Instrument Players - Come and chat (Part II)

[CoteDAzur]

Previous thread is here.

We filled one thread, so here’s another

I'm just like Fluke - memorizing piano music is easier than reading the score, but it's much harder on flute. Maybe it's something to do with the spatial positioning of your hands on the piano? My hands seem to remember the positions, but on flute it's just the fingers moving a bit - harder to get into spatial memory?

I'm also good at that 'pairs' card game - I don't actively try to memorize card positions, I just seem to know where they are!

I wonder if there's a correlation between people who are good at reading the music being less strong on memorization, and vice-versa. Maybe our brains are actually approaching the task in different ways.

I recently read Alan Rusbridger's book 'Play it again' and he talks a lot about being a very good sight-reader but finding it difficult to play without music. I guess we tend to do more of what we're good at / prefer, so certain skills just get more practice and therefore better?

It is easier to memorise music if you are (a) younger and (b) read a musical score with difficulty - the latter means you get more practice at memorisation. I'm a good sight reader so tend to rely too heavily on scores even when I shouldn't really need them. I never watch my hands when playing even though I know I would play better if I did. Even when I play from memory I have to look elsewhere!

I don't tend to look at my hands, but you kind of have to glance at the keyboard at bit when you do enormous jumps, like in Albeniz's Leyenda ...

Well, in the lesson I managed to memorise about half the first page, which isn't much but it's a start! I hope to do a bit more but we'll see how long I can remember what I've done!

Sounds good to me Loose!

How about scales? Do you watch your hands when you play them? I discovered this week that I only watch my left hand - if I look at my right hand I'm more likely to go wrong. I didn't even realize I was doing this!

I do that too with scales Tintini, are you me?! Just had a lovely piano lesson, I love the music I'm playing at the moment. In fact, I've fallen in love with every piece of music I've played since I started playing 16 months ago... Think I'm going to order Lang Lang's new book of technical exercises - anyone got it?

Ha! Maybe Fluke. Perhaps it's the flute / piano combo that gives us a similar approach.

Glad you enjoyed your lesson. I'm getting into mine now and they are going well. I think fortnightly works well for me. However I'm not very obedient - I was supposed to do some pieces but I've spent most of my time playing scales. (My teenage self would have fainted to read that!) I can just about play all the modes in all the keys which is most satisfying. Now I 'get' them I see it's only really seven different patterns to remember (well, I guess 8 for the two types of minor).

I've been doing some fun stuff with scales like playing staccato thirds - and last night it was octaves going up the scale of C major. I have small hands so this is literally a stretch but as I've been playing more pieces that have octaves in them it's not a bad thing!
I'm not sure which hand I focus on - I will check!

Can I just say what as lovely thread this is? Really nice to hear what everyone else is doing x

I agree - it's good to know what everyone's playing! Struggling to practise this week due to work but next three days should be better.

Yes definitely! It's also nice just to be able to chat about music. I can see people in real life getting a bored if I go on about it too much. Need to restrain myself and just seek out people who are actually interested...

I've been away so haven't played for what seems like ages. But I did play one of my Mendelssohn pieces on the grand piano in the Toulouse airport departure lounge - which I thought was quite brave lol. I might play one of the pianos at St Pancras tomorrow though my dd will probably die of shame if I do.

Oh Misti I've always wanted to play those pianos but never dared to! Well done!

(What time are you going through St Pancars? )

Yes I'm v impressed Misti! I have the St Pancras one in my sights for sometime in the future, but not sure if I'll be brave enough.

A grand piano somehow seems even scarier.

I've seen one in the Tottenham Road Court tube station, and one at Newcastle station too.

Misti you're very brave - did you play the St Pancras one? I don't think I'd have the nerve!

The St Pancras pianos were occupied when we went though around 2.30pm (I was dropping DD off for her 4pm Eurostar home to Paris, the rest of us are flying back tomorrow). It's very rare to see one unused - you probably have to lurk purposefully to have a chance of playing them!

If you're going to play an airport/station piano I think you either have to be really good or just learn not care what people think. I've spent my professional life doing potentially embarrassing stuff in public (business radio and TV) so I am quite immune to being judged!

Hi everyone. I've been away for so long that this thread fell from my "Threads I'm On"

Which pieces are you all working on? I am finished with Frescobaldi's Partite Sopra la Monica. It is exquisite and incredibly evocative. I feel I know that it talks about life itself - the joys, the struggles, and the quiet acceptance at the end when looking back on all you hoped and strived for. Quite a few times, I ended up with tears in my eyes when practicing it. I have never felt this way about a piece of music before. It is sublime.

Mistigri - Well done for playing at the Toulouse airport. It can't have been easy, with all those people and distraction around you - and no score.

I'm quite bogged down by my rather difficult Schumann piece. I want an easy thing to play. I'm thinking about Mozart K545 Sonata in C.

and no score.

I cheated ;) I had a photocopy. I do know it more or less off by heart but not reliably enough for public consumption.

Never, is there such a thing as easy Mozart?

I haven't been doing much due to travel. Need to get back into it this week.

"Is there such a thing as easy Mozart?"

That's a very good question ...

Almost everyone who has piano lessons when they were little would have played this. But listen to how Barenboim played it ...

"Is there such a thing as easy Mozart?"

I'd say "Yes", based on the fact that DS (9) played several of his works already.

I haven't played any Mozart but their melodies sound quite uncomplicated from what little I know of his music. What am I missing?