Thursday, March 8, 2012

How are the lessons going Robin?

Well, I thought you would never ask! Great, really great. I am spending far more time at the piano each day now as I have so much to work on.

1. Scale of C two octaves each hand and both hands in contrary and similar motion.
2. Duvernoy studies 1 & 2.
3. A one page arrangement of the beautiful main theme of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony.
4. The 3 canons from the beginning of The Children's Bach.
5. The Henry Purcell Minuet from the Easy Classics to Moderns series
6. Various technique exercises from The Joy of First Year Piano Technique.
7. I am still working on a couple of my own pieces Edison's Tune and Yungup and continuing to play Andy's Song and keeping up with my improvising.

Has my playing improved you ask? Hell yeh! I am bedding the notes to the key bed now and even on my digital piano the tone is better and I am actually hearing some new qualities to the sound of the notes.
I have also made a little discovery which has really helped thumb under crossing on a white key scale. I have not heard of this anywhere but I am placing my fingers closer to the ends of the black keys and particularly so on the note held by the finger immediately before the note the thumb needs to cross under to play. Probably common knowledge but sometimes it is worthwhile discovering this sort of thing for oneself.