Test: Beethoven Op 79 1st mvt tiny exerpt

[georgey]

The hardest post of my playing will be my first, so I thought I would get it out of the way. This recording  is embarrassing.  Please feel free to beat me up. I am a self-taught beginner currently age 57. The excerpt starts at about 16 seconds. I stopped playing suddenly at the end. I will post this entire piece in about a year.  

Some of the playing I hear here is OUTSTANDING so I congratulate all.

I play an Avantgrand N1 I bought 1 year ago. I bought a Yamaha AG03 recording devise and received it 2 days ago.  This is my first (and only) recording I made.  It was done immediately after talking to Sweetwater for about an hour to figure out what I did wrong to set up the AG3 since I was unable to record.  I was not planning on posting until this summer.  At that time I will play the entire Bach WTC P&F #1 book 1.  Regards.

[mjames]

I'm also self-taught so no worries pal, but I am bit younger than you XD

never heard tis piece before. sounds lovely ~
Your elec has a nice sound to it, waaayyy better than mine.

[georgey]

I'm also self-taught so no worries pal, but I am bit younger than you XD

never heard tis piece before. sounds lovely ~
Your elec has a nice sound to it, waaayyy better than mine.

Thanks mjames.  All I need to do now is start taking lessons to make my playing sound good and post the rest of the piece.  I hope physics and piano are going well for you.

[chopinlover01]

You're a self taught beginner and playing this kind of a piece this well?
You've got a long road of joy ahead of you, my friend.

[georgey]

You're a self taught beginner and playing this kind of a piece this well?
You've got a long road of joy ahead of you, my friend.

Thanks Clopinlover!  I hope this is true.  I just discovered a week ago that I have osteoarthritis in my hands (can you believe this!!).  It appears to be getting worse right before my eyes.  I now how 3 Heberden's nodes (bony outgrowths on joint closest to fingertip), 2 on right index finger and 1 on right middle finger. My hand flexibility is still great and I have very little discomfort.

I am working with all my power to prevent this from getting worse. I am now in the hands of God. Diet, osteoarthritis hand exercise, typing with finger sleeves, taping the joint when I practice.  I am still hopeful I can practice for years to come.  I played classical guitar from age 12 to age 26.  I read about 1 professional classical guitarrist that is having the same problem at age 45 with his right hand (the hand the plucks the strings) and osteoarthritis can attack spots of stress at a later age.  This may explain. There is also a hereditary element to this and my mother had bad osteoarthritis in her hands.

Anyway, I told my son that I may have to limit my playing at some point.  I will do more work with math as a hobby and study musical scores, etc. to fill in the extra time now that I am retired.  Reading biographies by Jan Swafford in Ives, Brahms and Beethoven really helps. POOR BEETHOVEN AND IVES!  The health problems they had.  Thanks!  

[chopinlover01]

I'd go to a specialist about that. As expensive as it may be, you've only got one set of hands. And you don't want to be the next Schumann (compositional abilities notwithstanding).

[pjjslp]

Very nice playing! You are really a self-taught beginner? I think it is safe to say you have some natural ability.

Regarding your osteoarthritis, I would agree with seeking out a specialist. My mother spent years with a lot of pain and stiffness due to quite severe osteoarthritis. She previously played piano and accordion and had not been able to do either one for several years. A couple of years ago, she had knuckle replacement surgery in fingers 2, 3, and 4 of both hands, and now she is able to play piano again -- not quite to the level she could previously, but it brings her such joy to be able to play at all. There are very few hand surgeons who perform this surgery but it is available if your arthritis becomes severe. I have a bump that is intermittently painful on my right index finger, so I understand that fear of potentially losing the ability to play down the road.

Look forward to hearing more from you! Your bravery in posting may inspire me to post my first piece here, as well.

[georgey]

Very nice playing! You are really a self-taught beginner? I think it is safe to say you have some natural ability.

Regarding your osteoarthritis, I would agree with seeking out a specialist. My mother spent years with a lot of pain and stiffness due to quite severe osteoarthritis. She previously played piano and accordion and had not been able to do either one for several years. A couple of years ago, she had knuckle replacement surgery in fingers 2, 3, and 4 of both hands, and now she is able to play piano again -- not quite to the level she could previously, but it brings her such joy to be able to play at all. There are very few hand surgeons who perform this surgery but it is available if your arthritis becomes severe. I have a bump that is intermittently painful on my right index finger, so I understand that fear of potentially losing the ability to play down the road.

Look forward to hearing more from you! Your bravery in posting may inspire me to post my first piece here, as well.

Thanks.  I will see a specialist.  I also ordered yesterday the book “Treat your own hand and Thumb Osteoarthritis”.  Below are exercises recommended by Kawai_CS for piano playing, but I see most are exactly the same as hand osteoarthritis exercises I see online.  If I see that piano playing is significantly adding to the osteoarthritis, I will see what my options are after talking to a doctor and piano teacher.  You should also figure out a plan after consulting a doctor if you have arthritis.  I’m glad that your mother is now able to play!

 

I call myself a beginner but I have been playing (messing around) about 45 minutes a day since age 47 (almost 11 years ago) on Yamaha P200 type instrument.  I bought Avantgrand N1 a little more than a year ago. After retiring 9 months ago, I now play 2-3 hours a day but I have been mostly doing exercises (after reading books) to undo the bad technique I developed in the 10 years of messing around.  I plan on taking lessons in 1 to 2 years.  I want to include 4 recordings when I send an email to the teacher I hope to study with:  Bach WTC book 1 P&F #1, Beethoven op 79 first mvt, Brahms slow 2nd mvt of his 3rd piano sonata and Chopin military polonaise.  I will post these here starting with this summer. If at some point I can play these relatively well after working with a teacher, I will no longer call myself a beginner.  

Good luck and post your playing.

[chopinlover01]

With those massive chunks of repertoire, you'd be easily put into the pre-professional category, just FYI.

[georgey]

With those massive chunks of repertoire, you'd be easily put into the pre-professional category, just FYI.

Wha??   Beginner category until I can play them reasonably well, then not beginner category, I tell you!

[georgey]

I'd go to a specialist about that. As expensive as it may be, you've only got one set of hands. And you don't want to be the next Schumann (compositional abilities notwithstanding).

Poor Schumann!!  I'm not sure we know exactly happened to his hand. Maybe from finger exercise contraption. Poor Clara also.  She had rheumatism (pain in forearms, hands, finger joints) and often in great pain.  It took her a week to recover from a performance starting maybe in her 50's.