Marc's Piano Diary

I made recordings of my 10 favorite easier Scriabin preludes...playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAjBHFA1asvFRJ2Cx7ttAXVWxXY0aeOZU&si=GRt1FVnW2yxNa9Nd

 

While practicing, I was trying to create vibrato at the piano, and having some difficulty. So I did some brainstorming and came up with 3 ways, which I thought I might share with you all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLoFHEHwOOU&list=UULFtKEwq1EQgHn7h3mp-qsObg&index=1

I look forward to updating this thread with other things I've been practicing!

23 replies

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    • Michelle_Russell
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    My favorite part of this, Marc, was how you presented all of this with a straight face. I think the Cat Vibrato was my favorite "technique." The other two kind of made me cringe. 

    And if you ever get the chance, be sure to ask Thurmond about Rachmaninoff's lost 3rd Piano Sonata that he played for his piano teacher in honor of Rachmaninoff's birthday on April 1....

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Michelle R Thank you! It is true…it was very difficult to keep a straight face when filming that one. 😂

      And sounds like Thurmond’s piano teacher must have gotten a treat on April 1! Haha.

      • always curious
      • Dagmar
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M Haha, I bet there is serious music out there that does similar things. I know some piano concert pieces utilize screws and aluminium foil and other trash to creates the weirdest sounds 😆 I love the cat vibrato 😆

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Dagmar Thanks! I've heard some pieces for "prepared piano", but haven't really loved any of them. 😂 Do you have any favorites?

      • always curious
      • Dagmar
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M haha no, I find the concept as interesting as dissecting a body. I might want to know how it works and be morbildly fascinated, but it's nothing I'd like to repeat, do on my own or to get in touch with repeatedly 😆

      The piece I found on Youtube (forgot what it was) sounded like a horror movie sound track. Very fascinating, but more noise than  music.

    • Have a growth mindset, no matter what!
    • Gail_Starr
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Brilliant! 😂 For a minute there, I thought you were going to add a crying toddler as technique #4…

    • Andrea_Buckland
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    this is hilarious, Marc! 😂

    • vbashyam
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    So funny!

    • Amateur piano enthusiast
    • Marc_M
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thanks Gail Starr, Andrea Buckland, and Vidhya Bashyam! I suspected my fellow piano geeks at ToneBase would get a kick out of that one. 😂

    • Amateur piano enthusiast
    • Marc_M
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Here is 1-14 of Sunny Day, by Christian Schäfer (actual name, Arnoldo Sartorio). They're short, sweet, easy salon pieces that even piano beginners might find playable, with some work. I was sightreading them the other day and thought I'd practice them a little bit more and record them and release with some commentary and silly stuff...

      • Michelle_Russell
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M Thanks for sharing these, Marc. They are charming, and your commentary is fun as always! I would enjoy hearing the rest of the set, and if I didn’t already have a full plate of musical-stuff from my teacher, I’d try to learn some of them. 

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you for the kind words, Michelle R ! I’ll see what I can do with the rest of the set!

      • Have a growth mindset, no matter what!
      • Gail_Starr
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M I like these!

    • Marianne.5
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I just came across your 'perfect vibrato', Marc and found it hilarious!  

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Thank you, Marianne! :D

    • piano
    • Michael_Cheng
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I have actually tried to make a wah-wah playing Gershwin on a digital (can't hook up a wah-wah pedal unfortunately). Do you think a variation of the tuning technique will work on my parents' piano? How would you suggest convincing them to let me? LOL

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Michael Cheng Sorry, I just saw your post! Lol. If you were to tune while playing, maybe your parents would be OK with it if you offered to pay to replace any strings you snap. 😂

      Someone suggested a whammy bar for piano...problem is, that would de-tune the strings when you use it, I'm sure. Another possibility could be waving a strong magnet over the strings to add vibrato. The challenge with that solution would be to keep the magnet from snapping to the strings, which would make an unpleasant sound.

    • Amateur piano enthusiast
    • Marc_M
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Here's another little Scriabin prelude, Op. 11 No. 15. Getting the left hand "right" on this one was tricky, so it took a number of takes, lol. If the two notes don't hit simultaneously it makes an unpleasant ba-dump rhythm that's totally out of character.

    I had some fun with animations while I was at it, of course

      • vbashyam
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M I was just practicing this piece the other night to post it here LOL. The only Scriabin I know. 😊 Beautiful playing and imagery!

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Vidhya Bashyam ooo nice, I'd love to hear you play it! I think I went a little faster than Lento. I had a hard time making it hold together at a pace slower than the one I took.

      Thanks, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

      • Andrea_Buckland
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Marc M I love your eagle imagery and playing (and humor) 😄

      • Amateur piano enthusiast
      • Marc_M
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Andrea Buckland Thanks! :D

    • Amateur piano enthusiast
    • Marc_M
    • 11 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    I’ve finished recording my 10 favorite easier Scriabin preludes! Playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAjBHFA1asvFRJ2Cx7ttAXVWxXY0aeOZU&si=GRt1FVnW2yxNa9Nd

    I added annotations and a few visuals to make the kids happy (lol), but I think it’s a fine audio-only listen if you don’t need the screen time.

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Content aside

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