40 Pieces Challenge 2026

WieWaldi · 2026-01-02T17:54:33+00:00

The 40 Piece Challenge has been around for a few years, as a way to improve sight reading skills - here is a link to an article which outlines how the concep...

lilypad

A somewhat delayed update for pieces completed in April. They're all just quick studies that I spend a maximum of week on.

10 Le Couppey - The Alphabet Op. 17, Study 6. (quick study)
11 Joe Hisaishi - Reprise (arr), Studio Ghibli Recital Repertoire - Elementary Vol. 1 (quick study)
12 Albert Biehl - Sonatina Op. 57, No. 1 (1st mvt.), Faber & Faber Piano Sonatinas Book One (quick study)
13 Robert D. Vandall - Buckeye Rag, Celebrated Jazzy Solos (quick study)

While I'm still delighted to be finished with the Piano Adventures method books, I got spoiled by being able to finish most of the pieces in them in around 3 weeks. A couple of pieces I've been working since then are more like 3+ months.

ShiroKuro

lilypad I got spoiled by being able to finish most of the pieces in them in around 3 weeks. A couple of pieces I've been working since then are more like 3+ months.

that's quite a jump, isn't it! What are you working right now that fits into that longer time span?

lilypad

ShiroKuro that's quite a jump, isn't it! What are you working right now that fits into that longer time span?

Alexis Ffrench's "Last Song". It's been surprisingly difficult for me. It's only 2 pages long. I started on March 9. Here I am in the middle May and still have not quite half a page to go.

A couple of his other pieces, "Bluebird" and "Wishing" felt pretty easy when I sight read them, so the difficulty I've had with this one was unexpected.

ShiroKuro

lilypad Alexis Ffrench's "Last Song".

Oh that's a lovely song! I think I have the score, I'll take a look when I get home.

Bluebird and Wishing are both very accessible (imo) but a lot of his other pieces are much more challenging. I found Miracles to be very difficult, esp. initially. (That's the piece I wrote about the in the jury prep thread and it's my contribution for this month's PT recital). There is no comparison between that and Wishing. I bet Last Song

If you're interested in more by Ffrench, another piece that's more along the lines of Bluebird, Wishing in terms of difficulty is Moments.

Will you record Last Song? I'd love to hear it!

lilypad

ShiroKuro Will you record Last Song? I'd love to hear it!

Yes. Eventually. Polishing stage always seems to take twice as long as learning a piece for me. So maybe 6 more months? I hope not!

ShiroKuro

lilypad I will look forward to it!!

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