PIYW #10 — Meta Feedback

rsl12 · 2026-07-16T08:05:24+00:00

Update 2: 15 September 2026 "Play 'Last Song' Your Way" is now live! Click to listen. rsl12 Platybat KevinM TulipAcid TC3 You can continue to use this thread to discuss your preparation of the piece, or to discuss any other matters regarding Play It Your Way. Update 1: 16 July 2026 PIYW #10: Play "Last Song" Your Way Play It Your Way is a quasi-monthly event for beginners, professionals, classical, jazz, or pop pianists and everyone in between! We are starting work on "Last Song" by Alexis Ffrench . Use the links below to find the sheet music you like, and when you are ready, post your performance in the submission thread. Perfection is not expected! Previous PIYWs: PIYW #9: Play Chopin's "Wiosna (Spring)" Your Way PIYW #8: Play "How Long Blues" Your Way PIYW #7: Play "Over the Rainbow" Your Way Full List of Previous PIYWs Thanks to KevinM for this month's selection! Please suggest pieces for future "Play It Your Way" events by using the suggestion box. The theme of the next PIYW (to be announced in August 2026) is "Jazz or Ragtime", but feel free to submit good ideas across all genres. Guidelines This is not a contest! It is meant to be a casual and fun event. You can use this thread to discuss your preparation of the piece, or anything else related to PIYW. To submit a recording of your performance, go to the submission thread. All PIYW submissions will remain hidden from public view until 15 September 2026. However, there is no deadline for when you need to submit your performance. Although most participants submit their recording before that date, you may submit at any time. Use the recital schedule to plan your participation in future recitals! "Last Song" by Alexis Ffrench (2009) From Wikipedia: Alexis Ffrench (born 1970) is a British classical-soul musician, composer, producer, and pianist. Ffrench's music has more than a billion streams and his albums Evolution (2018), Dreamland (2020) and Classical Soul Vol. 1 (2024) reached No. 1 in the Classical Music Charts. From the footnote to the ABRSM edition: [Ffrench] says of this piece: "Last Song was originally written for my daughter, Savannah, when she was a very young child, as a piece to accompany her early ballet dances. For me, it recalls the innocence of childhood and the wonder of possibility. I hope it resonates with you too and becomes part of your story. Happy piano playing." Links to Sheet Music / Lead Sheet You are not limited to only the music linked below. Feel free to find or create your own version. You do not have to complete or perfect the piece to submit it, and don't be afraid to simplify or shorten the piece. Improvisation, backing tracks, and backing humans are all allowed. Sheet music: Note: This is a Grade 6 (intermediate level) piece, but we have come up with some easier options. See this post. USA https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/446751/Product.aspx?utm_source=halleonard&utm_medium=referral&campaign=search (3-page version, $6) https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/1555674/Product.aspx?utm_source=halleonard&utm_medium=referral&campaign=search (2-page version, $4. It's the same as the 3-page version, just more crowded on the page!) UK https://www.fabermusic.com/shop/last-song-d12063 (£2.50)

TC3

I'm feeling pretty good about my progress. I'll just play the first half with my super short ending, but I hope it'll be sounding halfway decent, maybe just a few mistakes and some general sloppiness and amateurishness ...

I was asking about EPs in another thread, which was actually relevant to this. I've been practicing this on my Korg SV2 using one of its awesome Fender Rhodes sounds, which I think is pretty great for new age tunes such as this. Unfortunately, the SV2 quite authentically mimics the pedal behavior of the Rhodes -- in that there's no half pedalling. I kinda want need that, so I'm back to an AP sound. Luckily, the SV2 has some very nice selections for those too!

ShiroKuro

TC3 I've been practicing this on my Korg SV2 using one of its awesome Fender Rhodes sounds, which I think is pretty great for new age tunes such as this

Interesting, I’d love to hear that. I’m sure your AP sound will be great too.

As for me… I’m at the meh stage where my performance of it is characterized by random mistakes and sloppiness. 😃

KevinM

Just recorded using my old MP11SE and I think it is acceptable, if I can't get use to my new keyboard in time, that is if the new keyboard works.

ShiroKuro

How is everyone getting on? I have had an incredibly busy week --but I have been able to make it to the piano every day! I'm not making a lot of progress though because I'm working on my lesson pieces as well as the two PIYW pieces. So instead of moving forward on one or two pieces, I'm marching in place on four pieces! 😃

Oh well, I guess that's better than backsliding....

I'm not sure if I'll have a recording of Last Song ready by the 15th... But I really, really want to get Last Song off my plate! 😅

TC3

I'm doing fine for my personal goal, which is just to post a work in progress. I'll record what I have over the weekend, maybe even post Sunday evening.

KevinM

I recorded my I think acceptable submission for the recital on Wednesday morning using my MP11SE, also shortly after the final key had been fixed on the MP11SE. The tempo remains slow but not too bad. My Vidal arrived later that day.

If others don't mind, perhaps after the recital goes live I will do an additional recording with my new Vidal piano controller when my fingers have got use to my new keyboard enough to get a decent recording.

ShiroKuro

KevinM I certainly don't mind! Also I'm pretty sure @rsl12 has said that part of the idea of the PIYW recitals is that people can upload to them any time after they go live, a new version, keep both etc.

I spent about 30 minutes recording today. It's funny how much you can learn when recording that you just don't learn or notice when not recording... I really should have done a recording session last weekend, then I could have mobilized all the things I noticed today across a week of practicing... Ah well.
Note to self: always, always plan to do two recording session, a week apart, when prepping for online and in-person recitals!

Anyway, this morning, I made 5 takes, two of those are not horrible. But they also have mistakes I find a little bit unforgivable. I'm going to try another round of recording tonight and again tomorrow morning and then pick the least bad to share.

As always, I would love to get a clean take... We'll see.

TulipAcid

Strangely enough, since I posted my rendition 2 weeks ago...I picked it up again...

...the darned piece seems to have miraculously improved.

Which suggests perhaps getting all nitpicky obsessed about whatever flaw isn't worth it. Put it aside and let it stew for a few days.

Anyway, it is what it is! 😉

TC3

All right, just submitted mine. One false start right away, but then just used my second take, which was okay. It's only the first half, and only 80% where I'd like it, but I have other things to practice and I need to get to it! 😃

KevinM

TC3 mine is 80% of the tempo I would like it to be, otherwise it is ok. Seems like 80% is the deal for Last Song.

ShiroKuro

I dunno, I feel like I’m closer to 75% … Although, yes, my tempo is about 80% of where I want to be, so in that regards I’m with you guys. 😃

I made a new recording yesterday, it’s not bad but there is one “fatal flaw” type error (and of course several smaller mistakes)… I’m debating whether to 1) share this one and move on, 2) share this one but keep recording and then upload a new version when I get a cleaner version, or 3) wait (not share this one) and keep recording and plan to upload something next weekend.

I have a piano lesson today, so maybe I'll decide based on the lesson.

ShiroKuro

Ok I decided. I’m so close to a clean play through, so I’m going to try a few more days of recording, instead of sharing what I have now. Then if I don’t get anything better by this weekend, I’ll either share this recording or whichever “best” recording I have at that point.

Hopefully that’s in line with the “rules” for the PIYW recital that @rsl12 set for us.

rsl12

"Play 'Last Song' Your Way" is now live! Click to listen.

You can continue to use this thread to discuss your preparation of the piece, or to discuss any other matters regarding Play It Your Way.

ShiroKuro

Congrats everyone who's uploaded! I'll be joining you soon (hopefully!)

in the meantime, I'm looking forward to listening! 🙂

KevinM

Just added my second recording using my new Vidal piano controller.

ShiroKuro

I haven't listened yet... I feel like if I listen to everyone else, I'll get scared off of finishing my own recording. 😅

I made another recording last night that was slightly better, my plan is to record every day this week and then upload whatever I have on the weekend.

And then listen to everyone.

I hope that's ok!

TulipAcid

I've run into challenges in making my videos available on Youtube.

This is to help ME remember (by typing it out in the ether.)

For it to be visible on this site, you need to "allow embedding." Then it can be unlisted or public...

rsl12

ShiroKuro I'm looking forward to it!

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