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    What are you playing now?

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    • George K
      George K last edited by

      What's your current piano project?

      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

      I wish Sam Kinison was still alive so he could talk to some of your about your "hurt feelings."

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      • jon-nyc
        jon-nyc last edited by

        Rachmaninoff Etude Tableau Op 33/2 C major

        Schumann Symphonic Etudes Op 13

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        • George K
          George K last edited by

          My current piano project is motivating myself to sit on the bench and play something.

          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

          I wish Sam Kinison was still alive so he could talk to some of your about your "hurt feelings."

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          • taiwan_girl
            taiwan_girl last edited by

            Like George, trying to get more motivated so choosing something fairly easy - "The Dance" by Garth Brooks

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            • jon-nyc
              jon-nyc last edited by jon-nyc

              I seem to have abandoned the Schumann for more Rach, at least for now.

              Working on Rachmaninoff 23/1 F minor, 32/2 C major, 39/2 A minor.

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              • Referenced by  George K George K 
              • George K
                George K last edited by George K

                My finger seems to have recovered, for the most part, from the surgery I had in January to release the trigger finger. I was plagued with achy pains for months afterward, and then, in July, it stopped hurting, for the most part. It's not fully functional, in the sense that it doesn't extend as fully as the others.

                Screen Shot 2022-08-31 at 2.55.54 PM copy.jpg

                Fortunately, full extension is not an issue for playing piano, and as long as there's no pain, I'm good to go.

                I got in contact with one of my first teachers. She's pleasant and enthusiastic. Not as critical as can be, but she offers encouragement and structure (which is what I need).

                Had my first lesson with her yesterday and we decided to work on these two pieces.

                I had the b-minor Chopin mazurka under my fingers a while ago, so we thought we'd revisit some Chopin.

                Opus 6 #1:

                Link to video

                Mompou cancons i danses #5

                Link to video

                The thing about Mompou is that, for my fingers, the chords and harmonies are so "unnatural." THey're lovely, of course, but they don't just "fit" like composers from a century earlier.

                There's a lot of tricky stuff in the left hand as well...

                Screen Shot 2022-08-31 at 3.11.20 PM copy.jpg Screen Shot 2022-08-31 at 3.11.08 PM copy.jpg

                Gonna be fun.

                "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                I wish Sam Kinison was still alive so he could talk to some of your about your "hurt feelings."

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                • Mik
                  Mik last edited by

                  Glad you are back at it! I'm just playing around with improv in Cm scale. Can't play much this week as the basement waterproofing guys are here and they make a LOT of noise.

                  "Summon scorn until it radiates from your person like a baleful beacon of contempt."

                  "I support anyone’s right to be who they want to be. My question is: to what extent do I have to participate in your self-image?" Dave Chappelle

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                  • mark
                    mark last edited by

                    Been playing guitar way more than piano lately. So much so that I am pretty damn rusty on the ol' ivories.

                    Just playing around with some bluesy, jazzy improvs mostly. I have been watching and listening to players such as Doc Watson, Chet Atkins, etc. I have the opening sequence to Deep River Blues and it has morphed into something that now just "borrows from it" vs. being a cover.

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                    • kluurs
                      kluurs last edited by

                      George, that Chopin mazurka is delightful - a bit like something Scriabin might have written. 😉 And the Mompou should be fun - something is both engaging - but also not known by everyone.

                      I continue to grind in a few things that I was working on earlier in the year - trying to commit to my increasingly feeble memory - 3 Brahms intermezzi and the Chopin Scherzo #2 in B flat minor. I've liked that Scherzo since early childhood and for some reason have always shied away from it - maybe because I remember Rubinstein's performance? I started it a couple of months ago and was amazed at how well it falls into my fingers. AND, there's oodles of repetition. This is one of two pieces that Franz Liszt would not allow to be played in his studio - the other being his Hungarian Rhapsody #2. Apparently, the two works were so overplayed that he couldn't stand to hear to hear them butchered. He'd certainly feel that way if he heard me. I think I should probably have some folks who know the work listen to me - and make sure I don't cause Liszt and Chopin begin to roll over in their respective tombs. I may take a couple of virtual lessons, now that has become more feasible.

                      George K 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote
                      • George K
                        George K @kluurs last edited by

                        @kluurs said in What are you playing now?:

                        Mompou should be fun - something is both engaging

                        My next-to-last piano teacher (Stuart) recommended the Mompou. He said that Mompou is sort of "Poulenc-lite." I'm no sure I agree, but the odd harmonies, I suppose are the similarity.

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        I wish Sam Kinison was still alive so he could talk to some of your about your "hurt feelings."

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                        • jon-nyc
                          jon-nyc last edited by

                          I’ve been dusting off some Rachmaninoff from a couple years ago. Trying to decide if now’s the time to commit to a Chopin Ballade.

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                          • mark
                            mark last edited by

                            Started to sit at the piano on a daily basis for the past week.

                            Revisiting the Chopin Prelude in Bm. I always liked this one. It sounds easy to play but it is actually quite tricky to get it to sound good.

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                            • Doctor Phibes
                              Doctor Phibes last edited by Doctor Phibes

                              Started playing the tenor sax again after a mostly enforced break of about 4 years. A single-family home is a wonderful thing.

                              God, I've missed it. It's safe to say that nobody else has.

                              I'm a bit rusty to say the least.

                              As American as apple pie!

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                              • George K
                                George K last edited by

                                Gonna call that Chopin mazurka complete and under my fingers (which means that I'll forget it in about a month, but easily resurrect-able).

                                Here's a guy talking about interpreting that mazurka.

                                Link to video

                                The Mompou and Poulenc are coming along nicely, but much of the Mompou is demanding because of tricky left hand parts (as I mentioned).

                                In the meantime, gonna pick this up:

                                Link to video

                                Not too difficult until you get up to speed, LOL.

                                "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                I wish Sam Kinison was still alive so he could talk to some of your about your "hurt feelings."

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                                • S
                                  SD Tav last edited by

                                  Trying to re-learn the Toccata from Ravel’s ‘Le Tombeau de Couperin’. Lots of notes. Playing slowly and gradually increasing tempo. Need to solidify memorization.

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                                  • George K
                                    George K last edited by

                                    That Kabalevsky is a TON of fun to play. There are a few YouTube videos out there, and all of them play it devilishly fast. Faster than I want/am able to.

                                    This is more representative of my tempo:

                                    Link to video

                                    I'm not sure if I'm all that fond of his interpretation - it's a bit "dry."

                                    I also started working on (sigh) the Pathetique. I figured it's something I should learn while I'm still on the green side. I'd call the 1st movement about 50% done.

                                    Another "big" project that I started a couple of weeks ago is the Italian Concerto. I'd forgotten how damn exacting Bach can be. It's good discipline.

                                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                    I wish Sam Kinison was still alive so he could talk to some of your about your "hurt feelings."

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