Piano tips/sheet music

My Clavinova has proper weighted keys.

For some reason even weighted keys don't feel quite right for me: I always feel restricted in my playing with an electric piano. Do you not mind them or do you notice a differnce or couldn't you give a fig or am I asking to many questions and should I stop now?:p


By the way Steve, have a look in the "what are you listening to now" thread. I posted a link to a brilliant guitarist performance of "Dark Eyes". Thought you might be interested!
 
Ok so here is my attempt at the first 8 measures. I played it about 10 seconds slower than the actual tempo. Made one or two minor mistakes as well.

feedback please, :p


YouTube - 1st 8 Measures

Hmarka added 19 Minutes and 36 Seconds later...

Steve, found a diagram of the bass clef and what the notes are. Using those two diagrams at the top right is basically the only thing I know. Then its a matter of figuring the notes out and "hardcoding" it into my brain.

Easy way to remember is Treble Clef is FACE. Base Clef is ACEG

bt1fac.gif


Hmarka added 4 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

Nick, could you upload yourself playing Thousand Miles? Whats the learning curve on that song?

Need another song to learn along with Schindler's List. Any suggestions? Thinking of "Yesterday" so far.

Thanks for the Bass clef info! Your Schindler's List is certainly coming along well. I can't help but get shivers down my spine whenever I hear that tune. I think I need a slightly simpler version though - I don't think I got to playing this sort of thing even when I was taking lessons. I was going the 'graded' route - and was well on my way to Grade 3 (I didn't start as a child, I got into piano when I was about 22). Should've stuck with it - might have been at least Grade six by now, and able to make money by playing for singing classes and the like. Oh well.

As I said before, I found a simplified version here:

Download Sheet Music Software | Musicnotes.com

but I don't get what's with this 'suite' you have to download as well. Has anyone downloaded it, if so did you get any 'extras' that you know of?
If you reckon that site's a bit dodgy, I can always simplify it myself, but it's confusing when there are so many notes there that you end up not playing...
 
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My "piano" has weighted keys but its 3 distinct levels of sound, with acoustic its unlimited.

I played for a bit yesterday on my neighbors baby grand Steinway and I swear it made me sound better!

Been looking around for a baby grand piano. Found some decent ones for around $3000, just need to clear some room in my house and my digital one before I make the leap.

Hmarka added 1 Minutes and 58 Seconds later...

Steve, I have never in my life taken a lesson and I am not finding this song to be too difficult. Its just learning the chords and learning how to roll your hand if you cant stretch your fingers.

I was so moved by this film and song and general event in history that I think it will be worth one year of hard work at the piano to be able to play this theme the way it was intended.
 
My "piano" has weighted keys but its 3 distinct levels of sound, with acoustic its unlimited.

I played for a bit yesterday on my neighbors baby grand Steinway and I swear it made me sound better!

Been looking around for a baby grand piano. Found some decent ones for around $3000, just need to clear some room in my house and my digital one before I make the leap.


You live in a pretty decent neigbourhood my friend with neighbours like that!:D I have also been luck enough to play a couple of times on a full Steinway Grand Piano. (It was in the Hotel I used to work in!:p) Aren't they just beautiful: A real one will set you back at least 100.000 dollars!!:eek:
 
For some reason even weighted keys don't feel quite right for me: I always feel restricted in my playing with an electric piano. Do you not mind them or do you notice a differnce or couldn't you give a fig or am I asking to many questions and should I stop now?:p


By the way Steve, have a look in the "what are you listening to now" thread. I posted a link to a brilliant guitarist performance of "Dark Eyes". Thought you might be interested!

I find them fine, but I appreciate that not everyone would feel the same.

Thanks for the link, I'm always looking at guitarists playing on youtube these days. :)
 
Dutchad, my neighbor (pediatrician btw) would not tell me what it cost, but said it was about the price of a lower end BMW!

Of course I am not looking to get a similar piano, but I figured I would spend a decent amount of money as once I have it, I plan on keeping it for life. (Also my dad is buying it for me :p)
 
My "piano" has weighted keys but its 3 distinct levels of sound, with acoustic its unlimited.

I played for a bit yesterday on my neighbors baby grand Steinway and I swear it made me sound better!

Been looking around for a baby grand piano. Found some decent ones for around $3000, just need to clear some room in my house and my digital one before I make the leap.

Hmarka added 1 Minutes and 58 Seconds later...

Steve, I have never in my life taken a lesson and I am not finding this song to be too difficult. Its just learning the chords and learning how to roll your hand if you cant stretch your fingers.

I was so moved by this film and song and general event in history that I think it will be worth one year of hard work at the piano to be able to play this theme the way it was intended.

So, you're just identifying the chords in the bass Clef and playing like that? Maybe that's the way to go then - I'm in the habit of trying to I.D. each note, and given that I'm somewhat rusty right now, maybe it's ain't gonna happen like that just yet. Congratulations though - you're doing bloody well for someone who's self taught. How long have you been playing?

Or maybe I'm just hopelessly out of practice and need to work my way up to this with simpler pieces. It was so stupid to let it slide like this! Don't make the same mistake, eh? What happened was I'd got to a stage where singing, acting and piano were all doing OK, but I felt I needed to focus more intensely on the singing/acting side (which have improved a ton). And now of course, there's a new kid on the block in the shape of guitar, which feels as though it'll come to me with regular practice each day, as opposed to tons of lessons.

Schindler's List is an amazing film though - the ending gets me every single time I watch it! My dad was half Jewish, and when I think of what could've happened had the Nazis won the Battle of Britain...

I hope I have the luck to appear in something similar one day.
 
Ive been playing for a few months, basically the only thing I know how to play besides Schindler's list is part of Moonlight Sonata and part of Fur Elise.

Planning on uploading another clip today. Almost at the middle part. Dutchy, will need your help in tips for the middle part. Have never tried to play anything in which the tempo is different for both hands. I can imagine I will be using a lot of 4 letter words.

Hmarka added 1 Minutes and 23 Seconds later...

@Master

I know what you mean about "letting it slide"

I played guitar religiously from 15-20 and then I sold it and did not play from 20-25. My skills have greatly diminished and I still dont have a guitar!
 
Ive been playing for a few months, basically the only thing I know how to play besides Schindler's list is part of Moonlight Sonata and part of Fur Elise.

Planning on uploading another clip today. Almost at the middle part. Dutchy, will need your help in tips for the middle part. Have never tried to play anything in which the tempo is different for both hands. I can imagine I will be using a lot of 4 letter words.

Hmarka added 1 Minutes and 23 Seconds later...

@Master

I know what you mean about "letting it slide"

I played guitar religiously from 15-20 and then I sold it and did not play from 20-25. My skills have greatly diminished and I still dont have a guitar!

While my piano has waned, my guitar skills have blossomed (so far). As I said before, motivation to sit down and play piano is very low right now. :)
 
So I just made my first attempt at a video recording. Its with my webcam so excuse the quality (will make the next one with my digital camera)

Just want some advice on stance/fingering etc. Have no training so anything you guys tell me will be very very useful.

There are mistakes in the music so excuse that as well, just want feedback on technique etc.

YouTube - video test Schindler's List

Hmarka added 7 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...

Schindler's List is an amazing film though - the ending gets me every single time I watch it! .

There are two scenes in the movie which move me in such a way that I do not have to vocabulary to express it.

The scene when the old man comes into Schindler's office to thank him and Schindler gets mad at Itzhak because he cannot openly be seen as humane.

and the end when Schindler thinks he has not done enough and talk about how he should have sold his car that he is escaping Germany in.

Brilliance.
 
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Nice - and yo' dawg listening happily in the background as well.

One thing mate, a bad habit appears to have crept in. Your hands are very flat - the fingers should be more curved:

tom1.jpg


The bench is too low for Tom. His elbows are a little low - they would look lower, but as you can see, his wrists are compensating by pulling up to give some support to the hands. It is admirable of the body to try to create balance even though it is deprived of the best conditions, but it is not ideal. His arm and hand are out of alignment at the wrist, the top knuckles are flattened out because of the high wrist, and the fingers are also too extended


tom2.jpg


Just two carpet samples, and, voil?! Tom's forearms are parallel to the floor, his wrists are an easy one piece with the forearm and hand, and his knuckles have returned.

Can you see how, in the second picture, the pianist's hands are curved? That's what you should be looking for. I'm passing on what I learned from a teacher who trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (I'm auditioning there for the Drama bit). As I might have said before somewhere, she said to imagine there was a little mouse under your hand - your fingers must be curved so as not to squash the little guy.

From what I can see from your video, you might be sitting a little low - try sitting a bit higher up and see if that helps you curve your fingers more.

Here's that site in full if you want a read:

http://www.wellbalancedpianist.com/bpseatingguide.htm
 
Nice Hmarka! Coming along really well. Try not to have your hands, particularly your left hand, under the keys at it were. Pick up a broom handle with both hands using all your fingertips and thumb as it lies on the floor: bring it up to between tummy button and chest height. Look at the hands: that is what you are looking for. It will help you a lot with coordinating left and right and to let the fingers move easily. You have a nice feel in the music: that is the most important thing that it can be played musically i.e with feeling!


Steve beat me to it but we are both saying basically the same thing!
 
There are two scenes in the movie which move me in such a way that I do not have to vocabulary to express it.

The scene when the old man comes into Schindler's office to thank him and Schindler gets mad at Itzhak because he cannot openly be seen as humane.

and the end when Schindler thinks he has not done enough and talk about how he should have sold his car that he is escaping Germany in.

Brilliance.

Agreed - you couldn't have picked a better word. And when that bastard Amon Goeth gets his comeuppance right at the end as well! That touch where they highlight a girl in a red dress, and then you see her afterwards on a wheelbarrow was a masterstroke as well, as was the entire decision to shoot in black and white. I wonder if it was ever made into a play??

MasterBlaster76 added 0 Minutes and 45 Seconds later...

Nice Hmarka! Coming along really well. Try not to have your hands, particularly your left hand, under the keys at it were. Pick up a broom handle with both hands using all your fingertips and thumb as it lies on the floor: bring it up to between tummy button and chest height. Look at the hands: that is what you are looking for. It will help you a lot with coordinating left and right and to let the fingers move easily. You have a nice feel in the music: that is the most important thing that it can be played musically i.e with feeling!


Steve beat me to it but we are both saying basically the same thing!

You are so right, he has tons of musical feeling and that cannot be taught...

@Hmarka: Curving your fingers will relieve tension in your hands as well. Also, it's bloody hard, if not completely impossible to lift your fingers unless they're curved and that's important. Oh, and one other thing? Ignore any childish crap that someone might spout at you on Youtube. You're doing very well, considering you have had no lessons at all. Just get those fingers curved and lifting nicely - that'll improve your playing a whole lot.

Sod this, I'm gonna go have another crack at it myself! :)
 
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Thanks guys.

So from what I gather my hands are too flat? Ill try sitting a bit higher or lowering the piano.

Trying to make sense of what dutchad said? Do you mean not to leave my left hand hovering over a chord after I have played it?
 
Thanks guys.

So from what I gather my hands are too flat? Ill try sitting a bit higher or lowering the piano.

Trying to make sense of what dutchad said? Do you mean not to leave my left hand hovering over a chord after I have played it?


No, what I mean is that your hands, particularly the left one, is too bent towards the floor. if anything it should be the other way round: a nice round dome shape with the hands always above the horizon of the keys as it were; look at the second photo Steve posted.

The broom exercise seems silly but give it a go. Lie the broom out in front of you; pick it up using your finger and thumb tips with both hands and lift it up so it is between tummy and chest. The shape of the hands is akin to the shape of the hands you want to have during playing, although this shape changes of course when playing but that is the general idea.:)
 

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