Suzuki method

OK, after a long hiatus on posting about piano, here I am again. I'll not say I'll try to post more often and what not, because I know how lazy I am about these things.

After struggling a lot with technique, which I totally lack, I've realized that the Suzuki method can be indeed of some help.
My single month of classes made me think about how I could improve my self-teaching schemes.

Suzuki can be helpful, yes, as it starts very slowly and simple enough. Though at that time I couldn't play the pieces very well, which made me feel frustrated because I had to practice for a relatively long time only to play a crappy song (that really sucked, who'd want to listen to such crappy songs? - even I couldn't bear them), now I can play the 1st volume songs not spending much effort. I think my sight read improved a little and my fingers are somewhat more "educated".

This, I believe was because I "had" to practice that very same crappy pieces. That's because, I noticed, there's lots of patterns which are featured in almost all of the "standard repertoire" pieces. Like scales and Alberti bass accompaniments. Mozart, for instance loves Alberti basses (see the 1st movement of Piano Sonata KV 545). Even Beethoven have them on the Presto agitato from the Moonlight (the only difference is that they are ultra-fast and they span wide chords).

Realizing it or not, fact is that I can play those more easily than before. \o/

Another good thing is that of practicing sight reading. Although I can't sight read, I can play slowly reading the notes. Eventually, I believe, I'll be able to sight read if I keep on with this method. Even if it's only simple repertoire, it's OK for me. Suzuki is perfect for that.

I read somewhere about the repertoire that is featured on Suzuki. It totally lacks pieces from the Romantic era. No Chopin, no Liszt, no Schubert. But it said that Suzuki builds somewhat like the history of piano, beginning with Bach up to Mozart and Beethoven. And this development makes you kinda trained on playing early pieces, which are the same pieces the Romantics studied prior to composing theirs. This makes sense, I guess. There it said that people who can play those early music can play the Romantics, but not the inverse. And I believe that too. If you could play, say, some of the Bach's infernal contrapunctus from Kunst der Fuge you can play almost anything! You must have worked on so much independent fingers, hands, arms and most importantly, brain, that I think you can almost play the melody backwards and the accompaniment forwards! One day I wish I can tell if my ideas are true or not.

Let's see if this new method of work will have positive effects or not.

Disappointment

I must confess that I did something that would blow up the name of this blog.
Yes, I offer a penny for people who guesses what I did.

I STARTED PIANO LESSONS.

Ok, throw tomatoes at me, that's ok. But I must tell also that I already QUIT them. A-ha, now I throw back your tomatoes, folks. That's right, I started and a month later, I quit.

Let me explain the reasons:

I couldn't bear having to play homework every week (it was one class per week). Worse yet, it was from the Suzuki method, which I think it is quite ok, but really, it's not for me. It's good for people who want to start really slow, that didn't ever touch a piano before, or that don't know anything at all about piano playing. I hope you don't get me wrong and think I'm arrogant or something like that. It's just that it didn't suit me. Not at all.

The problem is, as easy as the Suzuki lessons were, I had to play them for a while (the whole week) to meet the expectations (mine and my teacher's). Therefore, I was "wasting" precious time, which I could use playing works from the great composers. Again, don't get me wrong. I know that from book 2 and on, there's lots of pieces from the great composers. But I am not patient enough to get through book 1.

Lessons were so-so, the teacher was so-so, the coursebook was so-so. So (no pun intended), I decided to quit.

The teacher wanted me to play some simplified pieces. For me simplified scores are a no-go. Either you play the real deal, or you don't. Unless it's some piano transcription from some orchestral piece or the likes, that's really a waste of time. You can very well use your time to play something else that's easier, but not "abridged".

I really love classical pieces from the great composers, to the point I study them for months, day after day, everyday, thinking about a single piece for a really long time. I think most people just can't commit themselves for a long time on a single piece (at least, seems that the teacher thought something like that). Of course, I'm speaking about the amateur pianists, not the concert pianists, which obviously make a living from playing professionally and give their lifes to piano playing.

I thought a lot before enrolling piano lessons, but I was already firm in the idea that it was just "experimental", that I would only see if lessons would be good for me. It turned out that it wasn't. They didn't meet my expectations, because what the teacher pointed out, I already knew, what the teacher tried to teach me, I already knew. That doesn't mean that I do things correctly though. Nor that I play "beautifully", far from that. I know I have many deficiencies, but as time goes by, I'll try to mend them.

Many people told me to take piano lessons, and it was a very strong reason.

But a month later, after weighing the money spent on lessons, my satisfaction, having the idea that I could well spend the money on piano books or DVDs, I decided to quit.

And so I did.

The moment I quit, I felt relief... freedom...

The day I quit, I played for almost 3 hours straight into the night...

At least, now I can tell that piano lessons are not for me. I like to play freely, what I want, how I want, when I want. If piano playing is not fun, there's no reason to continue. That's what piano was becoming to me, a dry, sad and difficult activity, which gave me no pleasure anymore. I even didn't play for some days, which would hardly occur if I were playing on my own.

Think what you think, I opened my heart and told everything that was inside it, regarding piano lessons. I'll tell more about Suzuki method on other posts.

One thing is certain: this blog can continue to bear the name "Pianist 'Musashi Way'"!

Kawai CN-21

Today I went to a musical shop to buy new guitar strings (yes, I enjoy playing guitar too, not as much as the piano, but it's fun nevertheless - playing on a orchestra is a totally different experience than as soloist - someday I'll write about it).

I did buy new strings, but what is so cool about my little trip there is that they had the Kawai CN-21 in their show room.


I obviously asked to try it for a while, and it really shines. Compared to my cheap Yamaha P-70, its action is incomparably better; a little lighter, but I liked it better, I guess. It allows a much easier tone control and seems like I can play better with less effort =)

It sounds just awesome! A very velvet like tone, very soothing.

It got me started wondering if using better instruments, or at least, instruments better suited to your preferences can enhance the learning process. I definitely must try other Kawai instruments, they seem very promising!

Just for fun, comparing to my super cheap Casio Privia PX-110, well, it's like opening a whole new world. Something like an old map from the 15th century compared to a GPS (obviously I'm being mean to my poor Privia, but anyway...).

A really important point is that the Kawai CN-21 does not have any, and I really mean it, any "key clomping sound" whatsoever. The Privia on the other hand... oh well, that's a tragedy. I've never seen, or rather hear anything so noisy in my life. Its keys "scream" like they are telling, "no, stop playing, you are hurting me with your pianissimos" - you can imagine what happens when you play fortissimos: it only gets angrier. And beware, it bites! (your fingers get stuck between the keys - can you imagine that?).

Another interesting point is that this model of Kawai is a relatively cheap one. I wonder what it feels like playing on more expensive models, like the CA series. I definitely must check them out someday!

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata - 1st movement

The all famous Moonlight Sonata, from Beethoven (Op. 27 No. 2).

The first movement of this sonata was the very first piece that I fell in love.
It's eerie atmosphere and utterly sorrowful mood just captured me in a way that I think no other piece will ever have the same effect on me.

I first started learning this on 2007, November and progressed bar after bar until the end, which took place around mid January.

It's so enjoyable that I played it countless times, and strange enough, all the notes became permanently written on my memory without any straining of the mind. I guess that's what professionals call "mental play". I remember every note, every dynamic marking and every little detail upon the performing of this piece. Unfortunately my playing does not really reflect this, but it's at least passable (I think).

My first recording of this piece was on a Yamaha P-70, and was recorded soon after I learned it "so so".
What you can see, or rather hear, is that I sometimes play faster or slower, and there's no dynamics at all!



My second time was on a Casio Privia PX-110, which I think is a little "cheap".



What's curious is that even the piano being cheaper than the Yamaha, it does sound better.
My guess is that, with false modesty, I'm playing better!

The most recent recording is again on the P-70, and I think it's much better played.



It's not perfect for my standards though.

Someday I hope I can play it on a proper acoustic piano.

Why "Pianist Musashi Way"?

First of all, I guess I should explain why is the blog named after the legendary swordsman Musashi. What the hell does swordsmanship have to do with piano playing?
The main point is how he did become the best samurai the world has ever known.
It's amusing AND simple: he did it his way.
He took NO master and NO formal lessons.
This implies some interesting considerations:

1. He had no guidance: hence no one corrected his skills, were them correct or incorrect, by the most accepted standards;
2. He learned following his own pace: was it slow, or was it too fast, he learned to his heart's content;
3. Yet he had no master, he used every oportunity to learn something from someone or some situation;
4. He could explore his creativity: he could pull some tricks off his sleeve, and only him could do it;
5. As he had no parameters of comparison, he ended up being the best of all times.
   

I read the book some years ago (which I really enjoyed), so my memory could have failed me in some points, but I think the general idea is somewhat correct. At least, I think these were the most important issues.

I can say that the statements presented above are almost everything in which I believe and follow in piano playing.

1. I started playing piano intending to learn it teacherless, known as "do it yourself", pretty much like everything I did prior to piano playing.
2. Usually I play piano for fun, because it is something I do really enjoy, who knows why. Since it's a very joyful activity, I tend to do it really often, which automatically leads me to practicing a lot.
3. I'm teacherless, but only in formal education. In fact, I do have some "teachers", and not any teachers, by the way: I very often listen to the greatest pianists of the XX century, like Barenboim, Rubinstein, Horowitz (the list is limitless)... and even Rachmaninov himself, in some 1934 recording (which is in poor quality). I listen to many versions of the same piece, and "choose" which appeals me most and try to "mimic" the way the performer plays it. Of course, I will not attain the same quality level, but this way I can have some tangible goal to achieve. Not only this, I also bug a pianist friend of mine with some questions, but I didn't really get any good tip... yet... she's strict.
4. Creativity: I don't exercise this point much yet, since I'm in no condition at the moment. Just the basics for now =P and it is veeeeery much for me.
5. Unlike Musashi, I do have some people to compare to, which are the greatest pianists that I admire. But by another side, I do not know how good or how fast I'm progressing, since I don't have fellow pianists that started learning at the same time as me, so this point pretty much applies to me. Just to make it clear, I do not intend to be the best of all times (like it was that easy hahaha), but I do intend to be just great enough for my own personal standards, a very attainable level (or not, considering the harshest judges to ourselves are usually... ourselves).
   

Well, it was a long post... just bla bla, that I guess might entertain some bored people randomly browsing random blogs.
But it's true, that's my way of learning piano... I'm sure I'm not alone on this quest...