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.

I didn't realise this thread existed. I see some familiar names :)

I am an adult returner to music - have played guitar rather badly for the last few years and recently started piano which is going somewhat better (I played to perhaps grade 6/7 standard as a child but hadn't touched a piano for the best part of 40 years).

Started lessons about a month ago and do seem to be making progress, although learning pieces takes much longer than it did when I was young - it seems like I have to put in hours of work before it all starts to come together. Bizarrely I have lost absolutely no sight reading ability, it's moving pieces into long term memory that is hard. Currently learning some Scarlatti sonatas (which I find relatively easy in relation to their supposed grades) and some Bach preludes (which I find relatively hard in comparison) plus some Brahms duets.

Hi mistigri that’s great that you feel you’re already improving after a month. Good for you, getting back into it after so long 👍🏻 I’m starting lessons in a week or so. I really can’t wait (although a little nervous about playing in front of someone).

I'm so pleased to have found this thread! I'm a lapsed piano and tenor saxophone player (but dabbled with lots of brass & wind instruments throughout school). At the moment I am instrument-less as we're mid house renovation but I'm longing for the day when I get my piano back. Have seen a few familiar pieces I'll be having a go at when I get the chance!

Day - That was amazing I wish I could play like that before I started lessons!

Is that one if Bach’s “Little Preludes”? [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gpCKWvEogwQ I had recorded one, too]] a long time ago. They are all unique and beautiful.

Welcome Mistigri & Namedy

Day That's one of my favourite two-part invention. It sounds good!

cote That's Bach's two-part invention. Have you tried them? They are very nice.

Ah yes, of course. I have listened to Bach's Two-Part Inventions but I don't have them as sheet music. God knows when I'll get around to them. I have so much to go through already, including his Little Preludes, Goldberg Variations, and Well-Tempered Clavier

My DD has played some of the three part inventions. I especially like sinfonia no 15 which I might tackle once I have finished my current prelude (no 2 from the WTC book 1). DD found it easy but she is a much better pianist than I will ever be.

We have the Henle collection of two and three part inventions and I plan to work through them gradually.

I'd love to play although not sure when I will get around to it. Hopefully when I'm good enough that I can play the Fugue, too.

Love the invention in A minor Day Never, on my list for one day. Invention 1 is in progress, more my level.
Aw you have musical DC Cote, do they practice as much as you?
I'm enjoying my new clarinet It has usurped the piano a bit for now.

Can anyone recommend some good piano books? I need to invest in some :)

No, they don't practice much at all. They have youth on their side and can practice once a week for 10 minutes and learn their pieces

"Can anyone recommend some good piano books?"

Do you mean books to read about musical interpretation or particular musicians (I have quite a few of those to recommend!) or sheet music? In the latter case, what kind of music do you like and would like to play?

About grade 5 level? We've got, off the top of my head:

Schumann's Album for the Young op68
Kabalevsky Op 27
Schirmer's Sonatina album
Bach's 2- and 3-part inventions
The ABRSM exam books

To be honest though, I dislike Schirmer editions. I once picked up the two volumes of Beethoven sonata Schirmer edition for £5 at a charity shop, but ended up buying Henle edition of the individual one I wanted to play anyway...

Damn the young people Cote with their memories and dexterity

Piano book recommendations, oooo so many.
Start with these. They're series so you can pick the level you want, from easy to late intermediate eg Encore book 3 is grade 5-6, which it sounds like is about right for you, easier books might be good consolidation and even easier, like g2, would be good sightreading practice. So:
Encore (as I said comes in g1/2, 3/4, 5/6) and Best of Grade ( one for each grade, only up to 5 though) by ABRSM, lots of more fun, modern/ jazzy pieces but some classics too
Spectrum (modern)
Classics to Moderns - I have many of these, lovely, everything from Bach to Satie to Einaudi
For more baroque/ classical/ romantic stuff
Real Repertoire
Masterwork Classics
Hours with the Masters
Essential Piano Repertoire
A Keyboard Anthology
Classic Piano Repertoire - John Thompson and William Gillock
Graded Pianoforte Studies (old and a bit dry but great for technique)
Tuneful Graded Studies

Also maybe Hello Mr Gillock, Hello Carl Czerny although maybe a bit easy - going from that, Gillock and Czerny studies books, especially Czerny as they sound like proper pieces, I'm working on study in A flat which is gorgeous.

Burgmuller. So many collections of equally lovely studies. Op 100 goes from about g2/3 to 5, op 109 is more like 4-7 and 105 is advanced.

Clementi sonatinas op 36, progress from about g 2/3 to 6.

Mozart Sonata in C k545 (g6 ish)

Phew that was an essay wish I had time to learn half of that. Enjoy

Lovely list Broken! Hello to Misti and to Namedy
I love the video Day, you sound great!
I didn’t even know there were Bach little preludes until now but they sound lovely.
Limited practice this week as I managed to spike my finger with the scissors in my bag (honestly, teaching is fraught with hazards!) but I need to get over the most minor injury and carry on!
Oh and yes to annoying child habit of learning to play something in a fraction of the time it takes me.

cote. Same disclaimer - ignore wrong notes!

Well done! You play it so delicately. I sort of bang it out on the piano

Wow! That’s lovely Never what a fantastic pianist you are.

Thank you, but that's because my piano is quite friendly. You can hear all the unevenness on a more sensitive piano ...

Very modest never. How long have you been playing for again? Do you do lessons now? What sort of grade are you?

It sounds horrific on my teacher's piano ...

I did grade 8 about 30 years ago, stopped for about 20 years and decided to find a teacher about 5 years ago. I see her about once a month or so. We've been working on this piece forever.