Does anyone fancy a piano chat thread?

[LemonViolet]

I’m awaiting delivery of a new piano, squeee!!! I haven’t played regularly for 20 years. I got to grade 6 as a teen, failed grade 7, carried on tinkering for a bit but have not really lived anywhere with a piano since age 18 so am well out of practice.

Whilst I hope/plan to put a baby grand in our front room, once it is done up - which may be some time - at the weekend I just realised, what am I waiting for, I want a digital anyways for playing at less sociable hours, so went ahead and ordered myself a nice Kawai digital and it arrives on Friday!!!

There’s a music chat thread on the extracurricular board but that’s more parents discussing their offsprings’ exploits, I have seen on the music board it’s quite pianissimo but there clearly are other grown up women around here playing/learning/relearning piano for our own pleasure, entertainment, therapy etc! So thought I’d post to see if anyone else is interested in hanging out on a piano thread to chat about our piano journeys, successes and failures, pieces we like, what we’re practicing etc?

It could be called the piano bar or the pianist beaker, seeing as this is MN

If there is one I’ve just failed to find, please point me in that direction.

Does anyone subscribe to any sheet music subscriptions ? I was looking at Oktav but you don't get prints abd I prefer my music printed

@DaphneDeloresMoorhead: Pink Minor is fab. I'm putting that on my list.

Once you've aced G7, there's another Madeline Dring piece from G8 Trinity called Blue Air you may like to have a bash at. It's lovely.

@absolutelynotfabulous acing g7 is a very long way away 😂

My next tune is the Mr Benn theme. You can laugh - in fact, you probably will - but I'm looking for a change in my learning process. I can already play the melody by ear in the key of C. The plan is to transcribe the melody and then come up with some bass chords for the left hand. So it will be a two stage project. My teacher happily endorsed the idea today and I'm looking forward to breaking out the manuscript paper. It will hopefully improve my sight-reading which isn't that good.

@WildRosie: good luck with the Mr Benn tune. Are you transcribing to a particular key (or should that be transpose)?

I'm using up leave and in the grip of Storm Eunice today so having a proper bash at East Coast Blues with no more excuses. That tune is as cool as a sackful of cucumbers. .

I read somewhere that Einaudi has made an appearance in the Abrsm syllabus. There's been some sniffy comments... not sure why though. I quite like his stuff .

I'm keeping it in the key of C. I'm just transcribing it to paper, not transposing to a different key.

My teacher is an Einaudi fan. I don't know any of his music, apart from Le Onde.

How's everyone doing? I was at Finchcocks last weekend and have now got renewed enthusiasm for the Nocturne, so am more determined than ever to master it. Still a long way off, but happy to keep it on the go along with other things.
I've decided to take grade 6 so am going to make a decision on which pieces in the next week. @DaphneDeloresMoorhead which piece are you doing from the A list? The first one seems fairly manageable but I don't really like it! I always find the B and C lists much easier to choose from.
In addition to preparing for grade 6 I'm going to do some jazz, starting with basics. It really is a kind of different language so looking forward to a change.
Love pink minor- have to get to grade 7 so I can give that a try too!

I enjoy playing Einaudi, I got a great book of his pieces from the library.
I’m plodding on with my vintage grade 7 pieces from the eBay books. Off to Singapore in a couple of weeks to visit son no 1 and play children’s stuff to my 3 little grandchildren!

My poor piano has been badly neglected for a while now, and the very few pieces I could play from memory are in a sorry state.
So I’ve resolved to get them polished up again, starting with the rondo from Diabelli’s sonatina in F.

I started yesterday so here’s hoping my brain’s still up to it.

@LilaGrace

How's everyone doing? I was at Finchcocks last weekend and have now got renewed enthusiasm for the Nocturne, so am more determined than ever to master it. Still a long way off, but happy to keep it on the go along with other things. I've decided to take grade 6 so am going to make a decision on which pieces in the next week. *@DaphneDeloresMoorhead* which piece are you doing from the A list? The first one seems fairly manageable but I don't really like it! I always find the B and C lists much easier to choose from. In addition to preparing for grade 6 I'm going to do some jazz, starting with basics. It really is a kind of different language so looking forward to a change. Love pink minor- have to get to grade 7 so I can give that a try too!

I'm doing Solfegietto, Page d'Album and whatever I decide on the day between Opening night jazz and the buccaneer. I'm playing the buccaneers next month at a festival so I think I'll see how well I score and go from there. I love both. I've got solfegietto under my fingers just needs polishing now after I'm happy with my festival stuff and I've started on the Debussy this week. I was going to do the Chopin but I really don't like it abd I adore the Debussy. My grade 7 book arrived abd im 2 pages through Pink Minor but not consistently accurate

Also I've kind of decided that when I retire in 12 years (early retirement at 57) I'm going to set myself up as a wedding pianist. More for the pleasure of it than earning money

I've deleted social media ! I'm now practicing around 1-2 hours a day simply because I'm not wasting shed loads of time online. It's amazing what you can accomplish musically in that time 😆

Hey guys I lost you for a bit!

2h a day! My word @DaphneDeloresMoorhead how are your fingers/wrists holding up

On the G6 list @LilaGrace take a look at the Glière Prelude in Db. It’s really lovely and not all that difficult.

@LemonViolet I do it in short bursts, so I might sit down for 20-30 minutes at a time. It depends on what I'm working, obviously on days off I get more time abs less time on earlies when DH is at home as he's not very keen on "boring dirgey music". He's a total heathen !

My grade 5 theory workbook arrived yesterday leaving me on schedule for my goal of taking my theory in April. Did the g3 book in jan, grade 4 in Feb - just got one more bit to do, being the rhythm section. My teacher said there is a very big jump between 3 and 4 then less between 4+5 so I'm hoping it's not so much between them.
How long did it take for you theory results to come back @LilaGrace ? I'm hoping I will have enough time if I take the theory mid April in time book the summer exam for my practical.

Which workbooks are you using for theory?

My piano is definitely my therapy at the moment. With mum being ill and work being ridiculous I think I might have fallen apart were it not for the piano for distraction and solace. All focused working-on-stuff is out the window and it’s just grabbing time when available to relax. Playing a lot out of the “contemporary piano masters” book and thinking of getting some more Yiruma and Eiunaudi books for self-soothing! Had a compliment from a neighbour the other day as well, that was nice.

The Abrsm ones
www.musicroom.com/discovering-music-theory-grade-5-9781786013491?glid=gb&CAWELAID=120075890000808228&CATARGETID=120075890000893433&CADevice=c&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3-yQBhD3ARIsAHuHT65TjGD6KXqcneYqleK-sESabEFkL37oxJqNS7RfLupJUG57VYsr_mwaAoBKEALw_wcB

@DaphneDeloresMoorhead it takes exactly 4 weeks for the results to come through- to the day, providing there are no issues with technical compliance etc when they watch your exam video. Both my grade 4 and grade 5 exam results were on time.
Still haven't had a chance to listen to all the grade 6 pieces but will check out the one you mentioned @LemonViolet- though i did hear one called "view from a window" which I liked from the C list. My problem is finding one form the A list- that's always the challenge. There are usually several from B and C that I like....

I've just about done the melody transcription of the Mr Benn theme. I need to check it again this afternoon before I try to add some bass chords. See what my teacher makes of it tomorrow.

Going to take a few pieces with me to Singapore in 2 weeks so that my son can duet with me! Me on his digital piano and him on one of his many guitars, maybe some Einaldi
Or am I being ambitious thinking he will have time with a 4 year old and 2 year old twins?!
They do have 2 live in girls though so maybe

Hi,

I've been following this thread for a while but as a beginner felt a bit unworthy! I started learning piano last May and am taking my G1 next week. I should have done it before Xmas really but we weren't sure I'd be ready in time so I'm already learning my G3 pieces as I'm skipping G2. I couldn't even read music this time last year so feel like I've accomplished a lot yet am still slow to read it as I play and struggle to coordinate both hands.

@LilaGrace the Burgmuller velocity from the A section is delightful and easy to find a free copy. Snurretoppen is also super fun and quite easy.
There are a couple of channels on YouTube, I really recommend Julian Lambert's, I think he has most of thr pieces.

Hi @DivotyFarm welcome and I think that’s an amazing achievement! You’ve got a lifelong friend in the piano now. Are you doing an in-person exam or video one?

@DaphneDeloresMoorhead I've been listening to the pieces on YouTube and just came across Velocity- it's great. My shortlist is as follows:

A6: Burgmuller- Velocity
A9: Haydn- Finale: Allegro Molto
A10: Scarlatti- Sonata in A

B6: Gliere- Prelude in Db
B7: Hartmann- Nocturne

C1: Mier- Opening night Jazz
C6: Crosland- View from a window
C8: Iles- East Coast Blues

Any thoughts/advice?

I love the opening night jazz. Have you heard Cheng Wai's recording on YouTube - AWESOME ! The syncopation abd the walking bass takes a bit of getting used to but it's soo satisfying when you crack it