Month 8!!

I finished month 7 and now I have picked 4 new songs to learn:
Mozart Variations on a French Folk Song K 265 (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Debussy Prelude from Suite Bergamasque
Bach Sinfonia #8
Rachmaninoff: Elegie in Eb Minor Opus 3 no. 1
Still looking for the balance between control and letting go. I know it takes a lot of work to get to where it seems second nature. The Rachmaninoff was a much easier piece last month (except for one page that was really fast). I have always had a hard time with fast. The more prepared a piece is, the easier to let it go and just play.

Update

Today is the first day of November. I am starting on Bach Sinfonia #7. I am doing the rest of the variations on the Mozart that I started last month (I broke it up since it was 12 pages). I am playing Debussy Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum. The Rachmaninoff is Etude Tableaux opus 33 no. 8. This one seems easier than the other Rachmaninoff pieces.

I think what I learned last month is that you have to be in the mood of the piece to be able to play it well. The Rachmaninoff from last month was really upbeat and fast. It was hard to get in that mood. I played it slower than the recommended Allegro con fuoco.

Update

Last month I worked on Debussy: Golliwogg's Cake Walk, (very interesting reading on Wikipedia for what Golliwogg means), Mozart: Sonata in C minor K. 457. Rachmaninoff: Etude Tableaux op. 33 no. 4 (5) in D minor, and Bach Sinfonia #5 and #5 ornamented version. This was a really good one for learning what all the ornament markings mean. OK #5 was very easy. I pretty much had it done on the first day so I mostly worked on learning the ornamented one. I played Rachmaninoff every day and all the others only every 3rd day since they were all pretty easy. I still struggle with letting go and just playing, even when I know the notes. I guess this is part of the reason for practicing. The Rachmaninoff is amazing. Check it out here!

This month I am working on Mozart Sonata XVI K 331 the first 5 variations, Debussy Passepied, Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux op. 33. no. 7 (6 is way too crazy fast), Bach Sinfonia #6.

Catching up

Last month I played: Bach Sinfonia 3, Mozart Rondo Allegro (K. 485), Debussy La Plus que Lente, and Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux Op. 33 no. 2. I find that I usually give more time to the Bach and Rachmaninoff followed by Debussy and last of all Mozart.

This month I am working on Bach Sinfonia 4, Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux Op. 33. no. 3, Debussy La Cathedrale Engloutie, and Mozart Prelude in C (K. 394). I have been alternating Bach and Rachmaninoff on one day and Debussy and Mozart on the next day for the most part working one page of each at a time. The main struggle is getting each piece done. It seems I could really spend two months and still not have them really polished.

Long time no post

Today is the last day of June. I have been playing Bach Sinfonia #2, Mozart Fantasia in D minor, Debussy Reverie, and Rachmaninoff Vocalise.

I hope I am learning. It is getting easier to look at the music as a whole rather than each phrase. I need to keep working on making it sound like it all goes together.

As usual it is a struggle to focus and connect to the music. Progress is slow. Maybe it will click one day.

Update

I have been playing Bach Sinfonia 1 since day 1. I also have been playing Clair de Lune by Debussy. The Mozart piece I picked is Alla Turca. I started playing Rachmaninoff Etude Tableaux no. 1 before the beginning. It is much harder than any of the others. For the first week I worried that this goal would be too hard, but I think if I can find easier pieces I still can make it.
So far the most difficult obstacle is focus. It is easy for my mind to get sidetracked and not focus on the music so I will be working on that.
Since this is Lorie's blog it says that she posted it but it is really me. For now I am just pianoman!!

Bach, Day 1

The process of learning has a little to do with being willing to press forward and risk mistakes. 
When mistakes are made, it is easier to fix them when you acknowledge that you have expanded your boundaries for the purpose of learning.

There is a certain feeling in the fingers with Bach,  like water trickling down a well-formed waterfall.  Hands held high, and relaxed; fingers curved.

Air piano helps learn tactile and auditory skills and allows you to focus on fingerings and held voices.

Start Blogging

Sometime after I watched the movie Julie and Julia. I came up with the idea that I would have a goal to learn to play some good music and to learn more.

Originally I was planning Bach, Mozart, Debussy, and Chopin. I had a gut feeling that I needed to change to something else so I came up with Rachmaninoff instead of Chopin.

The goal is to play 50 new pieces by these composers: 15 Bach, 15 Mozart, 10 Debussy, and 10 Rachmaninoff in one year. That is almost one per week. I am a little concerned that this is too aggressive but I am sure I will learn a lot anyway. My wife will be advising me.

I am thinking that I will post audio files and/or video as I go...