Piano tips/sheet music

[MasterBlaster76]

If you are just starting out, take lessons from a capable teacher. They will save you a lot of trouble in the end by telling you the right way to sit , how to place the hands etcetera. If you can get that down in the beginning you wont have to "unlearn" it all later on!

Yes, I'd agree with that - as Dutch said, if you get it wrong early on, it can be a swine to correct later on. If you get into the habit of playing with flat hands, or not lifting your fingers for example, it can take a while to correct it. My teacher said she'd always tell her students, whether young or old, to imagine there was a little mouse under their hands, so the fingers have to remain curved so as not to squash the poor little fella! Funnily enough, the curved fingers method also applies to guitar.

Edit: It appears that Schindler's List is in G minor, so not the world's toughest key then - only two flats!

 

[pcfan123]

Not big on taking lessons, am saving up my money for a trip so don't really want to pay someone for a lesson.

Got the first 4 measures of the right hand down. Will post the sheet music in a second for you Steve.

 

[pcfan123]

Here it is

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Not big on taking lessons, am saving up my money for a trip so don't really want to pay someone for a lesson.

Got the first 4 measures of the right hand down. Will post the sheet music in a second for you Steve.

You've got 4 measures of the right hand down? You're doing well!

Here it is

Thanks mate, legend!

 

[pcfan123]

Ok so I have the first 2 measures of right and left hand down. Now its a matter of putting them together.

Will post a small audio clip tonight after I get home from work. I am recording with my laptop mic and its very poor quality. The sustain effect does not carry much so the notes sounds very 'piccato' (right word?)

Steve you going to have a go at this one?

 

[Dutch]

Ok so I have the first 2 measures of right and left hand down. Now its a matter of putting them together.

Will post a small audio clip tonight after I get home from work. I am recording with my laptop mic and its very poor quality. The sustain effect does not carry much so the notes sounds very 'piccato' (right word?)

Steve you going to have a go at this one?

Staccato is the word you are looking for! Short, sharp!

Pizzicato is the art of plucking the strings of a violin or cello etcetera. (Sigh, it is hard being such a know-it-all!)

 

[pcfan123]

Thanks for the info dutch.

Cant wait to get home and start practicing again. Now that I have the first few measures down it actually sounds like music

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Ok so I have the first 2 measures of right and left hand down. Now its a matter of putting them together.

Will post a small audio clip tonight after I get home from work. I am recording with my laptop mic and its very poor quality. The sustain effect does not carry much so the notes sounds very 'piccato' (right word?)

Steve you going to have a go at this one?

Yeps, but I am as rusty as the Titanic when it comes to piano, especially reading the bass clef! I am in real need of some kind of online refresher course in note reading!! I even said the music's in B Flat Major - listen to it (and the F sharps all over the place give it away as well)!!!! There's no way in Hell it's in B Flat Major - it must be the relative minor, which is G Minor. I edited the post to avoid confusion.

Edit: My note reading for the treble clef is still pretty sharp, as long as it doesn't go too high or too low with the ledger lines. Maybe if I dig out my theory books and revise a bit (God in Heaven, it'd be the first bit of revision I've done since Secondary School!) that'd help. I mean, I really don't want to let piano just drop, because I had made very good progress with it. No reason why I can't push piano and guitar along - after all you only need to practice each for around 20mins a day and the guitar can be brought around the house with you, so it's easy to make time for it.

 

[pcfan123]

Well I tried to play a bit last night but I got home way to late. Have the house to myself all day today so will try to get some recordings in.

Having a tough time putting the two hands together

 

[MasterBlaster76]

One other thing, if you clap the rythyhm before playing anything, it'll help immeasurably as well. As far as hands together goes, do it very, very slowly. Also, there's no harm in going back to hands separately, so you really know it.

Edit: I'm going to have to simplify some of those chords in Schindler's List, because my hands literally can't stretch that far!!!!

 

[pcfan123]

What I am trying to do is play the right hand with the audio track and then the left hand with the audio track. Its working quite well but as soon as I put both together everything slows down.

I just need to work on learning the chords on the left hand so I am not looking for them all the time.

 

[Dutch]

What I am trying to do is play the right hand with the audio track and then the left hand with the audio track. Its working quite well but as soon as I put both together everything slows down.

I just need to work on learning the chords on the left hand so I am not looking for them all the time.

Try not to seperate things too much. I know it is difficult. But see the left and the right hand as part of the same piece of music. They belong together and add something to each other. That way you will learn to be able to play "both-handed" rather than putting two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

What I am trying to do is play the right hand with the audio track and then the left hand with the audio track. Its working quite well but as soon as I put both together everything slows down.

I just need to work on learning the chords on the left hand so I am not looking for them all the time.

That doesn't matter - it's a bloody tricky little piece! As long as you're playing it accurately, slow is fine - it'll speed up in time.

 

[pcfan123]

Edit: I'm going to have to simplify some of those chords in Schindler's List, because my hands literally can't stretch that far!!!!

Haha yea, the first day my hand was hurting so much but now I can stretch them easily. Just roll them a bit, it sounds better that way anyways.

 

[pcfan123]

Ok so I decided I'll just load them on youtube so you don't have to download files.

Here it is again, first 2 measures both hands.

Hmarka added 1 Minutes and 4 Seconds later...

YouTube - 1st two measures Left and right hand