Week 1: Status check! (also pick your piece!)
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 January 23 - 30 I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Pick your piece!
2. If a new piece, post your sight-reading of it (never hurts to practice this valuable skill!) If it is an old piece, let's try and dust it off, and play through what we can, to evaluate its current condition. Let us know what your "piece status" is!
3. Optional: Tell us WHY you picked this piece that you love so much!
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I have chosen the Liszt Sonata because of the depth of endurance required to play this piece... a marathon for the soul/spirit/body... I enjoy and love a challenge, because my experiences of transformation of my psyche enable me to understand other people's minds and assist them as they come to union with the God that created them. +
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Will Green Great playing, Will! This sonata has some of the most amazing transitions and progressions I know of.
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Michelle R Just 3 years that's amazing. He is gifted!
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Will Green You are a pro!
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Gail Starr ALICE Thank you! Yes, Thurmond seems to be made for music - and he practices a lot, too! His brother talked early and often, but Thurmond sang before he talked - if he wanted something, he would sing the "theme" for that thing!
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Will Green monumental!! Can't wait to hear more. Bravo
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Michelle R What a cool kid!
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Beethoven Sonata 12 Opus 26 Andante with Variations
First submission of Variation 1
It does sound insufferably slow. Maybe that's not so bad at this stage, since it may condition me to accept that tempo while learning the more tricky variations 2, 4 and 5.
Will and Libby, thanks so much for your encouragement.
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Michael Slow is good at the early stages.
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Michael Sounds great!
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Michael I thought it was quite lovely.
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Michael Beautiful lyricism, my friend. Looking forward to seeing where you take this!! :)
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Michael Sounds beautiful Michael with very clear voicing!
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Michael Beautiful playing!
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Michael sounds very good! And slow practice is better at the beginning.
Once you feel confident enough, your fingers will ask for more tempo :)
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Help! Can anyone here who really knows how to read music look at this excerpt and tell me, in measure 80, should the right hand play an A or an A flat (the natural specified in the base cleff applies to the simultaneous note in the treble cleff)? Sounds pretty good to me playing A flat up there.
Thanks!
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Michael it’s an A flat in the right hand because it’s a passing tone in the left. It’s a technique composers in the classical era used a lot.
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Thurmond R Thanks! Great explanation. I was hoping I’d get to play A flat.
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Thurmond R Now that you have become my personal advisor on matters related to “flats” in notation, may I ask you for any insight you might be able to offer on the excerpt below. In measure 120, why have the F flats been noted as flats. I mean, they’re always flat. What’s the deal: am I supposed to be so steeped in music theory that I am expected to predict otherwise based on some anticipated harmonic progression, or something like that? The term “courtesy flat” flashed dimly in the back of my mind.
P.S. I’m close to clueless in matters of music theory. Any instructors I had told me “not to bother.” If you haven’t encountered this notational issue, not to worry, please just ignore my question. There may be no good answer.
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Michael , here’s a quick answer: https://youtu.be/HiFjBhUhVfw
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Thurmond R YOU ARE AWESOME! Thanks so much for taking the time to prepare that for me. I think I may need to put you on retainer as a theoretical, notational and musical consultant. Hearing it said that “7 flats is not a useable key signature” has validated my suffering during the past day of working on that variation.
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Michael Thanks, Michael. I’m happy to help when I can! Oh, and I said “not usual” rather than ‘not useable’, though that might have the same effect.
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Thurmond R …further demonstration that I hear only what I want to. And, by the way, thanks but you didn’t have to dress up for our consultation.🥸
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Hello everyone! I picked Chopin Ballade Nr. 4. Why - I have fallen in love with Chopin since the last Chopin Competition in Oct 2021.
Last year I played a lot - some Etudes, Nocturnes, 2 Scherzos.
My absolute favorite piece is Sonata Nr 3, but this piece is too long and really difficult. 2 weeks ago my teacher told me , I should play a Ballade now. I have played the first and third already and the second one is not my favorite piece. So it leaves the fourth. But in my whole piano time, I have never thought about this piece - not to play, even can’t remember I have listen to it, except the beginning. And anyway it’s only for professional pianists …. I decided to forget all fixed ideas about it and have a look at it. And after 3-4 hours practicing I have fallen in love with this piece. Can’t get out of my mind. Maybe is a bit over my level - doesn’t matter. I have practiced it now 15-20 hours. Couldn’t make the whole piece but the half one. My challenge is to get through it in the next three weeks.
Dominic thanks for this challenge!
https://youtu.be/mZFuY5Z_Q3c-
Kerstin such a beautiful, haunting piece of music. Judging by your rapid progress so far, by the end of three weeks you’ll be ready to play it in the next Chopin Competition!
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Kerstin Amazing progress! You will master this beautifully by the end of the three weeks.
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