Learn to play the piano

So these are a month apart, thus progress will be slow I guess – but I do practice almost every day.

In Alfred, I have Morning Has Broken with the left hand (double arpeggio)second variation to practice, then Scherzo with its 3 different tempos, Introduction and Dance (part one is slower than part two), and La Cucaracha.

In Royal Conservatory – clean up the trouble spots and make sure tempo is even in Melody, Bourree in D Minor, Menuet en rondeau (both are new pieces), Chant (the jazzy one) needs to be played faster, with more energy into the fingertips – so I’ll work on that.

Ballade – sf means louder accent
– left hand melody should be more defined
– use of dynamics for more expression

Angel’s Voices – try block chording first, then play arpeggiated (reg.) version.

Hanon – ex. 1 – 3 go faster each time, play with strong fingers, circle wrists so they don’t get tense and sore.

That’s all (but for me, that a lot).

That sounds like an essay title for a fourth grade Language Arts class. But about the lesson…

First of all I love my teacher. She’s a superb pianist, she’s nice to me, she has a cute Ukrainian accent, and she picks out one or two areas for work without overloading my poor brain with every triffling point (we can always go back and correct the minutia when I can actually play the songs like music).

So I arrived at lesson #1 equipped with a small stack of piano books. I had expected to start with the final songs in Alfred Level 1 since that is my main learning book, and I wanted to show her what I had been working on. However, I did indeed forget it on the music stand at home. Duh. So I guess I cheated a little since I was graciously allowed to skip all that and get right into Alfred level 2. Sometimes it pays to be an airhead.

My lesson went for an hour, which toward the end seemed like torture since I was mostly sight reading new stuff and by the end of it the notes were all swimming haphazardly in front of my eyes and my fingers were hitting all sorts of random keys.

Anyways, since I only take a lesson once every four weeks my teacher loaded me up. Here’s what I’m to practice for the next month:

In Alfred: Tumbalalaika, Light and Blue, Roman Holiday, Morning Has Broken, La Raspa

In Hanon: Exercises 1 and 2 (faster each time, loosen wrists, lift fingers higher to better attack keys)

In a book called, Burgmuller, Czerny & Hanon: Ballade (very cool and mysterious sounding), and Angel’s Voices (which sounds more like Nails on Chalkboard right now – but a beautiful piece when learned) – both by Burgmuller.

In the Celebration Series grade 2 book: Melody by Schumann and Chant by Christopher Norton, which has this jazzy sound.

So that will keep me very busy (nine songs not counting Hanon) but I’m so happy! I actually had tears in my eyes when I came home and told hubby about it. Well that’s all. And I did practice today.

I’m currently practicing The Entertainer, He’s got the Whole World in his hands, and Amazing Grace. The only one left to polish is the last one, but the good news is….I’m going to have lessons!

My boys take piano lessons with a really good teacher and she agreed to have me drop in for my own hour-long lesson once a month (it’s all the time I can commit to for lessons – so once a month will have to do for now). I have my first lesson tomorrow. I can’t wait! But, ummm, I’m nervous already just thinking about it. Heh. Oh well. What price glory.

I have finally conquered Chiapanecas. Yay! I’m sure it’s not
perfect, but I’m able to play it without hesitations or blunders now, so it’s time to bid it adieu.

I’m keeping Greensleeves (or ‘the fingering song’ as I’m starting to call it) for another week because I’m still a little hesitant at spots, and not always correct with the pedal. I’ll work another week on Scarborough Fair and Raisins and Almonds for polish. I like playing them anyway.

This week I’ll be adding “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”
and “The Entertainer” to my practice session. Also I got a copy of the Hanon exercises and I’ll be practicing the first exercise this week. They are supposed to help improve finger ability for playing so I thought I might try them out.

Well, we have houseguests staying with us over the next while so my frenetic practice schedule has been tempered. Even so, I am able to sneak in a little playing here and there.

I still don’t like the way I play Chiapanecas – too hesitating in certain transitions – so it’s back on the roster. O Sole Mio has improved to the point where I think I can move on. Jericho went well, but I need to work more on Greensleeves and Go Down, Moses. I’d like to add Scarborough Fair and Raisins and Almonds, too. So that should give me lots considering that the house will be kind of crowded for the next week and a half. We’re all having fun and I need to be a good host.

Playing the three pieces I was practicing this past week: Little Brown Jug was good I thought. Chiapanecas and O Sole Mio need one more week in my opinion. I can’t seem to play them through confidently enough just yet.

This week I’m also going with Jericho, Greensleeves (with a new pedal trick), and Go Down, Moses. Also – A Harmonic Minor Scale.

I’ve been playing two other little songs I found online:
Wheat Fields and Tap Your Toe – just for fun.

Carrying on…

It’s not really my second week – just my second week listing here on 43 things. I am now on page 75 of my Alfred adult piano book. I learned the last list of pieces sufficiently (I think) to move on. I will be practicing Little Brown Jug, Chiapanecas, and O Sole Mio. That should keep me busy for this week until next Friday.

I am an adult piano student (currently teaching myself using Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course). I used to take lessons long ago as a child – but decided I needed to go all the way back to the beginning if I wanted to play properly.

I’d like to take lessons some day, too, but can’t seem to fit them into my schedule right now. I practice for about half an hour per day each and every day.

I assign myself a given number of pages (theory as well as playing) to learn each week. My “lesson day” is Friday, where I move on to new stuff. For this week I’m learning the music on pages 66 to 73 inclusive. The pieces are: “Got Those Blues”, “On Top of Old Smoky”, “The Can-Can”, “The Marine’s Hymn”, and “Why Am I Blue?”

I like “On Top…” the best. Also, sometimes I try to sing along if lyrics are included. Not too often, though, cuz then I get all mixed up in my playing.