FRED'S PRELUDE 16 some call it hades that's what it feels like

[pencilart3]

There after some work I've made a hopefully improved version. What do you think? I stuck a camera on it this time so you could see my agony...

[ajlongspiano]

Hey Noah! Big improvements from the last time I heard this.  Your technique is 95% there. Still a few sloppy releases to iron out but you're getting close to having this absolutely crystal clear. Now you have to start putting musical thought in. Play it super slowly and shape EVERYTHING. Dynamics, special places where you want to take a bit of time, little effects with the pedal. When we play piano our dynamic potential decreases as we get faster. As we get better and better this potential won't stagnate as harshly but it still goes down a bit. Here's what I mean.

Speed = Slow, Dynamic range     = >--------------------------------------------------<
Speed = Medium, Dynamic range = >---------------------------<
Speed = Fast, Dynamic range      = >------------<

I hope this makes sense. The better you get the smaller your dynamic difference will be as you speed up. So practice slowly with your dynamics SUPER exaggerated. When you do this, your dynamic range doesn't really stagnate, but rather levels out when you pick up speed. I'll make another little graph.

Exaggerated Dynamics slowly = >-----------------------------------------------------------------------<
Full tempo playing dynamics    = >-------------------------------------------------<

Normal dynamic ideas slow     = >------------------------------------------------<
Full tempo playing dynamics    = >-----------------------------<

I hope these ideas helped you Noah! Keep up the awesome work. You're doing extremely well.

[pencilart3]

Awesome. Thanks AJ! This piece, though technically "doable" (well, maybe... ) is SO hard to get it to be musical! I mean I know I'm not usually musical but I've been trying to be musical really hard on this and it's not working!!!

[outin]

Awesome. Thanks AJ! This piece, though technically "doable" (well, maybe... ) is SO hard to get it to be musical! I mean I know I'm not usually musical but I've been trying to be musical really hard on this and it's not working!!!

Maybe you shouldn't try so hard. Just play everything perfectly (with all the dynamics in place) with ease first and it will come! You need to develope some patience I think

I wonder... Maybe it's too easy for you to learn the notes to your pieces so you do it fast first and then try to "add" musicality to it later. Don't. Take your time when initially learning the pieces and think how you want everything to sound WHILE learning the notes.

[pencilart3]

Maybe you shouldn't try so hard. Just play everything perfectly (with all the dynamics in place) with ease first and it will come! You need to develope some patience I think

I wonder... Maybe it's too easy for you to learn the notes to your pieces so you do it fast first and then try to "add" musicality to it later. Don't. Take your time when initially learning the pieces and think how you want everything to sound WHILE learning the notes.

Hmm... interesting ideas outin. Wait what did you mean by "It's too easy for you to learn all the notes"? This is prelude 16 the notes aren't easy!! They're so hard that I think I may focus so much on the notes so I don't think about it musically. But you're definitely right I need to be patient and not speed it up too fast and try to add musicality later. But I certainly can't sight read henle grade 8 pieces musically!!! 

[outin]

Hmm... interesting ideas outin. Wait what did you mean by "It's too easy for you to learn all the notes"? This is prelude 16 the notes aren't easy!! They're so hard that I think I may focus so much on the notes so I don't think about it musically. But you're definitely right I need to be patient and not speed it up too fast and try to add musicality later. But I certainly can't sight read henle grade 8 pieces musically!!! 

I meant if you can memorize the notes quickly (get into the muscle memory). I cannot, so I tend to spend a long time on them before I can really "play" the piece and speed up, so I have plenty of time to listen to what I am doing
Also I cannot memorize anything without adding the "musicality" to it (which means I use my auditory memory). I have such poor muscle memory.

[pencilart3]

I meant if you can memorize the notes quickly (get into the muscle memory). I cannot, so I tend to spend a long time on them before I can really "play" the piece and speed up, so I have plenty of time to listen to what I am doing
Also I cannot memorize anything without adding the "musicality" to it (which means I use my auditory memory). I have such poor muscle memory.

Oh. THAT makes sense! Yes sometimes I feel like my muscle memory is too good, I often learn wrong notes and they are very, very hard to work out. You are always so self deprecating you make yourself sound like a blundering idiot! Surely you're not THAT bad! Post something in the audition room or if you have already can you give me the link?

[outin]

You are always so self deprecating you make yourself sound like a blundering idiot! Surely you're not THAT bad!

Maybe not a complete idiot
But I do have some issues that do make memorizing pieces difficult. I am also quite a bit older than you. Not to mention time limitations on polishing anything due to working conditions.

I have opted not to post in the audition room until I am reasonably happy with both the playing and recording quality. So far my recordings sound horrible (not a very good piano and bad acoustics) and there's always a really stupid memory slip or two. Too self conscious about recording I'm afraid.

[pencilart3]

I am reasonably happy with both the playing and recording quality.

If you are pretty happy with it why don't you at least post something? Even something easier like chopin's prelude 4 or 7. I did both of those about a month ago, they're not very hard.

[outin]

If you are pretty happy with it why don't you at least post something? Even something easier like chopin's prelude 4 or 7. I did both of those about a month ago, they're not very hard.

I'm afraid you misread my sentence completely and cut out a very relevant part 

[pencilart3]

I'm afraid you misread my sentence completely and cut out a very relevant part  

Oh I see oops. I was thinking that didn't make sense.

*hangs head in shame*

[outin]

Oh I see oops. I was thinking that didn't make sense.

*hangs head in shame*

It's alright...*pats on the head*

[dcstudio]

GREAT JOB !    you've been practicing   

[pencilart3]

you've been practicing   

Indeed I have!