John Field Nocturne n. 5

[deandeblock]

Hi peepz,


I made a quick test recording for this piece, it' s full of hiccups and errors which i will get rid of, but I was hoping to get some feedback of you guys on it.

That middle part is horror btw! Horror recorded on a Yamaha u1


You can find it here:

https://soundcloud.com/deandeblock/john-field-nocturne-number-5-first-tryout






Kind regards,

[distantfieldrelative]

What happened to the ending?

[mjames]

For a work in progress you're doing fine. One note: sometimes the line of phrasing is broken due to pedaling and it probably also has to do with your finger legato. Don't substitute the pedal with legato. Anyways keep going man, be confident.

[kawai_cs]

What happened to the ending?

 

Good work in progress, keep it up and keep us updated. If I could suggest something I would keep the accompaniment quieter, LH is pretty loud but maybe it is just the recording.
Your room looks so European...

[adodd81802]

Hello deandeblock!

Good to see you are still working on this piece. It's a working progress so no criticisms, just things I can suggest working on.

1st, tempo, not necessarily just a tad faster, but maybe less robotic and more free, that is to say as the melody dictates it.

For example around 22seconds up to 44 seconds is a place where you can add some dynamic that build up and slightly increase the tempo to then resolve and go back to the smooth pace.

Rather than trying to make that bit particularly loud, concentrate on making the rest quieter, left hand has already been mentioned.

For the chords at 44 seconds, trying putting more emphasis on the melody note (top) something that my teacher commented on my own playing when i performed this for him. Try and feel the concentration of your hand leaning torwards that top note and the thumb just providing a very quiet echo of the lower note.

For the little tricky bits (for example 1min 10?)isolate them and just take them out the piece, run through them slowly 20-40 times per practice until you really know the notes then slowly work on tempo and bringing them back into the piece, do so by adding a bar or so of the piece at before the tricky parts and after so you can feel it back in the piece.

The chords in the middle were good, I heard the top melody note quite nicely and so there just work on making the start of it quieter so there can be more variation in dynamics.

When two sections repeat like that the suggestion would be to play one slightly different to the other, so i'd play the first run through quieter and the second a little louder especially as we're coming up to a sort of coda.

Ornament around 2 minutes was good. as well as 2.30.

2min 40 again i'd say a slight variation in tempo as the stress builds a little.

3 min 10 the little flicks are deceptively hard to have PP  if i remember my score recommended 2/1/4/3/2 or something like that which allowed you to get good control.

Nothing really to complain about here, as you said it's a work in progress, and a couple weeks I imagine you will have this at a good place.

[deandeblock]

I really appreciate all the replies!

Yes, I just recorded with a decent mic and placed it a little different so that left doesn't sound too harsh:

https://soundcloud.com/deandeblock/john-field-nocturne-5-b-flat-major-work-in-progress


I will finish it in the coming weeks, and am already taking the feedback into account! My teacher also gave me some other stuff and am also preparing for the grade 4 exam so lots of work

[adodd81802]

My teacher said that's around a grade 7 piece... So if you're only studying for grade 4 good work.

[deandeblock]

My teacher said that's around a grade 7 piece... So if you're only studying for grade 4 good work.

I had a feeling this was way above my level because it took me really long to get the notes right. Still not right actually

My teacher and I agreed upon having a difficult piece alongside the regular repertoire... I've heard her hinting Debussy's Arabesque - so maybe who knows after I get this one finished

[adodd81802]

I had a feeling this was way above my level because it took me really long to get the notes right. Still not right actually

My teacher and I agreed upon having a difficult piece alongside the regular repertoire... I've heard her hinting Debussy's Arabesque - so maybe who knows after I get this one finished

Interesting I think that's even a grade 8 piece? between 7-8 anyway a lovely piece to learn.

I think with this field piece, the left hand rhymically is very much the same throughout as are a lot of nocturnes, so the first step is to get comfortable with the rhythm so that you don't have to think about it, that better helps I think the notes, because because then you're linking the rhythm to order of notes and that helps remembering so you don't need to think about the notes as much.

Next point is that a lot of the combinations of notes repeat so with repetition you quickly double your accuracy 10x over, as your say 5 times of repeating one pattern of notes that is repeated 3 times in the song accounts for effectively practicing 3 sections in the space of 1.

So definitely add some focus to the bits that repeat often and run through those several times when they're comfortable, it leaves you with less to concentrate on.

I am confident that with any piece of music there are difficult aspects to overcome and they require focus, but there will always be "easy" parts of a piece, and it is identifying what needs the focus to help avoid wasted time repeating parts we can already easily do.

[deandeblock]

Interesting I think that's even a grade 8 piece? between 7-8 anyway a lovely piece to learn.

You got a recording of that one?

[adodd81802]

You got a recording of that one?

No recording of this piece no I'm currently learning a Beethoven Sonata and this

To hopefully play in a piano concert in April. But I will pick the Arabesque piece up definitely when i get the time.

[deandeblock]

No recording of this piece no I'm currently learning a Beethoven Sonata and this

To hopefully play in a piano concert in April. But I will pick the Arabesque piece up definitely when i get the time.

That nocturne sounds even more difficult than the John Field piece. I'm curious about your interpretation... Keep us posted

[adodd81802]

That nocturne sounds even more difficult than the John Field piece. I'm curious about your interpretation... Keep us posted

Yes I am finding it quite difficult. Not above my level (in my own opinion) but requiring a strict left hand and good independence of weight transfer to sound out the melody notes in chords. I'm also finding the pedalling a little difficult as there are none indicated on the score!

All things going well i'll get someone to record the concert and i'll post my performance on here. On a REAL piano!!

[deandeblock]

UPDATE:


It's somewhat better now but still not how I want it to sound:


https://soundcloud.com/deandeblock/john-field-nocturne-b-flat

[adodd81802]

UPDATE:


It's somewhat better now but still not how I want it to sound:


https://soundcloud.com/deandeblock/john-field-nocturne-b-flat

I'll give it a listen this evening. I think you posted another piece the other day, so it seems you've been working hard!

[deandeblock]

I'll give it a listen this evening. I think you posted another piece the other day, so it seems you've been working hard!

Hey adodd, ok thanks


yes my teacher was on vacation for 2 weeks and she gave me the key to here flat. Full - time access to her Blüthner piano !

[adodd81802]

Hey adodd, ok thanks


yes my teacher was on vacation for 2 weeks and she gave me the key to here flat. Full - time access to her Blüthner piano !

You lucky so 'n' so! Sounds like I need a new piano teacher