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Hey I got a question: in your time, how many jokes have you encountered regarding the fact that "pianist" sounds so much like "penis"?

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Originally Posted by Legato

Hey I got a question: in your time, how many jokes have you encountered regarding the fact that "pianist" sounds so much like "penis"?

More than I care to remember.:juggler:

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Quote:

Originally Posted by neus
This might be a bit strange, but stick with me.

Whenever I listen to classical music - and I mean listen as in actively listen and do nothing else - I always have a story playing in my mind. It quite similar to what happens when I read a book. I feel like the composer is trying, with all his/her might, to tell me something, and I just let my mind wander and hope it'll come to me.

For example, I was listening to Peter Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien Op 45 last night, and I kept ... daydreaming I guess is the right word, about this young girl going to her first ball. This being set somewhere in the 18th century. There's a lot more to it - my imagination tends to get the better of me in moments like this, and I must admit it is quite enjoyable.

Is this what I am "supposed" to do? Should I just enjoy the music and not think if there perhaps is a deeper meaning as I most likely could not discern it?
Or is it supposed to be open ended and I should expect to come away with only my interpretation?

That's the same with me. Whenever I really listen to a song, automatically, a story forms within my head; as if in a dream. It also happens to me vise versa. I can see a story/event and hear the music. I think this is what you're supposed to do. I think many people naturally do this, they just don't realize it.

Quote:

What's the best way to train your ear?

This is how I did it.
1. I bought a tuner.
2. I started small with notes C, D, E and tried to sing them.
3. I tested if I hit the right pitch.
4. After learning and able to sing any note at will, I got some sheet music and sightread. I tried to sing the notes out loud.
5. After you get good at that, listen to some songs, start out with the basics, i.e. Mary Had A Little Lamb and try to transpose the piece into notes.
6. Once you get good at the easy pieces, start listening to harder pieces and try to transpose them. Eventually, you'll get good and you'll be able to hear music in your head by just looking at sheet music and able to see sheet music by listening to just music. :P

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by ^___^

I've heard it more times than I care to remember, and I have more versions of it than I care to count. I was actually first introduced to it by the recording on that soundtrack, though!

Yeah I first heard it there and have been trying to learn it for a while...the hardest thing is finding the time to practice it seriously. Yeah I also love the coda and playing the double octaves violently down the keys eheheh.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

What should I play right now?

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by ^__^

I don't know when these extra keys were added, but I'd say early 20th century. The information can probably be googled easily enough. I've recently gotten the chance to play on a Bösendorfer grand that had 4 extra keys and it was certainly an interesting experience. I think it's a Bösendorfer-specific feature.

Yeah, that's actualy the piano I was thinking off, I'll have to look into the history of that.

You might not know the answer to this, but do you know of any other composer that used those lower notes other then Bartok?

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Originally Posted by Minion

What should I play right now?

Either that, or the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto.

Double Post:
Also, does anyone know if there was a piano made that could accomadate that extremely high chord that Scriabin has in his 7th Sonata? The chord that literally goes off the keyboard.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by eriol

what should I do to become virtuoso? must I study piano like the pianoholic? 10 hours per day playing hanon?

NO. Fuck no. Get a good teacher and practise as they advise, that's all anyone should need. If you intend to teach yourself, you'd better damn well read books and essays about technique and expression if you intend to have a clue what you're doing (but I personally doubt you can get very far that way).

There's so much a pianist needs to know, I wouldn't know where to begin. Really, get a teacher.

Originally Posted by Legato

Hey I got a question: in your time, how many jokes have you encountered regarding the fact that "pianist" sounds so much like "penis"?

Never. I've thought about it, though, but only because the similarity is somewhat more disturbing in English than it is in my language.

Originally Posted by Minion

What should I play right now?

Depends, what are you in the mood for? And how much effort are you willing to invest?

Have you played any of Brahms's Intermezzi/Klavierstücke? I've recently rediscovered those and they are lovely. I'll definitely look into those when I'm done with my current programme.

Originally Posted by Rangel

You might not know the answer to this, but do you know of any other composer that used those lower notes other then Bartok?

Messiaen used the lower notes in his Vingt regards de l'enfant Jésus.

Originally Posted by t(-_-t)

Also, does anyone know if there was a piano made that could accomadate that extremely high chord that Scriabin has in his 7th Sonata? The chord that literally goes off the keyboard.

I think the Bösendorfer Imperial might also have extra keys in the treble, but I can't tell for sure.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

No, the Borsendorfer only has the extra notes in the bass. I can't remember the brand of piano which has the higher notes - it begins with S. There's another method to hit those notes - have a toy piano on the music stand so it's conveniently close to you when the chord comes, or use a synth.

Originally Posted by Legato

Hey I got a question: in your time, how many jokes have you encountered regarding the fact that "pianist" sounds so much like "penis"?

It helps if you say it incorrectly amongst younger people. as they're the ones more likely to laugh.

How ya doing, buddy?

Can anyone play Pachelbel Cannon in D?
How long did it take you to learn that song? Can you play it well?

How ya doing, buddy?

I've learned so many versions of Canon in D I can't remember how many there are. THere are very simplistic versions and then there are more complex versions. The actual original piano version isn't too tricky though.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by ^___^

Not really. Well I probably sightread some transcription once but I can't say I got hooked.

What do you mean by improving your timing, precisely? Staying in a tempo without slowing down/speeding up? Playing complex rhythms correctly? Please enlighten me there.

Heh. Considering my skill level, I took one look at it and never bothered with it ever again.

I suppose both of those; it's just timing in general. Would practicing with a metronome regularly be a good idea at all? I find it quite hard to stay with those.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Dear sir,

I have a question for you. How long do you think it would take a person that doesn't know how to read music, but has played the piano by ear for years to learn how to?

Thank you,
~Lady Miyomi~

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by jouhou

Can anyone play Pachelbel Cannon in D?
How long did it take you to learn that song? Can you play it well?

I actually once "learned" and recorded a rather easy arrangement of it, just to spite a former member of these forums who was renowned for loathing the piece.

If you'd like to hear it for yourself. It was some time ago, though, and very little practise went into it (just went over it a couple times before recording it, so it was mostly sightreading). Please don't judge me on that.

Originally Posted by Bernard Black

I suppose both of those; it's just timing in general. Would practicing with a metronome regularly be a good idea at all? I find it quite hard to stay with those.

If you're having trouble staying with a metronome, then yeah, I think you need to practise with one for a bit. The metronome is essentially a phase every musician has to grow out of (I barely use mine anymore), but that shouldn't be skipped.

Complex rhythms will become easier with practise. Remember anything can be slowed down and subdivided for practising purposes.

Timing issues often have something to do with technique issues, though. Why do we all naturally tend to slow down when playing softly and to speed up when playing loudly? Because we don't produce sound the same way (using various degrees of strength and velocity). But no matter the intensity, your hands should be resting comfortably at the bottom of the keyboard on every note. I've seen this referred to as "fingerprint memory" in a great book I've read. Because feeling uncomfortable will definitely affect your timing, and that happens a lot when trying to play pianissimo for example, since we naturally don't "dare" to reach for the bottom of the keyboard. I could expand on this for hours, but these few ideas should be enough to get you started.

Originally Posted by Lady Miyomi

I have a question for you. How long do you think it would take a person that doesn't know how to read music, but has played the piano by ear for years to learn how to?

You can pretty much understand it on the spot if someone explains you how it works. At least the general principles. Of course there are countless details to master, but those come easily once you've got the basics down.

Now, knowing how to decipher music doesn't mean you'll be able to read it proficiently and sightread a piece on the spot. This takes months if not years of daily practise.

How ya doing, buddy?

I got a few questions,

1. How often should one practice per day/week?

2. Do you ever have a general perference for a Key signature?

3. What inspires you to continuosly practice a song?

Cheers!

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by -BR-

I got a few questions,

1. How often should one practice per day/week?

2. Do you ever have a general perference for a Key signature?

3. What inspires you to continuosly practice a song?

Cheers!

1. It all depends on what you want to get at. If you want to stay at a level where you can play simple stuff, and melodies and chords, then, for me, about once a week is good.
If you want to be able to play much more complex stuff, I would suggest like once every other day.
If you want to play the insane stuff, practice every day for 10 hours straight.

2. I am very partial to onces with lots of sharps or flats, preferrably minor.

3. A piece that I hear/sing/replay in my head that I want to play, and the satisfaction of having that realized.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by -BR-

I got a few questions,

1. How often should one practice per day/week?

2. Do you ever have a general perference for a Key signature?

3. What inspires you to continuosly practice a song?

Cheers!

1. Depends on your level and ambitions. I need six hours a day to fulfill mine, but that's because I'm not quite as good as I ought to be considering my age. If you just want to maintain a level, just keeping in touch with the instrument a few times a week should be enough.

2. I don't know. Used to be C# minor, but now I have a thing for the splendid, luminous keys such as C# major (Granados Concert Allegro) or F# major (Chopin's Barcarolle). And when I improvise, I always seem to end up in G minor for some reason.

3. I end up loving most of the music I play, so that's enough to give me the ambition of playing it as well as I can, and therefore, practising my hardest. I've never gotten very far with pieces that bored me out of my mind (but there have been few instances).

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

How can you play a piece for more than a month and still find it interesting?

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Minion

How can you play a piece for more than a month and still find it interesting?

Messing with the nuances of the music itself.
I am just starting to venture into this exciting realm which I had never considered.

Like, play it so that every upbeat is accented, or certain harmonies are louder than other harmonies, or even the melody.
Stuff like that.
After having mastering a piece, you twist it up.
Like, the 2nd movement of the moonlit sonata is a blast to play with erratic but comical rhythm and tempo.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I don't remember from your videos, but when you play the piano, do you bob your head up and down like a complete retard. Do you fake it?

Have you played Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin? How long did it take you to play it? Me - 4 years! =D

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

When I'm jamming especially with others I'm bound to be bobbing head/body cause music is amazing and you just gotta get into it.

How ya doing, buddy?

Another random question for you Pianists out there, who is your most respecteted pianist, and which one do you look up to the most?

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Hamelin, without a doubt.
He has amazing talent, and it appears that one of his goals in life is to revive and bring to the fore previously unknown or forgotten music, rather than show off how awesome he is at the popular songs that everyone always wants to hear.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Minion

How can you play a piece for more than a month and still find it interesting?

If that's what it takes to master it, my motivation will remain intact. If I can master a piece faster than that, I'll usually move on as soon as I'm satisfied with my work.

Originally Posted by Sepharite

I don't remember from your videos, but when you play the piano, do you bob your head up and down like a complete retard. Do you fake it?

Have you played Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin? How long did it take you to play it? Me - 4 years! =D

1. No, I don't think I do. And I don't fake anything while playing, I do have quirks but they are beyond my control.

2. No. Well, yes, at some point I was kinda wondering if I should learn it, but I lost interest after sightreading it a few times and I don't think it's going to come back.

And Rangel, t(-_-t) took the words right out of my mouth. Gotta add Sokolov and Radu Lupu, though, since they are gods to me as far as interpretation goes (especially Schubert). So is Arrau, but he's dead.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Those classical prodigies are amazing and watching them is insane but my favorite pianist and respected is Ben Folds his style and innovative ways of playing the piano are absolutely amazing. His aggressive playing and manners of improvising are also incredible.

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