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Topic: Moonlight Sonata Help  (Read 1198 times)

Offline raen79

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Moonlight Sonata Help
on: November 21, 2013, 07:55:35 PM
Hello, I am self taught and I have posted about the moonlight sonata on this forum in April. However, I stopped playing a few months later. Now that I am starting again and have been practicing for a couple of days, I would really love to know how I could improve this very flawed performance. Thank you very much!

PS: There are a few mistakes here and there, and I pretty much invented the last 20-30 seconds as I wasn't able to actually learn them yet. Again thank you!

Offline jjjessee

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Re: Moonlight Sonata Help
Reply #1 on: November 21, 2013, 09:35:47 PM
I'm Not a Piano Teacher

I am however teaching myself this piece right now as well. And we are not far apart in our ablity.


First off, congrats on having one of the most beautiful pieces of piano in existence well under way.
 
Here are somethings that have helped me.


I downloaded a metronome app for my phone that has helped a lot. I too am a victim of tempo creep. And the slower the piece, the worse I offend. My metronome only goes down to 40, for practice I have it set no higher than 88 eighth notes per minute and for working on problem areas go WAY slower. Slowing down has advanced my leaning quicker than anything.
Spend some solid slow time on just the problem spots, a few notes or beats at a time. I tend to waste too much time playing the fun and easy bits while the hard parts get neglected.
Forget the triplets. Play just left hand and top melody  using the fingering  you will when you add the triplets.

Forget the top melody. Play the triplets as chords, even those arpeggios over the g# pedal point about the middle of the work. Slowly, but in time, using the correct finger as well as possible. Then add the left hand. Then, it's hard, but add the melody but only when you can make the melody louder than the bass and the triplets.

Slow motion. If you saw yourself practicing in a video, without sound, you would think it was in slow motion. Almost like you were doing Tai Chi. I think the muscles remember the way better and quicker if you take them from chord to chord, note to note, almost painfully slow -with the proper articulation and dynamics and fingering. Learn it all together as slow a tempo as it takes.
 

As I see it, there are three things going on here, all working toward emotional chaos that we have to sort our way though.

1. Hope and Fond memories. A beautiful little dance or waltz accompaniment  going on in the triplets.

2. Fear and Despair. A funeral march Baaah-pah-poooooooooooooooom. Baaah-pah-poooooooooooooooooooooom.

3.  Melodic Drama. A lot of the melody has the feeling of a lover's quarrel, the man's pleading,  hope, and finally his despondent acceptance that it ain't gonna happen. 

Poor Beethoven, Poor men.
Hope this helps.
JJJ

Offline faulty_damper

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Re: Moonlight Sonata Help
Reply #2 on: November 21, 2013, 09:43:46 PM
You can start by reading the correct notes; a number of them were missing.

Offline etayluz

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Re: Moonlight Sonata Help
Reply #3 on: November 24, 2013, 09:20:40 PM
If you want to learn the Moonlight Sonata quickly, just use this free tool I've created - you'll never turn to sheet music again :)

https://watchandrepeat.com/

Offline etayluz

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Re: Moonlight Sonata Help
Reply #4 on: November 24, 2013, 09:24:47 PM
You're pretty good, but you're hitting some wrong notes. No worries!
Just use https://watchandrepeat.com/ and you'll be back on track in 30 minutes :)

Offline etayluz

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Re: Moonlight Sonata Help
Reply #5 on: November 24, 2013, 09:33:19 PM
I can see that someone just entered my site from this posting, is that you raen79?
Please click on "feedback" at watchandrepeat.com and let me know what you think of this site, and if it's helpful for you. Specifically, I'm noticing you are using Firefox but the experience is far better with Chrome.
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

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