WEEK ONE Updates: Main Thread - Let the dancing begin!
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 November 1 - 8th I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Download the music:
Please use the following format when commenting (feel free to copy & paste!):
- Waltz you worked on:
- One thing you found easy:
- One thing you found difficult:
- (Optional): a video of you performing it!
Sample daily update:
- Waltz you worked on: No. 1
- One thing you found easy: Learning the notes, and rhythms were rather straight-forward, and not challenging!
- One thing you found difficult: Shifting the Hands was a bit tricky to get smooth!
Feel free to make these updates as short or long as you wish!
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I love this challenge. I will like to study the no 1 to no 4 waltzs. The 11 to 14 if I have the time for it during this challenge. I still try to complete the Beethoven variations. I am new in Tonebass.
For now I work on the No 1...
What I found easy on the no 1 , easy notes, easy rythem, waltz in 3...I like the mouvement of waltzs.
What I found difficult, Ok maybe I will sound strange but in my case I found the notes at the left hand, sounds wrong...I don't know why...I do the good notes but I found it strange...I always look at the partition if I touch de good ones. lol! Am I alone to feel that ? Please help me, lol! And I don't feel the waltz, the sound of it yet...It is strange that I feel that...is in it? Maybe because I am not use to play Brahms repertoire. I trust mysel anough to be able to pass over that feeling...I hope so..
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Gail Starr Hi Gail! I made a mistake, I change it...Yet...and not Wet...lol! Thank you for asking me...I am a french lady, so my english can be strange sometimes...lol!
So I said, I don't fell the sound of a waltz yet....
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Aline Valade Nous sommes plusieurs qui parlent le français ici…
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Monika Tusnady Aline Valade On devrait faire un autre Zoom avec Aline Valade bientôt!
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Monika Tusnady Bonjour Monika, je suis heureuse d'apprendre cela! Merci de m'en avoir informé! Au plaisir de partagé ensemble sur tonebase notre passion du piano et de la musique!
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Gail Starr Bonjour Gail, oui ce serait bien! Je suis de Montréal au Québec! Est ce que nous sommes sur le même fuseau horaire ?
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Aline Valade Vous deux, oui! Moi, j'ai six heures d'avance sur vous...mais je suis flexible.
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Update:
Worked on: Been working on No.1 and No.2
One thing I found easy: No.2’s tempo was easier than the first Waltz.
One thing I found difficult: No.2’s left hand, right hand synchronicity at first, but it becomes easier.
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- Waltz you worked on: No. 1 Mostly. Focused on memorizing as I learn to play it. (Rather than learning to play it, then memorizing) also played through one or two times a day 2, 3 and 4.
- One thing you found easy: 2 and 3 are relaxing to read through after all the leaping octaves and memorizing work on 1.
- One thing you found difficult: I would say challenging - trying to memorize ASAP and maybe being a little too impatient with myself.
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Susan I just picked one and I’m going to try to do what you are doing. Let’s see if I can memorize it as a learn it…
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Gail Starr great! The challenge to see how fast I can memorize it is rather fun - kind of a game. Good luck!
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Susan I'm doing this as well (memorizing as I learn rather than learn, then memorize). I like this way of memorizing. Was never told to do this as a child. It was always, learning - then memorize it.
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Chad Langford for me, I think it leads to less memory slips this way. If you get fluent playing a piece first, then focus on memorizing second you might not really know how much of what you’ve got memorized is actually “muscle memory” that might let you down under pressure. Memorizing as I go forces me to really think about what I’m playing at a deeper level.
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Susan It absolutely makes sense to me, and I'm actually enjoying the sensation of memorizing this way. Cognitively, it definitely 'feels' different. But it feels right, so I'm on board!
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Chad Langford how true. This is a more attentive kind of learning, isn’t it? An adult way of doing things…
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Chad Langford Same here! But I actually never had trouble memorizing when i was a kid…
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Monika Tusnady I need to get better at adulting in every way. LOL! MDR!
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Hi everyone, I’ve decided to focus on number 1 and started on Friday. Hands separately for a day and then together slowly for a couple of days - started with first bar and when I was happy added on the second bar and then the third. This is a new approach for me and hopefully it will work the piece into my fingers and help with memorising it
One thing you found easy: reading through the notes and playing in each hand separately
One thing you found difficult: stopping my brain from overthinking while learning hands together. At times my inner voice gets in the way and causes me to hesitate, breaking the flow and losing the feel of a waltz
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Andy Young Can’t wait to hear you.
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Worked on: 1-4.
One thing I found easy: I love this music.
One thing I found difficult: That's the problem. Sometimes too excited to play without mistakes...
First video:
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Juan Carlos Olite Fantastic playing there, Juan Carlos! Bravo!!
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Juan Carlos Olite this is fabulous! You are the first to post a video and what a start this is! What I love in all waltzes is that 1. They all dance and that 2. you make slight changes in the repeats which, for the sake of right proportions, need to be there. Waltz No. 1: great tempo. It’s a dance, after all, not a race, as some pianists would make it. Lovely! No. 2: I love the deliberate tempo and the straightforward interpretation - without dripping with sweet sweetness. No.3: moves just beautifully. No.4: how did you manage hitting all those sixths on the second half of the first beat?… Wow! You made it appear easy, solid, and the most natural way to play. What’s more: all these waltzes sound like YOU.
You have opened the door for others to post and what a great standard you’ve set! Gracias! -
Juan Carlos Olite I love the majesty you convey in the 1st waltz. It really sets the stage beautifully for what comes next. And you have a magnificent memory!
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Thank you very much, Sindre! I see you are working on Waltzes 13, 14 y 15. I'll try to prepare other three o four for the next video, but it is difficult to choose... As always, looking forward to enjoy your videos.
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Sindre Skarelven Thank you very much, Sindre! I see you are working on Waltzes 13, 14 y 15. I'll try to prepare other three o four for the next video, but it is difficult to choose... As always, looking forward to enjoy your videos.
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Monika Tusnady ¡¡Muchísimas gracias, Monika!! With what attention you listened them. As you say it's a kind of Brahms' Carnaval. This music reminds me of young times, it has some of teenage romanticism.
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