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Topic: Any advice how to improve for self taught like me?  (Read 10262 times)

Offline ravllave

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Any advice how to improve for self taught like me?
on: March 23, 2013, 11:37:53 AM
  Hello :) Actually I am here in pianostreet 2 and a half years ago. Some of you are familiar to me. Please be nice to me lol xD
  I started to play piano last January 2010 when I was 12 years old. A friend of mine introduced me the piano. Actually, I started with 49 keys keyboard and a year after, 61 keys keyboard (sad to say).She started to teach me the BASIC CHORDS like C to B Major (except C-sharp, B-flat, etc.). She played a very easy transcription of Fur Elise (easier than you think). Because of that I am impressed with classical music and started to roam with it.
  The first classical piece I learned was the Russian Folk Song (from this website) then Fur Elise (complete version but not that good). In that time, I was able to read music (mnemonics helped me a lot).
  As months passed by, I learned some of the Mozart sonatas (the easier ones). At that time, I wasn't able to practice scales (because I didn't knew it yet).
  Then late 2011's, I was able to practice scales and reading music.
  The year 2012, I was able to read music fluently. I have also ideas about music theory. March 2012 when I started to play the flute. Today, I am able to sight read easy-intermediate pieces for flute which gave me a skill for sight reading in piano.
  I am now practicing with Michael Aaron Grade 5 piano, A Dozen a Day Book 3, scales (chromatic, major scales, and harmonic minor).
  These are the classical pieces I learned so far:
    1. Russian Folk Song
    2. Fur Elise
    3. Canon in D (Lee Galloway's Transcription)
    4. Piano Sonata 16 (all movements) (Mozart)
    5. Piano Sonata 14 (Moonlight Sonata) 1st movement
    6. Piano Sonata 20 1st movement (Beethoven)
    7. Waltz in A Minor op. Post (Chopin)
    8. Piano Sonata 12 1st movement (Mozart)
    9. Piano Sonata 9 1st movement (Mozart)
    10. Invention 1, 2, 4, 8
    11. Piano Sonata 4 (1st and 2nd movements)
    12. Piano Sonata 7 1st movement (Mozart)
    13. Piano Sonata 10 1st movement (Mozart)
    14. Fantasy in D Minor (Mozart)
  Today I am really stuck for 1 year in pieces for grade 6-7 ABRSM pieces. I know that I am too much excited for those pieces, but I can manage it. I felt that I can no longer manage grade 8 pieces. That is, I practice scales and arpeggios and some techniques.
  Please don't advice about having a teacher. I like to have a teacher, but there are few in our place. There is one, but expensive in price :(. I am planning to study again as I grew up and have income. But, please help me how to improve :(
  If you wouldn't ask, I am proudly to be a Filipino and I am 15 years old :D

Offline j_menz

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Re: Any advice how to improve for self taught like me?
Reply #1 on: March 24, 2013, 11:28:40 PM
It is really quite difficult to give you any meaningful advice without knowing where your are at now.  The list of pieces you play is fine, but it really is a matter of how you play them that would guide any sensible advice.

One of the issues with self taught pianists is that they can sometimes "play" things in a way that still has a lot of problems. I'm not saying that this is true in your case, simply that we cannot know.

Are you able to post some recordings of the some of the pieces on the list? Preferably video, but audio would be better than nothing.
"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant
 

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