Performer: Navindra Umanee in the USA. On and off piano lessons since September 2019.
Piece: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Comment Policy: Critical Comments: Anything goes!

Source of music: Alfred's Easy Piano arrangement by Dan Coates
Instrument: Kawai Novus NV10
Recording method: USB to WAV recording with gain set to +15db. I used the Classic voicing with all defaults except resonance set to 8.
Additional info: This is a recording from 5 years ago when I first started taking piano lessons. I had no idea what I was getting into; I crashed and burned during the live performance. My hands shook uncontrollably and I couldn't even read the sheet music in front of me. So I went back home and re-recorded my performance on my own terms for my own peace of mind. One day I'll revisit this song on the piano as it's still a favorite of mine. Happy Holidays! 🎉

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Beach L168, Wish, baCh, WOW Petrof, Fake Steinway, VS
TIME

    Performer: Rob
    Piece: In the Bleak Midwinter (Trad.)

    Source of music: Own arrangement
    Instrument: Kawai MP5 controlling 'The Giant' VSTi in Cubase
    Additional info: Originally posted on Facebook, two years ago, as a 'musical greetings card' for family and friends, back in the UK.

      Performer: HeartKeys, USA, Play for fun by ear
      Piece: Hark the Herald Angels Sing
      Comment Policy: Anything goes

      Source of music: improvising to this classic.
      Instrument: VSL Bösendorfer 280VC. I would've liked to play on my acoustic, but I have no good recording equipment. VSL pianos sound great tone-wise, but you'll notice the velocity issues (ie sometimes it attacks super hard). But on the same token, I like the twang.
      Additional info: I play 100% by ear, and took practically no lessons, and do not read music. I just mess around with music. This recording was me this evening, taking a quick stab at the song (I've played it before at a Christmas service before as well), this version I made.

        Performer: rsl12 (USA). Piano has been a hobby for decades. First half of my piano life was focused on classical, but now I'm into jazz.
        Piece: Sleigh Ride in 7/8 (Anderson/Eidsvoog)
        Comment Policy: Critical Comments: Anything goes!

        Source of music: Sheet Music
        Additional info: This recording is from 2018. I had been trying to get this piece together for years before, but I always started preparing too late to get it in shape before Christmas. Obviously the rhythm is the tricky part! This is not a perfect recording, but it was good enough that I haven't touched the piece since 2018. Which is a shame, because it's such a nice arrangement!

          HeartKeys Congratulations on your first posted recording!! You are much more skilled than you made yourself out to be.

            keff I love the way you stitched these pieces together. Seeing the sheet music up there makes it all the more impressive! Is that your own arrangement of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"? It all sounds great!

                TC3 Very cool that you sing together while playing! That looks super fun and it sounds great!

                • TC3 likes this.

                  navindra Great playing! You seem really solid in this recording, even with the red dot. Based on what you have posted since it seems you have gained a lot of confidence in performing!

                  Also, I love the sweater!

                    Rob What a lovely arrangement, and I love your delicate playing! Very cool video!

                    • Rob likes this.

                      HeartKeys I'm really happy I got to hear you play! You have amazing skills and I'm super impressed and inspired!

                      I've been using a Zoom H1essentials to record my acoustic piano. The recorder costs about $100, it's easy to use, and I'm happy with the way it sounds. I know I could improve the recordings with more money and time but I'd rather spend the time practicing more. 🙂

                          rsl12 I agree this is a nice arrangement, and I'm impressed with how well you play! There is a lot going on and you nailed it!

                            rogerch

                            Thanks for the commentary, as well as about the Zoom! I actually have a Zoom H6 (it was perhaps last year when I thought of recording), and just took it out of my storage. I think it sounds pretty good.

                            This was me messing with the song a moment ago on the acoustic 280VC, with the Zoom H6, combined with the microphone of my iPhone:

                                HeartKeys Ooooh, that is sublime! The piano, the playing, and the recording! I want to hear more! Thanks for sharing!

                                    rogerch Is that your own arrangement of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"? It all sounds great!

                                    Thanks for the kind words. I had a lead sheet for We wish you a merry Christmas written in G but in this case I transcribed it into C. Then I chose just a few simple harmonies. I am hoping to perform the medley in a concert on Saturday with a friend's arrangement of 'We wish you...'. This new arrangement keeps to the key of G but I have now worked out how to modulate from G to C to pick up the second tune.

                                      Kudos to everyone who submitted here wonderful piece. And thanks to @rogerch for opening this thread. I call this a great idea. And I really love how soft and smooth played Feliz Navidad. This is one of the modern classics, I can't listen to, enough.

                                      And very big respect to you @keff , to add your medley. You played it really cautious, also very soft. This is the absolute right mood for Chistmas eve. Thank you for sharing.

                                      Loved your costumes and and the humorous style, you and your wife added to the YouTube Christmas card. Nice playing and wonderful singing of you both, you can count you lucky to life in a musical family. Thank you for sharing @TC3.

                                      rsl12 I'm not really into jazz, but I loved that version and you played it very impressively. Sometimes when a piece is jazzed up it works well, and this is a great example. You make it look easy, like you're having a lot of fun. 🙂

                                      "Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)

                                          Rob What a wonderful piece. This is something I never heard before in my life, still it sounds like Christmas. You played it really smooth, the computer graphics living room with the railroad around the tree - everything makes this greeting card perfect. Your arrangement was very nice to listen to, thank you for sharing.

                                          navindra You played this wonderful classic so well. Even more remarkably when I consider this recording is at the very start of your piano career. Doesn't sound like a beginner with a few month or even a year of playing. No, it sounds way more advanced. Thank you for sharing this gem with us.

                                          rsl12 I didn't know a sleigh is equipped with a steam engine and a throttle... But this makes a remarkable beginning^^. If you focusing on playing over singing together, you are really showing off your piano skills. This one was so full of life. If you asked me, it sounded as if Santa Clause had overslept entire advent and on Christmas eve he realized, he has to deliver all the presents. Hurry up, - Santa! Get your reindeer! I adored the Jazz interpretation very much. You said, the rhythm was tricky - well I wasn't even able to count the 7/8. Big Kudos!

                                          HeartKeys Last but not least, this one was something really special. You already told, you can't read sheet music (or are not good in doing so), but play everything by ear. When you told, I was thinking about way less complex chord structures than what I was hearing. Your chords have been so rich and lush, hard to believe someone can just create this on the fly. You are very gifted, and no matter how often some people repeat the statement, that proper sight-reading is the highest grade of piano playing, I say the highest grade is to play by ear like you do. Thank you very much for sharing this excerpt of your abilities.

                                                    WieWaldi If you asked me, it sounded as if Santa Clause had overslept entire advent and on Christmas eve he realized, he has to deliver all the presents. Hurry up, - Santa! Get your reindeer!

                                                    Great image! I personally just thought of it as a bumpy ride with fast horses. Poor Santa! In your image, he's very stressed out!!

                                                    WieWaldi You said, the rhythm was tricky - well I wasn't even able to count the 7/8. Big Kudos!

                                                    If you tried to count in the B section, you may have been confused because there are a couple measures of 5/8 (there may be an occasional strange measure in other places as well). But the eighth note is about 330 bpm. You can definitely count 7 beats to a measure at the start of the piece!

                                                        Nightowl Sometimes when a piece is jazzed up it works well, and this is a great example. You make it look easy, like you're having a lot of fun.

                                                        Thank you! It was fun to play, though recording it was a nightmare, because I kept messing up the last section.

                                                          rogerch A nice version of a fun xmas song!