READ ME FIRST: Rules & FAQ for Brahms Waltzes Community Challenge!

Hello everyone and welcome to our latest tonebase piano Community Practice Challenge!  Are you ready to learn some of Brahms' music together?!   

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THREE WEEKS OF Brahms 16 Waltzes op.39

 

Brahms is a composer known for many different styles of music: Sonatas, Symphonies, Concertos, Hungarian dances, but also waltzes! These waltzes exist in many different formats: solo piano, piano 4 hands, and even 2 pianos (all arranged by Brahms himself). This set of pieces were written in 1865, and reflect the climate of 19th century Europe with the rise of the middle class labeled as ‘Biedermeier’ and ‘gemütlich’ (‘agreeably pleasant’). Unlike Brahms' famous Hungarian dances, these waltzes show his admiration for Franz Schubert, and they have a strong Viennese flavor. This is music for intimate settings, the home, the salon, for friends and family!

 

Download the music:

Brahms: 16 Waltzes op.39

What are we doing?

• We are going to be learning some or all of the Waltzes from Brahms op.39!
• The aim is to practice them every day and post progress updates twice a week.
• There is absolutely no expectation of going through the entire cycle.
• You choose how many waltzes you work on, but you commit to practicing them regularly.
• A watch party featuring your submissions will take part at the end (date below!)

When does this take place?

• Challenge start: November 1st
• Practice days: November 1 - 22 (21 days)
• Watch party: TBD! Stay Tuned! (← link coming soon!)

How to start:

1. Start by practicing one waltz of your choice. Feel free to start with no. 1 or check out these SUGGESTED SELECTIONS
2. After 2-3 days, go to our BIWEEKLY UPDATES thread and post about one thing you found easy, and one thing you found hard. 
3. If you are comfortable with it, add a video or audio of yourself performing it. This is optional, but it will allow you to share your progress with others!

I encourage you to post updates twice a week. No daily update expectation in this challenge! If you want to post daily though, feel free!   

After you post an update:

• When you feel ready, move on to another waltz.
• Repeat steps 1-3 from above every day of the challenge.
• There is no limit on long you can spend on each waltz! Do whatever feels comfortable, as long as you keep practicing one of them every day.

Why are we doing this?

• Because we want to challenge ourselves to practice every day
• Because learning together is more fun than learning alone
• Because we get to share our progress with others (whether video or just text)
• Because new music is wonderful and these pieces were written especially for us!
• Because we want to meet our fellow tonebase community members

The Fun Part:

• At the end of our practice challenge, we will be hosting a Watch Party on tonebase LIVE! This will feature user submissions and shoutouts!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I join the challenge if I wasn't there on November 1st?

Yes! Just make sure you keep practicing every day and updating us twice a week.   

Do I have to go through all 16 waltzes?

Absolutely not. You are free to go practice as few or as many as you wish. Even spending the entire three weeks on a single waltz can be very valuable!   

I have a question, who do I ask?

Feel free to use this thread to ask any questions you might have about this challenge! If you would prefer to ask something in a more confidential setting, please use my email: [email protected]

Can I do more than one waltz per day?

Of course! As always, this challenge is for you - do with it what you wish. As long as you 1) practice every day; 2) keep track of your progress; 3) share your progress with others - you are fully participating! Of course I won't be mad if this is too easy for you 

↓ Reply with other questions below ↓