PianoTell Recital #1 Is Now Live!
@lilypad Impressive, considering that you only returned to piano this year!
A good recovery at the one minute mark, too! I blame the 'red dot'
Thank you for you kind remarks, although the one about my piano experience is undeserved. I've actually been back at piano since I retired in 2004. Hard to believe I've been retired for 20 years. Where has the time gone? I did have a slow start when I returned to piano and at first only played a few times a month or even less during gardening season. Still, I should really be better than I am at this point.
Thank you for noticing the recovery bit. I'm working on my bad habit of fixing mistakes after they happen during performance and instead gracefully recover/disguise them without interrupting the rhythm.
rogerch Wow, this is fantastic! Thanks for the very fun laugh-out-loud song! Your singing sounds really good and I love your piano improvisations. The Always Chew Your Food lyrics are funny but you really got me with the crowd sourced second verse. Awesome!
Thanks. @Bellyman and @Pallas came through with the suggestions!
@ShiroKuro"#p15055 Oh and btw what I was aiming for was: control over the tempo variations (I think I mostly have that), detailed dynamic shading (I don't think I have that) and a clear melody line (I think I have that). Also, I always want note accuracy or to play through the mistakes so that they're barely noticeable. This is a goal I rarely achieve!
Sounds like a good list. Dynamic shading can keep you busy forever if you let it.
WieWaldi Yes, right now I listened to it the 5th time
This is the best compliment!
WieWaldi And then I was thinking about how this would fit into a movie like Toy-Story. You know, when riding a bicyle at night, not reading any text, that brain comes up with a lot of pictures and funny ideas. The one that your song painted into my mind, was to have this song at a scene when two characters in a Toy Story like movie are becoming friends and having a great time together. No talking, no sound effects, just pictures and this song. Big thank you for sharing this piece.
A non-romantic explanation: the second chord, the augmented 7th, is used pretty frequently by Randy Newman, the composer of "You've Got a Friend in Me." But thank you, what a nice thought!
TC3 Wow, more impressive improvisation, and now with singing! I definitely aspire to this sort of thing. You’re on track to be my new piano hero ….
Thank you--the only way I'm a hero is if you count my bravery for posting singing videos. I still cringe a little when I hear myself.
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6. pseudonym58 — Images (5) for orchestra
How ambitious! Was there no existing piano arrangement for this? Of course a lot of the colors are very different as a piano piece, but it's pretty in its own way. I like the way Iberia came out--so different, but so pretty!
7. Sam — Perpetual Motion #1
I hope your recovery is going well. I love Hitchcock but I've never seen Rope. A character playing this piece would immediately make me suspect he is the murderer!
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Thanks to all who listened to my short recording and to those who took the time to comment. These days, approaching (or perhaps residing in) my dotage, motivation to get of my backside is scarce, so an extra thank-you to navindra and the forum for providing that.
@TC3 - thanks for your generous comment and happy to help in any way I can - I’ll send you a copy of my scrawl of the 8 bar blues for you to play around with (and any one else who is interested - pm me for a copy.)
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rsl12 Thank you for the compliment! Regarding the Debussy Images, there was an arrangement written around 1950 and published by Durand, but from what I've seen of it, it's more designed for study than for performance, as it's very difficult and awkward. It requires, frankly, more than two hands at some places, which means the pianist has decide what to leave out. My goal was to make the arrangement playable, for performance, and not just for virtuosi.
Rob Don't feel bad. It prompted some interesting reflection on my part. What have I done with piano for the last 20 years? Goofed off mostly. Went a little overboard on relearning. I went through Idiot's Guide to Piano, then Piano for Dummies, then both Alfred's books. Purchased and later gave up on a lot of how to play jazz books and eventually started over and went back to basics with the Piano Adventures series.
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@lilypad I found I only had so much time to practice, and did I want to spend that limited time on etudes and exercises and scales and arpeggios? That wasn't my preference. So I tried to select pieces that were a little beyond my current skill set. I would practice them very slowly, hands together, distorting the tempo where necessary so I could keep going. I would also apply deliberate changes to rhythm to sort of make an "etude" out of the pieces I was playing. For instance, if I'm playing some (scalar or chordal) passages which I might have difficulty getting rhythmically even sounding, I would play them with alternate dotted rhythms (long/short, short/long). I found that if I listened very carefully to make sure I was getting something like the sound I was envisioning, and at the same time eliminating any kind of extraneous motion or tense muscles wherever possible, I would make progress. Of course, I don't have a clone under the same conditions with whom I could run a scientific experiment, see which method progresses faster. But I have never seemed to be able to keep an interest in any sort of formal practice method or regimen, and so perhaps it's better I take my cue from my past behavior. Your mileage may vary, of course. 
1. Player1 — Energico
Evenness of playing can be an issue for any level of playing and the standard advice is to take it slower but this is a promising performance of a not-so-easy piece.
2. rogerch — Improvisation 6
Pleasingly unpredictable yet contemplative and calming. I look forward to future improvs from you.
3. keff — A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
I was wondering if this is your own arrangement? I really like the changes and choice of chords you’ve used, quite a few surprises with some really tricky sounding extensions.
4. Sophia — Fascination
You play this with impeccable timing, uninterrupted even by a minor flub - an absolute must for developing your blues chops. Like other familiar tunes in this recital, yours gave me a nostalgic buzz - many thanks!
5. Sgisela — Joropo
This piece looks and sounds really challenging (for me, impossible!) and the dancers must be exhausted! Most impressed, thanks for playing.
6. pseudonym58 — Images (5) for orchestra
It comes as no surprise that the learning took longer than the writing which itself must have required a mountainous effort. I regret my sensibilities dulled after years of working in unchallenging music have left me, as a listener, unable to do full justice to your project but I’m none the less in awe.
7. Sam — Perpetual Motion #1
Ah, The Rope, I’ve watched it several times, possibly my favourite Hitchcock movie. I guess the thinking behind Hitchcock’s choice of music has gone with him to the grave but the character who is also the pianist in the film is the very reluctant conspirator in this murderous duo and the stark dissonance in the piece perhaps reflects his inner turmoil which builds to a white-knuckle climax. Enjoyed the piece and thanks to you I’ll have to watch the film again.
8. hebele — Downtown Abbey theme
I’ve not watched Downton Abbey but this is an attractive, unusual composition, played quite expressively - thanks for bringing it to the recital.
9. MarieJ — Week #7
That sounds beautiful, I don’t see how it could be improved, and the sometimes algorithmic quality of Pianoteq’s simulation sounds exactly right for this piece. Really enjoyed it.
10. plop_symphony — A Lincoln Tribute
Either I’ve heard this before or it’s in a style that seems familiar, reminding me of a fanfare. I love the open voicing of the chords and I thought your performance showed real flair and polish.
11. thepianoplayer416 — Air in D minor
Bravo! - a bright, solid performance, short (as was mine!) but sweet.
12. BicBic — Prelude in B flat minor - No.16 from Op.34
Excellent!, so vibrant and confident, I had no idea I liked Shostakovich. I wish I could play fast octaves like that!
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Sophia @iternabe
I always enjoyed that piece. In fact our washing machine uses that melody each time it finishes the laundry... and I always let it play right to the end because I never get tired of itYours is a very nice arrangement too. Really impressed with your 7 months of learning - in your case too, your persistence paid off!
@Sophia Thank you! We don't have Samsung washing machines. But my wife did notice one day I was practicing
"the rice cooker tune" (Minuet in G) 
@Nightowl Thank you!
@rogerch I am paying attention to the details on the sheet music. The method book and YouTube lesson also helped me a lot to understand those details and how to play them. The dynamics is something I find needing the most practice. So I am really glad that the result come through in the recording. Thank you!
plop_symphony 20. iternabe — The Trout
Great playing! It looks and sounds like you've got excellent control over the force at which you strike the keys.
@plop_symphony You are too kind. I wouldn't call my control "excellent", far from it. But I do notice it improved a lot since I started learning piano. I credit it partly to daily scales practice while trying to play as soft as possible during slow runs.
@rsl12 Thank you!
@TC3 Thank you! I do like the pieces in the two Faber books I am using. I feel they are tastefully arranged. And each piece presents just the right amount of new challenge to move me forward.
@Rob Thanks! This is from Faber's companion series book to their method book. I've got the Classical one, but they have Popular and Christmas books, too.
@Sgisela Thank you! I think the arrangement by Faber did a great job, too, and I do strive to play as it is printed. I've casually heard the Trout quintet before. While learning this piece, I looked up the quintet again, and also found that the title actually comes from a popular song with some kind-of funny lyrics 
WieWaldi iternabe The piece might be at an easy level, but you compensated it with a very clean playing. And the nice thing about your submission are the dynamics and the fluidity of your playing. It is really a joy to watch your videos (not just the recital piece) and you are doing remarkably well with your progress.
@WieWaldi Thank you! I do pay a lot of attention to dynamics during practice. It's really satisfying to hear that you noticed it. I am about halfway through the Faber Classics book 1 and really enjoying the journey. More videos will be forthcoming regularly.
iternabe I've casually heard the Trout quintet before. While learning this piece, I looked up the quintet again, and also found that the title actually comes from a popular song with some kind-of funny lyrics
I believe that before the quintet, he wrote the piece for voice and piano… and then I think by popular demand, decided to adapt it for a trio. Here’s a recording of the song:
Next set:
13. Nightowl — Plaisir D'Amour. Great job with this! The song has been around since 1784, if you can imagine! And I think it’s remained ever-popular for good reason! I must admit that I’m not a big fan of the Elvis version, though. Anyways, I can tell you really like the piece. Am I correct that you’re self-teaching? If not, ignore this and do what your teacher says! But if you are self-learning, I think you should start working on something new (if you’re not already doing so), as I think this is in very good shape and you will probably learn more if you move ahead, rather than trying to polish this further.
14. bSharp — High Heels. Very enjoyable! I have to say the music doesn’t evoke high heels for me (which I think of as pieces of torture that mangle the natural way one is supposed to walk), but Einaudi must have had his reasons for choosing the title! Thanks for sharing.
16. SalmonJack — Alia. Kudos for both composing this and for writing a book! I did feel like the composition conveyed a sense of both sadness and hope/positive aspirations. I enjoyed the video, too.
17. Calavera — Chrono Cross - Scars of Time. You did a great job with this! You really bring out huge contrasts in the piece, and you do a wonderful job of bringing out the intensity and drive of the music.
18. rsl12 — Always Chew Your Food. This was a hoot! I really enjoyed the piano specific verse. About your playing/singing, I think you’re making a lot of progress. I don’t know anything about singing, but your singing sounded a lot more confident/secure than with Embraceable You, and I also felt that you were able to give the piano its due, let it accompany you when that’s what you needed, but also let the piano itself sing and have a little fun, itself. Thanks for sharing!
19. TC3 — St. James Infirmary. This was very groovy! And I’m glad you opted for the somewhat faster tempo. I’m not sure that I’ve seen many digital grands. It’s a very nice looking instrument and it would be great to hear your story of how you decided on it. If you’ve posted about this elsewhere, I’d love to get a link to that.
Sgisela St. James Infirmary. This was very groovy! And I’m glad you opted for the somewhat faster tempo. I’m not sure that I’ve seen many digital grands. It’s a very nice looking instrument and it would be great to hear your story of how you decided on it. If you’ve posted about this elsewhere, I’d love to get a link to that.
Thanks! Yes, 60 bpm seemed a little slow to me; 72 or so seems about right.
Sure thing, I'll post about my Gp609 in the Roland thread a bit later, happy to discuss how I settled on it.
Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.
TheBoringPianist I, for one, am glad you came back to the piano. This performance is pro quality IMO. Hard to tell from the recording and the out of tune "D", but from what I can hear, you have a lovely sound. I like the way you voice things; I like the way you use the pedal - sparingly - so as not to obscure or smear things but enhance them. Best of all, your playing SINGS. Thank you for this performance, and may I offer a bit of unsolicited advice - your playing is not boring; why voice something negative about yourself? Figure out another moniker, maybe, TheLyricalPianist, or something like that...
Sam Perpetual Motion #1 - I've always liked the sound of this piece. Your playing looked and sounded effortless, as if you could play it perpetually without getting tired. At the same time you play is expressively and in the moment.
hebele Downton Abbey - Great job on that. It sounds just as authentic at the slower tempo.
MarieJ Week #7 - What a dreamy reflective piece; and a perfect foil for your fabric painting. Thank you for sharing both.
plop_symphony "A Lincoln Tribute" - In your choice of a slower tempo, as befits a tribute, you show a sensitivity to the music beyond your short time playing. Beautifully played. Thank you for information on Alfred's recital suite series. I checked it out briefly, bookmarked it and see some sheet music shopping in my future!
thepianoplayer416 Air in D minor - Baroque music is always a hand independence challenge for me. You made it look easy. Well done!
BicBic Prelude in B flat minor - Interesting and dramatic music! Looks like it has a variety of challenges beyond octave playing - leaps, cross hands that look like they're on top of each other and probably more besides. You made it all look effortless.
Seeker Thank you for the kind words! One day I may learn that self-deprecating humor will not fix my self-esteem issues, let alone constitute a personality. Today is not that day!
"You're a smart kid. But your playing is terribly dull."