Instrument Players - Come and chat (Part II)

[CoteDAzur]

Previous thread is here.

We filled one thread, so here’s another

Babies honestly 6 weeks is fine! You can get a great effect from playing even quite simple pieces really well because you get more confidence the more you play.
I like the idea of your Christmas concert at home!

Well there are six of us here, so if we learn one song each..that is enough ! It will make a nice change from the Christmas film, jigsaw & book we normally do every Christmas eve

A bit quiet here. :)

There are a million Christmas concerts to go to. I am getting some practice in though ...

I have lots of Xmas concerts lined up! Got 3 in the next 6 days

Meanwhile I started & got to a pretty good level at Anthony Young’s Ground in the last 2 days. I only have the 1st page I got off the internet but left hand mostly repeats and I can figure out the rest by ear. It’s simple but addictive!

Cote, that is a beautiful song. You are so clever being able to figure it out by ear !

My Christmas piano books have arrived for the elf to give out soon. The adult one is easy enough..but the kids one looks harder
..go figure :)

That's lovely cote.

I'm still learning Albeniz's Layenda and also going back to the Pathetique.

I have also started Sweelinck's . It sounded a bit too slow & boring in parts when my teacher first suggested it some months ago, but it's growing on me

That's a really interesting piece, Cote - I can see how it would grown on you.
I have got my new Bach book - just a collection but it has the Prelude in C major that was recommended and I'm looking forward to trying it. I can just about play all my grade 5 pieces hands together and the scales are not the torment they used to be so I reckon the Bach is my Christmas present to myself!

That is indeed an interesting piece Cote, who knew the harpsichord could sound so sad.
Good Christmas present Loose sounds like you're doing well. I'm going for Trinity grade 5 I think, fewer scales and have already pretty much got them down. I also prefer the pieces, chosen 3 lovely ones. They're definitely a step up from g4. I can't claim to play them all yet can do the first couple of lines ish and am just working through. I think I'll see how I'm doing after Christmas.
Working on some carols too. We need a virtual concert

I nearly fell off the piano stool last night when my teacher asked if I wanted to do the exam next term! I do not. I will wait until Summer and not necessarily do it at all!
I have a suspicion that Trinity generally does have nicer pieces - I think I may ask to switch if I ever get beyond grade 5. However, I also want to do some of my Bach book so that's a long way off.
I have some Christmas carols somewhere! Must get practising!

careful with that piano stool.
Meh, swings and roundabouts. I do prefer ABRSM's g6 pieces for piano and much the same for clarinet. But with Trinity...fewer scales and no singing. NO SINGING. Yay.
I've found a lovely set of carols free online arranged by Eric Kuhlstrom so working on that.

No singing does sound appealing! I think in the end it's very much even between the two boards, though.
The piano stools at the Music school are a law unto themselves - one of them slopes alarmingly to one side if you shift your weight!

Hello! Haven't posted a while. Glad to see people are playing stuff!

I'm at a bit of a loose end and contemplating Bach's Partita #2 in C minor.

I think a good piano stool is very important. At least one that doesn't squeak...

Never fortunately the one I have at home is fine! All the ones at music school squeak or creak!!

Never - Which part of the Partita #2 are you going to play? Are you starting with the Symphonia (sp?)?

BTW I love Bach, always have. But he is especially fantastic in minor keys

The whole thing, of course, cote.

I learned the first 3 ages ago. Just need to revise them...

The whole thing. Of course

That's a long and complicated work! Good luck with it.

I’m taking part in a concert this evening, playing solo on stage, so keep your fingers crossed for me please

I am plodding away on my baby tune version of Sense & Sensibility music.

I can now play the whole page. Varying from fairly well on bar one to quiet Ricky on bar 16. I might start practising the second half only to get that bit up to speed :)

I did well! I did really well! I just stopped worrying about whether I’d play a wrong note and enjoyed it. My fingers just played it all by themselves

i think i turned a corner & I’m really happy I managed tonight’s performance

Ah Cote that's wonderful news - I think you have found the secret to a great performance! It's very brave of you to go out there and perform. I'm sure the audience loved it. I hope you celebrated afterwards?

There was some celebration afterwards I may have been somewhat inebriated while writing that post last night

Yes, I think that's the secret of a good performance - relax and not care if you make a mistake. Easier said and done, though. I think it helped that I was slightly high on cold medication and couldn't concentrate much at all

You are so brave, performing in front of an audience !

If I had a choice, I wouldn’t! It’s the price of being a student at the Conservatory. When they say you take part in a concert, you take part in a concert.

I get to choose the piece at least. It’s a source of great stress.