I’m working on Beethoven’s Sonata in G Minor Opus 49 No. 1 (II: Rondo, Allegro) right now. I’ve been playing for 7 years and have been trying to branch out into different genres, though. I want to learn more music theory, which is why I watch some of your videos. I think that the main issue that a lot of beginner pianists run into is that they want to learn the instrument, less so to learn about music, but more for the specific song or genre that they want to play. They don’t play to get better, but instead only play pieces that they want to play, which often times makes progression harder to ultimately achieve.
I am now reviewing the beginner pieces on the Roadmap. The Bach Minuet is the first song I learned after I bought my piano. It's really the first part of a three part set and if you know the first one, the others fall in line. I downloaded Clementi's Sonatina #1 and played through it fairly easily the first time using one hand only. I can probably focus on it and learn it in one day. I have also toyed with several other pieces all over the map and now have too many pieces in the works. I'll have to trim back. Nailing the beginner pieces should be easy since I have already practiced all but one. I still consider myself a beginner because I haven't really mastered any of the songs yet. What I am better at than I thought is sight reading. I have almost nailed down Schuman's "Melody" and and plugging away at his "Traumerei". The connecting points have tricky fingering which slows me down and sometimes get my fingers tangled up. I am also finding it difficult to keep the melody intact since there are 2-3 places where left hand arpeggios are finished with the right hand. Took me awhile to work out the fingering. That roadmap is a great idea. I may not be ready to play well but I am getting a sense of where I am. There are 4-5 pieces that I can probably seal the deal or get close to it before year end. There are times when my fingers seem to be on autoplay so I am making progress. I am also up to exercises 9 and 10 in Hanon. I do those first thing in the morning as soon as I get out of bed. Gets me focused before I am really awake.
I'm in my third year of piano playing and practising 2-3 hours a day and now I'm finally able to learn this piece comfortably with just the right amount the challenge. Learned more than half of it in less than a week!
I think motivation is key. I can't sight read or know much about music theory, but I learned this song by memory because I loved it, and every little bit I learned motivated me more to play it better and better. I think if you are struggling with this song, then this is great advice, but if you REALLY want to play this song and put the time and effort into learning it, you CAN do it! Always believe in yourself and don't necessarily assume others know you better than you know yourself!
I agree. I started learning Moonlight Sonata 1st movement on day 1 of learning piano! It took me 7 months to learn it all the way through so I could play from memory, but I was motivated every day because I was progressing at something I really wanted to learn. I've now been playing 3 years and still play it several times a week. I was learning other things as well but it was Moonlight Sonata that was really motivating me. The most important thing is to play regularly and that needs motivation. Do whatever motivates you to play every day!
I did exactly the same. 1- If it is not amazing, I just do not put the time and effort. 2- If I take time from my family, I better have something really cool to show them, or piano time is not happening again.... 😢
You're spot on with your advice! I'm about seven months into learning piano, and I had to chuckle when you mentioned "Minuet in G," as that's the piece I chose. Honestly, even as a beginner, it presents quite a challenge-especially compared to something like "River Flows in You." I’m really looking forward to joining your course. Keep up the fantastic work!
Jazar, thank you for being a REAL piano teacher!! I scanned the comments and I am so sorry that there are so many misleading 'teachers' on YT, leading folks down IMHO, dead-end roads. I won't reply to nasty comments on this but let me please say that I think if one is happy playing only chords by name, or by watching others move their fingers that is great, really! BUT, you probably should not be watching Jazer because he is based on classically learning piano by the fundamental (=) sightreading notes which is a hurtle but essential, and possible to anyone of any age. Enjoy the music EVERYONE!
@@leeciap It would be much better if he is willing to perform various piano works completely. He did not even response to my request and probably took it as an offense. I am a bit disappointed as a subscriber.
@@farinellafarinella2292 hi, i didn't scroll down to look for when you posted your comment but I have seen that piano content providers on YT usually only check comments the first 12-24 hours of a given video. It just isn't a good use of their time. This video now has 270 comments!!!! And people do post the craziest things!!??
During my journey at a musicschool I played both, the menuet from Bach and Arabesque from Burgmüller. Now I'm working on a Mazurka from Chopin (Op.67,nr.2) and this still feels very challenging. Let's say I have a lot of respect for this piece and I would not have started it on my own. But I have a great teacher that knows exactly how and when to trigger this middle circle in your graph. Great post!
I have first-hand knowledge of the excessive self-confidence of a beginning musician. When I graduated high school in the seventies and got my first job, I decided I wanted to learn to play the guitar. I went to K-Mart and bought a cheap guitar and picked up the first book of a Mel Bay guitar course. The first piece of real sheet music I purchased was Classical Gas by Mason Williams. And that, my friend, is the definition of ambition with a capital "A"!
That is exactly what i needed, i really feel stuck now and doesn't feel i am progressing much in my piano learning. I know how to play very difficult pieces, but i stumble on the basic things a lot of times, the most difficult thing right now is sight-reading, i can't think fast enough to interpret the pieces and play at same time.
@farinellafarinella2292 is more of a muscle memory of HOURS trying to learn the piece until I memorize everything and don't even know how I am playing it. Of course while doing that I get used to doing jumps, playing octaves and all that but it takes a day or two to learn one page lol. What I am struggling most at the moment is sight reading, even easy pieces, my mind can't think fast enough to translate the notes to my hands. If you think about it, you literally need to read two different languages(right hand Sol and left hand Fa) and then transcribing those two different languages into one(keys on piano) and then do that in the right rhythm. Bro when you think about it this insane, really
Great advice! Comptine d'un autre was the first piece I ever learned and really helped me establish my fundamentals so I could later learn River Flows in You much faster.
What struck me most here was when you talk about music without theory seeming ‘random.’ When I started playing I would just figure out the notes to something and memorise them (as I couldn’t read fast enough) and yes it seemed so random! Like the next note could be anything. Now I’ve gone back to the start and put proper effort into sight reading and theory, often I just sense what the next note or chord is going to be, and pieces seem logical!
I remember starting learning it about 9 months into learning and it was by far the hardest thing I’ve tried. I had to go over sections over and over. But because it’s repetitive it probably only took a month or so to learn and now I play it daily with total ease and it flows without even thinking. It’s been a joy to play it. The only downside is that it’s much easier than it sounds and so after I’d learnt it I went back to song that’s were harder but not as rewarding.
Story: In 2011 I was a rookie piano teacher at Rock School in Ludlow, Massachusetts. My boss, Miguel, just bought the school and I was one of the first employees. A young girl came in asking to learn this song, and I made the mistake of actually trying to show her. She couldn't reach the octave on the left hand and lacked the coordination to make the shift, and her right hand would stumble over the A and B as she tried to remember what each hand was doing. She had no patience to read sheet music and no motivation to write the notes down on paper in a way she could interpret. After 2 lessons, she quit. You MUST keep people away from the "River", or your financial future could run dry. (Great pun work on this comment lol)
I'm working on Schumann's little study in G major, JS Bach 2-part invention in C major, and his little prelude in C minor. Also going to move on to some of the easier Haydn sonatas. I did O level music (grade 5 theory equivalent) decades ago, but struggle with piano technique, and making my hands do what I want them to. Your lessons are invaluable to me Jazer, so thank you.
Hurra! I allready said to my piano teacher that I will play anything,anything but never River Flows, I don't like it. I'm playing now The Second Waltz by Shoshtakowitsch, I just love it! Passacaglia, Canon in D, Johann Strauss' Waltzers, Bach, Beethoven, I have so many beautiful pieces here! Kind regards from Germany!
Im a complete beginner and it took me 2 months to learn river flows in you by practicing 3-4 hours per day to the point that i dont know if im making progress but fortunately my effort paid off 🎉🎉
I am currently playing River Flows in You in simplified version. It took a while to learn alongside other much simpler pieces. I just finished late begginers and begun intermediate level. Your advice is spot on. Thank you as always 😊🙏
Captain Obvious here: opinions about River Flows in You, or Moonlight Sonata for that matter, are irrelevant to the point of the video. The point (imho) is choosing piece(s) posing a useful level of challenge, & some ideas about figuring that level out…
Hey Jazer, brilliant channel! I just recommended you to my daughter in the US. I’m relearning Bach’s arrangement of Marcelo’s’Adagio’. One of my favourite pieces.
I feel personally called out lol. River Flows in You was the second piece i learned. It took me months. The funny thing about it was tht i wasn't tht interested in learning it, i just saw Pianotes video about how to play it for beginners and assumed it was a beginner piece. When i was struggling, i thought it was just a me problem and tht i just sucked. Turns out it was because its like a grade 3 piece and i tried to learn it within a month of me starting piano. By the time i realized this, i was too invested to abandon learning it even tho i should have. Now i can play the whole thing, but it took way too long and its definitely hindered my progress. I cant even sight read, and barely started to learn how to read music after about 1 year of my piano journey. Take this mans advice folks.
Learning music is like learning a new language. For a beginner to start with River Flows In You, is like a non-english speaker learning to read Romeo and Juliet by simply memorizing the alphabet phonetically and sounding through the text one word at a time. A year later, they can recite Romeo and Juliet on a stage yet have no idea what the text means. Then if they were to pick up a new book, even The Cat in the Hat, it would take them equally as long to re-learn and recite. Whereas someone who started with Cat in the Hat and learns the grammar and vocabulary, eventually they are able to read Romeo and Juliet with little additional effort, and many more.
I would never tell others not to play a piece or put limitations in their mind. Many times teachers over analyze. Music is about freedom. Play what you want. You can even break it down into small sections. Just play with focused and consitent practice and you will learn.
I am working on CLEMENTI - Sonatina in C Major Op. 36 No. 1, 1st Movement going well, 2nd Movement not so well, haven't touched the final movement. Also just studying the score for CHOPIN - Prelude in E Minor Op. 28 No. 4. Haven't began practicing that one yet.
I needed this video. Have been trying to learn piano for approximately one year now. I know few power chords, twinkle little star, simplified Für Elise and rest of the time have been trying to learn River Flows in You which is really hard. I can only play 30% of it. It's annoying that I don't know any proper song from start to end so I can only play small part here and there but never full songs. I will leave RFIY little later and try to learn something else first. Excellent tips from you as always. Thank you.
Thank you, just downloaded the roadmap, great resource! I've been teaching myself since the start of this year and am currently able to easily sight read grade 1 pieces and am working on roughly grade 2/3 material which feels doable but with plenty still to learn. Bach minuet in G and the first 8 in the Burghmuller 25 progressive studies are comfortable but still challenging enough. I am hoping to be able to enjoy River Flows in You by the end of another full year of practice...it's waaaaay too difficult just now! Thanks for your realistic guidance, it's been helping me since day 1!
I believe choosing a song like River Flows in You shows ambition and a good way to motivate them to do the exercises. By breaking down the piece into what techniques are involved and what the student should be looking for when playing such a apiece, you can segue into the scales and other relevant exercises the student should be practicing to help with their ultimate goal of learning the piece.
This is so interesting! I am restarting piano after not playing for decades. When I took lessons as a child and teen, I was probably at a late intermediate level. Restarting, I struggled with reading music, and especially playing anything new. After a month or so of consistent practice, I've been working on River Flows in You. I'm loving it, enjoying every minute, but definitely had to put a lot of effort into reading the music and getting the rhythms correct. Now I'm working on dynamics and pace. I can't imagine learning this piece as a beginner!
When I first started to relearn the piano, I should have chosen pieces that would help with progress as well as those I want to play (which tend to be more difficult than I realised)
Here's a nobody who started playing the piano on his own because of that song. I get the point of the video, but to me it was a great experience to start off with such a challenge and I don't regret any minute of frustration trying. And for those hating the song, good for you.
I started learning piano because of Yiruma. Now that I discovered classical music, I never went back to play Yiruma's pieces. I still owe it to him that I am now able to play the piano. I like his music.
Thanks for these videos on your new course, Jazer. I got the pdf a while back and thought some of those pieces don't look fun but now you've said they are multi-aspect game changers, I'm interested. I'm currently working on Prelude in C, BWV846 (I did Grade 6 piano back in the day, even though I'm self-taught and can sight read some and play this easily with the music in front of me, and am getting back into music - love Bach above all) and I'm experiencing what you say - game changer. I'm memorizing it. I'm up to Bar 15. I see the repeating 1-5-1 voicings (familiar from bass guitar) contrasted with closer voicings (well, they're broken, but I'm calling them voicings) as well as subtle position changes, and that repetitive second inversion voicing with 1-3 below that opens the piece and later is repeated lower and then on other scale degrees, or at least on the 5th, G. So, I'm focusing on hearing these relationships and voicings as i memorize. And when I saw your River song, which I wasn't familiar with, at first I thought I saw a bunch of 1-5-1 in the left hand. Then I saw an dheard, no, some span a 10th and maybe are a kind of dom7 or at least 7th chord. And I thought, wow, that's beyond me right now. I dk what you think of my thought process, but I know you're busy and not my teacher, but this is how I'm approaching it. Thanks again for your videos - I love your energy and it was great to hear your thoughts on adult learners in another vid earlier today.
Aw man I hate to disagree with you but I think people should play songs they absolutely love and if they love River then they can find a beginner level version surely
You are spot on, however, you should not try to run before you can walk. There are many pieces that teach you the basics that still sound really nice that a student might not even know exists. Like Chopin's Sick Doll for instance. Beginner level, hauntingly beautiful. I think this is why choosing a good piano teacher is important. They should be able to suggest several pieces at your level that will get you ready for the music you really want to play, without having you play stuff you don't like, or having to resort to watered down simplified versions of music you truly love.
I also wanted to play this piece as a beginner but it was too hard. I started with other pieces I liked and made much more progress in a much shorter time. I think he is right.
It's funny as I was wondering if I am ready for it, but then you listed 2 classical songs I already learned. This is interesting timing, I was play to learn the first page, albeit slowly in a few days, with a few h of practice each day. If it feels like a challenge, but I can see definite progress and it feels motivating and I am happy with what it sounds like in a short time, so I think it is in that zone.
I'm selflearning and I think my skill level is advanced beginner. I have just started learning Adagio concerto in D minor. It's relatively easy and so beautiful.
Very nice video. You are always spot on, on your advises and your last video was also very helpful. I might just slightly disagree about the Tiersen's piece being at the same level of Bach's minuette which is the very first thing you learn when you get the hand of the basics. Sure Tiersen in all the Amelie tracks has a stable left hand which doesn't move and it is quite easy for a beginner, but has some other type of difficulties. In the piece you mentioned the part with the arpez which range in octaves (if I'm not mistaken) needs technique (which is the 3rd component you mentioned). Technique both for not tiring the hand and both for it to be heard smoothly in contrast with the left hand which hits lower notes and covers the sounds of this high pitch. It is not intermediate, but I would not recommend it to someone who just learned Bach's 1st minuette.
River flows in you is so fun to play though. I missed my flight a few years ago because i had just learned the piece and wanted to play it a few more times
Thanks Jazer, I totally agree River Flows is not a beginner piece. The trickiest part appears in bar 5, with the syncopated rhythms, which did my head in initially 😅. I look forward to seeing the PDF
If you really want to play it, look for easy version. Of course it is different but as you progress, you will be able to play the original version later.
I agree with you that River FIY should not be for beginner learners. However it was the piece that made me decide to want to learn the piano. I tried for a while and found out the hard way. Left the piece to learn other pieces and came back to it after a year.
man, i feel like the big hump i encounter with both piano (and guitar) is that feeling of wanting to learn songs that are just out of reach. or even learning bits and pieces of songs that are within reach but never finishing whole pieces. it's hard to balance the "wanting to learn" part with "realistically able to" parts and it's actually kinda hard to really pinpoint as a beginner. maybe it would be easier to learn instruments if i was just ok to learn theories/scales/exercises etc. all day lol
Hello, I have completed Hannon's exercises and Cherny's Etude Opus 740. My humble request is that you recommend what exercises I should do to improve my fingers.
haha, good timing. ive been playing for 5 months now, and started River flows like 1.5 month ago. its definitely above my level, but i almost got the whole thing down (playing the notes correctly, at least, without Pedaling and good dynamics haha). i know its kinda of a time Waster, but the last 2 weeks ive practiced very irregularly bc i had next to no time (moved to a new city, studying, health stuff...) but everytime i sat down at my keyboard for a few minutes i usually played River flows (as good and as i could). i know i havent really progressed much, but i just love the piece and its so much fun to play! but i will definitely learn something more fitting for my level now.
It was the first song I played in 2020. I regret nothing, I compose now and still play. I owe it to my oldest brother, he showed me the song and I immediately wanted to learn it without ever touching a piano. It's been important to him over the years (Yiruma in general, actually. He and I saw him live last year on his oceania tour 2023. he's a funny guy, btw). Learning the song was slow, and it took me about a week to actually even get the intro down. 1 month down the line after playing again (since i was really only stuffing around), the coordination slapped me in the face. My right hand's pinky accidentally played the A again before the left hand thumb played the F# (the syncopated part of the first melody), and the rhythm clicked from there. I got that part down, then realised the left hand moves to D, then A, then E; each time just playing a 5th and then an octave. it became a pattern. From then on, it maybe took me a good month to finish the song fully, and it was actually well-put-together. Thing is, it was *conventionally* a bad idea to learn this first. but it was definitely the best idea for myself personally. I was completely new, but that song alone immediately introduced me to chord progressions, harmonies, and how they work. That one fateful day when I accidentally played the syncopated part of the right-hand paved the way for everything. All it was is understanding when my hands play together, and when my right hand plays alone (since the left is steady). Make the rhythms and positioning easy, and the song should be too (relatively).
I dunno, man. As a guy who started self-studying the piano with Moonlight Sonata mvt 1 (didn't even know how to read key signatures then or what they meant), I'd say people should play what motivates them, and if that's Riverflows in you, or Minuet in G, or Winterwind, then so be it. They should gun for that. I learn techniques from the pieces i want to play. I learned what scales are from Mozart's Sonata Facile. Learned arpegios from Moonlight Sonata's 3rd mvt. Learned polyrhythm from Fantaisie Impromptu. And i haven't stopped. I'm still learning. And the important part is: I can now play the stuff i originally only dreamed of playing.
I learned River. However, my teacher asked me to visualize each section. So I play each section w a different emphasis, which keeps it interesting. Now I use the piece to warm- up, w all its arpeggios.
I think it's good; in Philippines, a rap version was even created based on it, and it's made better because of tear-jerking lyrics about an overseas working partner.
It took me several months like you said it would but I can now play River Flows In You but not nearly at the tempo that you sampled in the video. The much harder piece that I'm attempting is Kiss the Rain which is in the key of Ab (4 flats). I think I'll back off and try your method.
Whats the big deal with the craze for this River Flows piece? Is it a film theme or something? I don't keep up with films or contemporary media or music at my stage in life. Thanks
I'm working on moonlight sonata. It's been more than month since started but slowly getting there. I can play it on 50% speed and it started getting too slow for me so maybe next month with some mistakes ill be able to play it at 100% pace
2:49 brroooo this hit me hard 💘 5:54 100% !!! this was the best trick for me, learned it the hard way but not complaining actually 👍🏻 learned few pieces on the way and started using the tricks in them into other bigger pieces 💯
Hahaha Minuet in G was literally the first piece that popped into my head when you started talking about better pieces to play for beginners, and next thing I know you recommended that one! Hahah I would be shocked if anyone who has taken piano lessons with a piano teacher and DIDN'T end play minuet in G - thankfully it's a fairly nice sounding piece too!
What do you think about figuring out and playing a piece that just excites and inspires you? Sometimes I hear a song and think the piano part is really cool and then I either find a training on youtube or get the music. I then spend some time learning it and get exicted. I also have my normal intermediate pieces and the Hanon workbook.
hi! So good to get your advice on beginning piano. My question is : I've been working on Chopin in a simple book that I have. It is titled Nocturne in E flat major Op. 9, No,2. However, it appears to be transposed into C major. Does it make sense to lean to play the simpler version? or will it set me back when I want to play the original? Thank you!I have recommended your channel to my friends as we are all learning adults.
I'm currently working on Sonata Pathetique Movement 2 right now, but my goal is to be able to play the 3rd movement! I love both of the songs a lot but I think I need a bit more work on the three pillars you mentioned to tackle that last movement
Hi @jazerleepiano! I am self taught and feel I have missed the most important step: correct fingering! I struggle to find good information about this topic online. I can read sheet music, but it often comes without fingering annotations so I never know what fingering I should use when playing pieces. I usually find a video online and copy the fingering of the player but never know what the logic behind it is. It would be great if you could do a video with some basics on that topic? Any pointer will help! (Yes, I should get a teacher 😢)
Is there any chance that you will create missing 3rd part of 2 hands training video from series started some time ago? Two first parts were great and you also teased third part which so far did not appeared... Ps Thank you for a lot of great learning materials!
I've been playing now for just over a year and have done well with part A of Fur Elise, but I'm now struggling with part B. Should I move over to a more intermediate piece before proceeding further?
My piano teacher got me some really nice beginner books with peaces of just a few lines. I managed to learn 2-3 peaces per week during the first year, that was great for my motivation and a fast progress😊
Though what Jazer is saying definitely isn't wrong, I feel that learning pieces you like is just as important as improving. I feel that, if you like a certain piece, like River Flows in You, go for it! Playing pieces you love can motivate you to keep learning the piano, whereas playing pieces that you find boring, might just make you quit learning the instrument.
What should I do for someone who started with river flows on you and then learned cannon in d? I somtimes feel like I'm learning pieces and putting effortinton practicing them but still make mistakes.
Great content, as always! Just a quick off-topic question: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
So I don’t know how I feel about this video. I never took a piano lesson and have no idea how to read music (all ear). My first piece was Claire De lune (1 month to memorize) then Chopin Waltz in C minor (2 week memory and performance level) then River flows in you (1 week memory). I think if you really want to learn u can do it. 🤷🏼I learn a new piece every month (I’m at 11) Starting Jan will be La Campanella by Franz Litz. I expect 2 month to memory and 2 more to get speed
Facts: 1. “River Flows In You” is a great sounding piece of music. Just because it may be overplayed doesn’t diminish its beauty as a piano piece. 2. It is not for beginners. More for intermediate level. 3. Many people still like it, especially if they are hearing it for the first time-yes, not everyone knows about the song and you can still get an appreciative audience when you play this piece.
Disagree. Don't confuse sense of development vs actual development. Real advices: 1) Always try to punch above your weight class. Doing so may mentally frustrate you, but it will reward you in terms of actual development. After the struggle with a higher level boss, try playing easier pieces - you will instantly realize you've actually leveled up. 2) Learning is non-linear. You have to move on and challenge yourself even though you feel like you haven't got 100% at your skill level. You feel like you're stuck at 40%? Temporarily move on to a HARDER piece, and then come back later. You will fine the missing 60% then. 3) Embrace that it takes a week or two for adults for any motor skills to take hold. It's the long term memory part of your brain that's going to matter, and that's how many sleep cycles you would need as an adult to hardwire brain with daily repetition. So don't get frustrated if you can't get it right the first few days. 4) Ditch your sheet music as early as possible. Once you familiarized a piece, challenge yourself by playing from memory. The earlier the better. Try to identify chord progression via visual and tactile confirmation of your hands on the keyboard.
I have a question/request. I have been a subscriber for a long time but I have never seen you play any advanced pieces thoroughly. Can you demonstrate how to play Gargoyles opus 29 presto feroce, Chopin Ballade No 4, etc etc in a graceful manner?
What songs and pieces are you working on?
Minuet and Dragonflies. Absolute beginner stuff.
I do some Jazz exercises and minuets of Oscar Peterson and Time of Hans Zimmer😊
I’m working on Beethoven’s Sonata in G Minor Opus 49 No. 1 (II: Rondo, Allegro) right now. I’ve been playing for 7 years and have been trying to branch out into different genres, though. I want to learn more music theory, which is why I watch some of your videos.
I think that the main issue that a lot of beginner pianists run into is that they want to learn the instrument, less so to learn about music, but more for the specific song or genre that they want to play. They don’t play to get better, but instead only play pieces that they want to play, which often times makes progression harder to ultimately achieve.
I am now reviewing the beginner pieces on the Roadmap. The Bach Minuet is the first song I learned after I bought my piano. It's really the first part of a three part set and if you know the first one, the others fall in line. I downloaded Clementi's Sonatina #1 and played through it fairly easily the first time using one hand only. I can probably focus on it and learn it in one day. I have also toyed with several other pieces all over the map and now have too many pieces in the works. I'll have to trim back. Nailing the beginner pieces should be easy since I have already practiced all but one. I still consider myself a beginner because I haven't really mastered any of the songs yet. What I am better at than I thought is sight reading. I have almost nailed down Schuman's "Melody" and and plugging away at his "Traumerei". The connecting points have tricky fingering which slows me down and sometimes get my fingers tangled up. I am also finding it difficult to keep the melody intact since there are 2-3 places where left hand arpeggios are finished with the right hand. Took me awhile to work out the fingering.
That roadmap is a great idea. I may not be ready to play well but I am getting a sense of where I am. There are 4-5 pieces that I can probably seal the deal or get close to it before year end. There are times when my fingers seem to be on autoplay so I am making progress. I am also up to exercises 9 and 10 in Hanon. I do those first thing in the morning as soon as I get out of bed. Gets me focused before I am really awake.
@@piano_and_bouldering Hans Zimmer's stuff is wonderful.
I'm in my third year of piano playing and practising 2-3 hours a day and now I'm finally able to learn this piece comfortably with just the right amount the challenge. Learned more than half of it in less than a week!
I think motivation is key. I can't sight read or know much about music theory, but I learned this song by memory because I loved it, and every little bit I learned motivated me more to play it better and better. I think if you are struggling with this song, then this is great advice, but if you REALLY want to play this song and put the time and effort into learning it, you CAN do it! Always believe in yourself and don't necessarily assume others know you better than you know yourself!
I agree.
I started learning Moonlight Sonata 1st movement on day 1 of learning piano! It took me 7 months to learn it all the way through so I could play from memory, but I was motivated every day because I was progressing at something I really wanted to learn. I've now been playing 3 years and still play it several times a week. I was learning other things as well but it was Moonlight Sonata that was really motivating me.
The most important thing is to play regularly and that needs motivation. Do whatever motivates you to play every day!
Exactly, I learned this song in my second month playing piano and this piece motivated me bc it sounds so beautiful
I did exactly the same. 1- If it is not amazing, I just do not put the time and effort. 2- If I take time from my family, I better have something really cool to show them, or piano time is not happening again.... 😢
Most people i know learn it because girls love it 😂
You're spot on with your advice! I'm about seven months into learning piano, and I had to chuckle when you mentioned "Minuet in G," as that's the piece I chose. Honestly, even as a beginner, it presents quite a challenge-especially compared to something like "River Flows in You." I’m really looking forward to joining your course. Keep up the fantastic work!
Jazar, thank you for being a REAL piano teacher!! I scanned the comments and I am so sorry that there are so many misleading 'teachers' on YT, leading folks down IMHO, dead-end roads. I won't reply to nasty comments on this but let me please say that I think if one is happy playing only chords by name, or by watching others move their fingers that is great, really! BUT, you probably should not be watching Jazer because he is based on classically learning piano by the fundamental (=) sightreading notes which is a hurtle but essential, and possible to anyone of any age. Enjoy the music EVERYONE!
@@leeciap It would be much better if he is willing to perform various piano works completely. He did not even response to my request and probably took it as an offense. I am a bit disappointed as a subscriber.
@@farinellafarinella2292 hi, i didn't scroll down to look for when you posted your comment but I have seen that piano content providers on YT usually only check comments the first 12-24 hours of a given video. It just isn't a good use of their time. This video now has 270 comments!!!! And people do post the craziest things!!??
During my journey at a musicschool I played both, the menuet from Bach and Arabesque from Burgmüller. Now I'm working on a Mazurka from Chopin (Op.67,nr.2) and this still feels very challenging. Let's say I have a lot of respect for this piece and I would not have started it on my own. But I have a great teacher that knows exactly how and when to trigger this middle circle in your graph. Great post!
I never heard River Flows in You until watching Jazer videos. The piece I started instead is Satie's Gymnopedie #1 (and have learned 2 and 3 as well).
I have first-hand knowledge of the excessive self-confidence of a beginning musician. When I graduated high school in the seventies and got my first job, I decided I wanted to learn to play the guitar. I went to K-Mart and bought a cheap guitar and picked up the first book of a Mel Bay guitar course. The first piece of real sheet music I purchased was Classical Gas by Mason Williams. And that, my friend, is the definition of ambition with a capital "A"!
That is exactly what i needed, i really feel stuck now and doesn't feel i am progressing much in my piano learning. I know how to play very difficult pieces, but i stumble on the basic things a lot of times, the most difficult thing right now is sight-reading, i can't think fast enough to interpret the pieces and play at same time.
I don't get it. If you know how to play difficult pieces you should have passed basic techniques to be able to execute the difficulties.
@farinellafarinella2292 is more of a muscle memory of HOURS trying to learn the piece until I memorize everything and don't even know how I am playing it. Of course while doing that I get used to doing jumps, playing octaves and all that but it takes a day or two to learn one page lol.
What I am struggling most at the moment is sight reading, even easy pieces, my mind can't think fast enough to translate the notes to my hands. If you think about it, you literally need to read two different languages(right hand Sol and left hand Fa) and then transcribing those two different languages into one(keys on piano) and then do that in the right rhythm. Bro when you think about it this insane, really
Great advice! Comptine d'un autre was the first piece I ever learned and really helped me establish my fundamentals so I could later learn River Flows in You much faster.
What struck me most here was when you talk about music without theory seeming ‘random.’ When I started playing I would just figure out the notes to something and memorise them (as I couldn’t read fast enough) and yes it seemed so random! Like the next note could be anything. Now I’ve gone back to the start and put proper effort into sight reading and theory, often I just sense what the next note or chord is going to be, and pieces seem logical!
I remember starting learning it about 9 months into learning and it was by far the hardest thing I’ve tried. I had to go over sections over and over. But because it’s repetitive it probably only took a month or so to learn and now I play it daily with total ease and it flows without even thinking. It’s been a joy to play it.
The only downside is that it’s much easier than it sounds and so after I’d learnt it I went back to song that’s were harder but not as rewarding.
Story: In 2011 I was a rookie piano teacher at Rock School in Ludlow, Massachusetts. My boss, Miguel, just bought the school and I was one of the first employees. A young girl came in asking to learn this song, and I made the mistake of actually trying to show her. She couldn't reach the octave on the left hand and lacked the coordination to make the shift, and her right hand would stumble over the A and B as she tried to remember what each hand was doing. She had no patience to read sheet music and no motivation to write the notes down on paper in a way she could interpret. After 2 lessons, she quit. You MUST keep people away from the "River", or your financial future could run dry. (Great pun work on this comment lol)
I'm working on Schumann's little study in G major, JS Bach 2-part invention in C major, and his little prelude in C minor. Also going to move on to some of the easier Haydn sonatas. I did O level music (grade 5 theory equivalent) decades ago, but struggle with piano technique, and making my hands do what I want them to. Your lessons are invaluable to me Jazer, so thank you.
Hurra! I allready said to my piano teacher that I will play anything,anything but never River Flows, I don't like it. I'm playing now The Second Waltz by Shoshtakowitsch, I just love it! Passacaglia, Canon in D, Johann Strauss' Waltzers, Bach, Beethoven, I have so many beautiful pieces here! Kind regards from Germany!
Shostakovich is great!
Im a complete beginner and it took me 2 months to learn river flows in you by practicing 3-4 hours per day to the point that i dont know if im making progress but fortunately my effort paid off 🎉🎉
I am currently playing River Flows in You in simplified version. It took a while to learn alongside other much simpler pieces. I just finished late begginers and begun intermediate level. Your advice is spot on. Thank you as always 😊🙏
Captain Obvious here: opinions about River Flows in You, or Moonlight Sonata for that matter, are irrelevant to the point of the video. The point (imho) is choosing piece(s) posing a useful level of challenge, & some ideas about figuring that level out…
Hey Jazer, brilliant channel! I just recommended you to my daughter in the US.
I’m relearning Bach’s arrangement of Marcelo’s’Adagio’.
One of my favourite pieces.
I feel personally called out lol. River Flows in You was the second piece i learned. It took me months. The funny thing about it was tht i wasn't tht interested in learning it, i just saw Pianotes video about how to play it for beginners and assumed it was a beginner piece.
When i was struggling, i thought it was just a me problem and tht i just sucked. Turns out it was because its like a grade 3 piece and i tried to learn it within a month of me starting piano. By the time i realized this, i was too invested to abandon learning it even tho i should have. Now i can play the whole thing, but it took way too long and its definitely hindered my progress.
I cant even sight read, and barely started to learn how to read music after about 1 year of my piano journey. Take this mans advice folks.
This is the stairways to heaven of piano.
Learning music is like learning a new language. For a beginner to start with River Flows In You, is like a non-english speaker learning to read Romeo and Juliet by simply memorizing the alphabet phonetically and sounding through the text one word at a time. A year later, they can recite Romeo and Juliet on a stage yet have no idea what the text means. Then if they were to pick up a new book, even The Cat in the Hat, it would take them equally as long to re-learn and recite. Whereas someone who started with Cat in the Hat and learns the grammar and vocabulary, eventually they are able to read Romeo and Juliet with little additional effort, and many more.
I would never tell others not to play a piece or put limitations in their mind. Many times teachers over analyze. Music is about freedom. Play what you want. You can even break it down into small sections. Just play with focused and consitent practice and you will learn.
I feel like this video is specially made for me.. Thank you so much 👍
You're welcome!
I am working on CLEMENTI - Sonatina in C Major Op. 36 No. 1, 1st Movement going well, 2nd Movement not so well, haven't touched the final movement. Also just studying the score for CHOPIN - Prelude in E Minor Op. 28 No. 4. Haven't began practicing that one yet.
I needed this video. Have been trying to learn piano for approximately one year now. I know few power chords, twinkle little star, simplified Für Elise and rest of the time have been trying to learn River Flows in You which is really hard. I can only play 30% of it. It's annoying that I don't know any proper song from start to end so I can only play small part here and there but never full songs. I will leave RFIY little later and try to learn something else first. Excellent tips from you as always. Thank you.
Thank you, just downloaded the roadmap, great resource! I've been teaching myself since the start of this year and am currently able to easily sight read grade 1 pieces and am working on roughly grade 2/3 material which feels doable but with plenty still to learn. Bach minuet in G and the first 8 in the Burghmuller 25 progressive studies are comfortable but still challenging enough. I am hoping to be able to enjoy River Flows in You by the end of another full year of practice...it's waaaaay too difficult just now! Thanks for your realistic guidance, it's been helping me since day 1!
I believe choosing a song like River Flows in You shows ambition and a good way to motivate them to do the exercises. By breaking down the piece into what techniques are involved and what the student should be looking for when playing such a apiece, you can segue into the scales and other relevant exercises the student should be practicing to help with their ultimate goal of learning the piece.
This is so interesting! I am restarting piano after not playing for decades. When I took lessons as a child and teen, I was probably at a late intermediate level. Restarting, I struggled with reading music, and especially playing anything new. After a month or so of consistent practice, I've been working on River Flows in You. I'm loving it, enjoying every minute, but definitely had to put a lot of effort into reading the music and getting the rhythms correct. Now I'm working on dynamics and pace. I can't imagine learning this piece as a beginner!
When I first started to relearn the piano, I should have chosen pieces that would help with progress as well as those I want to play (which tend to be more difficult than I realised)
It was a great piece for my personal development. That was my experience with it
Here's a nobody who started playing the piano on his own because of that song. I get the point of the video, but to me it was a great experience to start off with such a challenge and I don't regret any minute of frustration trying.
And for those hating the song, good for you.
что ты написал в первом предложении?! господи..
I started learning piano because of Yiruma. Now that I discovered classical music, I never went back to play Yiruma's pieces. I still owe it to him that I am now able to play the piano. I like his music.
Thanks for these videos on your new course, Jazer. I got the pdf a while back and thought some of those pieces don't look fun but now you've said they are multi-aspect game changers, I'm interested. I'm currently working on Prelude in C, BWV846 (I did Grade 6 piano back in the day, even though I'm self-taught and can sight read some and play this easily with the music in front of me, and am getting back into music - love Bach above all) and I'm experiencing what you say - game changer. I'm memorizing it. I'm up to Bar 15. I see the repeating 1-5-1 voicings (familiar from bass guitar) contrasted with closer voicings (well, they're broken, but I'm calling them voicings) as well as subtle position changes, and that repetitive second inversion voicing with 1-3 below that opens the piece and later is repeated lower and then on other scale degrees, or at least on the 5th, G. So, I'm focusing on hearing these relationships and voicings as i memorize.
And when I saw your River song, which I wasn't familiar with, at first I thought I saw a bunch of 1-5-1 in the left hand. Then I saw an dheard, no, some span a 10th and maybe are a kind of dom7 or at least 7th chord. And I thought, wow, that's beyond me right now.
I dk what you think of my thought process, but I know you're busy and not my teacher, but this is how I'm approaching it. Thanks again for your videos - I love your energy and it was great to hear your thoughts on adult learners in another vid earlier today.
Aw man I hate to disagree with you but I think people should play songs they absolutely love and if they love River then they can find a beginner level version surely
You are spot on, however, you should not try to run before you can walk. There are many pieces that teach you the basics that still sound really nice that a student might not even know exists. Like Chopin's Sick Doll for instance. Beginner level, hauntingly beautiful.
I think this is why choosing a good piano teacher is important. They should be able to suggest several pieces at your level that will get you ready for the music you really want to play, without having you play stuff you don't like, or having to resort to watered down simplified versions of music you truly love.
I also wanted to play this piece as a beginner but it was too hard. I started with other pieces I liked and made much more progress in a much shorter time. I think he is right.
I agree ❤
It's funny as I was wondering if I am ready for it, but then you listed 2 classical songs I already learned. This is interesting timing, I was play to learn the first page, albeit slowly in a few days, with a few h of practice each day. If it feels like a challenge, but I can see definite progress and it feels motivating and I am happy with what it sounds like in a short time, so I think it is in that zone.
I'm selflearning and I think my skill level is advanced beginner. I have just started learning Adagio concerto in D minor. It's relatively easy and so beautiful.
Please do a list of songs that beginners can start with
he did that previously
1) MInuet in G
2) Gymnopedia no 1
3) Prelude in C
4) canon in D
5 Comptine dun atre
You can watch the video here :) th-cam.com/video/YPybDBM57cY/w-d-xo.html
You can watch the video here :) th-cam.com/video/YPybDBM57cY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks. There’s some great beginner piece suggestions for me to have a crack at that aren’t part of my method books 👍
Very nice video. You are always spot on, on your advises and your last video was also very helpful. I might just slightly disagree about the Tiersen's piece being at the same level of Bach's minuette which is the very first thing you learn when you get the hand of the basics. Sure Tiersen in all the Amelie tracks has a stable left hand which doesn't move and it is quite easy for a beginner, but has some other type of difficulties. In the piece you mentioned the part with the arpez which range in octaves (if I'm not mistaken) needs technique (which is the 3rd component you mentioned). Technique both for not tiring the hand and both for it to be heard smoothly in contrast with the left hand which hits lower notes and covers the sounds of this high pitch. It is not intermediate, but I would not recommend it to someone who just learned Bach's 1st minuette.
River flows in you is so fun to play though. I missed my flight a few years ago because i had just learned the piece and wanted to play it a few more times
I just learned Jingle Bells in the C position. I'm stoked about it.
Your videos always help me a lot. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks Jazer, I totally agree River Flows is not a beginner piece. The trickiest part appears in bar 5, with the syncopated rhythms, which did my head in initially 😅. I look forward to seeing the PDF
If you really want to play it, look for easy version. Of course it is different but as you progress, you will be able to play the original version later.
I agree with you that River FIY should not be for beginner learners. However it was the piece that made me decide to want to learn the piano. I tried for a while and found out the hard way. Left the piece to learn other pieces and came back to it after a year.
man, i feel like the big hump i encounter with both piano (and guitar) is that feeling of wanting to learn songs that are just out of reach. or even learning bits and pieces of songs that are within reach but never finishing whole pieces.
it's hard to balance the "wanting to learn" part with "realistically able to" parts and it's actually kinda hard to really pinpoint as a beginner. maybe it would be easier to learn instruments if i was just ok to learn theories/scales/exercises etc. all day lol
You are incredible - a great teacher!! Thank you!!
Hello, I have completed Hannon's exercises and Cherny's Etude Opus 740. My humble request is that you recommend what exercises I should do to improve my fingers.
Hello, good for you! Did you complete all these exercises with a teacher?
@@thefactis648 Yes, I finished, although I was not under the supervision of a teacher
@G.gagogago i find this impressive, the exercises are very difficult for me
@@thefactis648 ♥️🙏 What else can you choose besides Hanon?
@G.gagogago Really I don't know most people use Hanon or Czerny for exercises.
Thank you, so interesting. It made me really think about my learning ‘journey’.
haha, good timing. ive been playing for 5 months now, and started River flows like 1.5 month ago. its definitely above my level, but i almost got the whole thing down (playing the notes correctly, at least, without Pedaling and good dynamics haha). i know its kinda of a time Waster, but the last 2 weeks ive practiced very irregularly bc i had next to no time (moved to a new city, studying, health stuff...) but everytime i sat down at my keyboard for a few minutes i usually played River flows (as good and as i could). i know i havent really progressed much, but i just love the piece and its so much fun to play! but i will definitely learn something more fitting for my level now.
I am learning Gymnopédie by Eric Satie
Same here. Good song since it must be played slow. It's not hard to play. It's hard to play well. Needs feeling.
I suspended as chord and big jump difficult but will try again
I’m learning Satie’s Gnossienne No 4!
Yiruma songs are beautiful and the best ever
Thank you so much for road map. It's extremely useful 😊!
This is Insane. Thank you for this very informative video!!
What would be after mastery? btw the essential road map I looked at and it was really good.
It was the first song I played in 2020. I regret nothing, I compose now and still play. I owe it to my oldest brother, he showed me the song and I immediately wanted to learn it without ever touching a piano. It's been important to him over the years (Yiruma in general, actually. He and I saw him live last year on his oceania tour 2023. he's a funny guy, btw). Learning the song was slow, and it took me about a week to actually even get the intro down. 1 month down the line after playing again (since i was really only stuffing around), the coordination slapped me in the face. My right hand's pinky accidentally played the A again before the left hand thumb played the F# (the syncopated part of the first melody), and the rhythm clicked from there. I got that part down, then realised the left hand moves to D, then A, then E; each time just playing a 5th and then an octave. it became a pattern. From then on, it maybe took me a good month to finish the song fully, and it was actually well-put-together.
Thing is, it was *conventionally* a bad idea to learn this first. but it was definitely the best idea for myself personally. I was completely new, but that song alone immediately introduced me to chord progressions, harmonies, and how they work. That one fateful day when I accidentally played the syncopated part of the right-hand paved the way for everything. All it was is understanding when my hands play together, and when my right hand plays alone (since the left is steady). Make the rhythms and positioning easy, and the song should be too (relatively).
What is the maximum recommended pieces to be played in a year as a beginner. Kindly advise.
Aye aye, noted
I'm working on the first movement of Mozart Sonata in C Minor right now. Super dramatic and fun to play, but definitely NOT for a beginner lol 😅.
The title itself made me feel better even though i love the song!
I dunno, man. As a guy who started self-studying the piano with Moonlight Sonata mvt 1 (didn't even know how to read key signatures then or what they meant), I'd say people should play what motivates them, and if that's Riverflows in you, or Minuet in G, or Winterwind, then so be it. They should gun for that. I learn techniques from the pieces i want to play. I learned what scales are from Mozart's Sonata Facile. Learned arpegios from Moonlight Sonata's 3rd mvt. Learned polyrhythm from Fantaisie Impromptu. And i haven't stopped. I'm still learning. And the important part is: I can now play the stuff i originally only dreamed of playing.
I learned River. However, my teacher asked me to visualize each section. So I play each section w a different emphasis, which keeps it interesting.
Now I use the piece to warm- up, w all its arpeggios.
I downloaded your road map. Thanks a lot, I am sure it will help a lot !
I think it's good; in Philippines, a rap version was even created based on it, and it's made better because of tear-jerking lyrics about an overseas working partner.
Thank you Jazer!
Do I need a piano to practice? Or a keyboard is enough for begginers?
It took me several months like you said it would but I can now play River Flows In You but not nearly at the tempo that you sampled in the video. The much harder piece that I'm attempting is Kiss the Rain which is in the key of Ab (4 flats). I think I'll back off and try your method.
Thanks for the free PDF!
Whats the big deal with the craze for this River Flows piece? Is it a film theme or something? I don't keep up with films or contemporary media or music at my stage in life. Thanks
Bruh you're saving my ass with that roadmap of yours. Thanks!
I'm working on moonlight sonata. It's been more than month since started but slowly getting there. I can play it on 50% speed and it started getting too slow for me so maybe next month with some mistakes ill be able to play it at 100% pace
2:49 brroooo this hit me hard 💘
5:54 100% !!! this was the best trick for me, learned it the hard way but not complaining actually 👍🏻 learned few pieces on the way and started using the tricks in them into other bigger pieces 💯
How often do you go to piano lessons? Once a week or once a month?
Second song I ever learned (playing by ear) is River Flows in You.
What if they just want to play it, because it's a really nice piece and it sounds beautiful and they like it?
just finished leaning river flows in you as a beginner
Hahaha Minuet in G was literally the first piece that popped into my head when you started talking about better pieces to play for beginners, and next thing I know you recommended that one! Hahah I would be shocked if anyone who has taken piano lessons with a piano teacher and DIDN'T end play minuet in G - thankfully it's a fairly nice sounding piece too!
I'am learning G minor. It is actually to hard for me to learn, but I have much patience. So I think I will get true it.
What do you think about figuring out and playing a piece that just excites and inspires you? Sometimes I hear a song and think the piano part is really cool and then I either find a training on youtube or get the music. I then spend some time learning it and get exicted. I also have my normal intermediate pieces and the Hanon workbook.
hi! So good to get your advice on beginning piano. My question is : I've been working on Chopin in a simple book that I have. It is titled Nocturne in E flat major Op. 9, No,2. However, it appears to be transposed into C major. Does it make sense to lean to play the simpler version? or will it set me back when I want to play the original? Thank you!I have recommended your channel to my friends as we are all learning adults.
I'm currently working on Sonata Pathetique Movement 2 right now, but my goal is to be able to play the 3rd movement! I love both of the songs a lot but I think I need a bit more work on the three pillars you mentioned to tackle that last movement
Even the pros disagree on how to execute the first few bars. Good luck!
Hi @jazerleepiano! I am self taught and feel I have missed the most important step: correct fingering! I struggle to find good information about this topic online. I can read sheet music, but it often comes without fingering annotations so I never know what fingering I should use when playing pieces. I usually find a video online and copy the fingering of the player but never know what the logic behind it is. It would be great if you could do a video with some basics on that topic? Any pointer will help! (Yes, I should get a teacher 😢)
Is there any chance that you will create missing 3rd part of 2 hands training video from series started some time ago? Two first parts were great and you also teased third part which so far did not appeared...
Ps Thank you for a lot of great learning materials!
Hi Jazer, I tried downloading your piano roadmap pdf but it gave me an air fryer cookbook instead. Can you help?
I learn that sometimes its not the song that it is the problem. It is the arrangement.
I've been playing now for just over a year and have done well with part A of Fur Elise, but I'm now struggling with part B. Should I move over to a more intermediate piece before proceeding further?
My piano teacher got me some really nice beginner books with peaces of just a few lines. I managed to learn 2-3 peaces per week during the first year, that was great for my motivation and a fast progress😊
Is there a book with all the songs you recommend in it?
Though what Jazer is saying definitely isn't wrong, I feel that learning pieces you like is just as important as improving. I feel that, if you like a certain piece, like River Flows in You, go for it! Playing pieces you love can motivate you to keep learning the piano, whereas playing pieces that you find boring, might just make you quit learning the instrument.
I really advice going into Bach pieces after Bach everything else feels much easier.
@@captainalpaka1551 Yes - that's because it is!
How should I learn sheet music if I already play some beginner and intermediate synthesia?
What should I do for someone who started with river flows on you and then learned cannon in d? I somtimes feel like I'm learning pieces and putting effortinton practicing them but still make mistakes.
Great content, as always! Just a quick off-topic question: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
So I don’t know how I feel about this video. I never took a piano lesson and have no idea how to read music (all ear). My first piece was Claire De lune (1 month to memorize) then Chopin Waltz in C minor (2 week memory and performance level) then River flows in you (1 week memory). I think if you really want to learn u can do it. 🤷🏼I learn a new piece every month (I’m at 11) Starting Jan will be La Campanella by Franz Litz. I expect 2 month to memory and 2 more to get speed
Facts:
1. “River Flows In You” is a great sounding piece of music. Just because it may be overplayed doesn’t diminish its beauty as a piano piece.
2. It is not for beginners. More for intermediate level.
3. Many people still like it, especially if they are hearing it for the first time-yes, not everyone knows about the song and you can still get an appreciative audience when you play this piece.
Heel wat gaan een niveau te hoog, dan raak je gestresseerd en stel je minder hoge eisen of geef je het op.
Pls, learning how to play by reading note or playing by ear....which one is the best?
playing by readin and playing by ear are best used on different scenarios. You don't want to play by ear complex pieces like classical music.
All skills are progression. And of course you have levels you aspire to. Be realistic and understand that it’s a journey.
You're a great teacher..
Disagree. Don't confuse sense of development vs actual development.
Real advices: 1) Always try to punch above your weight class. Doing so may mentally frustrate you, but it will reward you in terms of actual development. After the struggle with a higher level boss, try playing easier pieces - you will instantly realize you've actually leveled up.
2) Learning is non-linear. You have to move on and challenge yourself even though you feel like you haven't got 100% at your skill level. You feel like you're stuck at 40%? Temporarily move on to a HARDER piece, and then come back later. You will fine the missing 60% then.
3) Embrace that it takes a week or two for adults for any motor skills to take hold. It's the long term memory part of your brain that's going to matter, and that's how many sleep cycles you would need as an adult to hardwire brain with daily repetition. So don't get frustrated if you can't get it right the first few days.
4) Ditch your sheet music as early as possible. Once you familiarized a piece, challenge yourself by playing from memory. The earlier the better. Try to identify chord progression via visual and tactile confirmation of your hands on the keyboard.
I have a question/request. I have been a subscriber for a long time but I have never seen you play any advanced pieces thoroughly.
Can you demonstrate how to play Gargoyles opus 29 presto feroce, Chopin Ballade No 4, etc etc in a graceful manner?
Night Song, Pomp & Circumstance & Dark Eyes