Instrument Players - Come and chat (Part II)

[CoteDAzur]

Previous thread is here.

We filled one thread, so here’s another

Hello all, just found this thread... Never been in this section of mumsnet before! I have an electric piano which I rarely play but over the Christmas holidays I borrowed a book of Christmas carols/songs from the library and I ended up playing a lot more than I had expected. It made me think maybe just getting some more of the right level of music might be what I need to get going. Can any of you recommend a good book or collection of music for piano, around grade 3ish, that has helped you get back into playing the piano? Thank you!

Welcome Feeding Imho the most inspiring sheet music you will dedicate most hours to is that of the music you love. I spend entire days hours on Bach's Toccatas & Fugues. For DD, it's Queen songs. Yours will no doubt be different.

Welcome Lastbus There are quite a few of us adult piano players on this thread.

@FeedingFrenzy5 what's your piano playing history and what do you like playing?

You can buy ABRSM anthologies by grade, although they are a bit of a mixed bag. I bought a couple of grade 1/2 books for sight reading practice for my daughter and tbh there's not much in there I'd learn for pleasure ... though in fairness at G1/2 there's not a lot of piano music to go at; I imagine the G3/4 books will be more inspiring.

I wouldn't get too hooked on the idea that you can only tackle pieces of a certain difficulty though. For adults I think there is more mileage in just choosing something you enjoy. When I started lessons last year instead of downloading sheet music from the internet I took to buying the Henle editions of lots of the standard repertoire (Bach preludes and fugues, Mozart piano sonatas, Chopin nocturnes, Mendelssohn's songs without words, etc) and I now have a stock of music most of which is do-able at my standard.

Thanks all for the nice welcome . @FeedingFrenzy5 it sounds like you are at a similar level to me.

I started off with one of the upgrade books (I think grades 2-3). Since then I've been learning some of the current grades 3 and 4 pieces (plus some older grade 3 pieces from when I was learning previously). I've also been doing Christmas music and also Martha Mier's Jazz, Rags and Blues book 2 (which I find a bit easier than the grade 4 pieces). I also have a book of Clementi sonatinas which I quite like playing from time to time (the book I have is a mix of easyish to much harder).

Hello LastBus and FeedingFrenzy!

Misti Have you ever tried Schumann's bigger pieces? I'm slightly intrigued by the first sonata but it looks quite scary.

Thanks all for your replies! That's given me a few ideas for things I can look up in the library. I like LastBus's idea of a mixed ability collection of stuff as I need something I know I can play to get me to actually sit down and start playing, and then gradually I can start working on the harder pieces bit by bit.
I always used to just play whatever my piano teacher chose, which was a pretty standard classical repertoire. I think my tastes would be a bit different now, but not sure what!

Never: no! I'm unreasonably put off by anything that looks scary. I like my music to look neat on the page so anything much after Mozart scares the shit of me lol.

Misti Schumann still uses barlines, and the notes are mostly confined to 2 staves. At least ....

feedingFrenzy have you looked at jazz? I'm learning Lou Stein's arrangement of Over the Rainbow at the mo (its a gorgeous arrangement), and I played Summertime for one of my grade 5 pieces - love them both

Sorry to hear about your piano teacher Mistigri - hope you can somehow find someone who comes close...

Welcome Feeding and Lastbus! I'm a similar level to you - I did grade 4 piano yonks ago and just returned to playing this year. I LOVE it!

If you are interested in playing jazz / popular / carols / traditional songs / show tunes etc I'd heartily recommend trying fake or busker books - Hal Leonard publishes a lot for all sorts of genres (actually...even classical!). That's when you have the melody written with chord letters over the top, so you sort of improvise around the chords rather than reading a bass staff. As long as you play notes from the chord it will sound 'right', so to a certain extent you can make it simple or more complicated depending on your ability. Discovering this way of playing (that somehow I was completely unaware of despite years of playing!) was what got me back into piano again.

Talking of playing...Christmas travels has meant restricted access to pianos - shockingly some of my relatives don't have pianos!!

Mistigri - I'm sorry to hear that you are losing your piano teacher. That is such a nightmare. I would hate to lose my harpsichord teacher.

What are you all working on at the moment? I stared working on Frescobaldi's Partite sopra la Monica during the holidays and can now play half of it quite well. This the first time I have ever worked on music that was composed even before Baroque times, and I find the harmonies unusual and intriguing

I am mostly working on my grade 4 pieces as I need to decide soon whether or not to enter for the Spring exams. I can play all three of them but they aren't secure yet. I can also mostly do all the scales but the arpeggios are weak. Not sure whether to wait until the summer but I'm getting fed up of the pieces now!

I'd never heard of Frescobaldi before - nice to hear something new!

Lastbus it's annoying to get tired of pieces. Do you think you can just go for it in the Spring?

I've been mainly playing carols and lots of scales. Majors are fine and minors are nearly there. Might start on the other modes next. I just really love scales these days. Meditative and pleasing.

Really liked the Frescobaldi piece. I had a tantrum and said I didn't want to take the grade 5 exam. I'm not sure my teacher has given up on the idea, but I've got a nice Telemann piece to work on instead!

What Telemann piece? Tell!

I've just ordered JSB's 48 preludes and fugues book 1, and a book of Griegs Lyric Pieces including 'Butterfly'. Can't wait for them to arrive! My teacher says I should get out more 😂

It's Petit Jeu and it's actually a grade 4 piece but as I can practically sight read it I'm feeling better about my playing! Actually, I've noticed a Bach piece on the syllabus in another collection so I might order that as well.

The Bach is a Minuet from
French Suite in B minor, 5th movement

One of my favourite Grieg piece is . Immensely satisfying to play, and guaranteed to drive everybody completely nuts.

I fancy this - First movement.

Oh, I like that Never! Might have a go at it - though first I may set my son to work on it (the one who started playing piano last summer and has had about 3 lessons, he's miles better than me) so that he can help me with the difficult bits lol.

I'm still working on the Mozart piano sonata (no 13), I have most of the first and second movements done.

I must admit that I don't find romantic piano music easy to appreciate - I think I just don't get it yet. Classical and baroque is much more approachable for me. I'm sort of ashamed to say that the romantic pieces don't really immediately move me (perhaps if I listened more?)

Seems like there are quite a few romantic fans on here - do you find you've come to love it because of playing it a lot? Did you always love it or has it taken time?

For me it's not whether it's classical/baroque/romantic... I don't really know. It makes it more exciting. You never know round which corner you will find the love of your life.