Trying to practice...

[outin]

...the 28-4 prelude, but have some unforeseen problems with it... I know that the piano doesn't sound very well now with the whether change and I have trouble pedalling cleanly because of some leg pain, but still...

[49410enrique]

off to a great start! try using a 'flat' finger(s) on those repeating notes (non-melody) and a bit more curved finger for more projecting tone for the melody. even before you adjust the voicing/volume between the parts this should give you good texture separation expecially when you are limited by a non-cooperative instrument or other issues, and a your feline soloist (though it's tone is actually quite nice, intonation is a little spotty for most of the meows were spot on).

[outin]

Good advice...I have a bad day today, so stiff in neck and shoulders that I just cannot really play...so I guess the critique from the old boy was deserved 

[49410enrique]

Good advice...I have a bad day today, so stiff in neck and shoulders that I just cannot really play...so I guess the critique from the old boy was deserved  

buy a foam roller. essentially self administration of soft tissue therapy/therapuetic massage and trigger point/myofacia release.

i swear it's almost freakin magical what this can and will do for you, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting (even  more if you are 'active' in regards to training/conditioning)

believe it or not the release of tensed muscles and better overall mobility helps your playing. it has mine.

http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1303.cfm

most sincerely ,

[outin]

believe it or not the releaseof tenesed muscles and better overall mobility helps your playing. it has mine.

Don't I know it 

It frustrates me so much when one day I am fine and everything is easy and the next day I am so stiff that I can't properly move my arms. I know immediately when I sit at the piano that it won't work, just lifting my hands to the keys takes so much effort. So playing becomes heavy and dull.

I have been like this all my life, I just wake up in the morning and my muscles are frozen... Usually it resolves in a few days by itself, trying to exercise or massage tends to just make it worse the next day.

Winter time is the worst. I guess I am ready to try the foam thingy

[49410enrique]

Don't I know it 

It frustrates me so much when one day I am fine and everything is easy and the next day I am so stiff that I can't properly move my arms. I know immediately when I sit at the piano that it won't work, just lifting my hands to the keys takes so much effort. So playing becomes heavy and dull.

I have been like this all my life, I just wake up in the morning and my muscles are frozen... Usually it resolves in a few days by itself, trying to exercise or massage tends to just make it worse the next day.

Winter time is the worst. I guess I am ready to try the foam thingy

they are becoming easier and easier to obtain as for a while it was only in the elite sports strength and conditioning circles and on the ball rehabilitation folks that knew about and how to use them. best damn body care apparatus i ever bought.

i firmly believe we all should be able to so some minimal self maintenance, and this is part of that. i (and a coach i knew) call it 'prehap' short for and preferrably over the alternative 'rehab' as you do it before you need the other and many times prevent that other side altogether.

[outin]

they are becoming easier and easier to obtain as for a while it was only in the elite sports strength and conditioning circles and on the ball rehabilitation folks that knew about and how to use them. best damn body care apparatus i ever bought.

Done! I should have mine in a week or so...

EDIT: I so agree on the self maintenance thing...I don't like or trust  doctors (occasionally you might meet a really good one, but mostly it's just pills which I prefer not to take), so I'll avoid going to one as long as possible...

[49410enrique]

Done! I should have mine in a week or so...

i'll send some more and better resources along later, in the meantime good reading to be had here. they're picky about their authors, i tend to like and and  agree wtih most of what goes up here (which is rare for me).

http://www.performbetter.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PBOnePieceView?storeId=10151&catalogId=10751&languageId=-1&pagename=106

also, depending on the density you got, just know it might be a little uncomfortable at first. worry not, this is indicative of your need to address soft tissue adhesions and unreleased tension. healthy tissue is not painful to the touch or to basic biomechanically sound manipulation and movement. do know it becomes less and less uncomfortable as these issues resolve themselves. eventually it hits tipping point and actually begins to feel quite good and relaxing.

id say depending where you are begin maybe for a few minutes everyday either in the morning or evening, work up to longer sessions then do if time allows a short session in the am and a short one in the afternoon/evening (doesn't take a whole lot of time i will do anything from 5 minutes for a quick mobility refresher to a longer 20 min + deal if i am particularly beat up).

[outin]

id say depending where you are begin maybe for a few minutes everyday either in the morning or evening, work up to longer sessions then do if time allows a short session in the am and a short one in the afternoon/evening (doesn't take a whole lot of time i will do anything from 5 minutes for a quick mobility refresher to a longer 20 min + deal if i am particularly beat up).

Thanks! I will try to be good and practice every day

[ranniks]

It's funny to hear someone else play the piece you are practising on!

How many beats per second was that though? Does your teacher not do lagato? Because either my ears are just lagging behind or that definitely sounds faster than 65-67 bpm.

My teacher was telling me a few times the piece was written in lagato and around 65 bpm.

The piano sounds good though! Nothing wrong with it.

[outin]

How many beats per second was that though? Does your teacher not do lagato? Because either my ears are just lagging behind or that definitely sounds faster than 65-67 bpm.

It was too fast probably, no idea of the metronome speed. I wasn't concentrating on the piece so much, just practicing the right hand fingering which I just changed into something more natural, the one in my book never really felt right.

I will try to make a proper recording for you next weekend, if the cat co-operates... I am still experimenting with different ways to play the left hand, haven't been able to decide. I guess it depends on my mood 
 

The piano sounds good though! Nothing wrong with it.

I think my ears are a bit too sensitive, I hear immediately when the piano is not right, especially when pedalling. And there are little changes all the time now that the temperature can suddenly go from
-20 to +5.

The touch also changes which is annoying. Some keys become "lazy" (don't know a better word).

[lelle]

It was too fast probably, no idea of the metronome speed. I wasn't concentrating on the piece so much, just practicing the right hand fingering which I just changed into something more natural, the one in my book never really felt right.

I will try to make a proper recording for you next weekend, if the cat co-operates... I am still experimenting with different ways to play the left hand, haven't been able to decide. I guess it depends on my mood 

Your tempo is good, if you go slower it will be really hard for you to maintain and for the listener to follow the melodic line. Some might prefer it even faster! What fingerings (passages) are you having trouble with?

[outin]

Your tempo is good, if you go slower it will be really hard for you to maintain and for the listener to follow the melodic line. Some might prefer it even faster! What fingerings (passages) are you having trouble with?

The stretto passage, we worked something out with my teacher on my last lesson, but it just wasn't good. Every time I had to think "remember to use that finger" at one point when another would just be there naturally. But I did figure out a solution that works, just need to get the old one out of my head...

[ranniks]

My teacher was telling me a few times the piece was written in lagato and around 65 bpm.

I meant 'Largo', not lagato, lol!

[mahlermaniac]

Don't I know it 

It frustrates me so much when one day I am fine and everything is easy and the next day I am so stiff that I can't properly move my arms. I know immediately when I sit at the piano that it won't work, just lifting my hands to the keys takes so much effort. So playing becomes heavy and dull.

I have been like this all my life, I just wake up in the morning and my muscles are frozen... Usually it resolves in a few days by itself, trying to exercise or massage tends to just make it worse the next day.

Winter time is the worst. I guess I am ready to try the foam thingy

That's frustrating I don't have exactly the same problem but I do understand your frustration to a different degree. I have had some wrist sorenes getting used to playing, and had to take a break then ease back into playing quite slowly. The mind wants to play for an hour, but the body isn't ready for that.