What are you practicing today (last post wins)

[pianistavt]

The purpose of this thread to share what you are working on today and how it's going.
Also, feel to ask questions or make observations about your pieces today, and/or to respond to same.

[pianistavt]

I'm having an etude day (so far):
- Moskowski Op 72 #3 in G (tricky wrist movement with chords)
- Czerny Op 740 #8 in d (LH study)
- Czerny Op 740 #49 in G (Octave study - specifically light and soft, in middle section)
- Chopin Op 25 #8 in A-flat (Sixths study)

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Finishing up Fantaisie-Impromtu. Already completed the middle (easy) portion, so I figure I might as well go ahead and finish it up. Going smoothly, but it's ridiculously hard.

[lelle]

Today I have worked a bit on Chopin Op 25 no 11, as part of my current project to study them all. So far it's mainly slow practice, and focusing on my ever-ongoing project of building better, more efficient and relaxed technical habits. But it's going well thanks to a couple of break-throughs I had recently.

[transitional]

A bit of the Well-Tempered Clavier (part 1) today. C Minor and F-sharp Minor. I learned the C minor a while back and now my fingers cannot handle the perpetual motion at all. Especially the presto section. The F-sharp minor is starting to grow on me too. Not really one of the most popular ones, but the fugue is such fun!!

I'll really need a bit of revamping on my technique in the future.

[thorn]

Szymanowski Scheherazade. I've tried and given up a few times over the years and now I can finally play it through from the score. Next step is memorising which I'm about 30-40% in progress with. I'd love to learn the other two pieces in the set at some point too.

[jamienc]

Run-through of Op.111, and slow practice the Fuga of Op. 110. Getting ready for Op. 109, 110, and 111 on one concert in April.

[pianistavt]

A new day, continue two etudes from yesterday:
- Czerny Study from A.F.D. 740/49 (octaves) - one run thru, check memory
- Chopin Etude 25/8 (sixths) - newish piece, still learning - I find I am using my own fingering in place of the editor's
Memorize:  Chopin Scherzo 2 - slow practice (not easy to hold the reins back with this one...)
Some fun pieces:
- Nola by Felix Arndt
- Coaxing the Piano by Zez Confrey

[taipeiteacher]

Brahms Op 118 Romance in F
The trills and spreads are tricky.
I recently heard a  recording of Radu Lupu playing this at Carnegie Hall. Compared to Chopin or Liszt, Brahms' idea of a romance seems more like a funeral hymn, at first anyway, but it has an elderly kind of wise love which is very touching. I got to this piece because I was learning Janacek Sonata, then remembered that the tortured E-flat minor opening is possibly inspired by Brahms Intermezzo Op 118:6

[transitional]

The other day, I got hung up on Mozart sonatas.
K 279, 280, 332, 576.

Have not learned them all. Lots of sightreading. And what good sightreading they make!

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Actually finished Fantaisie-Impromptu a lot faster than I expected. Planning to try Tristesse (Chopin 10/3) today.

[lelle]

Some more slow to quasi slow practice of Chopin Op 25 today. Some things have settled in a bit since I practiced last week which is nice, but I don't want to try full tempo anytime soon.

[pianistavt]

Today is 20th century day: 
Prokofiev's "Ten Pieces - Romeo / Juliet" - #8 Mercutio (tricky!), #9 (Girls w/ Lillies)  (1937)
Bartok's Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (Mikrokosmos vol 6)  (published 1939, possibly written earlier)
Ravel Jeux d'eau (1901)

[visitor]

Concert transcription of MacDowell's To a Wild Rose

[pianistavt]

Actually finished Fantaisie-Impromptu a lot faster than I expected.

How do people define "finished"?  It's different for everyone .. curious to hear the various answers...

[liszt-and-the-galops]

I just define it as "having it memorized entirely, while making sure I can play at full tempo in a way that sounds good/like the original."

Obviously, it's subjective. Also, got the first page of Tristesse done.

[ravelfan07]

Practicing my sight reading with Chopin’s prelude in b minor
Then I’m gonna practice Wild Jagd more

[skylight]

  First two pages of Gunning's "Poirot" theme - finally memorized measures 6 & 7. Hurray!

  Debussy's "Girl with the Flaxen Hair" measures 9-14 timing with metronome set slowly - ugh what a trick. It'll happen this week, but meanwhile.....

  Invention 4 decided to dump it as the trills make me crazy uptight! Everything else is lovely.

[lelle]

Not exactly a practice post but still kinda is.

I was intending to keep working on Op 25 today.

But I've just been so tired so I decided to relax instead, as practice most likely would have been inefficient and unproductive. Quite possibly counterproductive.

Tomorrow is another day, it's fine to rest if you need to!

[skylight]

How do people define "finished"?  It's different for everyone .. curious to hear the various answers...

I like the reply about having it memorized,  but that's very difficult and slow for me. I am "done for mow" when a piece contains dynamics and expression and is fluent enough to sound nice to me. I can return to favorite pieces to memorize later.

Tips on how you memorize?

[pianistavt]

Tips on how you memorize?

You can run a search in here on memorization and get lots of information, I'm sure.  Not to mention online - YT and FB groups.  A lot has been written/spoken about it.

[pianistavt]

But I've just been so tired so I decided to relax instead,..
Tomorrow is another day, it's fine to rest if you need to!

Absolutely!  Love it!  I took a rest day yesterday...
Are you doing all of Chopin Op 25?

[pianistavt]

I had a metronome day a couple days ago (and today).  This metronome app is a real break-through for me, so easy to use and listen to with ear phones.  I'm using the metronome for most of my pieces right now - etudes by Czerny, Moskowski, Chopin, etc

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Progress on Trisstesse has mostly stagnated. Stuck near the end of the second page.
Also, runs are feeling overly difficult for me, even compared to sh*t like double notes and large leaps. Any help on runs would be greatly appreciated.

[pianistavt]

Progress on Trisstesse has mostly stagnated. Stuck near the end of the second page.
Also, runs are feeling overly difficult for me, even compared to sh*t like double notes and large leaps. Any help on runs would be greatly appreciated.

There are a bunch of tutorials ( I see 5 ) on youtube on this popular etude.

[lelle]

Progress on Trisstesse has mostly stagnated. Stuck near the end of the second page.
Also, runs are feeling overly difficult for me, even compared to sh*t like double notes and large leaps. Any help on runs would be greatly appreciated.

You mean scales?

[lelle]

Absolutely!  Love it!  I took a rest day yesterday...
Are you doing all of Chopin Op 25?

That's the plan. I might be defeated by Op 25 no 6, but have seen promising developments on the opening trill. If I can't do that one yet, I'll at least have completed 11 out of 12 etudes from Op. 25 which is nice. I won't be performing them in public any time soon though but I worked a lot on Op. 10 up until last year and it did me a lot of good so this will likely do the same.

[ravelfan07]

Some Ballade no 1 in g minor, some more Chopin and Debussy preludes for sightreading

[mjblendick]

I'm learning Aufschwung [Op. 12 #2] by Schumann and re visiting Chopin #72 no.1. I could play the Chopin quite well a couple of years ago but have to figure out how to play the trills yet again!! Not easy!!

[the green piano man]

I am practicing the whole op.33 beethoven bagatelles. I still have to learn the first, but it is truly amazing music. Rach prelude op.32 no.10, bartok 2 roman dances, and liszt tarantella. These are masterpieces in my opinion

[flyusx]

Prokofiev's first sonata.

[pianistavt]

Prokofiev's first sonata.

The first?!  That's a student work..  What about 2 - 9?

[liszt-and-the-galops]

You mean scales?

aren't scales just runs that start and end at certain spots? That's what I've heard, at least.
Still stuck on Tristesse...

[pianistavt]

aren't scales just runs that start and end at certain spots? That's what I've heard, at least.
Still stuck on Tristesse...

At first I was under the impression you meant difficulty with runs in Chopin Etude 10/3, which made me scratch my head because there are no runs... same perhaps for lelle...

Are these problem runs in a specific piece?

Do you practice scales?  that will help with "runs".  Also Czerny's studies - the first few in School of Velocity Op 299

Do you study with a teacher?  It sounds like your getting stuck - you could use some coaching, perhaps?

[ravelfan07]

Ballade no 1!

[thorn]

Still memorising the Szymanowski. While reading up on the Masques I discovered someone wrote an entire dissertation on memorising the work which is super lucky and has some good tips! I had a quick go at the Tantris movement too which is fun but not advisable to try and sight read as lots of places cause tension if you're focusing on reading the score vs what your hands are doing...

[liszt-and-the-galops]

At first I was under the impression you meant difficulty with runs in Chopin Etude 10/3, which made me scratch my head because there are no runs... same perhaps for lelle...

Are these problem runs in a specific piece?

Do you practice scales?  that will help with "runs".  Also Czerny's studies - the first few in School of Velocity Op 299

Do you study with a teacher?  It sounds like your getting stuck - you could use some coaching, perhaps?

I was actually referring to runs in general, though I found out when I was practicing Fantaisie-Impromptu. Don't practice scales, and never heard of Czerny (outside of a few references to absurdly difficult pieces...)
No, I'm self taught for piano. Nearest teacher I could find isn't for 25 miles.

Update on Tristesse: finally broke into the third page... and promptly got stuck again. Starting to think my second attempt is another failure  .

[pianistavt]

On Sunday I performed in a small group of amateur pianists. I played 
- Czerny study Op 299 #36 (continual 16th notes in both hands, contrary motion) (quite close to tempo!)
- Moskowski Op.72 #3 (15 Etudes de Virtuosité)
- Felix Arndt's NOLA (for dessert)
Today I'm trying to get decent recordings of those pieces.
Also practiced Bartok - Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm
Also did a memory / quality check of a few Joplin rags

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Is Preludio harder than Fantaisie-Impromptu? I'm curious.

[kenbakermn]

Tobias Picker's "Where the Rivers Go";
Miles Davis's "Solar";
JS Bach's "Partita" whichever one it is, I can't keep the numbers straight.

[pianistavt]

this WEEK I'm primarily working on
- Czerny Art of Finger Dexterity #8 in d minor (LH study)
- Chopin Ballade 2 (reading)
- Chopin Scherzo 2 (memorizing)
- Chopin Etude Op 25 #8 (sixths)
- Prokofiev Sonata #3
- Bartok Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm
- Gershwin Prelude 3

[ravelfan07]

Taking a quick break on Ballde no 1 and Wild Jagd
Gonna do the easier Clair De Lune and practice sight reading with prelude in e minor and c minor by Chopin

[pianistavt]

Today I'm playing through some "finished" repertoire
- Chopin Heroic Polonaise
- Ravel Jeu d'eau
and reading new pieces:
- Debussy Toccata from "Pour le Piano"
- Prokofiev Etude in d minor, Op.2

[flyusx]

The first?!  That's a student work..  What about 2 - 9?

Late reply, but I am a student 
I do like all the other sonatas but I wanted to see if I had the capability to play them. Also, I really like the first.

[jaquet]

just finished 3 performances on sunday so onto new rep!
i started learning chopin sonata 2 today
practiced a little bit of liebestraum for a performance
going to practice ballade 1 and te 10 later
te 10 is really hard

[liszt-and-the-galops]

What Chopin Etudes are easier than 10/3? I'm really stuck on it. Also, doing Preludio at .25x speed. It's surprisingly easy to do it that slow.

[transitional]

What Chopin Etudes are easier than 10/3? I'm really stuck on it. Also, doing Preludio at .25x speed. It's surprisingly easy to do it that slow.

From my understanding, the following are easier:
Op. 10 No. 6
Op. 10 No. 9
Op. 25 No. 1 (Aeolian Harp)
Op. 25 No. 9 (Butterfly)
All Trois Nouvelles Etudes

And Preludio - are you talking about the Liszt piece? Gosh, that's just a lot of notes, it would make sense that it's easy to play slow. But do something that you find easy too, not just hard pieces at fast speeds. If you want some REALLY easy sightreading, try a Clementi sonatina, or if that's not your style, the Op. 15 no. 3 or Op. 55 No. 1 nocturnes make for easy sightreading too.

[transitional]

Read through the rest of the Appassionata 3rd for the past few days and it's definitely not as bad as people say it is. I am playing at quarter note to 120 bpm right now and all you need is the right coordination and right fingerings. The only really fast part is the coda, which fits right in my hands.

[ravelfan07]

Jeux D’eau! (And tomorrow I’ll do the same)

[wildman]

Exploring early Liszt:

- Twelve Studies (the easy version)
- Ab Irato (harder version: S. 242) - finally got near the speed I wanted for most parts, needs more cleanup. Pretty underrated imo.
- La Clochette Fantasy - absurdly difficult. Unsure I can get the octaves to speed.
- (Once the Twelve Studies are done: Three Apparitions)

Other pieces in progress:
- Czerny Grand Etude in C L'infatigable (The Tireless): if there's any single piece that sums up Czerny's musical philosophy, it's this.
- Handful of Keys by Fats Waller - having large hands helps immensely!

Review:
- Ricordanza by Liszt - played this for 6 years and I still have trouble with the infamous descending cadenza
- Clementi Sonata in b minor
- Bach Partita no. 6 (surprised it's taking me so long to internalize the dance movements)