Piano class [11-Dec-2011]

Didn't play the piano in piano class yesterday... music theory only hehe.. not that I'm complaining (didn't practised much again last week XD)

I've started reading the pink ABRSM music theory book I bought a couple years ago.. it was really enriching, really. The way it was written was unlike the usual rigid/strict kind of textbook, it was really easy to understand! I think I've become more appreciative towards music.. it suddenly makes sense to me now. XD 

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This part was cross-posted from my LJ post :D

I started trying to transcribe "Meikyuu Love Song" on the piano last Saturday... :P

This is the first time I really made to the end... well, only the melody part though for now..  XD


Just got curious of how people learnt to create the piano version of popular songs just by listening...& boy, my ears got a really good listening practice that day. And I practised singing too lol ... 'cos you cannot not sing along with the song.. that was good practice too for the "echo" part of ABRSM exam.


What a productive Saturday I had last week. <3

Progress on 5x10

I mentioned about playing 5x10 perfectly before the end of September in my main blog. It's far from perfect but I'm still happy that I could now play the two difficult bars in the beginning part. They looked easy really but I kept pressing the wrong keys. :P

For this year... supposedly my final year in university... I should be preparing my Final Year Project so that was why I told my teacher that I don't want any piano exams this year. But there were almost-four-month long semester holidays this year so I SHOULD'VE been able to do it. And then came the decision to extend my studies in university for another year, which means I can only start my FYP next year...

Now.. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. I'll take those exams whenever I want to! 

Moving on. Since few weeks ago, my piano teacher had made me study the G5 pieces more seriously. Then last Sunday, she told me what I wanted initially but feared for it to happen now : Skipping G3 and G4, and take G5 exams. WHOA. In these few past months I felt my dynamics & mood-making (or whatever you call it) to bring the exam pieces to life were so lacking, I kind of doubt whether I CAN play the piano or not. It's like "I'm lost". G5 demands a lot of that...which I don't have now... Anyway. She was just suggesting. I have to study both grades' pieces before she decide whether G5 is a go or not. 

To me, taking piano exams is like acquiring the official points of the level of my playing skills. It may not reflect my REAL ability but it gives some kind of proof which I think is important to motivate someone who re-started playing piano again at an older age. I actually learnt a lot more from pieces that weren't assigned to me in class eg. I got used to 3-6 sharps/flats songs of my favourite artistes (like Arashi & Demi Lovato)... this self-study lessons complements my piano lessons... If you make efforts to attend music lessons every week, why not take the exams too, right? It was actually a childhood dream of mine really..to play piano like those who played since they were children..and have exams like such. Though... I think all the young students in my music school are taking ABRSM exams. It seems like most of them are taking GUILD ones [or not taking at all??? Will do so when they reach G5 level?]

Hmm.

Piano Class [25-Sept-2011]

Today was bad as usual. I don't like to stay bad like this...  *sigh* I just started seeing the beauty of "practice" so I can't expect to have noticeable changes very fast.

It was fun listening to other people play. I could hear and feel what is pleasant & what is lacking... but when I play it myself, it always sound awful. Am I bored with the exam pieces already? Also, maybe it was nervousness, when my teacher is there, I would play more worse then usual... 

AHH. Let it be.

Just keep on practising! JUST KEEP ON PRACTISING!

"gliss"

Today I learnt something new.

I was playing "truth" (planned to play all versions actually *different arrangements!*) when I saw the word 「gliss」on the next page's song (Kaze no Mukou e/the intro). Actually I've often see this word on various piano sheets/books but never cared enough to look up for its meaning. When I finally did today :

"OH!"

*remembers that charming part of Sho's piano rendition of "Hatenai Sora"*

So I tried it out and... WHOA. Painful!

LOL. I realised this is the painful part of playing the piano. 

Then I googled for a less painful way to play glissando on piano. And I found it here. *useful tips!*

Scales again *happy*

I never thought I could be this happy seeing scales again~ It has been months & I've started hating the song I have yet can play nicely XD

Ahh.. but G4's scales & arpeggios look difficult T_T

Miss C want me to start from the arpeggios today.. the fingering part baffled me initially but when my piano teacher explained it's practically the same, it suddenly looks easy. LOL

Oh. I've seen Arashi's "Training Camp"!!! Love the sight of Arashi + piano. And WHOA. I was impressed by Sho's piano rendition of "Hatenai Sora". For a moment I forgot that this is the Sho who always fail athletically (on their variety shows anyways, I don't know how athletic he is in real life XD) , he looked so kakkoi ~ I love his arrangement! 

That scene made me feel ashamed though, as an Arashi fan... sigh. I want to play like that!!!

Bonus. Satoshi attempted to play Nino's solo "Niji" on piano XD. I bet he always play that whenever he sees a piano or keyboard nearby 'cos it did sound like he practised/played that melody a lot! hehehe... He can't play, I know that, but somewhat..I think he will do well if he makes efforts to learn XD (I was actually amazed by that creepy tune he played cheekily in the end XD)

Hopefully someone will offer him a role that requires him to play the piano *starts daydreaming*... 

Shizuka na Yoru Ni

That is Ohno Satoshi's solo from the latest album which I still can't memorise the title XD. I've purchased the piano scorebook (along with the Dome DVD and "Beautiful World" XD) via YesAsia, and few days later... bam! Someone uploaded the entire album songbook on LJ. HAPPY~! (I don't mind having many versions... and the one I ordered included a Piano & Vocal version so yay! I can sing along while I play ) LOL 

This song is fun to play on the piano! But since there's a renovation going at the kitchen side of my house, I can't go near the piano any time I want to :( Worst, some of the workers are smoking so I hate going downstairs (I'm all locked up in my room watching a CxDxG no Arashi marathon LOL)  when they are still there.

Ah.. sorry, it's beginning to sound like a fangirling post :P haha

Anyway... for the same reason from previous paragraph, I can't practise much too... :( And added with the fact that I don't seem fond of practice anymore these days... it's bad. REALLY, REALLY BAD. There's this one Beethoven piece (for Grade 4) that I owe my piano teacher a perfect play... It doesn't seem hard when you get used to it (there are plenty of passages that are similar) and all I need is PRACTICE to make it sound perfect. *sigh*

頑張れます！

I Want to Complain

Last Sunday’s lesson was so-so. Man, my fingering problems resurfaced! Which finger do you use to play that note? Which finger to change to before playing the next note? Bah!

Next Sunday – no piano lesson… which is quite fortunate for me. Argh.. I have two super-hard midterm exams next week! I should take that extra time to study! BUT BOTH ARE SOMETHING I HAVE YET ABLE TO COMPREHEND SINCE THE START OF SEMESTER 4~~~

Those hard-to-understand lecture notes are killing me softly with those symbols!

Niji

I suddenly have a strong urge to play Ninomiya Kazunari’s “Niji” on the piano. I’m not good at it (yet) because I still can’t get the hang of the semiquaver count… Grrh.

Today is crappy like any other Tuesdays since I started having VR tutorial classes at 4pm (who the heck again chose that time??). Added with recent courier delivery problems – crap! – my new OHNO-BLUE mp3 player & Lotus singles, 大丈夫か？

Read some disturbing Arashi news today which just made my day go even sour. Arashi fans, never ever forget the dark side of entertainment industry.

And since I haven’t updated this like for months (笑), I’ve finally moved on to Grade 4 ABRSM pieces!!! Funnily, those pieces didn’t give me much impression when I attempt to play it at home… then, when piano teacher decided to try G4 pieces, I fell in love~ It’s fun again~

Oh… Ms C asked if I have the book, and I mindlessly said yes (originally planned to say no), which led to when did I buy it… I answered earlier this year even though it was last year’s August…