Week 1 Taking it easy: find your moderate tempo!
Hello and welcome to the WEEK ONE Main Thread for this challenge! 
Alright everyone - this is the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Twice a week between December 12-18 I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58SL8HOF7O4
1. Figure out your moderate tempo! Write down the numerical values approx. that you are shooting for! (top tempo, slow tempo, and moderate tempo).
2. Submit a video of your practice at this moderate tempo!
-
Thanks to Dominic Cheli for his help with the microphone, I now have a more proper arrangement!! It is always a spiritual experience for me, with Chopin. And it is like a prayer. If you notice, at 3 minutes and 13 seconds, a helper comes along with a personal message, just for you. Thanks for listening. xx +
-
Will Green You play so beautifully. I love this piece but my teacher says I'm not ready to learn Chopin yet. What do you think is the challenge for this piece? Thanks
-
Will Green Beautiful! Offering and receiving simultaneously..."The circular movement is the most perfect of all because it produces a return to the beginning. In order that the universe may attain to its final perfection, it must therefore return to its beginning." (Thomas Aquinas)
-
ALICE The hardest part for me is keeping the left-hand going smoothly! Your piece sounds fantastic!! I hope to hear you play at a Community Concert sometime :)
-
Michelle R Beautiful quote, Michelle. Thank you for your comment.
-
Will Green Beautiful playing, Will! I love this nocturne. Also congratulations on your performance in the Community concert yesterday!
-
Will Green Wonderful playing, Will! Now I can not, but tomorrow I will write to you (with photographies) to explain how I use this microphone (Blue Yeti), because I think you might adjust its controls better.
-
Will Green it sounds very calm and serene!
-
Will Green Hello Will! I am sending you an image of how I put the settings of the Blue Yeti:
- The pattern mode in stereo. It is the best way with difference.
- The gain very low, although it depends of how far away you place the microphone. The best thing is to try the distance until you find the best balance.
I hope this helps to improve the sound quality of the videos. Because your playing is always outstanding.
-
Juan Carlos Olite Thank you, Juan Carlos!! I loved your Ginastera. Looking forward to January!
-
Juan Carlos Olite I hope you don鈥檛 mind me asking but would I be able to use that microphone with an ipad to make videos with external sound recordings? I currently record my piano internally using an iRig device but would like to make external recordings also.
-
Hazel Hello Hazel! Of course I don't mind to answer you, but don't you think that I am an expert in these matters...
I haven't used the Blue Yeti with ipad, only with computer. But I think it is possible if you use an adapter because Blue Yeti is a USB microphone. This article explains it:
https://www.diyvideostudio.com/how-to-connect-and-use-a-blue-yeti-to-an-iphone-or-ipad/
Before I have the Blue Yeti I used the Shure MV88 with ipad and it works very well to make videos. The problem is that in live concerts via zoom it is much better to use the computer (to adjust the audio settings properly), for the I bought the Blue Yeti, both for recording videos and for playing live.
-
Juan Carlos Olite Thanks so much for sending me that information. It鈥檚 really helpful. I鈥檓 not very technically minded also so looking for something that鈥檚 easy to use. I need to make a recording of my performance for my exam so will seriously consider this one. Thanks again.
-
-
Here is my week 1 video of Bach Prelude and Fugue in G Major at medium tempos. I think playing at a slower speed helped me to sort out a few glitches and fingering problems which had manifested during my rush to get them up to tempo and helped me to examine and experiment with some of the articulation again. https://youtu.be/8-UmSM6dZhg
-
Hazel Sounds great Hazel!
-
Hazel Yes! This sounds great!
-
Hazel Awesome playing, Hazel! The tempo and the clarity of the voices are excellent.
-
Hazel well done, Hazel!
-
Hazel nice articulation all round!
-
Hazel Love this, Hazel!! Beautiful. x
-
Hazel I very much enjoyed listening to this, Hazel. Thank you for sharing!
-
Hazel Really clear part playing, I really liked it!
-
-
I am working on the A-minor sonata (k310) by Mozart for this challenge. To play this sonata live is a bit scary, but a challenge I'm looking forward to.
I've mostly focused on the second movement this week, because I was playing it in yesterdays concert.I've made a recording of the first and second movement today. I've not worked enough on the recap of the first movement yet, so that will be a focus. Also, I need to learn the third movement this week!
I will be working on the tempos as Dominic is suggesting. I think it will be particularly important for the the first and third movement to not go too fast!!
-
Sindre Skarelven I enjoyed listening to that. Great performance. The slow movement is particularly lovely with nicely measured playing.
-
Sindre Skarelven Excellent performance Sindre, of one of the most difficult Sonatas of Mozart. I find the tempo of the first movement very effective, I don't think that it has to be faster. Beautifully played the second movement. Bravo!
-
Sindre Skarelven Great playing! You have a knack for Mozart.
-
