Piano Journal: Bach and Chopin until end of this year

[ranniks]

Hi all,

goal is to only do pieces by Bach or Chopin until the end of 2013, exceptions to the pieces I am already working on, Fur Elise for example. So far:

- Bach:

- Minuet g major
- Prelude c major
- March in D

- Chopin:

- Prelude op 28 n4
- Robert Schuman's Kinderzehen von fremden und Menschen (new, practising)

Keep in mind, only been a pianist for 6 months (pianist=someone playing piano frequently).

If you have any Bach/Chopin suggestions, please post them so I can consider them. But usually I'd let me teacher pick. He said he wouldn't mind only Bach and Chopin.

Will keep you posted with recordings.

[ranniks]

Oh and movie/tv themes don't count either, so I can learn them as well.

[feddera]

Funny coincidence, I'm also playing only Bach and Chopin at least until summer!

Here's some suggestions:

For Bach around the same level, there's a minuet in Gm (actually meant to be played directly after the one in G in one sitting), and another minuet in Dm I like very much from Anna Magdalenas Notebook. If you want something a little bit harder, try little prelude nr. 3 in Cm or nr. 4 in D. Both of these are great. For a challenge: Invention nr. 1 in C major.

Chopin has a waltz without opus number in A minor which should be very playable at your level. Also check out the op69no2 waltz, which is a little harder. His prelude nr. 20 in Cm should also be manageable.

There are so many pieces to choose from but here's a start at least!

[hfmadopter]

Oh and movie/tv themes don't count either, so I can learn them as well.

If you are going to be adding any themes to what you already are doing in Bach and Chopin, I suggest just to do one at a time. Getting into too many themes will derail your goal for 2013. I also suggest to keep the themes simple but full of expression to get the best out of them at this level. You will need your big effort to go into Bach and Chopin anyway. Look at the themes as an extra acivity.

Just a though, it's kind of how I modeled my practice years ago. Right now it seems to be the other way around for me though ( pop pieces and modern composer works more so than classical at the moment, Beatles, led Zeppelin, David Nevue arrangements and less classical fare) !!

[ranniks]

Funny coincidence, I'm also playing only Bach and Chopin at least until summer!

Here's some suggestions:

For Bach around the same level, there's a minuet in Gm (actually meant to be played directly after the one in G in one sitting), and another minuet in Dm I like very much from Anna Magdalenas Notebook. If you want something a little bit harder, try little prelude nr. 3 in Cm or nr. 4 in D. Both of these are great. For a challenge: Invention nr. 1 in C major.

Chopin has a waltz without opus number in A minor which should be very playable at your level. Also check out the op69no2 waltz, which is a little harder. His prelude nr. 20 in Cm should also be manageable.

There are so many pieces to choose from but here's a start at least!

It's because we both like the composers I think.

Those pieces are very beautiful, the Chopin ones seem a little bit difficult to be honest, but music to me sounds more difficult than it actually is. The Schuman piece seemed difficult in the ears, but playing it wasn't that difficult, of course I'm only at the first few meassures of the piece.

Thanks for the suggestions btw! My teacher is away for 2 weeks, so I might pick one of those pieces and already start learning it.

If you are going to be adding any themes to what you already are doing in Bach and Chopin, I suggest just to do one at a time. Getting into too many themes will derail your goal for 2013. I also suggest to keep the themes simple but full of expression to get the best out of them at this level. You will need your big effort to go into Bach and Chopin anyway. Look at the themes as an extra acivity.

Just a though, it's kind of how I modeled my practice years ago. Right now it seems to be the other way around for me though ( pop pieces and modern composer works more so than classical at the moment, Beatles, led Zeppelin, David Nevue arrangements and less classical fare) !!

I'll take it slowly David. Speaking about recent pieces, "Passenger - Let her go" seems good in the ears.

[hfmadopter]

I'll take it slowly David. Speaking about recent pieces, "Passenger - Let her go" seems good in the ears.

Have you found piano solo music to that ?

[ranniks]

Have you found piano solo music to that ?

Yeah:

https://adf.ly/2854706/sheet-music-let-her-go

Seems do-able, but I'm not gonna touch the piece any time soon. Mostly because I am packed with pieces already and because the left hand seems too consuming to play at the level I am right now. But it's just repeating notes, so it probably isn't that hard.

I guess that's the difference between classic and pop; classic is that much more difficult.

Making good progress with the Schumann piece btw! My teacher told me Schumann made it based on Chopin.

The only hard part about this piece is the length of the left hand movement, for example: BG, D and then higher G. For a beginner like me this seems to take more effort. But definitely a good piece. First I'll learn the notes and hand movement, then how to play with emotion poured in.

It's written in 2/4, so not sure how fast it should actually go.

[hfmadopter]

Yeah:

https://adf.ly/2854706/sheet-music-let-her-go



I guess that's the difference between classic and pop; classic is that much more difficult.

Glad you're making progress ! Good to hear.

Pop generally has a very repetitive 2 or 3 chord melody with a few passing tones put to a beat that everyone takes a liking to and also with favorable word selection in the original release, I might add . Of course that isn't to say it can't be taken and made to be arranged more complicated. That's all in the arranging. The arrangement you are showing us here could be taken and simplified or made more complicated or played just as it is, FWIW.

Classical is often, essentially, a fist full of notes by comparison. But you can make beautiful music either way, it's how you interpret it and pass it on within your experience level that counts. It's all in the expression.

 I look for pieces of music that I know I will express well, that's what is important to me. Not so much how simple or complicated it is. If it's written too complicated for my level I won't express it well without a ton of work and practice or maybe not at all.  If too simple then I have to work it up to my level ( given a pop or theme piece) or expectations.

[feddera]

Those pieces are very beautiful, the Chopin ones seem a little bit difficult to be honest, but music to me sounds more difficult than it actually is. The Schuman piece seemed difficult in the ears, but playing it wasn't that difficult, of course I'm only at the first few meassures of the piece.

Actually I think most Chopin sounds harder than it really is, while Bach on the other hand is usually much harder than it sounds... Anyway, the Chopin prelude nr. 20 is without a doubt easier than prelude nr. 4! Also the waltzes are sometimes played at a much faster tempo than necessary to make them sound good, which of course would make them more difficult.

[outin]

Anyway, the Chopin prelude nr. 20 is without a doubt easier than prelude nr. 4!

I have to disagree (which just shows that difficulty is not objective). The difficulties in nr 4 are artistic more than technical. I have never been able to play nro 20 and I have tried several times. I get so much tension from the right hand chords.

[feddera]

Well, I guess if one has very small hands, that prelude would be impossible to play... but only if! I used to have a problem with large chords when I started playing, but after a while the fingers do get more flexible.

[brogers70]

Only Bach and Chopin? Sounds like a good idea. I've been tempted sometimes to commit to a Bach-only year. He's the only composer I could imagine not getting dull after a year of nothing else.

[ranniks]

Little update:

- Practised second theme of Fur Elise, got it down pretty well I would say...Will upload something soon I hope.
- The Schumann/Chopin piece is riddling my mind, but I got the first bar down, yayeeee! Will take a while before I'll be able to play it on speed.

Question: Is this piece meant for children? I could not imagine.....

- Chopin prelude with metronome once and without once, feeling good.
- Bach march going well as well. Since my teacher is away for 2 weeks, I'll need some feedback from you folk.

Good practise today, even though I had a bursting headache. It's dull now though, thankfully.

[ranniks]

Changed the thread title, hope no one minds. Anyways; the above is so awesome...........I hope I'm that good in five years from now.

[ranniks]

Btw, I've decided to give the Invention a try. Without a teacher this is going to be tedious for the next 2 weeks, but I''ll persevere.

[hfmadopter]

Changed the thread title, hope no one minds. Anyways; the above is so awesome...........I hope I'm that good in five years from now.

Good luck with that !!!!!!!!!

[outin]

Changed the thread title, hope no one minds. Anyways; the above is so awesome...........I hope I'm that good in five years from now.

I can't help seeing the dancers in my mind when listening to this

[ranniks]

*Mad* The video was too long....WIll try to upload tomorrow.

[ranniks]

As Promised:

Part 1:

Part 2:

So if someone has the patience to watch through all that and give me advise about the ending (finger about the Schumann piece, sheet is also there), I'd be really greatful!

Part 1:

0.00 - 2:00 Scales + Fur Elise (sorry for hazy sound, it will go away after this interval)
2:10 - 2:50 Minuet in G Major
2:50 - 5:10  Prelude in C Major (some note mistakes, because of the camera I think)
5:16 - 6:12 Harry potter Theme^^
6:18 - 7:50  March in D (Need to work on last part)
8:00 - 10:50 Prelude n4 OP 28 (I hope it sounds better than the last time)

Part 2:

Schumann/Chopin piece (just started this piece 2 days ago practise time around 30-60 minutes)

Rest are me just messing around with some pieces/chords you might recognize.

Mind you:

- Did not edit video
- Hair was a mess, sunday lol
- Fur Elise at the end is better imho than at the beginning

Feedback about whole video, very welcome!

Once again, thanks!

[ranniks]

Oh and excuse me for cursing at the end....=p

*Sigh* I am not sure why I stuttered so much at the end, thought I was past that by now, lol. That is not how I normally speak English. Probably the nerves.