Piano Class [25-Feb-2012]

Last week, my class was postponed to Sunday... Great day. I think I played better than Saturday's classes. I really miss going to class every Sunday...

Today played pieces only. Wasn't any better than last week's.. started on second piece though. My biggest problem with this second piece is how to express it... maybe.. partly  I chose this so that I could learn how to control the dynamics of anything I play on the piano :P

My music school is moving to a new place so our classes would be held at their other venue starting next month (while they still have to do renovation at the new place)... The other venue seems to be a place for those taking Rock school kind of lessons...? Dunno what that meant really hehe... but I've never been there so I'm kind of excited to go there next month.

Ohno has a new dorama next season. "Kagi no Kakatta Heya". SO, SO HAPPY.  So happy that I ordered the novel (:P) before it was confirmed by newspaper reports (originally people found out from a magazine scan yet to be published...) along with Arashi's latest album songbook...

Can't wait for my order to arrive!!!

Piano Class [04-Feb-2012]

The music school's classrooms (studios?) are REALLY fully booked on Saturdays! 

Last Saturday, my class (actually since it changed to Saturdays, I have music lessons together with my brother :P) was conducted in a room that is usually used for [mock] exam practice use. Very large room... Six times larger than the room we usually use. There were two upright pianos. Miss C chose the one that sounded like harpsichord.. I said it sounded that way because when I play my first song, it sounded just like the original harpsichord version I found on Youtube. I like the sound actually.. but I didn't play very well that day. Lack of sleep (had only 1-2 hours of sleep) made me so out of focus all day...

ARGGRGHH. I was also so irritated that I couldn't control the dynamics of the piece... was it because it's a piano I don't usually use? .. lack of focus..? URGH. 

Actually my weekend wasn't really great.. super annoyed with everything.. can't describe what kind of feelings I had...

Piano Class [28-Jan-2012]

It felt great to attend class when you had had practice the week before... :D

I still played like a mess though... dunno why it always have to happen when Miss C is there :P

Miss C started on scales after the first piece was played. Panicked. I totally panicked hearing unfamiliar major scales... lol. When I actually tried all of them (only the major ones for now), I realised... "HEY. I kind of know this...," I felt like a fool! I've played pieces/songs with these key signatures before! Playing those songs - even though not perfect - REALLY HELPED A LOT! Though it was just recently (few months ago I think) that I could accept songs with 4-6 flats (Arashi's "Monster" is one of them & I LOVE this song)... I'm quite surprised how easy I get comfortable with those scary scales. XD

Now I'm back to worrying about my pieces. My problem is still the dynamics ... my second piece looks easy but is quite difficult on the expressing part (had to work more on the controlling the pedal - too noisy for now)... I've tried playing my third piece already, a jazz piece.. chosen through elimination method :P ....C1 was lengthy, need to play fast & need to change pages (yeah I think of petty things like this lol).. C3 was lengthy too & I'm not really in the mood to play marches :P.

My chosen pieces are A1, B1 & C2.

I've found someone who had played them on youtube so you can listen to how they sound like...

A1

B1

C2

It's decided. I'm taking Grade 5's piano exam (ABRSM) this year.

I shouldn't have been surprised... actually. 

I want this to happen.

I have wanted this to happen.

Since I skipped taking exams last year, I was like floating between grade 3 and 4. The time gap was big. It gave me enough time to study G3...& then G4's pieces. Which was what I was supposed to be taking this year. BUT. One day, I forgot to bring my G4 book to class. So my teacher lent me G5 book from the school shop (lol)... & I fell in love with the first song (A1). I got bored with the G4 pieces I had chosen to play. It was so apparent that I didn't feel like improving my playing anymore XD... When my piano teacher asked me to pick between these two numbers last Saturday, I was thinking that I'm not up to G5 level yet... but then another thought came.. I rather die than play the G4 pieces for exam. Okay, I'm exaggerating... but this made me agree to go along with my teacher's suggestion. 

So, I need to be serious this year. There are a lot to catch up... such as scales. I must know all my scales. 12 major scales and 12 minor scales. *cringes* ... I haven't even pick my B and C pieces yet...

The exam is at least six months away....

Honestly, I'm feeling a bit optimistic about this. If I fail, at least I will have the experience of taking a G5 practical exam... & the next attempt should be easier (& more relaxing).

2012

My first post in 2012! XD

My parents bought a new sofa set few weeks ago, so the piano was re-located... well not far from it's original place... but lol.. I just want to say it sounds really pretty now when I play it! I haven't check it online, but I think it has some effects to the acoustic of the room (or sth) when you put the piano too closely to the wall... Before, the sound was echo-ish and not as pleasant as now.. I don't know... psychological, maybe... lol

Anyway.. starting this year -following a somewhat big change in my father's church situation...- my piano classes will be on Saturdays..

I believe 2012 will be a great year.