Sophia So how did you overcome that issue?

Who said I did overcome that issue? Sometimes it works, sometimes not. But I must admit, it got a bit better. And yes: Practice, Practice and practice some more!

    I was afraid you'd say that, lol! We're living 50 years too early... by then we can just download those skills directly to our brain 🤪

      Sophia Good we are living today. If I could download whatever I want into my brain....

        The stuff of the Easy Blues Piano lesson 3 sound so smooth, so lush, so bluesy. I really thought: Cool: this isn't beginner stuff anymore. Now I am at least at intermediate level, if not early advanced!
        *proud*

        And then this:

        Beginner stuff - in slow?

        Whaaaa he sure knows how to shatter our dreams!!! I know that feeling exactly - it has happened to me a lot too. You think you are so advanced...it sounds so smooth and sophisticated in your own mind. Now you truly made it! And then some advanced player pats you on the head and says "keep practicing and someday it may sound a little better"...
        NOT FAIR!

        I guess we have to accept we are eternal bloody beginners... at least now we can relax

        "eternal" nice term. 👍
        Ok, my new official list goes like this:

        eternal beginner
        extended beginner
        prolonged beginner
        real beginner
        true beginner
        early beginner
        absolute beginner
        total beginner <----------------- I am here !
        bloody beginner

        I can't wait to be a total beginner! I will promote myself once I have finished the bloody beginner's course - three more lesson to go. But I think they are even longer than lesson 8... he is ramping it up quite a bit. And I really have to give Alfred some love because I spent too much time fiddling around with blues lately 😃

        Well I haven't even started lesson 9 yet and I have a question already. Christian shows this fingering:

        He also said if it is too much stretch, to use thumb and little finger instead.

        It seems my hand is big enough to make it, but it's not very comfortable.

        So my question: should I persevere and keep the uncomfortable stretch? Or go easy and use the thumb instead?

        • TC3 replied to this.
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          Sophia I'll go back and review the video, but I use that fingering when I'm soloing and using that top note as a drone note and play other blues scales notes under it.

          Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

            Thanks TC 🙂 This is the video where he mentions the "drone lick":

            I'm not sure if it shows in my picture, but my hand is stretched quite a bit and I just don't know if I should persevere so that my hand gets used to it, or if I should use my thumb. I'm rather weary of injuries 🙂

            • TC3 replied to this.
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              Sophia I found it awkward at first but it got more comfortable after a while. However, safety first! I've had my share of RSI, I'm pretty cautious myself.

              Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.

                Ok, thanks so much! I'll see how it goes. I haven't even watched anything further in the video yet so I don't even know yet how it will be applied 😃

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                I go with Index finger on Eb. If I would use the thumb, I had to rotate the entire wrist clockwise, which would be more uncomfortable for me. And slower. Especially slower, if C follows.
                Rotating the wrist is maybe okay if you are on higher octaves, but try it on a middle octave in front of your body, then it gets really uncomfy. At least for me.

                Generell I try to avoid thumb on black keys. Not always possible, but here it is. Also think about to use it as a hand stretching exercise.

                I am not sure how this felt to me in the beginning. I tried both options and both had pros and cons. But now I am fine with Index finger and it feels natural.

                Hope this helps...

                Yes, both you and TC's comments really helped, thank you 😊 I will probably start the lesson for real this weekend and report back how it goes!

                Sophia time. And sometimes you made the RH staccato together with LH

                Thank you!!! So how did you overcome that issue? Practice, Practice and practice some more? Or can you share a secret to a learning shortcut?

                Try playing scales with both hands, left hand staccato and right hand legato. Then play with left hand legato and right hand staccato. It will probably take some practice…

                  Ooh! That is a great idea... talk about "duh why didn't I think of that", lol. Actually I do still play one scale daily (still just C because until I can fly with that across three octaves, I will stick with it - I can always add black keys later). But there is no reason why I can't vary that with the LH/RH staccato. I'll start that today. Thanks for the tip @rogerch 🙂

                  Sophia Lots of progress from Vid 1 to Vid 2. Go!

                    Thank you so much! ❤️ I have good teachers 😂

                    Ha! What a joker...

                    Do this 10,000 times eh??? Actually I have been trying this with the suggested finger setting and it's okay because you don't have to hold the note. As soon as you feel the strain, you are already moving to the next position. I'm still not liking it much though!

                    Ok, 7 down, only 9,993 more to go 😆

                    • TC3 likes this.

                    Phew... this gives me some more time. Thank you Christian 🤪