Brand new to piano, looking for critique

[sovrel]

Just for a little background, I've played guitar for around 6 years. I recently bought a digital piano around 3 weeks ago and have been playing it 4-5 hours a day or so. I can't afford lessons at the moment but would like to take some in the future. I am entirely self-taught currently, except for a few youtube videos regarding technique and the like. Unfortunately I'm not able to record a video at the moment, but here is an audio recording of some of Chopin's Nocturne Op.9 No.1.

https://soundcloud.com/d159/nocturne-op-9-no-1-incomplete-take-2

   The beginning isn't soft enough in this recording because I was afraid it would be too quiet, I usually play it softer. Besides the simple mechanical mistakes, I think my biggest problem is that when I'm playing the piece I tend to do what "feels" good to me instead of what actually sounds good. Basically I'm not looking at the piece holistically. Also I have trouble playing softly with the left hand, as you can probably tell at the end of the recording. I'm trying to improve as quickly as possible so any advice is appreciated.

[gyzzzmo]

First at least get the notes right. We dont know what's intentional now or not. Its actually something like a mess right now, you're trying to make music of it.
First get the mess right, then the music part can start Send us a recording then, we'll try to help you.

[faulty_damper]

When I was in music school, I had the pleasure to accompany a young singer who was self-taught.  We were working on some songs when the conversation somehow turned to the fact that I couldn't play and sing at the same time.  She immediately jumped in and said, "I can!", and sat down on the piano next to mine and started to play a song she wrote when she was seventeen. In it, I felt so much emotion that was genuine, a true reflection of who she was.  When I heard her sing, I almost cried but she abruptly stopped before I could let out any tears.  I was at a loss for words.  But then my thoughts turned to fear.  I knew that the vocal teachers would teach her to sing in a way that was without emotion, or at least, a false emotional projection that was superficial.  I knew that she would eventually lose the way she connected with the music.  She was insecure about her singing and expressed so much doubt when I first met her.  But the more she learned, the more confident she became.  She started getting parts in operas and theatre productions.  That insecure young woman was now a confident young woman.  But that indescribable thing that almost made me cry in that practice room many years ago was lost.  I never heard it again.

The point is, you have a good ear.  Follow that while you learn to use your body to make playing more easy.  One specific critique is that the opening melody starts too slow.  Another is obviously the mistakes, notes and rhythm, that need to be corrected.  Otherwise, it's a very good effort.

[sovrel]

Is this one as much of a mess? Like I said I've only been playing 3 weeks so I've got no clue what I'm doing right now. I left out some notes in the first recording intentionally because I learned to play it by ear and I thought it complimented the melody. This one should have all of the notes correct besides one that my finger slipped on near the end. If this is a mess as well it would be nice to know what makes it so.

https://soundcloud.com/d159/nocturne-op-9-no-1-2

[faulty_damper]

There are many more mistakes than just one.  If you look at the score and compare, you should notice several quite significant note errors.

[sovrel]

Besides the note mistakes, is there anything you can hear in regards to technique? The note mistakes are because I didn't learn it from the score so I will look over it and relearn it. I'm not sure if the reason my playing isn't smooth is because I'm doing something wrong technique or rhythm wise or if I just need more experience to become comfortable.

[chopincat]

I have been studying this piece since last year and I have performed it a number of times.

You are making a lot of note errors. It would be a good idea to spend some time working on it hands alone to make sure you really know the notes. Always remember to keep scanning back in each measure for accidentals. It might also help you to listen to recordings of the piece. If you have it well enough in your ear, it will be more obvious to you when you play wrong notes.

Some of the rhythms aren't quite right. There are a bunch of tricky rhythmic patterns in this piece and it would be a good idea to spend extra time practicing them (especially the 22 against 12!) If you are unsure of how a specific rhythm is supposed to sound, again I'd recommend listening to recordings.

Also, I think you are using too much rubato. You have to think of the melody as phrases with beginnings and ends. Right now it sounds somewhat choppy because you often pause at the end of measures. Of course, some of this pausing might not be intentional if you just aren't entirely sure of the notes yet. If that's the case, I'd recommend taking the whole piece a bit slower. It's much better to play a piece slowed down with proper rhythm throughout than to play it up to tempo and have to start and stop all the time.

Overall, this is quite impressive for someone who's been playing for 3 weeks! Just out of curiosity, what other pieces have you been playing? There are definitely some slightly easier pieces out there that could help you with playing a piece like this.

[sovrel]

I have been studying this piece since last year and I have performed it a number of times.

You are making a lot of note errors. It would be a good idea to spend some time working on it hands alone to make sure you really know the notes. Always remember to keep scanning back in each measure for accidentals. It might also help you to listen to recordings of the piece. If you have it well enough in your ear, it will be more obvious to you when you play wrong notes.

Some of the rhythms aren't quite right. There are a bunch of tricky rhythmic patterns in this piece and it would be a good idea to spend extra time practicing them (especially the 22 against 12!) If you are unsure of how a specific rhythm is supposed to sound, again I'd recommend listening to recordings.

Also, I think you are using too much rubato. You have to think of the melody as phrases with beginnings and ends. Right now it sounds somewhat choppy because you often pause at the end of measures. Of course, some of this pausing might not be intentional if you just aren't entirely sure of the notes yet. If that's the case, I'd recommend taking the whole piece a bit slower. It's much better to play a piece slowed down with proper rhythm throughout than to play it up to tempo and have to start and stop all the time.

Overall, this is quite impressive for someone who's been playing for 3 weeks! Just out of curiosity, what other pieces have you been playing? There are definitely some slightly easier pieces out there that could help you with playing a piece like this.

First of all, thanks for the advice. I am playing it more smoothly now after listening to Rubinstein's recording. As for the wrong notes and rhythm, I am going over that right now because I originally learned it by ear and just recently looked at the score. I actually haven't been practicing this piece recently as it was the first that I learned. Honestly, I wanted to see where i was at mechanically so I attempted to learn the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata and got the first few lines up to around 120 bpm before deciding to play some easier pieces first. I very recently started learning the second Chopin Nocturne as well.

[chopincat]

Glad to hear the recording is helping you! Rubinstein is always helpful for Chopin interpretations.

The 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata is quite an ambitious project for a beginner! It's always good to challenge yourself, but easier pieces can often give you the technique and experience that will make the process of learning more difficult pieces simpler. Playing some of Chopin's preludes, mazurkas and waltzes first, for example, will help you with his nocturnes. And if you really want to build technique in general, I'd recommend working on some Bach inventions. They are fairly simple pieces, but they will help you with so many aspects of piano playing, and they provide good preparation for the Preludes and Fugues.

[sovrel]

Glad to hear the recording is helping you! Rubinstein is always helpful for Chopin interpretations.

The 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata is quite an ambitious project for a beginner! It's always good to challenge yourself, but easier pieces can often give you the technique and experience that will make the process of learning more difficult pieces simpler. Playing some of Chopin's preludes, mazurkas and waltzes first, for example, will help you with his nocturnes. And if you really want to build technique in general, I'd recommend working on some Bach inventions. They are fairly simple pieces, but they will help you with so many aspects of piano playing, and they provide good preparation for the Preludes and Fugues.

Thanks again! Much more helpful than just calling my playing a mess. I will look into everything you mentioned.

[chopincat]

Thanks again! Much more helpful than just calling my playing a mess. I will look into everything you mentioned.

You're welcome, glad I could be of some help! 

[chopinlover01]

The only thing I would add is that you forgot Mozart sonatas 

[gyzzzmo]

If you can read sheetmusic, i'd advice you to get a good edition with decent fingering (Edition Peters for example), and start over.
Force yourself to check all the notes and do the right fingering (very important!).
As i said before, you have to get the notes (and fingering) right first, else it will be quite pointless to go further into technique. Start with the basics first

Gyzzzmo