Comments on: Next Step To Becoming A Professional Quality Pianist?

By: mamianka

mamianka — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:06:12 +0000

Altho you have progressed somewhat on your own, you will find that studying with a legitimate teacher will be QUITE a reality check for you. I suspect that there are huge HOLES in your learning – technical, expressive, literature-based, kinesthetic, ergonomic, etc. My late father in law used to joke that “he could not remember ever having forgotten anything” – which is like saying “you don’t know WHAT you don’t know. So as long as you need to HEAR many thing before you can play them accurately – you are missing a big chunk of musical education. You freely admit to large flaws – no knowledge of pedalling AT ALL, poor hand coordination, weak reading skills in rhythm, and I suspect that there might be others of which you have no knowledge. And measuring difficulty by the number of sharps or flats is HARDLY the way to go. These factors may really place you in the zone of a middle-range student, and as of now, very far indeed from the realm of a professional-caliber pianist or musician.
To MAJOR or minor in music, YES< college require an audition. Check the website of the college you will attend – they will give you a listing of MINIMUM things they would want to hear – and played VERY well. Memory is NOT always required – read, or ask. There will be scales requirements ( in certain configurations and tempi) and there will be sight-reading.
Find the best teacher you can – regardless of price. Cheap is cheap. Perhaps you can take some of your elective credits in piano – but then, will more than likely be assigned to NOT the top teacher at the school. However, you need to find your spot in the food chain. I wish you luck – there is a BIG world out there, and you may know your own little corner pretty well, but it’s a HUGE and exciting place

By: duhmight

duhmight — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:06:52 +0000

Well…There you go…Mamianka nailed it right and I couldn’t have put it better myself.
You are far from being at a professional standard…The pieces you have listed are actually at really weak levels…About grade 4~5ish I would say…Have you actually take a look at REAL Classical music?Have you bothered to pick up a book full of Etudes by Chopin?Or have you even tried to play pieces such as Moonlight Sonata or perhaps a couple of Bach’s Inventions?
No idea when to lift the pedal?You call what you are producing music?Poor hand co-ordination is probably the worst thing…Your hands can’t keep up the allocated tempo!
Oh and one more thing…Just because you can play a 6 sharp or 5 flat key signature doesn’t mean that you are good.This is what is required of pianists!
Edit: Moonlight Sonata isn’t the hardest piece out there but its a solid piece…I would recommend you to look at the minimum requirements and audition pieces for the college you are aiming for. I believe most colleges would want a Prelude and Fugue by Bach but I’m not too sure if all colleges require that particular piece.
Mamianka has stressed above already the importance of a teacher. No matter how cheap it is,a good teacher is necessary so you would have some form of feedback from a person with a musical background.
I would also like you to invest in a metronome,a musician’s best friend,to keep your timing ‘on’ and not all over the place…Examples would be cutting off notes too quick.
It seems that your left hand is giving you the problems. I suggest that you go and pick up a Hanon book of exercises or a Czerny book of exercises. It benefits all pianists greatly.
I would also like you to take a look at Etude Op.10 No.12 by Chopin or at least the first page as it works the left hand…A LOT…Please do so WITHOUT the pedal as Chopin had intended on his original manuscript…It helps a lot in co-ordination of your hands since your left hand is “weaker” than your right hand so it “forces” you to direct your attention to the left hand to guide it along the descending runs…The right hand is challenged with the awkward entry points too…It isn’t usually placed on the first note…Neither does it on the last(again,usually)but it is usually in the running passages on the left hand.This “forces” you to play with extreme precision on both hands.
Well that’s all the advice I can give you…I admit I’m not that great…Neither have I played long or old. As a matter of fact,I’m 15 currently(16 this year)and I have played no longer than 2 years but I have advanced quickly to be able to play high level pieces.
I’m not trying to offend you or anything by the way. The words I type may be harsh but it is true.
Good luck on your audition.

By: Andua

Andua — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:07:47 +0000

Sorry Mamianka, I pushed the wrong button, I wanted to give you a thumbs up but i gave you a thumbs down.

By: CommonCo

CommonCo — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:19:34 +0000

Gah. All the good ideas are already taken… Oh well.
If I might add a suggestion, taking up a bit of Harmony or Music History may probably help influence your playing style for particular composers such as Chopin or Mozart as you study their styles. Simple theory can help with the terms (the terms you mentioned are, if I am correct; triplets, a rolled chord, and grace notes. Triplets are actually a group of three notes indicated by a written “3″ on the score and are supposed to be played in the timing of only two of those notes. For example, 3 eighth notes played in the same span as 2 eighth notes.)
A lack of knowledge in using the pedal may prove to be a disadvantage. A good remedy to this, though slightly embarrassing, is to refer back to the beginners books and read over simple theory rudiments. If you aren’t quite confident with that, experiment with some simpler songs that require pedal and work your way up. Beethoven’s Fur Elise could be a good place to start since most copies indicate where to use the pedal.
As for memorization, if ever you are required to do so, an easy way to get it done is to split your piece into multiple sections (be sure to number each one). It’s easier to split up the song according to the themes and melodies used in a specific part of the song. Try to keep these sections 5-6 lines long. Practice these sections individually and in random orders until you can recall them from memory. Test yourself by pulling a number out of a hat and playing the section from memory.
I have yet to get to ARCT level piano and eventually further, but I am close. I hope that you use this advice- it really helped me in my studies. Good luck to you!