My first real improvisation on a grand -- loosely based on Balakirev - The Lark

[ranjit]

I've been working quite hard trying to develop my playing over the past few weeks. I don't really get to play on grand pianos that often, and had literally never played one until a few months back, as I've talked about before over here.

Do let me know what you think!

[j_tour]

Well, I don't have the bona fides to give truly constructive criticism, but you have a nice ear for the polyrhythm in the main subject.  That's about the way I would do it, but you're pushing the beat a lot more than I would.  Just different styles, I suppose, but it does seem you're coming from a folk/roots music background as well, with an emphasis on rhythm and "what sounds good,' which I can relate to very much.

Your way is excellent, though.  I'd like to hear you have a go at the Ravel Valses nobles &c.

[ranjit]

Thanks, j_tour!

Well, I don't have the bona fides to give truly constructive criticism, but you have a nice ear for the polyrhythm in the main subject.

I didn't even realize it was a polyrhythm haha, I was just playing around in A minor and chanced upon the melody.

That's about the way I would do it, but you're pushing the beat a lot more than I would.  Just different styles, I suppose, but it does seem you're coming from a folk/roots music background as well, with an emphasis on rhythm and "what sounds good,' which I can relate to very much.

Interesting that you hear a folk/roots background. Could you go into more detail about that? I'm trying to figure out why it may have seemed that way. I have a couple of theories why it might be so. I certainly don't think I have any kind of folk background as such.

My style of improvising is basically all homegrown -- I have never learned a specific style of improvisation, and I don't properly understand where it comes from myself, although I'm sure there was a lot of Liszt involved! I just kept listening and absorbing things and it somehow morphed into a style of improvising over a few thousand hours.

Your way is excellent, though.  I'd like to hear you have a go at the Ravel Valses nobles &c.

Thank you very much! I'll have a look sometime. My teacher will probably kill me if I attempt them right now I'm currently working on a ton of easy pieces to try to iron out my technique.

[dogperson]

You might consider reviewing this video with  your teacher during your lesson.

[j_tour]

Thanks, j_tour!I didn't even realize it was a polyrhythm haha, I was just playing around in A minor and chanced upon the melody.
Interesting that you hear a folk/roots background. Could you go into more detail about that? I'm trying to figure out why it may have seemed that way. I have a couple of theories why it might be so.

Oh, I'm always happy to take a listen and jabber on about stuff! 

Truly, very good music-making on your part, and the maiden voyage on the grand doesn't seem to slow you down at all!  Sounds good, is good.

About the "folk music":  for me it's not really a technical term of art, just how I categorize things very roughly.  There's "legit" music and then "roots/folk/pop/other," which latter, unless I'm misremembering, you have some experience with. 

I'm kind of intrigued by your theory you allude to, but there wasn't much of a deeper meaning behind my comment at all.

You might consider reviewing this video with  your teacher during your lesson.

That's a fantastic idea! 

[ranjit]

Truly, very good music-making on your part, and the maiden voyage on the grand doesn't seem to slow you down at all!  Sounds good, is good.

Thanks! The action of the grand quite literally allows me to play faster more comfortably than on a digital.

About the "folk music":  for me it's not really a technical term of art, just how I categorize things very roughly.  There's "legit" music and then "roots/folk/pop/other," which latter, unless I'm misremembering, you have some experience with. 

I see. Coming to "the theory" -- although I don't mention it here too often, I actually have some previous experience with Indian classical music, which influences my understanding of melody in certain ways which I'm still trying to piece together.

[ranjit]

You might consider reviewing this video with  your teacher during your lesson.

I have a fair idea of what he'll say haha, I have showed him similar things in the past. Essentially something like, "it's nice, but not what we need to develop right now".

[dogperson]

I have a fair idea of what he'll say haha, I have showed him similar things in the past. Essentially something like, "it's nice, but not what we need to develop right now".

Aren’t you developing technique with your teacher?  I think if you asked for comments on your technique in this video, he would understand the relevance.

[quantum]

I think your recent experiences playing on grands have led you to develop and explore more of the tonal resources that the instrument is capable of.  Playing on a quality acoustic can be eye opening when you discover just how responsive an instrument can be to your input. 

The piece felt like a variation set in a number of contrasting styles. Your inclination to listen and absorb diversified musics is evident, and you are able to transition between styles with ease. 

There is little need to lift the hand so high between jumps, it makes achieving accuracy and evenness more laborious.  If it is volume you are after, direct core strength from your torso rather than trying to use hand or arm weight alone to achieve key velocity.  Time your hand is in the air is time taken away from preparing for the next note.  The lift of the hand or fingers enables clarity and articulation, but lift too much and that lift action has negligible effect on clarity and ends up creating more work for the pianist - it is a balancing act. 

I have a fair idea of what he'll say haha, I have showed him similar things in the past. Essentially something like, "it's nice, but not what we need to develop right now".

One of my teachers was not as nice when I told them about playing improvisations in a concert.  Didn't let that stop me though. 

[j_tour]

Coming to "the theory" -- although I don't mention it here too often, I actually have some previous experience with Indian classical music, which influences my understanding of melody in certain ways which I'm still trying to piece together.

I wonder if you don't mind amplifying on the influence of classical Indian music (yes, obviously, that in itself is a huge topic....I've even forgot speaking and writing a bit of Bangla, which is different than the lingua franca [or, you know, one of!]).

Basically it's such a huge country that I don't feel comfortable generalizing about regions I don't know (and those that I do know, it's not from having been there as a turista, just some old schoolmates and friends of friends IRL).

The rhythmic, and repetitive, and utterly disciplined parts of certain types of "classical Indian music" does strike me as very related to American style folk music.

But that combined with the preeminently Euro "bourgeois" instrument, the piano, I wonder what your thoughts are about that.

[ranjit]

The piece felt like a variation set in a number of contrasting styles. Your inclination to listen and absorb diversified musics is evident, and you are able to transition between styles with ease. 

Thank you for listening! I think that I often have a tendency to create variations set in a number of contrasting styles, as you put it.

There is little need to lift the hand so high between jumps, it makes achieving accuracy and evenness more laborious.  If it is volume you are after, direct core strength from your torso rather than trying to use hand or arm weight alone to achieve key velocity.  Time your hand is in the air is time taken away from preparing for the next note. 

It's more of an instinctive reaction to the sound being produced. I do not do it in order to produce volume or for accuracy -- it just "feels" right, so to speak.

[ranjit]

I wonder if you don't mind amplifying on the influence of classical Indian music (yes, obviously, that in itself is a huge topic...

The rhythmic, and repetitive, and utterly disciplined parts of certain types of "classical Indian music" does strike me as very related to American style folk music.

But that combined with the preeminently Euro "bourgeois" instrument, the piano, I wonder what your thoughts are about that.

I am no expert, and I never learned it formally. However, I used to occasionally accompany others' singing, and I could transcribe melodies. There is no direct influence of Indian music on the improvisations I post here. However, I feel that it has some kind of a subconscious effect, especially when it comes to things like phrasing.

I don't see a point in playing Indian classical music on the piano, mostly. You can do it for fun, and there are some unusual, nice-sounding ornaments you can come up with which imitate the style. However, a lot of the more intricate parts use microtonal slides, and varying intonation, which can't be replicated on a piano. I think an analogy can be drawn to how Chopin elaborates his melodies, but it plays around with pitch a lot more.

[kalospiano]

very nice improv, congrats!