Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Tempo


Do you like to practice with fast tempo? there is a rule in piano playing, if you can't play it slow you can't play it fast. Practice with slow tempo can be boring sometimes and it is really testing our patient ;p but the rule stays true. If you can master the slow, chances are big for you to master the fast tempo.

For example, Beethoven Piano Sonata op79 with Presto means about 160bps. If you can master the song with slower tempo let say 130bps, it will be easier to take it from there. But if you are struggling with 130 dont even bother trying to play it in 160 until you can play it well in 130.

My advice: Be patient. Master the slow then steadily increase the tempo :)

Tuesday, September 18, 2012


Saturday, September 15, 2012

Switching

Another style of playing piano.
If you take a good look of this piece its kinda tricky. In the first three lines the rythm are played by the right hand while the left hand switch between low and high octave to play the melody.

For the fourth line, the rythm is back to left hand and now the right hand is going between octaves for melodies.

Allegro means fast. Comodo means relax. When we play this piece there is a big tendency that we'll go panic because we have to switch both hands back and forth, up and down between octaves. Maybe that's why Czerny put 'Comodo' so we have to also notice the way we play.

Relax, take a deep breath.... Fast yet relax. That's the way for Czerny op 849 no 27 ^_^


Friday, September 7, 2012

Penjiwaan / penghayatan lagu

Sebuah lagu diciptakan pasti ada perasaan yang tersembunyi didalamnya. Apakah itu lagu sedih, senang, kaget, gelisah, cinta, rindu, dan masih banyak lagi. Tugas kita sebagai pemain piano yang baik bukan berhenti di memainkan setiap not yang ada dengan tepat, tetapi harus juga berhasil menginterpretasikan atau mengartikan jiwa dari lagu yang kita bawakan.

Memainkan lagu dengan judul "song of the gondolier" harus berbeda dengan lagu "catch me!" Dari judulnya dan sejarah tentang lagu tersebut kita tau maksud dari si composer. Memainkan lagu dapat di ibaratkan seperti melukis atau memasak. Kita harus mengekspresikan sesuatu supaya lagu itu terkesan hidup (lively).
Lagu tapi ekspresi jiwa sama seperti masakan kurang bumbu atau lukisan anak TK yang belum paham akan degradasi warna. Seorang pelukis bisa menggunakan warna biru yang bermacam-macam, biru tua, muda, cyan, dan banyak lagi! Itulah kekayaan yang harus kita miliki ketika menjiwai sebuah lagu.

Mulai sekarang setiap sebelum memainkan lagu, tanyakan dulu pada diri sendiri bagaimana seharusnya lagu ini diekspresikan. Kemudian artikan itu dengan ekspresimu sendiri tanpa mengurangi arti lagu yang sesungguhnya :)

Songs without souls are boring

Staccato

Untuk memainkan lagu dengan staccato panjang, pastikan teknik jarinya sesuai. Long run staccato itu sangat tricky jadi kalo teknik jari nya salah bakal susah untuk memainkan lagunya apalagi kebanyakan lagu long-run stacato biasanya punya tempo cepat.

Yang harus diperhatikan
1. Memainkannya harus ringan
2. Pergerakan nya jangan terlalu berlebihan; simple movement, cukup dari pergelangan tangan (wrist)
3. Perhatikan jari nya, jangan di tarik2 kebelakang (slippery) saat pergantian jari untuk not yang sama

Contoh lagu untuk latihan staccato: Czerny op 849 no 12


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Terms 1

Risoluto - bold
Vivace, Vivo - quick and lively
Giocoso - merry, happily
Dolce - sweet, tenderly
Leggiero - light and delicate
Diminuendo - becoming gradually softer

Friday, July 27, 2012

Instant!

There's no such thing as instant making skill in piano playing.
You need to constantly put in 101% effort to learn skillful piano playing.
Not only the skill or techniques but also the performance attitude.

God! I wish I'm a good piano player now. I wish I could sight read as good as my teacher.
#wishful :)

But hey, of course hard works pay off at the end. So don't lose heart if you are not as good as you want now. Keep doing your best, even do more than what is required by your teacher. Surprise them, surprise yourself!

"Big motivation can compensate for having small talent" - R. Warren

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Signs

Look carefully at every signs given. They are there for a purpose.

F - Forte - Loud
P - Piano - Soft

Playing piano, reading scores is not just about the notes but the dynamics of the song which can 'easily' be produced if you simply follow those signs given.

Expression

Watch how you play! Playing piano is not just about good techniques but also your expression.
People see the way you play and enjoy it along with the melody that you produce. Its one entity not separate items.
Take a deep breath....
Enjoy the music. Enjoy every single notes. Feel it, feel the music and let it out.
Expressionless performance is boring except if you are playing for a radio :p It's not good enough even to bring you good result in the exam!
Take it as you, your playing, your music, your interpretation. Make it yours. Play it with all of you present. Not just the mind but also the soul :)

Monday, July 23, 2012

Velocity - Burgmuller



Another piece to strengthen fingering technique :)

Piece like this is not hard at all. The notes are simply going up and down all the way. However once you miss the finger rotation and position, that could be the end of the song a.k.a stuck :p

up and down... up and down....
Let's move it little fingers!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Cherny

Main lagu-lagu nya Cherny gampang-gampang susah. Kebanyakan lagunya ceria dan ringan, tapi teknik penjariannya harus tepat kalo engga bisa-bisa stuck ditengah jalan!

Tempo, penjarian - watch out!
Come on fingers, you can do it!! :D

Violin Charm

Upon waiting for my piano class I listened to a beautiful voice from the other room.

Violin. Beautiful.
Alunan suara yang keluar dari sebuah biola itu bisa menyayat hati bangeet :(
Kalo inget lagi melodi biola itu rasanya hati jadi galau huhuhuhuuu
Energi melodi nya, gesekan senar biolanya, mantaappppp

So beautiful <3

Friday, July 20, 2012

Sonata 1 Mozart

Mr Mozart is a very happy, cheerful person :)

Playing Sonata 1

Not hard, not easy either.  When you learn this piece try to practice with the metronome on because it cant #lie :) Constant pulse, cheerful yet elegant, that's Mr Mozart.

Part 2 minor

This part doesn't mean going slower or sadder. It's still the same pulse, same energy! Then comes along the development part between right and left. Geezz it's messy! Loving it and will try to do my best to play this piece.

Hopefully can grasp this easily!

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This part is like a dialogue, 'Question and Answer' part. You cant miss even just a second. Must enter eloquently, precisely at the right moment just like a conversation. You ask, I answer, you ask, I answer. The coordination between the left hand and right hand is flowing on, legato, no pause. It must sounds like a  beautiful conversation, really :)



Secondly, how to play this first note on the right hand? Originally its a minim (half note) but it has staccato as well. First we have to understand the staccato in Mozart's era is not as sharp as Cherny's. So we can hold a bit before the left hand enters. However if you meet this note on romantic era (onward) piece, you can play the staccato and use sustain to hold the note.

*Just a bit of extra information: sustain can help to make the melody sounds 'grander' or warmer especially if you are playing on a big room/arena.Have a look at Beethoven's, he lived in the transition of classical to romantic. Some said that Beethoven's compositions in classical are so different from ones that he composed in romantic. The #sustaineffect perhaps? :)