Week 2: Share your progress

WELCOME TO THE LATEST COMMUNITY CHALLENGE!

 

For this challenge "A Fresh Start" the goal is to pick a BRAND-NEW piece to work on this month.

This is the time to finally open that score that you have been thinking about and get to work!

 

WHAT ARE WE DOING IN WEEK 2?

  1. You should have selected your new piece by now, so this week let's start sharing our progress
  2. Share a video or type what you have been working on this week! It is always interesting to hear how people start the learning process!
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    • Marc M
    • Amateur piano enthusiast
    • Marc_M
    • 7 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Here’s my week 2 progress. It goes decently until that high voice in the treble shows up, and then I grind to a halt and need to do a bunch of calculus to figure out what the next note is. Of course I could just read, and I do eventually decide to look at the music again, but the notes are so far apart that reading is difficult also. I’m keeping my fishing for notes in there so everyone who “goes fishing” at the piano can feel like they have company. 😂
    Anyway, hopefully I’ll have the whole thing in ok shape next week, and the week after I can polish! 

    https://youtu.be/g5gdTDNQE4Q

    Like 12
      • Marc M
      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Alexander Weymann Andrea LeVan Vidhya Bashyam Judy Kuan Michelle R Thank you for the encouragement everyone! :)

      Gail Starr I didn't even notice the shoes till you pointed them out, haha. My mind must be filtering them out (along with toys) as background noise.

      Sindre Skarelven Thanks. "Floating" is a good description! Actually, I'm finding that I can give other melodies the same floaty, airy nature by spreading chord notes over 3-4 octaves in any non-straightforward pattern. (Now that I think of it, it would be funny to play this one with simple alberti bass accompaniment...)

      Also, glad I'm not the only fisherman here. 😂 I find that ignoring the score and fishing for notes instead helps me memorize the music.

      Like 1
    • Marc M Nice sound there. Keep going.

      Like 1
      • Marc M
      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you, Richard Littlewood!

      Like
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M Even "fishing" for notes your touch is perfect to achieve that beautiful sound so peculiar in the Scriabin slow pieces. Looking forward to the next video.

      Like 1
      • Marc M
      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you for the kind words, Juan Carlos Olite !

      Like
  • Week 2 - Brahms Intermezzo in A Major Op.118 No.2

    OK soooo….. here is week 2 and I apologize for all the crunching in the background my dog just HAD to chew her toy right behind me lol. Anyway it’s coming along but my goal for this next week is to achieve consistency with my fingering and work more on the dynamics. I also need to work on memorization because as you will see in this video I tend to lose my place 👍

     

    https://youtu.be/rXObOtFNSXY?si=cMup6hgzHOzIFXhj

    Like 7
    • Andrea LeVan Great work, Andrea! This is really starting to take shape, and you are almost threw the whole piece! Looking forward to hear how it turns out in the coming weeks. 

      Like 2
    • Andrea LeVan Sounding great! 

      Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea LeVan Great work so far!  And don’t worry about the dogs, I’m sure they enjoy your playing.

      Like 2
      • Marc M
      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea LeVan You're making a lot of progress...keep it up! 👍

      Like 1
      • Michelle R
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea LeVan Nice work! Looking forward to your next video!

      Like
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea LeVan Great work, Andrea! 

      Like
    • Judy Kuan
    • Personal trainer
    • Judy_Kuan.1
    • 7 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Here's my Week 2 video as well! It's in a very raw state right now when I do a "full out playthru"... apologies that it's not pleasant to listen to, but it's really helpful for shining a spotlight on breaking points and what needs more work. More thoughts are in the video description. Looking forward to catching up on everyone else's submissions this week!

     

    https://youtu.be/_J5zoL1TSrU

    Like 8
    • Judy Kuan Beautiful playing, Judy! I thought it was very pleasant to listen to, and you do an amazing job with your first Scriabin. Of course there are lot's of things to work on in a difficult piece like this. I'm looking forward to hear your progress in the coming week! 

      Like 2
    • Judy Kuan Love it! You are capturing the beauty and drama of this piece so well!

      Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Judy Kuan You are well on your way to mastery!  I love how you can already sense the octaves driving to the end of each phrase. I’m inspired to try this one someday.

      Like 1
    • Judy Kuan please give yourself some grace here - this is a very, very challenging piece, and the fact that after such a short amount of time you are mastering it the way you do (just listening to those left hand leaps in the coda is impressive) is nothing short of remarkable. Looking forward to hearing the next step! 

      Like 1
      • Michelle R
      • Michelle_Russell
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Judy Kuan I thought this was pretty amazing, and enjoyable to listen to. Great work!

      Like 1
      • Juan Carlos Olite
      • Philosophy teacher and piano lover
      • Juan_Carlos
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Judy Kuan I love this piece; and you are doing an excellent with it because, as Alexander said, it's very demanding. Looking forward your next video.

      Like 1
      • Tammy
      • TT2022
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Judy Kuan Wonderful job in a mere 2 weeks! I love the change of color when you get to the major key. 

      Like 1
  • This is my progress so far. Still some mistakes to clean up, but I think I'm going to focuse on textures, nuances and pedaling next. 

    Like 9
    • maijahildur Great playing! I'm really enjoying this quite uplifting and pastorale piece! There are some interesting harmonic changes, and change in moods. Looking forward to see and hear your work on the textures/nuances/pedaling. 

      Like 2
    • maijahildur Such a pretty piece! Great playing!

      Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      maijahildur Great progress in sich a short amount of time!

      Like 1
    • maijahildur I agree with Sindre; the bucolic character of this piece - truly evoking a Scandinavian landscape - is just lovely, and you are bringing it to life very well. 

      Like 1
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