Instrument players - come and chat!

[NeverEverAnythingEver]

I thought we could have a thread to chat about playing! I play the piano (not as badly as I fear but not as well as I hope) and have recently tried my hand at chamber music. Would love to hear what other people are doing.

CoteDAzur Here's a picture of the instruments they used in Rameau's Dardanus.

Interesting. No such thing on my sheet music. Then again, I only play from Urtext editions - they don't have fingering or other notation that would make life easier.

Just realized that sounds snobbish My teacher insists that I only buy Urtext editions because those have complete ornaments, as originally intended on the harpsichord l, and not simplified to be played easier on the piano.

Thanks Cote. Ooh no not posting videos! None of you want to see me stumbling my way through. Maybe when they're performance ready never
No it's fine, you didn't sound snobbish

Ah ok Alexandra, thanks! Yes I saw that suggested somewhere, maybe on YouTube. It's really not intuitive to me! Just tried it and it felt really uncomfortable...I play the RH with thumb on G actually, tried 4 but it feels odd, like stretching my thumb and the other fingers are cramped up. I find the LH fine, and just move the thumb. Meh. Everyone's different

Late to the L-shape game:

I think it means play the E with your right hand, but it is part of the left hand melody line above the bass. But I think you don't have to play with your right.

I'll have to keep an eye out for the weird L - don't think I've seen it before. Good luck with the exam Broken but I won't be taking grade 5 for a loooong time! Especially if this week's lack of practice is taken into account!

Broken I assume it's an ABRSM edition. They like to tell people how to do things. But there's probably some small print somewhere to say that it's only a suggestion.

I've got the weird L thing! I found it in Double 2 of Handel's Air & 5 Doubles from HWV 428

Here it is

That one's pretty obvious what it means!

Yes, it definitely means (as you said) that the note is supposed to be played with the right hand. I wish Rameau left such convenient marks on his sheet music. It took me ages to figure out such places in the Gavotte & 6 Ds where notes written on one key are to be played with the other hand.

I don't pay attention to stuff like that. Everyone's hands are different. But sometimes it's obvious what you have to do, like the Handel. Then it's a bit redundant to go and tell people they have to do that.

But as instructions go they are quite inoffensive.

You're right, everyone is different. Then there are also people like my teacher who actively enjoy unnatural fingering (never thought I'd use that phrase in a sentence), believing it adds to the music

Did you know this? Apparently, when playing a series of notes, we are to play 2-3-2-3-2-3 to give a 2-by-2 effect rather than pass the thumb under and go 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 like in a normal scale.

Do you mean 232323 on notes going up like a scale? I can imagine you might want to do it to give it the right rhythm. Despite having being told forever about fingering I'm finally coming to understand that sometimes it is all about the fingering.

Yes, that's what I mean. When my teacher first gave me some exercises from Couperin's old book (that he wrote) with that sort of fingering, I thought she was nuts (and that taking harpsichord lessons was a mistake!).

Yay weird L thing! Snap Cote
So consensus is it means you can play it with either hand.
I don't get why Cote's example isn't just written in the treble clef though, it's not impossibly low - as you say Never it's obviously to be played with RH unless you're Schumann whereas in my piece it could be either. Yes ABRSM edition Never bloody 15 quid when it's available free online, not that I would ever do that They do tell you what to do, but then say well just our suggestions, up to you. Will it get a better mark or not?!

232323 has blown my mind

Oh and my new baby piano is being delivered tomorrow, so exciting

In cote's example it could be written in the treble, I guess, but what it has to be written as is a separate line of its own because it belongs to the middle (only three lines, I assume?) line.

It won't get you better marks, I think, if you obey "suggestions".

Pics of your new baby broken!

I'm so excited for you, Broken!

Here it is

More pics.
The shiny new keys...I will have to clean them and wash my hands every time.
It plays very nicely. Lovely tone and good sensitivity. I almost wouldn't know I'm not playing an acoustic. Of course it will take some getting used to after a keyboard... So happy with it.

Ooh enjoy!

Thanks, I am! Feel like I'm always thinking about dynamics, and my touch is too light, but I'll get there.

Lovely looking keys! Have fun!