

I have proof that I'm not. Well, sort of.

Skin color similarity: not even close

Yeah, that's a pretty big difference. And my skin is somewhere in between. Closer to the darker extreme though. However, how do I know that those are your hands and not someone else's? I'll take your word for it.

[j_menz]

I have proof that I'm not. Well, sort of.

Skin color similarity: not even close

Yeah, yeah. Photoshop. 

[outin]

However, how do I know that those are your hands and not someone else's?

They are not, I own them. He probably just got another pair to fool us...

[vsrinivasa]

They are not, I own them. He probably just got another pair to fool us...

Sorry, whose hands do you own? I don't think I understand this whole hand-owning thing...

[outin]

Sorry, whose hands do you own? I don't think I understand this whole hand-owning thing...

R-4's. There's a legally binding contract and if he tries to dispute it I'll hire J-Menz to help 

[vsrinivasa]

R-4's. There's a legally binding contract and if he tries to dispute it I'll hire J-Menz to help 

OK then. I don't think you want to own my hands. They are oddly proportioned.

[patrickd]

Thinking of learning some Brahms.

[outin]

OK then. I don't think you want to own my hands. They are oddly proportioned.

I couldn't care less if they play well

Mine are stupid and unreliable...

[vsrinivasa]

I couldn't care less if they play well

Mine are stupid and unreliable...

I find piano playing easier than the average person due to my strangely flexible fingers. So yes, they do play well. But you can't have them.

[outin]

I find piano playing easier than the average person due to my strangely flexible fingers. So yes, they do play well. But you can't have them.

Need to think of something YOU can't live without to trade...

[vsrinivasa]

Need to think of something YOU can't live without to trade...

I can't live without my hands. 

But anyway, you can't have them.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Sorry, whose hands do you own? I don't think I understand this whole hand-owning thing...

Outin is giving me an hour with Valentina Lisitsa in exchange for my hands.

She is Valentina Lisitsa's manager.

[vsrinivasa]

Outin is giving me an hour with Valentina Lisitsa in exchange for my hands.

Is an hour with Valentina Lisitsa really worth your hands? If you have already sold your hands, tell outin to give you at least three hours. Or none at all and you can keep your hands.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Is an hour with Valentina Lisitsa really worth your hands? If you have already sold your hands, tell outin to give you at least three hours. Or none at all and you can keep your hands.

I think I can charm her in an hour.   

[j_menz]

I think I can charm her in an hour.   

And it'll take way less than that for the cops to arrive anyway.

[chopin2015]

@rach_forever: Where is this thread? I want to look at it before I start Ondine, so that I can see what happens if I get stuck halfway through Scarbo or something.

@chopin2015: I think you did the right thing by asking Pianostreet how to do the fingering. There are some really good pianists here. They can be really rude though. Like I said, be prepared for lots of fingering questions.

I would love that!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

And it'll take way less than that for the cops to arrive anyway.

Hey what the freaking heck is that supposed to mean?!

[j_menz]

Hey what the freaking heck is that supposed to mean?!

If she doesn't call them, no doubt her husband will.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

If she doesn't call them, no doubt her husband will.

That's not going to freaking happen!!!

I am going to successfully charm her with my wooden bowtie.

[vsrinivasa]

That's not going to freaking happen!!!

I am going to successfully charm her with my wooden bowtie.

I doubt that.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Actually I might try Rachmaninoff's 1st piano concerto.

The second movement is only five pages and I think I could knock that one out pretty quickly.

But the first sonata is SOOOOOOOOOOO good! 

So is his Cello sonata!

But I have to learn Scriabins Mysterium so I can end the world...


AAAAAGH I don't know what to do!

[vsrinivasa]

Actually I might try Rachmaninoff's 1st piano concerto.

The second movement is only five pages and I think I could knock that one out pretty quickly.

But the first sonata is SOOOOOOOOOOO good! 

So is his Cello sonata!

But I have to learn Scriabins Mysterium so I can end the world...


AAAAAGH I don't know what to do!

Do the first sonata. It's my favourite Rachmaninoff.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Do the first sonata. It's my favourite Rachmaninoff.

I think the 1st sonata kicks the seconds ass.

[vsrinivasa]

I think the 1st sonata kicks the seconds ass.

I know. I love the 1st sonata. I'm not a huge fan of Rachmaninoff, but that piece is really wonderful.

[vsrinivasa]

I would love that!

You would love me asking you for fingering tips every two days? I think it would get annoying after a while.