Thank you guys so much for the kind words of encouragement! My second year of playing piano is up, so here’s my second year update for anyone who’s interested: th-cam.com/video/tg7jVAcsTDU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BkBpKvG_ZAV_JSbo Onto my third, wish me luck!
This is the best video I have seen so far in 2024... I just got it in my video flow. Now I will go watch the second year. You are great... maybe one day we will hear you play "Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2".
You've done an excellent job! Just a little suggestion that's helped me so much- Make sure to relax your arm.... your fingers get power from the relaxed weight of your arm. If you relax your wrist, have your arm feel heavy, you can play with effortless power, using gravity. You'll feel a lot more relaxed. With the wrist tense or finger playing, you'll feel more rigid. I wish you were one of my students! Maybe I could make a video tutorial for you on Fur Elise, which is perfect for arm weight.
Absolutely fanastic! Ive taken this as inspiration as i've recently fallen in love with piano and started around a month ago. Used to play guitar a lot but this is a whole different game lol i'm not great with sheet music but wondered if you learnt chords as you went along or dedicated time to learn them as a base before going into certain songs? Keep up the good work! 🤘👍
@@dannyscavenger2290 I’m so happy to hear that. Best of luck on your piano journey! Yes I started learning piano theory (which covered chords) from week one. I also wrote everything I did in the description of this video :)
I'm a retired Jazz drummer who has worked with many great Jazz Artists, and I'm going to take up piano come January 2024. I'm 76 now and I took piano lessons when I was 5 or 6 years old for about a half a year, then took up accordion for about a year, then switched to drums when I was around 8 years old, and continued playing professionally until 2011 when my best friend I'd played with most of my life passed away from cancer. It crushed me, and I felt like I had lost all interest in ever playing again. I donated my drum set which was almost new to the Phoenix Performing Arts Center for someone to play who was less fortunate. I never picked up a pair of sticks again until last year when I bought a snare drum just to practice my rudiments with. I made a pledge to learn to play Jazz piano starting in January of 2024. I just watched your video and was so encouraged by your progress.....great job, keep it up. Perhaps I'll video my progress just as you have starting in January and finishing in December. Wish me well.
I am 78 and started 6 months ago. The maturity you have means you know that consistency one to two hours a day is how to practice-No more here and there whenever..This I read from a Julliard pianist- consistency and focused practice one hour but no days missed. The trained teacher knows what is more important to practice for each lesson. I guarantee that every day the piano will absorb you like a friend. Practice slow, deliberately let it sink in.
I am 64 and have played drums since the 7th grade. I too will learn the piano this year! Good luck to you 😊. In the middle of selecting a digital piano. Looking at the Kauai ES-120 or the Roland FP-E50.
I’m wishing you very well David, all the way from the Giant’s Causeway coast of Northern Ireland. Like you I have always wanted to learn piano but life got in the way. I retired five years ago but I am very impressed with Zhenya’s progress. She has clearly spent a lot of time practicing. Not sure if I have that sort of commitment anymore.
@davidroberts2476 thank you for sharing your journey! Looks like you’ve had your ups and downs but nothing can overcome your love for playing music. Best of luck in your piano journey, please do take videos, I would love to see your progress! Given your profound drumming experience, you’ll probably pick it up very easily :)
Nice story David, sorry to hear about your friend's passing. I am 67 and played guitars most of my life. I was also inspired by Zhenya's video. I have zero knowledge of the piano but I have just bought a keyboard and intend to learn to play as best I can. There seems to be a wealth of information on TH-cam. Like you maybe I will post my progress after a year too, maybe compare notes :))
The amount of people who try to learn a new skill and quit when things get too hard is most people. But you stuck with it and I respect that. Keep up the great work and good luck on your journey!
OK, so I'm impressed with the 1 month in. The fact that you could play with both hands doing different things.. I'm 1 week in and my brain is still struggling with each hand playing different things at the same time... I'm hoping it will just click at some point like when I first learned guitar, spent hours and hours a day learning one song and then all of a sudden I woke up one day and I could play it. (It just clicked).
It will click for sure! Hand independence came to me fairly easily because of my drumming background (drummed for 100 hours on a pad prior to piano) but other things are harder. You’ll get there!
Hopefully piano's going well for you and things are starting to click! Sometimes you just wake up and piano makes sense. I didn't start playing as an adult but this happens regardless of level. You work on something over and over, can't do it and ragequit, sleep it off and then the next day for some reason you can do it and it makes sense. Neverending cycle :D
Hello. Of course it's hard. At the beginning of my training, my head was already heating up, even in a cool room, I felt hot. Now it has become easier, although not easy. The brain is accustomed to accepting this new, musical information. Sitting behind the instrument, positioning the hands - everything settled down and became familiar. I had never studied music or played an instrument before. Exactly two years ago, in the month of May, I was completely captivated by the idea that I wanted to not only listen to Bach on TH-cam, but also play it myself. I was 58 years old. I bought the instrument second-hand and on June 4, I sat down at the piano keyboard for the first time in my life. I opened TH-cam with training videos and began to study. In general, I was busy like this until mid-August. This is not to say that I didn’t succeed. But there were places where I doubted whether I was doing the right thing, to consult with someone. September came and I went to a children's music school. And the piano teacher agreed to give me lessons. On September 17, I started first grade at school ;)) By the way, my independent studies came to light. When we met, the teacher asked if I had previously studied music. And at the very first lesson he said, it’s obvious that you’ve studied before. Of course, I told how I studied on my own. Now the second year of school is coming to an end. The teacher says that she doesn’t teach me anything, she just tells me, and I learn on my own. As it may be, the role of the teacher in my studies is irreplaceable. Now I can give a small solo concert for 20-25 minutes. I learned all the pieces by heart, I play without notes, except the last one - Adagio BWV 974 th-cam.com/video/2x-OHljZzHQ/w-d-xo.html Of course I'm not the one playing. This is for example. And I still don’t have the skill to play so well. But I'm playing. And I do it the way I want. Currently studying BWV 1056 th-cam.com/video/6XMyfCh3aAM/w-d-xo.html I apologize for any inaccuracies in the text. I am writing through a translator. Greetings from Russia.
Haha this was intended for my family. I learned this for my sister’s birthday and sent it to all my family members, and nobody noticed my outfit. Just wanted to rub it in once more :)
I am a University professor who has been playing the keyboard but not learning to read music but now I am 43 and have promised myself that this year I shall learn to read the music on my keyboard. Your video is very inspirational.
Take some lessons from a teacher, at least in the beginning. This self-taught piano players always (1000% of the time) lack some basic techniques that makes a huuuuge difference in quality. A teacher will address that from the first moment you touch the keys of the piano, and this way you'll end up sounding like a true pianist if you continue developing this hobby over time.
@@dncviorel This is very true, and the difference lies not only in quality. I'm a self taught pianist and terrible technique actually damaged my right pinky. It took me like 2, maybe 3 years to realise this finger was constantly stressed, constantly in tension and it lead to a tiny deformity which will eventually need surgical procedure.
@@dawid12301d Oh, so sorry to hear that! Yes, mastering the right technique is highly important, not only for playing an instrument, but for pretty much anything you actually do on a regular basis. I hope you can find solutions to avoid surgical intervention, you could talk to a podiatrist for a 2nd opinion. Wish you well!
@@dncviorel Sadly, there is no other way to fix it. I developed some kind of irregular bone and tendon growth which makes that finger crack every time I bend it. Every single time. It's not painful unless I play for an extended period of time or have to grab things repetitively. It was extremaly annoying at the beginning but I got used to it to a point I'm not even noticing. I did contact three orthopaedists, one of which is a top hand specialist and surgeon. Surgery would fix the problem but there is a high chance it will make that finger quite stiff, which I'd like to avoid... so as long as the pain is very minor and there are no other problems I'm postponing surgical intervention, as it was suggested by the specialist.
@@dawid12301d If surgeons can't guarantee full success and no other side effects I would do everything to avoid the procedure, but I'm sure you know better. Whatever decision you take, I hope you'll continue having a good time playing your favorite instrument. Cheers to you!
With my 8 years of piano experience i truly feel that you have talent and that if you keep practicing like that you will eventually want to play harder and harder songs until it can’t get harder anymore.. and the songs that you have practiced before will just sound too easy and empty. My experience with that just never ends. I wish you the greatest of honor to become a piano master one day!
Im still in my first year but i got curious what after 8 years of commitment to piano your feeling is? Especially when there is nothing that hard anymore
@@daniaalaa8550I’ve been playing for over 10 years and there’s still some pieces that are hard. Not only do you practice playing the actual notes, you have to master the performance and emotion you put into the song
@daniaalaa8550 I’m a pianist of 4 years. Even though I don’t have as much experience, I can definitely tell you, there are extremely hard pieces out there, that would even be difficult for people who have 10+ years of experience.
@@daniaalaa8550piano has by far the most repertoire of any instrument and therefore very difficult pieces. So you probably will never find pieces that are not to difficult for you
I’m on my 6 year of playing the piano and it is totally worth it. I love music to begin with. My grandma was playing it one day and I just thought I play it as well too. Now, I can play it for my family and friends’ birthday party and I can enjoy it myself. Keep it up! you got this!
the most important and one of the hardest things to naturally discover is having your arms fully extended and y our hands completely relaxed until you press the note. I think there are some videos on it, pretty sure it is a video by tonebase with seymour berstein
Finally one of these videos that seems real and what we’d expect with mistakes and timing issues. You’re really good for one year and self taught! Like really good! 😁 I liked pink panther and the nocturne was really cute! Also I didn’t want to leave advice but seeing as you said it yourself in the end, perfecting the piece before moving on is the best thing to do! And have fun with the sustain pedal, it will change your world!
Thanks so much, I’ve been playing for two years now (video out) and enjoying it even more now :) Finally playing with a pedal (although my pedaling needs a lot of work) and a metronome. And critiques always welcome :)
I have just watched it and I was really impressed! Fewer pieces but much stronger. It looks like you met all the goals you set in this video. The improved pedalling will come with practice, I think you’re doing great 😊. Critiques are good but it doesn’t help to have lots of people shouting lots of things and honestly you’re doing really well! Just learn what you want (and can comfortably learn) and work on improvement and technique in a way you find fun and this is the best advice 😊.
Für Elise in 4 months is absolutely insane. You should be so proud of yourself omg, I started playing the piano at 7 and maybe it was because I didn’t like playing and never practiced at home but it took 3 years of piano learning for me to start learning that piece
Really good for self-taught. Keep it up. You are surely a great encouragement to others who may be learning a new skill or talent, especially the self-taught. 👍
i know I'm like 2 years late but i just wanna say that watching your video has inspired me to buy a piano and start my own journey just like you because seeing the way you've improved was so impressive and made me wanna give it a try for myself i didn't know if i really wanted too because i didn't know if it would be something i would like and would just quit but i always do that with things so ill use this as a chance to commit to something for once and actually challenge myself good or bad even if I'm not a natural ill try to apply myself this is the video i needed so i can have better resolve and just go for it thank you for showing us your journey and the growth you've shown while practicing and continuing to do better
Wow, thank you so much! I don’t know how your comment got buried and I didn’t see it until now, but it makes me so happy to hear that! I also saw you mentioned that you’ve been playing for 5 months and still going at it! That is amazing, congratulations! How are you enjoying it? Learned any pieces so far? I made many mistakes being self-taught. Here’s what I’d recommend for you if you plan on being self-taught: 1) work on your relaxed technique (there are lots of videos on TH-cam that teach you how to position your wrists and fingers), 2) play with a metronome (better to play an easy piece on time than a challenging one all over the place like I did), 3) start with easy pieces and slowly work your way to more challenging ones. I’m so happy you picked up this beautiful instrument, and I wish you all the luck and joy with it! Let me know if you have any questions :)
You are amazing! I’ve been self teaching myself how to play piano for 7 months now. Thank you for this video! True inspiration!❤❤❤ keep it up and don’t stop.
These are the kind of videos that I absolutely love. Realistic progress!!! I've been learning piano, and I relate to so many things. She has been consistent, and it paid off. Good luck!!
You are great! I am a self learnet just like you and I saw myself while watching you. I learned a lot in a year. So many people doesn’t care but we have the talent. It is just we discovered it late… We will become better within time I do believe that 🥰
I am currently about to start piano lessons. Never played an instrument but have always loved piano. You are an inspiration!! Loved watching your progress ❤
Great progress! It took me 3 months with a real piano teacher to erase 3 yrs of community college piano classes. Yes, a real teacher makes the difference!
@@beckycheruiyot6471When playing in front of a class, I would not have the confidence, hence tons of mistakes. After a real teacher, who built proper strength in my fingers, it was a stroll in the park. I’m not saying that these community colleges serve no purpose, but it’s just not a lot of one on one, there’s just a ton of theory.
@@beckycheruiyot6471 Mostly they will make you take it one step at a time and learn both the instrument and the corresponding theory with it, making it a smoother transition. If the piano teacher is worth their salt they will be adamant about proper finger placement and technique. They will also be there to stop you from attempting difficult pieces (such as fur elise) until you're actually ready. Since its usually not worth it to 'learn' how to play it but badly (bad technique, digitation, etc etc) and then have to relearn it all again later on.
Terrific! I have been teaching my sister piano for a year on zoom and thought it would be interesting to watch your approach with regard to learning. Both you and my sister share a lot in common in the journey. You both have specific goals and that is a wonderful. Keep it up and enjoy the many happy perks along the way. .
Thank you very much! It’s been a wonderful journey indeed, and this year I’m trying to practice smarter and will see where it takes me. Good luck to your sister :)
I think you are wonderful and amazing! I just started piano lessons with a teacher and never even thought about self teaching as it is hard enough with a teacher. WOW! Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you, very inspirational. You look the part too in those frocks - we expect a bouquet at the close. Something that hubby can do as well as help out with the digital recording - because another pair of hands always helps with that. The improvement is so evident (and that's an ambitious repertoire too) but the best is that you said you've fallen in love with the piano. That's a great video. Thank you.
I have never been interested in playing any sort of instrument until about a month ago. Today I am secretly picking up a Roland RD-2000 with Rolands 200 watt amp and Rolands RPU-3 foot switch pedal and headphones and ( she doesn’t know ). Tomorrow will be my first time touching keys. I want to master the piano over the rest of my life and I turn 60 in one month. Long story short, my wife had 12 years of lessons and played piano for the church for 25 yrs. She is 60 and started playing when she was 4 yrs old. So, she’s pretty much a pro. I am not going to tell her and will surprise her when I sit down at her piano and play “Fur Elise”. BTW, I’m putting the Roland RD2000 piano in my home office and only playing it with the amp when she is not home otherwise it will be with headphones. She never comes into my office because it’s far enough away from the central part of the house and is over the garage. She’s going to freak. Wish me luck. 🙂👍
it has been an expiring video looking at your determination playing the piano. I had the fortune to study since I was young but didn´t care too much of it at that time, but seeing such hardwork and determination for doing it really moves something on people I can assure you, thanks for sharing it and hope that you continue on that path, cause the piano is something magical to play!
The very fact you tracked your path recording videos shows your commitment and self confidence. I'm on my third year of piano as an adult and in the first year I was not even close to your skills! Congratulations and best of luck with your progression, it's totally worth it!
You can do it! I hope you learn from my mistakes! The pieces I learned were way too difficult for my level, so I couldn’t play them on time or with the articulation they needed. If I had known better, I would have started with basics and got used to playing with relaxed fingers and metronome. So I hope you practice smart, and that way you’ll see great progress and set yourself up for many successful and enjoyable years of piano playing. 😊
Bravo to you!! I am trying so hard learning piano. I tried teaching myself before the pandemic, but I had kids around and got too busy. I now am taking lessons but still have to teach myself to prepare for the teacher to critique me. It's been 2 months and I am gradually getting better. I do know how much work you. put into those complicated songs! You are a great inspiration for me.
Ive been a drummer since about 8 years old (I'm 59) and have wanted to learn piano pretty much my whole life. I recently bought myself a Yamaha DGX670 and am now committed to learn and am having so much fun. thank you so much for the inspiration and sharing this awesome video.
Thank you so much! And I wanna relearn drums! I drummed on a pad, but getting to an actual kit was just so different and terrifying. I wish you best of luck in your musical journey!
I laughed out loud reading your post. I ordered a DGX670 yesterday! I took piano for about 10 years ago but that was also about 40 years ago and I don't remember any of it. So I'm starting from scratch. This video watching the progress is really inspiring! I would be very curious to learn how you started. A book? A class? A video? I'm looking for something that can guide me through the basics once again.
You did a nice job here. Most people give up piano by not finding real joy in it and you did it great! Keep practicing and improving your techniques. It's a delicious learning experience for life.
This really is incredible progress for only 1 year of playing piano… and I mean really, really good. I can see or rather hear where 1 year of drum lessons might have really come in handy though, as you have a really good sense of rhythm and remarkable left / right hand independence for someone playing for such short of time. If you go to the online piano forums, you’ll find many adult beginners playing for several years who wouldn’t even dream of trying out some of the advanced rhythms you played here. That said, I think you really need to work on your finger / arm technique a lot (I wouldn’t even bring this up other than how advanced some of the pieces you were playing are), as all of it still sounds a little stiff at the moment. Using a pedal will help a lot, but more important would be to focus on you legato (smoothness / connection of the notes) so that it sounds more musical overall. Also, I couldn’t tell if you’re still using the same keyboard you started with, but if it’s not a fully weighted keyboard you really should upgrade soon to a better piano so that you can work on your dynamics (playing some parts louder and some softer). You are good enough that it will be worth it, and a cheap keyboard may hold you back. Getting a piano teacher will also be beneficial and they’ll be shocked that you’ve only been playing for a year.
hello there! You previously commented on my piano technique and correctly pointed out my flaws, so I wanted to reach out. I posted another video, and I was wondering if you could see any improvement in my technique? I’ve been working on not having as much tension, but it’s hard for me to say whether I succeeded or not. If you could give me your honest opinion, I’d be very grateful! th-cam.com/video/8QmYRYAqS8Q/w-d-xo.html Also, my pedaling in that video is off, I was not releasing all the way I think. I fixed it by now, just haven’t made another recording.
I am also on the road to learning to play piano, teaching myself and came across this video every day i get inspired even more to keep going good luck to everyone 🍀
Really good for a self taught player! But if you really want to learn piano, you should get yourself an accoustic one. It really makes a huge difference, you can clearly see that you are very shy and uncoordinated on the digital piano. Also, no matter how good a digital piano is, the sound quality and the dynamics will never be the same as on a real piano. There are cheap used ones, but always check that it has a good and hard touch, so your fingers get trained, the sound is as you want it (mostly smaller pianos have more of a metallic and cold sounds and bigger ones a more grand-piano and warm sound, but it‘s also louder. If you have a small room and get to first-play the piano to check it in a big store/ one that is bigger than your room, make sure it‘s not too loud, because it will be very loud in the smaller room) and that the hammers and strings aren‘t too used. When you got it in your room then, the humidity should be 40 to 65% and there shouldn‘t be sun on it all the time, otherwise it can damage the piano. Anyway, that is a very good process! I hope my advices could help. ^^
This is great!!! Actually I also started self learning in piano but I couldn't achieve the point you did. so I found myself with learning with a teacher. this is huge!
Such a great video and encouraging for all of us who feel a bit defeated trying to learn piano. I've been trying to learn longer than you were born. LOL. You have done so well. I'm going to keep going. Thank you for sharing, really inspiring.
Thx for sharing your experience in learning piano, honestly I dont know why youtube recommend this for me, but I can really feel your love in playing music. Also, hope your ultimate goal will acheive soon. Wish all self taught learner can be motivated by this video to act immedately as well.
Well done! Like you, I'm also self-taught and had started to record my playing to keep track of my progress playing the songs I like (also just picked up drum not too long ago). Keep it up!
My mother asked back in 2018 if I wanted to try Piano and I've been playing since. I never really took practice seriously until this year and I'm really starting to get into Piano. I just wish I did more practice back when I started. This video is very inspiring for me, because it helps me realise that there is still so much I can do and I just have to push past the difficult stuff until I'm through. Thanks for sharing this, it truly means a lot.
Inspiring to watch and listen to. I am at the very beginning of my jounrey. I had a few lessons as a teenager, but never practiced enough to get anywhere, but now, I feel it is the right time to get back into making music and learning the piano.
That's huge progress for the time span. Not using a pedal is actually better for practicing, but you HAVE to buy one ASAP for performances. I also don't recommend focusing on perfecting known music, keep playing as many new ones as possible as this will improve your pattern recognition, which is one of the most important things to pianists. I'm a begginer myself, but I got huge improvements following these tips.
I loved reading about your piano journey! And what a testimony about choosing something to dedicate yourself to for a year. I've done something similar in my life (dedicating to my TH-cam channel for a year!) to see what happens. And like you; I'm surprised at how much joy I am getting out of it! Keep up the great work and I look forward to hearing more music from you and watching you progress. I'm confident you're inspiring many.
I admire people who are self-taught and I have done it myself on both the drums and guitars. But when it comes to piano (I play classical music only) I find it impossible to reach really good level without a teacher. Lesson are VERY expensive but it's totally worth it. All the etudes may seem boring but that is the way to develop the technique and speed. Good luck!!
@Пётр фигнёй страдает -- it may be that how boring the lessons seem may depend somewhat on the teacher, the approach, and the material -- and the student btw -- why is "Peter is suffering from ..." ? ;-)
@@aBachwardsfellow it's not really 'suffering', it's just an idiom in Russian language that I love so much.... it's more like 'Peter does silly things' or something like that
Great playing! I bought a piano around the same time (Dec 2021). I don't know as many songs as you though! Keep up the awesome work. The introduction of the foot pedal is a massive game changer, it really does enhance everything.
i agree , i was waiting the whole video wondering when she was going to discover the sustain pedal. it is basically what tied everything together for me.
BRAVO!!!!! When you look back from where you started to where you are now, is amazing! The fact that you also memorized those compositions is also astonishing!
I took years of lessons long ago, have known a lot of pianists, and have watched a few "adult beginner piano progress" TH-cam videos... yours has impressed me the most. Fur Elise at 4 months and that arrangement of Just the Two of Us at 8 months are already unbelievable, but you really outdid yourself with the Chopin Eb major Nocturne at only a year. In the Royal Conservatory of Music exams (which I read about but never took), there are 10 grades followed by the "associate" exams which are divided into Teacher's and Performer's. At one point at least, that Nocturne was grade 9, and I'm confident that hardly anyone advances as quickly as you have. Keep it up, you have talent I hope you'll develop.
Interesting video! You clearly chose the best possible option 😉 you’re gonna love the journey so much!! I started like you in 2020 and I’ve been playing every single day since the first one!
This is amazing! Although, I would wait to get into Chopin until you have at least 3 years of experience. Even for his simplest of pieces, it is incredibly difficult to get the technique of his style. I have been playing piano for 10 years, and when I played Nocturne in Eb major, it was difficult to make sure I got all of the dynamics expressed correctly. But, you're doing an amazing job, keep it up!
Wow, im amazed at your progress at the 4 month mark. I still have to watch the rest of the video, but i am just barely getting the intro to fur elise at 3 months, and you seem to have the whole song memorized and able to play it very well. Nice work!
Thanks! I’m sure playing drums helped me a ton to get a head start, so you’ll get there. Plus fur Elise is a difficult piece, if I could go back I would have done easier pieces in the beginning and worked on perfect timing and relaxed technique. Best of luck on your piano journey!
I just started today playing piano, and want to see how good i can get in a year and so on. Already on day 1 i can play the first 10 seconds of "River Flows In You" So im pretty proud of my self, and thats all self taught
It's really really good for 1 year. It seems to me that picking some simpler pieces (or simpler arrangements of songs) would be beneficial, as you wouldn't have to focus so much on hitting the right notes, and could dedicate some practice on having good timing (you don't have to always play with a metronome, but at least once in a while to check and correct your timing). And you can still play the harder pieces that you really like (it's important to play what you want), but maybe not just that.
Hello, you are so right on this one! Now that’s I’ve played for two years, I understand that I should have started with basics. I’m smarter with selecting more suitable pieces now and finally play with a metronome and a pedal :)
When i first started playing piano, the song that i wanted to learn for the 1st time was Fur Elise, even if i knew it was a pretty hard one, and it took me somewhere around 8-9 months to play it almost "perfect". The fact that you played it so good in just 4 months its mind- blowing! I always was the person saying that if you love to do something, go and work for it, no matter what, so just keep up on doing what you love, please!
Very good progress in one year. A most beginners have the same problems: 1) Stiff fingers and wrists. Your wrists don't move at all. It doesn't make that much difference on electric piano, but it does on normal. It would be ideal to some times play also on normal and just try playing one sound in different ways and to hear the difference. The hands should caress the keyboard softly, not hit it like a hammer. Unless playing staccato, you put your finger on the key, move your wrist down and transfer some of the movement through finger on the key... difficult to describe. You can observe this on pianists playing slower melancholic pieces. On the fast punchy it is not obvious, but is is still the base, just faster/stronger. SOFT HANDS 🙂 2) When playing songs, there is usually the melody and than "everything else", like chords etc.. The melody should be more loud, the rest softer and doesn't really matter. This is most obvious in the Nocturne, it sounds like a MIDI machine. Even if you don't play something from the rest it usually doesn't make much difference. It is the same problem in the linked video Fur Elise 2:50 the bass beat is not important and should be in the background. The melody is usually in the right hand. ONLY MELODY IS IMPORTANT 🙂 Anyway, a really good progress, please don't get discouraged my my comments. What I described takes years and you are ahead of average players IMO. Please use my advice to take your playing to next level.
I really appreciate it! I agree with everything you said! I tried to fix those issues during my second year of playing but my technique still needs a lot of improvement.
I have been playing piano now for 2.5 years sporadically and I can only play 1 song further than 1 minute 😅 I've always been learning those "meme" as I was a little younger back then but now I'm actually trying to learn full songs (also self taught). Great job by the way!! You can play a lot of songs very greatly! Awesome progress :)
👏👏👏 you go girly!! I’ve been thinking about recording my process just for me but watching this has definitely inspired and motivated me to do so. I want to be able to look back at my progress and thought recording might be silly. Anyway thanks so much! I’m pretty much self taught too and looking for a piano master to study and learn from! Congrats on keeping your promise for a year. I second to your comment of wishing you started practicing with the metronome earlier… I’m on the same boat ! Going to start implementing the metronome too! Congrats on your success, keep it up and thanks a million for inspiring & motivating myself and other!! 🎉🎉🎉
Wow thanks so much! Please do post your progress sometime, I’d love to see! And yeah, metronome was a game changer for my second year. Can’t believe I used to think I didn’t need one! I thought my timing was on point for all these pieces at the time of me recording them 😂😂😂 Now a year later (and a year since I started to use metronome) I look at these with such disbelief gee
Congratulations on your achievement, you have the most important things such as interest, strength and perseverance. If you allow me to make a suggestion, look for the Anna Madalena Bach Book, it will give you independence in your fingers and the pieces are not complicated but educational. Another thing that will improve your technique is knowing scales, both major and minor, arpeggios and their inversions if possible in all keys.
Thanks so much, I’ve been playing for two years now (video out) and enjoying it even more now :) I finally started to do scales, arpeggios, and try to relax more, and some of it worked (while I’m still working on a better technique).
Good going, thanks for not giving up, this will make you a different person and you will have something no one can take away from you. When I sit to my piano, I forget the whole world!
Zhenya, I am so very impressed with your progress. You must have practiced a lot each day. I loved watching your play immensely. My favourite pieces were The Two of Us (beautiful chord structure) and The Pink Panther (that really was so much fun to watch you play). I loved Nocturne #9 - a difficult one! Good luck with this next year’s development. I will set my calendar! You are very inspiring. Best regards and wishes from the Giant’s Causeway coast of Northern Ireland. 😄👍☘️
Thank you very much for the kind words! I’ve actually been playing for two years now (this is an old video) and I did already post my send year as well.
Ok, so I play piano since 2016 and what you did in a year it's what I did in 2/3 years. I guess you have a lot of talent, so I hope you continue because piano it's a beautiful instrument.
I appreciate that! I’m surprised to hear that because my timing is all over the place and there are lots of pauses and clearly the pieces I learned are way above my level and I understand now that I should have started with simpler songs. Plus, I can’t read sheet music and play simultaneously yet and had to have everything memorised. So I ended up forgetting some of these pieces, and it would take me hours if not days to remember them again. This year, I already started with simpler stuff and I’m just perfecting every piece that I play and always practice with a metronome, so this year everything should sound cleaner. Thank you for your kind words, and good luck with your piano journey!
@@Del21 I didn’t really use any books (but I definitely should have and I practice with Hanon now), but I watched lots of TH-cam videos. I studied a 3-hour music theory course by Marcs Piano where it taught all kinds of different chords, scales, and some arpeggios I believe, and I practiced them all. I also watched some beginner practice videos by Pianote and Jazer Lee and did some of that. But I have to admit that most practicing I did was just rehearsing those pieces. I didn’t have a very structured practice plan, I just wanted to learn the pieces. I would divide each piece into 15-20 (sometimes more) parts and just work on one part a day. I did lots of repetitions, and wouldn’t skip to the next part until I was confident in the current part. I should have practiced different exercises and learned new pieces simultaneously, but now I’m doing all kinds of exercises and I see that at least learning those pieces my first year helped, so the exercises I’m doing now (chord inversions, octaves, arpeggios) aren’t too overwhelming.
Impressive. I've been learning for 3 weeks now (self taught too) and as much as I'm finding it difficult I'm also enjoying it. Your journey encouraged me a lot, thank you and good luck!
Wait till you find out the hard part is yet to come. The first 6 months is the easiest and quickest moving part of it. :) And when you've overcome the hard part, there's another next level of hard. And when you overcome that, there's yet another next level of hard. It keeps going.
Bravo👏🏼 i can say you're gonna play some beautiful pieces! Ive also started on a casio but highly recommend a keyboard with a bit more quality, you instantly take your talent a step higher!
If you get bored of learning new pieces - like I did - I recommend you to try improvising! First it's hard, but when you get accustomed to it you'll have a great time. If you learn to improvise you'll be able to play new songs everytime you play, so it won't be that boring. And what I've experienced that most of the songs one learns out of memory are going to disappear by time, but not Improvisation skills. Those stay.
I 100% agree. Creating my own melodies (composing my own pieces sounds too fancy for my level) is the reason why I picked up piano, that’s my ultimate goal. And improvisation will help me get there. I try to improvise daily, but right now it’s definitely taking me out of my comfort zone and I’m terrified of it every single time I’m about to do it. I’m sure it will get better over time like anything else.
@@Zhenyamarushko My goodness! -- no need to be "terrified" ! ;-) As the saying goes, if you play one note wrong, it's a mistake; if you play two wrong notes -- it's jazz. 🙂 Would you say that your inclination towards improvising and composition is more towards the jazz and pop instrumental spectrum? Or are you interested in improvising and composing in other genres as well -- songs? Do you also sing and/or write poetry/lyrics)? By improvising -- do you mean that you're taking an existing/known piece and either playing it by ear and/or reworking the melody and harmony? Or are you starting from "scratch" and creating your own (new) piece? Either is a great way to connect your mind with the music. I definitely recommend playing existing pieces by ear as a great way to start -- it's a form of improvising. An useful exercise I like is to take a simple piece, learn to play it by ear in a simple key -- i.e. C. THEN -- play it in every other key (transpose). This is a great way to get comfortable with the chords and melodies in other keys. From there you can improvise by using alternate chords, altered chords, progressions, melodic ornamentation, etc. Another great way to support improv is by ear training and dictation: listen to a piece of music and see if you can write down the harmonic progression and melody. Learning basic harmonic analysis * is helpful for this as well and is a good tool for both thinking and playing improv as well as composition. * Harmonic analysis -- you may already know this, but in a given major key -- C major for example: G a b C D e f E f g A B c d triads: *C* *d* *e* *F* *G* *a* *b* MAJ min min MAJ MAJ min dim analysis: I ii iii IV V vi vii scale note: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 C major: C D E F G A B For improv/new compositions, start with basic chords in an easy key -- figure out if you're wanting a major key (C, G, D, A, F, Bb, etc.) or minor (a, e, b, d, g, etc.) -- run a few scales and do some arpeggios, chords and cadences in the key to get the tonality in your head; figure out whether you feel like something upbeat or more mellow, contemplative; kinda figure what harmonic style your wanting to try -- jazz, pop, folk, "classical" -- and the rhythmic texture you're wanting -- lively, jive, swing, ballad, etc. If you've got a melody in your head work that out first, then find the chords / bass that go with it; if you've got a harmonic progression in your head, work that out -- then add the melodic material that seems to fit. Keep the harmony in basic triads at first, then develop it -- rhythm, added intervals -- 7ths, 9ths/2nds, 6ths, etc. progressions, and bass. I like to work in a "variations" approach (or "versions" approach -- v1, v2, etc.). I create (whether playing or writing) a "rough draft" -- simplest version or outline to get the overall structure in place -- then start enhancing it a bit at a time, sort of like a theme and variations piece. If you're improvising "real time" -- that is at the keyboard as you go -- you'll find that the better you know scales, chords, and arpeggios the more material you'll have to work with. Keep in mind that it's an experimental and learning process -- you'll discover more of what's "right" the more you do it -- do not be "terrified" of playing something "wrong" or making "mistakes" -- just *listen* and learn :-) and ... *have fun* ! PS -- sometimes I do better writing it out ("composing" !! ) first. There are some free music scoring software available which will play back what you write and allow you to hear it -- a great way to experiment. Finale Notepad is free -- very basic -- but usable, I've been able to do most of what I want with it since I'm only wrting basic piano (grand staff) or organ (grand staff plus pedal bass) scores (sometimes with a solo instrument or vocal line). I've also used MuseScore (paid $29 / yr) which is a little more advanced than Notepad and maybe a bit easier to use. But no need to shell out $nnn for music software (Finale, Sibelus) until you know what you want/need.
As a pianist who has studied for 13 years at the Conservatoire of music, I only can compliment with you and your stunning progress! Don't know if you were reading music or if u learned in another way, but you're a really quck learner and you're hands coordination is excellent. If u continue this way you will achieve great results and get a lot of satisfaction. What I can suggest you now is to work on your technique (you're hands are too tense, the left more than the right) and to start practicing scales (i know it's boring but it helps to find the best fingering:) Good job!!
Congratulations on your determination and amazing progress. I've been start stop start stop start stop since the start of the pandemic. After watching your video I'm going to start today and NEVER stop. Your husband and family is very proud of you. Thanks for sharing your year long progress most beautiful lady.
Thank you so much! I didn’t really use any books (but I definitely should have and I practice with Hanon now), but I watched lots of TH-cam videos. I studied a 3-hour music theory course by Marcs Piano where it taught all kinds of different chords, scales, and some arpeggios I believe, and I practiced them all. I also watched some beginner practice videos by Pianote and Jazer Lee and did some of that. But I have to admit that most practicing I did was just rehearsing those pieces. I didn’t have a very structured practice plan, I just wanted to learn the pieces. I would divide each piece into 15-20 (sometimes more) parts and just work on one part a day. I did lots of repetitions, and wouldn’t skip to the next part until I was confident in the current part. I should have practiced different exercises and learned new pieces simultaneously, but now I’m doing all kinds of exercises and I see that at least learning those pieces my first year helped, so the exercises I’m doing now (chord inversions, octaves, arpeggios) aren’t too overwhelming.
I've been playing piano for around a decade now and picked it up when I was really young, though I never really enjoyed the instrument until I was a little older, maybe 14 or 15. Your passion definitely shines through in your playing, and I'm very impressed that you actually stuck with it! One piece of advice I would have would be to use the pedal and to vary your dynamics and speed. It adds a lot of character to your playing and if you do that, then you're going to be a pro in no time haha. Keep up the great work! You made my day ❤
That’s awesome Evgenia, an accomplished tennis player and now well on your way to becoming an accomplished pianists. You can play Happy Birthday to yourself.😂
tomorrow is my second month playing the piano! i’m learning with a teacher. thank you so much for the video ❤ i’m really inspired to keep practicing and practicing
Thank you guys so much for the kind words of encouragement! My second year of playing piano is up, so here’s my second year update for anyone who’s interested: th-cam.com/video/tg7jVAcsTDU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BkBpKvG_ZAV_JSbo
Onto my third, wish me luck!
This is the best video I have seen so far in 2024... I just got it in my video flow. Now I will go watch the second year. You are great... maybe one day we will hear you play "Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2".
You've done an excellent job! Just a little suggestion that's helped me so much- Make sure to relax your arm.... your fingers get power from the relaxed weight of your arm. If you relax your wrist, have your arm feel heavy, you can play with effortless power, using gravity. You'll feel a lot more relaxed. With the wrist tense or finger playing, you'll feel more rigid. I wish you were one of my students! Maybe I could make a video tutorial for you on Fur Elise, which is perfect for arm weight.
Absolutely fanastic! Ive taken this as inspiration as i've recently fallen in love with piano and started around a month ago. Used to play guitar a lot but this is a whole different game lol i'm not great with sheet music but wondered if you learnt chords as you went along or dedicated time to learn them as a base before going into certain songs? Keep up the good work! 🤘👍
@@dannyscavenger2290 I’m so happy to hear that. Best of luck on your piano journey! Yes I started learning piano theory (which covered chords) from week one. I also wrote everything I did in the description of this video :)
@@jellycodingthank you, you are very kind!
I appreciate this video so much. This is exactly what TH-cam used to be before it became news and commercially-produced content.
Good times.
Indeed
Thank you, this is very kind!
So true ,I have already forgot it
So true. Now I'm feeling nostalgia at nocturne op 9's rhythm because of your comment
I'm a retired Jazz drummer who has worked with many great Jazz Artists, and I'm going to take up piano come January 2024. I'm 76 now and I took piano lessons when I was 5 or 6 years old for about a half a year, then took up accordion for about a year, then switched to drums when I was around 8 years old, and continued playing professionally until 2011 when my best friend I'd played with most of my life passed away from cancer. It crushed me, and I felt like I had lost all interest in ever playing again. I donated my drum set which was almost new to the Phoenix Performing Arts Center for someone to play who was less fortunate. I never picked up a pair of sticks again until last year when I bought a snare drum just to practice my rudiments with. I made a pledge to learn to play Jazz piano starting in January of 2024. I just watched your video and was so encouraged by your progress.....great job, keep it up. Perhaps I'll video my progress just as you have starting in January and finishing in December. Wish me well.
I am 78 and started 6 months ago. The maturity you have means you know that consistency one to two hours a day is how to practice-No more here and there whenever..This I read from a Julliard pianist- consistency and focused practice one hour but no days missed. The trained teacher knows what is more important to practice for each lesson. I guarantee that every day the piano will absorb you like a friend. Practice slow, deliberately let it sink in.
I am 64 and have played drums since the 7th grade. I too will learn the piano this year! Good luck to you 😊. In the middle of selecting a digital piano. Looking at the Kauai ES-120 or the Roland FP-E50.
I’m wishing you very well David, all the way from the Giant’s Causeway coast of Northern Ireland. Like you I have always wanted to learn piano but life got in the way. I retired five years ago but I am very impressed with Zhenya’s progress. She has clearly spent a lot of time practicing. Not sure if I have that sort of commitment anymore.
@davidroberts2476 thank you for sharing your journey! Looks like you’ve had your ups and downs but nothing can overcome your love for playing music. Best of luck in your piano journey, please do take videos, I would love to see your progress! Given your profound drumming experience, you’ll probably pick it up very easily :)
Nice story David, sorry to hear about your friend's passing. I am 67 and played guitars most of my life. I was also inspired by Zhenya's video. I have zero knowledge of the piano but I have just bought a keyboard and intend to learn to play as best I can. There seems to be a wealth of information on TH-cam. Like you maybe I will post my progress after a year too, maybe compare notes :))
The amount of people who try to learn a new skill and quit when things get too hard is most people. But you stuck with it and I respect that. Keep up the great work and good luck on your journey!
Thank you! 100% agree! I’ve quit many things and just wanted to stick with something to see how far I can come. Totally worth it.
Ikr ❤❤❤ keep it up
i’ve been playing since 8 years and i can tell you for 1 year you’re great and i wish u the best to get better and better ❤️❤️
Thank you very much!:)
after 5 months of practice i can play sempre piu mosso from ballade 1 and coda from ballade 4
OK, so I'm impressed with the 1 month in. The fact that you could play with both hands doing different things.. I'm 1 week in and my brain is still struggling with each hand playing different things at the same time... I'm hoping it will just click at some point like when I first learned guitar, spent hours and hours a day learning one song and then all of a sudden I woke up one day and I could play it. (It just clicked).
It will click for sure! Hand independence came to me fairly easily because of my drumming background (drummed for 100 hours on a pad prior to piano) but other things are harder. You’ll get there!
I find the same thing. I can use each hand independently, however playing them together is taking a while.
Hopefully piano's going well for you and things are starting to click! Sometimes you just wake up and piano makes sense. I didn't start playing as an adult but this happens regardless of level. You work on something over and over, can't do it and ragequit, sleep it off and then the next day for some reason you can do it and it makes sense. Neverending cycle :D
Hello. Of course it's hard. At the beginning of my training, my head was already heating up, even in a cool room, I felt hot. Now it has become easier, although not easy. The brain is accustomed to accepting this new, musical information. Sitting behind the instrument, positioning the hands - everything settled down and became familiar.
I had never studied music or played an instrument before. Exactly two years ago, in the month of May, I was completely captivated by the idea that I wanted to not only listen to Bach on TH-cam, but also play it myself.
I was 58 years old.
I bought the instrument second-hand and on June 4, I sat down at the piano keyboard for the first time in my life. I opened TH-cam with training videos and began to study. In general, I was busy like this until mid-August. This is not to say that I didn’t succeed. But there were places where I doubted whether I was doing the right thing, to consult with someone. September came and I went to a children's music school. And the piano teacher agreed to give me lessons. On September 17, I started first grade at school ;)) By the way, my independent studies came to light. When we met, the teacher asked if I had previously studied music. And at the very first lesson he said, it’s obvious that you’ve studied before. Of course, I told how I studied on my own. Now the second year of school is coming to an end. The teacher says that she doesn’t teach me anything, she just tells me, and I learn on my own. As it may be, the role of the teacher in my studies is irreplaceable.
Now I can give a small solo concert for 20-25 minutes. I learned all the pieces by heart, I play without notes, except the last one - Adagio BWV 974 th-cam.com/video/2x-OHljZzHQ/w-d-xo.html
Of course I'm not the one playing. This is for example. And I still don’t have the skill to play so well. But I'm playing. And I do it the way I want.
Currently studying BWV 1056
th-cam.com/video/6XMyfCh3aAM/w-d-xo.html
I apologize for any inaccuracies in the text. I am writing through a translator. Greetings from Russia.
Sleep is like the final touch of practice you need to master something
"A pink top and a pink tie and nobody noticed"... girl it was the first thing I noticed! I love when musicians are in character ❤
Haha this was intended for my family. I learned this for my sister’s birthday and sent it to all my family members, and nobody noticed my outfit. Just wanted to rub it in once more :)
I am a University professor who has been playing the keyboard but not learning to read music but now I am 43 and have promised myself that this year I shall learn to read the music on my keyboard. Your video is very inspirational.
Take some lessons from a teacher, at least in the beginning. This self-taught piano players always (1000% of the time) lack some basic techniques that makes a huuuuge difference in quality. A teacher will address that from the first moment you touch the keys of the piano, and this way you'll end up sounding like a true pianist if you continue developing this hobby over time.
@@dncviorel This is very true, and the difference lies not only in quality. I'm a self taught pianist and terrible technique actually damaged my right pinky. It took me like 2, maybe 3 years to realise this finger was constantly stressed, constantly in tension and it lead to a tiny deformity which will eventually need surgical procedure.
@@dawid12301d Oh, so sorry to hear that! Yes, mastering the right technique is highly important, not only for playing an instrument, but for pretty much anything you actually do on a regular basis. I hope you can find solutions to avoid surgical intervention, you could talk to a podiatrist for a 2nd opinion. Wish you well!
@@dncviorel Sadly, there is no other way to fix it. I developed some kind of irregular bone and tendon growth which makes that finger crack every time I bend it. Every single time. It's not painful unless I play for an extended period of time or have to grab things repetitively. It was extremaly annoying at the beginning but I got used to it to a point I'm not even noticing. I did contact three orthopaedists, one of which is a top hand specialist and surgeon. Surgery would fix the problem but there is a high chance it will make that finger quite stiff, which I'd like to avoid... so as long as the pain is very minor and there are no other problems I'm postponing surgical intervention, as it was suggested by the specialist.
@@dawid12301d If surgeons can't guarantee full success and no other side effects I would do everything to avoid the procedure, but I'm sure you know better. Whatever decision you take, I hope you'll continue having a good time playing your favorite instrument. Cheers to you!
With my 8 years of piano experience i truly feel that you have talent and that if you keep practicing like that you will eventually want to play harder and harder songs until it can’t get harder anymore.. and the songs that you have practiced before will just sound too easy and empty. My experience with that just never ends. I wish you the greatest of honor to become a piano master one day!
Im still in my first year but i got curious what after 8 years of commitment to piano your feeling is? Especially when there is nothing that hard anymore
@@daniaalaa8550I’ve been playing for over 10 years and there’s still some pieces that are hard. Not only do you practice playing the actual notes, you have to master the performance and emotion you put into the song
@daniaalaa8550 I’m a pianist of 4 years. Even though I don’t have as much experience, I can definitely tell you, there are extremely hard pieces out there, that would even be difficult for people who have 10+ years of experience.
@@daniaalaa8550piano has by far the most repertoire of any instrument and therefore very difficult pieces. So you probably will never find pieces that are not to difficult for you
I’m on my 6 year of playing the piano and it is totally worth it. I love music to begin with. My grandma was playing it one day and I just thought I play it as well too. Now, I can play it for my family and friends’ birthday party and I can enjoy it myself. Keep it up! you got this!
the most important and one of the hardest things to naturally discover is having your arms fully extended and y our hands completely relaxed until you press the note. I think there are some videos on it, pretty sure it is a video by tonebase with seymour berstein
Finally one of these videos that seems real and what we’d expect with mistakes and timing issues. You’re really good for one year and self taught! Like really good! 😁 I liked pink panther and the nocturne was really cute! Also I didn’t want to leave advice but seeing as you said it yourself in the end, perfecting the piece before moving on is the best thing to do! And have fun with the sustain pedal, it will change your world!
Thanks so much, I’ve been playing for two years now (video out) and enjoying it even more now :) Finally playing with a pedal (although my pedaling needs a lot of work) and a metronome. And critiques always welcome :)
I have just watched it and I was really impressed! Fewer pieces but much stronger. It looks like you met all the goals you set in this video. The improved pedalling will come with practice, I think you’re doing great 😊. Critiques are good but it doesn’t help to have lots of people shouting lots of things and honestly you’re doing really well! Just learn what you want (and can comfortably learn) and work on improvement and technique in a way you find fun and this is the best advice 😊.
Für Elise in 4 months is absolutely insane. You should be so proud of yourself omg, I started playing the piano at 7 and maybe it was because I didn’t like playing and never practiced at home but it took 3 years of piano learning for me to start learning that piece
i learned fur elise in my first month but it took me 2 month to master it
@@ken3278 dang. Some people are just built different huh
@@ken3278no joke?
@@Pamela-dv7gb i swear
@@ken3278first piece I learnt was one summers day by Joe Hisaishi and then a few months later I learned and mastered the full version of fur Elise
Really good for self-taught. Keep it up. You are surely a great encouragement to others who may be learning a new skill or talent, especially the self-taught. 👍
Thank you so much for the kind words! Interesting username! I take pine needle tincture consistently.
What a whole lot of determination and dedication! Congratulations on the ways you've stayed creativity! Here's to many more years of musical fun!
Thank you so very much!
i know I'm like 2 years late but i just wanna say that watching your video has inspired me to buy a piano and start my own journey just like you because seeing the way you've improved was so impressive and made me wanna give it a try for myself i didn't know if i really wanted too because i didn't know if it would be something i would like and would just quit but i always do that with things so ill use this as a chance to commit to something for once and actually challenge myself good or bad even if I'm not a natural ill try to apply myself this is the video i needed so i can have better resolve and just go for it thank you for showing us your journey and the growth you've shown while practicing and continuing to do better
Wow, thank you so much! I don’t know how your comment got buried and I didn’t see it until now, but it makes me so happy to hear that!
I also saw you mentioned that you’ve been playing for 5 months and still going at it! That is amazing, congratulations! How are you enjoying it? Learned any pieces so far?
I made many mistakes being self-taught. Here’s what I’d recommend for you if you plan on being self-taught: 1) work on your relaxed technique (there are lots of videos on TH-cam that teach you how to position your wrists and fingers), 2) play with a metronome (better to play an easy piece on time than a challenging one all over the place like I did), 3) start with easy pieces and slowly work your way to more challenging ones.
I’m so happy you picked up this beautiful instrument, and I wish you all the luck and joy with it! Let me know if you have any questions :)
You are amazing! I’ve been self teaching myself how to play piano for 7 months now. Thank you for this video! True inspiration!❤❤❤ keep it up and don’t stop.
These are the kind of videos that I absolutely love. Realistic progress!!! I've been learning piano, and I relate to so many things. She has been consistent, and it paid off. Good luck!!
You came such a long way in just a year, especially with being self taught! Well done! 😃
You are great! I am a self learnet just like you and I saw myself while watching you. I learned a lot in a year. So many people doesn’t care but we have the talent. It is just we discovered it late… We will become better within time I do believe that 🥰
Thank you! With hard work progress is inevitable! You can do it!
I am currently about to start piano lessons. Never played an instrument but have always loved piano. You are an inspiration!! Loved watching your progress ❤
Same , so exited atb to ya mate
Same here but I'm going for the self-taught way also... Maybe it's the harder way but I'll try it and dedicate 1h minimum to piano every day
How is it going?
hows it going ?
I tried to teach myself but hard when you are older. I started lessons 3 months ago.
Great progress! It took me 3 months with a real piano teacher to erase 3 yrs of community college piano classes. Yes, a real teacher makes the difference!
What differences did they make?
@@beckycheruiyot6471When playing in front of a class, I would not have the confidence, hence tons of mistakes. After a real teacher, who built proper strength in my fingers, it was a stroll in the park. I’m not saying that these community colleges serve no purpose, but it’s just not a lot of one on one, there’s just a ton of theory.
@@beckycheruiyot6471 Mostly they will make you take it one step at a time and learn both the instrument and the corresponding theory with it, making it a smoother transition. If the piano teacher is worth their salt they will be adamant about proper finger placement and technique. They will also be there to stop you from attempting difficult pieces (such as fur elise) until you're actually ready. Since its usually not worth it to 'learn' how to play it but badly (bad technique, digitation, etc etc) and then have to relearn it all again later on.
Thank you for inspiring me to practice which I struggled every time. I love your progress it’s so authentic 🙂♥️✨
Terrific! I have been teaching my sister piano for a year on zoom and thought it would be interesting to watch your approach with regard to learning. Both you and my sister share a lot in common in the journey. You both have specific goals and that is a wonderful. Keep it up and enjoy the many happy perks along the way. .
Thank you very much! It’s been a wonderful journey indeed, and this year I’m trying to practice smarter and will see where it takes me. Good luck to your sister :)
Bro when u said terrific I got scared a little 😂
This is great to see an honest and genuine one year progress video great work. A damper pedal will bring you a long way.
Thank you!! Yes, I started using it during my second year and boy did it make a difference!
So awesome, I'm happy for you that you've come along so well over your first year. Now you've been at it for (almost) three years.
Please continue. I would live to see further progress. This gives people hope they can change in their lives.
Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words!
I think you are wonderful and amazing! I just started piano lessons with a teacher and never even thought about self teaching as it is hard enough with a teacher. WOW! Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you, very inspirational. You look the part too in those frocks - we expect a bouquet at the close. Something that hubby can do as well as help out with the digital recording - because another pair of hands always helps with that.
The improvement is so evident (and that's an ambitious repertoire too) but the best is that you said you've fallen in love with the piano.
That's a great video. Thank you.
AWESOME Work !!!!! I'm in my early 50's and just took up piano.. it's coming along nicely.. I hope to be where you are in a year
I have never been interested in playing any sort of instrument until about a month ago. Today I am secretly picking up a Roland RD-2000 with Rolands 200 watt amp and Rolands RPU-3 foot switch pedal and headphones and ( she doesn’t know ). Tomorrow will be my first time touching keys. I want to master the piano over the rest of my life and I turn 60 in one month.
Long story short, my wife had 12 years of lessons and played piano for the church for 25 yrs. She is 60 and started playing when she was 4 yrs old. So, she’s pretty much a pro. I am not going to tell her and will surprise her when I sit down at her piano and play “Fur Elise”.
BTW, I’m putting the Roland RD2000 piano in my home office and only playing it with the amp when she is not home otherwise it will be with headphones. She never comes into my office because it’s far enough away from the central part of the house and is over the garage. She’s going to freak. Wish me luck. 🙂👍
That's adorable! Good luck! 👍
@@VoicesofTania Thank you! 🙂👍
this is so heartwarming, you are a great husband
Suerte! ❤
it has been an expiring video looking at your determination playing the piano. I had the fortune to study since I was young but didn´t care too much of it at that time, but seeing such hardwork and determination for doing it really moves something on people I can assure you, thanks for sharing it and hope that you continue on that path, cause the piano is something magical to play!
Thank you very much! I hope you return to playing piano, it’s such a fun endeavor!
The very fact you tracked your path recording videos shows your commitment and self confidence. I'm on my third year of piano as an adult and in the first year I was not even close to your skills! Congratulations and best of luck with your progression, it's totally worth it!
Thank you so much!!! Will keep at it, and best of luck to you too with your piano journey!
Awesome progress! Just started my piano journey about a week ago. Looking forward to getting this good :D
You can do it! I hope you learn from my mistakes! The pieces I learned were way too difficult for my level, so I couldn’t play them on time or with the articulation they needed. If I had known better, I would have started with basics and got used to playing with relaxed fingers and metronome. So I hope you practice smart, and that way you’ll see great progress and set yourself up for many successful and enjoyable years of piano playing. 😊
Awesome I started Playing the Piano as well in January 2022. It's been a journey of mistakes but better by day.
The patience on her face,man .
Such an inspiring soul she is ✨.
Thank you for sharing your journey! I'm exactly where you were at month 1, so far I'm loving it and am inspired by your progress to keep going!
Bravo to you!! I am trying so hard learning piano. I tried teaching myself before the pandemic, but I had kids around and got too busy. I now am taking lessons but still have to teach myself to prepare for the teacher to critique me. It's been 2 months and I am gradually getting better. I do know how much work you. put into those complicated songs! You are a great inspiration for me.
I saw you commented on my other video too! Thank you again so much, this means a lot!
Loved it. Will watch again. Keep up with your dedication. I am rooting for you.
This video is evidence that we're not lost! amazing! you did great!
Ive been a drummer since about 8 years old (I'm 59) and have wanted to learn piano pretty much my whole life. I recently bought myself a Yamaha DGX670 and am now committed to learn and am having so much fun. thank you so much for the inspiration and sharing this awesome video.
Thank you so much! And I wanna relearn drums! I drummed on a pad, but getting to an actual kit was just so different and terrifying. I wish you best of luck in your musical journey!
I laughed out loud reading your post. I ordered a DGX670 yesterday! I took piano for about 10 years ago but that was also about 40 years ago and I don't remember any of it. So I'm starting from scratch. This video watching the progress is really inspiring!
I would be very curious to learn how you started. A book? A class? A video? I'm looking for something that can guide me through the basics once again.
@@CMDR_Elizium51RA I wrote everything I did to learn in the description :)
@@Zhenyamarushko Thank you I saw that after I replied!! :)
You did a nice job here. Most people give up piano by not finding real joy in it and you did it great! Keep practicing and improving your techniques. It's a delicious learning experience for life.
This really is incredible progress for only 1 year of playing piano… and I mean really, really good. I can see or rather hear where 1 year of drum lessons might have really come in handy though, as you have a really good sense of rhythm and remarkable left / right hand independence for someone playing for such short of time. If you go to the online piano forums, you’ll find many adult beginners playing for several years who wouldn’t even dream of trying out some of the advanced rhythms you played here. That said, I think you really need to work on your finger / arm technique a lot (I wouldn’t even bring this up other than how advanced some of the pieces you were playing are), as all of it still sounds a little stiff at the moment. Using a pedal will help a lot, but more important would be to focus on you legato (smoothness / connection of the notes) so that it sounds more musical overall. Also, I couldn’t tell if you’re still using the same keyboard you started with, but if it’s not a fully weighted keyboard you really should upgrade soon to a better piano so that you can work on your dynamics (playing some parts louder and some softer). You are good enough that it will be worth it, and a cheap keyboard may hold you back. Getting a piano teacher will also be beneficial and they’ll be shocked that you’ve only been playing for a year.
hello there! You previously commented on my piano technique and correctly pointed out my flaws, so I wanted to reach out. I posted another video, and I was wondering if you could see any improvement in my technique? I’ve been working on not having as much tension, but it’s hard for me to say whether I succeeded or not. If you could give me your honest opinion, I’d be very grateful!
th-cam.com/video/8QmYRYAqS8Q/w-d-xo.html
Also, my pedaling in that video is off, I was not releasing all the way I think. I fixed it by now, just haven’t made another recording.
Fake
I am also on the road to learning to play piano, teaching myself and came across this video every day i get inspired even more to keep going good luck to everyone 🍀
Really good for a self taught player! But if you really want to learn piano, you should get yourself an accoustic one. It really makes a huge difference, you can clearly see that you are very shy and uncoordinated on the digital piano. Also, no matter how good a digital piano is, the sound quality and the dynamics will never be the same as on a real piano. There are cheap used ones, but always check that it has a good and hard touch, so your fingers get trained, the sound is as you want it (mostly smaller pianos have more of a metallic and cold sounds and bigger ones a more grand-piano and warm sound, but it‘s also louder. If you have a small room and get to first-play the piano to check it in a big store/ one that is bigger than your room, make sure it‘s not too loud, because it will be very loud in the smaller room) and that the hammers and strings aren‘t too used. When you got it in your room then, the humidity should be 40 to 65% and there shouldn‘t be sun on it all the time, otherwise it can damage the piano. Anyway, that is a very good process! I hope my advices could help. ^^
AWESOME...! Well done. Learning and mastering an instrument is all about "desire and the time you put into it." Keep at it.. you have talent. Cheers!
Wow thank you so much!
This is great!!! Actually I also started self learning in piano but I couldn't achieve the point you did. so I found myself with learning with a teacher. this is huge!
Thanks so much, I’ve been playing for two years now (video out) and enjoying it even more now :) You can do it!!!
Such a great video and encouraging for all of us who feel a bit defeated trying to learn piano. I've been trying to learn longer than you were born. LOL. You have done so well. I'm going to keep going. Thank you for sharing, really inspiring.
After a month I could only happy birthday,playing Havana one year in is extremely impressive
Thx for sharing your experience in learning piano, honestly I dont know why youtube recommend this for me, but I can really feel your love in playing music. Also, hope your ultimate goal will acheive soon. Wish all self taught learner can be motivated by this video to act immedately as well.
Well done! Like you, I'm also self-taught and had started to record my playing to keep track of my progress playing the songs I like (also just picked up drum not too long ago). Keep it up!
Hats off to your dedication ❤
Bravo! Great progress, and thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much!
My mother asked back in 2018 if I wanted to try Piano and I've been playing since. I never really took practice seriously until this year and I'm really starting to get into Piano. I just wish I did more practice back when I started.
This video is very inspiring for me, because it helps me realise that there is still so much I can do and I just have to push past the difficult stuff until I'm through. Thanks for sharing this, it truly means a lot.
thank you so much, this is so wonderful to hear! ❤
Great progress in a year! Glad you fell in love with the piano! It’s the best :) good luck in your journey 😊
Thank you very much! Good luck with yours as well :)
I’m in the second or third month myself and this video progression is an inspirational treasure. I commend your bravery for sharing your development.
Женя -- умничка! Вы правильно делаете, что записываете видео, и, надеюсь, анализируете.
Ваш прогресс заметен и замечателен. Так держать! 🙂
Спасибо большое, Сергей!
Inspiring to watch and listen to. I am at the very beginning of my jounrey. I had a few lessons as a teenager, but never practiced enough to get anywhere, but now, I feel it is the right time to get back into making music and learning the piano.
That's huge progress for the time span. Not using a pedal is actually better for practicing, but you HAVE to buy one ASAP for performances. I also don't recommend focusing on perfecting known music, keep playing as many new ones as possible as this will improve your pattern recognition, which is one of the most important things to pianists. I'm a begginer myself, but I got huge improvements following these tips.
This really inspired me alot! I like how you're able to use both of your hands easily!
Thank you! I believe it’s due to my drumming experience. Without it I wouldn’t be able to play both hands early on.
after playing the piano for a year, I don't know how you managed to get that good in such short time. don't stop any time soon.
@@ciararespect4296 ????? You’re joking right?????
@@novembie8577 haha yes only joking
I loved reading about your piano journey! And what a testimony about choosing something to dedicate yourself to for a year. I've done something similar in my life (dedicating to my TH-cam channel for a year!) to see what happens. And like you; I'm surprised at how much joy I am getting out of it! Keep up the great work and I look forward to hearing more music from you and watching you progress. I'm confident you're inspiring many.
I admire people who are self-taught and I have done it myself on both the drums and guitars. But when it comes to piano (I play classical music only) I find it impossible to reach really good level without a teacher. Lesson are VERY expensive but it's totally worth it. All the etudes may seem boring but that is the way to develop the technique and speed.
Good luck!!
@Пётр фигнёй страдает -- it may be that how boring the lessons seem may depend somewhat on the teacher, the approach, and the material -- and the student
btw -- why is "Peter is suffering from ..." ? ;-)
@@aBachwardsfellow it's not really 'suffering', it's just an idiom in Russian language that I love so much.... it's more like 'Peter does silly things' or something like that
@@PiotrstrashcanŚmietnikPiotra cool! (I was at the mercy of Google translate for that one)
Really great job. I’ve played guitar professionally for years and have thought about picking up piano. This inspired me.
Great playing! I bought a piano around the same time (Dec 2021). I don't know as many songs as you though! Keep up the awesome work. The introduction of the foot pedal is a massive game changer, it really does enhance everything.
i agree , i was waiting the whole video wondering when she was going to discover the sustain pedal. it is basically what tied everything together for me.
Congratulations! I'm starting my first year this week. Hope to get much progress as you did.
BRAVO!!!!!
When you look back from where you started to where you are now, is amazing! The fact that you also memorized those compositions is also astonishing!
I took years of lessons long ago, have known a lot of pianists, and have watched a few "adult beginner piano progress" TH-cam videos... yours has impressed me the most. Fur Elise at 4 months and that arrangement of Just the Two of Us at 8 months are already unbelievable, but you really outdid yourself with the Chopin Eb major Nocturne at only a year. In the Royal Conservatory of Music exams (which I read about but never took), there are 10 grades followed by the "associate" exams which are divided into Teacher's and Performer's. At one point at least, that Nocturne was grade 9, and I'm confident that hardly anyone advances as quickly as you have. Keep it up, you have talent I hope you'll develop.
Interesting video! You clearly chose the best possible option 😉 you’re gonna love the journey so much!! I started like you in 2020 and I’ve been playing every single day since the first one!
I just started my journey trying to learn at 52 years old. You did ana amazing job in one year... heck at 4 months you were amazing. Keep it up
This is amazing! Although, I would wait to get into Chopin until you have at least 3 years of experience. Even for his simplest of pieces, it is incredibly difficult to get the technique of his style. I have been playing piano for 10 years, and when I played Nocturne in Eb major, it was difficult to make sure I got all of the dynamics expressed correctly. But, you're doing an amazing job, keep it up!
Wow, im amazed at your progress at the 4 month mark. I still have to watch the rest of the video, but i am just barely getting the intro to fur elise at 3 months, and you seem to have the whole song memorized and able to play it very well. Nice work!
Thanks! I’m sure playing drums helped me a ton to get a head start, so you’ll get there. Plus fur Elise is a difficult piece, if I could go back I would have done easier pieces in the beginning and worked on perfect timing and relaxed technique. Best of luck on your piano journey!
I just started today playing piano, and want to see how good i can get in a year and so on. Already on day 1 i can play the first 10 seconds of "River Flows In You" So im pretty proud of my self, and thats all self taught
very good my friend, i play piano for about 7 years now, keep it up buddy!
This is so awesome. You encouraged me to do something. Not sure what but something.
That’s awesome, you got it!
It's really really good for 1 year. It seems to me that picking some simpler pieces (or simpler arrangements of songs) would be beneficial, as you wouldn't have to focus so much on hitting the right notes, and could dedicate some practice on having good timing (you don't have to always play with a metronome, but at least once in a while to check and correct your timing). And you can still play the harder pieces that you really like (it's important to play what you want), but maybe not just that.
Hello, you are so right on this one! Now that’s I’ve played for two years, I understand that I should have started with basics. I’m smarter with selecting more suitable pieces now and finally play with a metronome and a pedal :)
When i first started playing piano, the song that i wanted to learn for the 1st time was Fur Elise, even if i knew it was a pretty hard one, and it took me somewhere around 8-9 months to play it almost "perfect". The fact that you played it so good in just 4 months its mind- blowing! I always was the person saying that if you love to do something, go and work for it, no matter what, so just keep up on doing what you love, please!
Very good progress in one year. A most beginners have the same problems:
1) Stiff fingers and wrists. Your wrists don't move at all. It doesn't make that much difference on electric piano, but it does on normal. It would be ideal to some times play also on normal and just try playing one sound in different ways and to hear the difference. The hands should caress the keyboard softly, not hit it like a hammer. Unless playing staccato, you put your finger on the key, move your wrist down and transfer some of the movement through finger on the key... difficult to describe. You can observe this on pianists playing slower melancholic pieces. On the fast punchy it is not obvious, but is is still the base, just faster/stronger. SOFT HANDS 🙂
2) When playing songs, there is usually the melody and than "everything else", like chords etc.. The melody should be more loud, the rest softer and doesn't really matter. This is most obvious in the Nocturne, it sounds like a MIDI machine. Even if you don't play something from the rest it usually doesn't make much difference. It is the same problem in the linked video Fur Elise 2:50 the bass beat is not important and should be in the background. The melody is usually in the right hand. ONLY MELODY IS IMPORTANT 🙂
Anyway, a really good progress, please don't get discouraged my my comments. What I described takes years and you are ahead of average players IMO. Please use my advice to take your playing to next level.
I really appreciate it! I agree with everything you said! I tried to fix those issues during my second year of playing but my technique still needs a lot of improvement.
I have been playing piano now for 2.5 years sporadically and I can only play 1 song further than 1 minute 😅 I've always been learning those "meme" as I was a little younger back then but now I'm actually trying to learn full songs (also self taught). Great job by the way!! You can play a lot of songs very greatly! Awesome progress :)
👏👏👏 you go girly!! I’ve been thinking about recording my process just for me but watching this has definitely inspired and motivated me to do so. I want to be able to look back at my progress and thought recording might be silly. Anyway thanks so much!
I’m pretty much self taught too and looking for a piano master to study and learn from! Congrats on keeping your promise for a year.
I second to your comment of wishing you started practicing with the metronome earlier… I’m on the same boat ! Going to start implementing the metronome too!
Congrats on your success, keep it up and thanks a million for inspiring & motivating myself and other!! 🎉🎉🎉
Wow thanks so much! Please do post your progress sometime, I’d love to see! And yeah, metronome was a game changer for my second year. Can’t believe I used to think I didn’t need one! I thought my timing was on point for all these pieces at the time of me recording them 😂😂😂 Now a year later (and a year since I started to use metronome) I look at these with such disbelief gee
@@Zhenyamarushko awww thanks for the support! How did you start implementing the metronome?
Congratulations on your achievement, you have the most important things such as interest, strength and perseverance. If you allow me to make a suggestion, look for the Anna Madalena Bach Book, it will give you independence in your fingers and the pieces are not complicated but educational. Another thing that will improve your technique is knowing scales, both major and minor, arpeggios and their inversions if possible in all keys.
Thanks so much, I’ve been playing for two years now (video out) and enjoying it even more now :) I finally started to do scales, arpeggios, and try to relax more, and some of it worked (while I’m still working on a better technique).
Good going, thanks for not giving up, this will make you a different person and you will have something no one can take away from you. When I sit to my piano, I forget the whole world!
Zhenya, I am so very impressed with your progress. You must have practiced a lot each day. I loved watching your play immensely. My favourite pieces were The Two of Us (beautiful chord structure) and The Pink Panther (that really was so much fun to watch you play). I loved Nocturne #9 - a difficult one! Good luck with this next year’s development. I will set my calendar! You are very inspiring. Best regards and wishes from the Giant’s Causeway coast of Northern Ireland. 😄👍☘️
Thank you very much for the kind words! I’ve actually been playing for two years now (this is an old video) and I did already post my send year as well.
Your video has gotten me off my backside and pushed me into getting some practice done!!!
Ok, so I play piano since 2016 and what you did in a year it's what I did in 2/3 years. I guess you have a lot of talent, so I hope you continue because piano it's a beautiful instrument.
I appreciate that! I’m surprised to hear that because my timing is all over the place and there are lots of pauses and clearly the pieces I learned are way above my level and I understand now that I should have started with simpler songs. Plus, I can’t read sheet music and play simultaneously yet and had to have everything memorised. So I ended up forgetting some of these pieces, and it would take me hours if not days to remember them again.
This year, I already started with simpler stuff and I’m just perfecting every piece that I play and always practice with a metronome, so this year everything should sound cleaner.
Thank you for your kind words, and good luck with your piano journey!
@@Zhenyamarushko which materials, written books or online learning applications you use and recommend?
@@Del21
I didn’t really use any books (but I definitely should have and I practice with Hanon now), but I watched lots of TH-cam videos. I studied a 3-hour music theory course by Marcs Piano where it taught all kinds of different chords, scales, and some arpeggios I believe, and I practiced them all. I also watched some beginner practice videos by Pianote and Jazer Lee and did some of that.
But I have to admit that most practicing I did was just rehearsing those pieces. I didn’t have a very structured practice plan, I just wanted to learn the pieces. I would divide each piece into 15-20 (sometimes more) parts and just work on one part a day. I did lots of repetitions, and wouldn’t skip to the next part until I was confident in the current part.
I should have practiced different exercises and learned new pieces simultaneously, but now I’m doing all kinds of exercises and I see that at least learning those pieces my first year helped, so the exercises I’m doing now (chord inversions, octaves, arpeggios) aren’t too overwhelming.
@@Zhenyamarushko Thanks for your reply, definitely you’re gifted, All the best!
@@Del21 thank you very much, and all the best to you too!
Impressive. I've been learning for 3 weeks now (self taught too) and as much as I'm finding it difficult I'm also enjoying it. Your journey encouraged me a lot, thank you and good luck!
Wait till you find out the hard part is yet to come. The first 6 months is the easiest and quickest moving part of it. :)
And when you've overcome the hard part, there's another next level of hard. And when you overcome that, there's yet another next level of hard. It keeps going.
Nice. You’ve come a long way in a year.
Thank you!
I've bought my three months ago and have been practicing and studying theory very loosely. What I do enjoy is putting on my headphones and blasting.
Bravo👏🏼 i can say you're gonna play some beautiful pieces! Ive also started on a casio but highly recommend a keyboard with a bit more quality, you instantly take your talent a step higher!
Thank you very much! You have some wonderful content on your channel, subscribed!
Congratulations! That is awesome. I’m just picking it up too and your video gives me inspiration things
If you get bored of learning new pieces - like I did - I recommend you to try improvising! First it's hard, but when you get accustomed to it you'll have a great time. If you learn to improvise you'll be able to play new songs everytime you play, so it won't be that boring. And what I've experienced that most of the songs one learns out of memory are going to disappear by time, but not Improvisation skills. Those stay.
I 100% agree. Creating my own melodies (composing my own pieces sounds too fancy for my level) is the reason why I picked up piano, that’s my ultimate goal. And improvisation will help me get there. I try to improvise daily, but right now it’s definitely taking me out of my comfort zone and I’m terrified of it every single time I’m about to do it. I’m sure it will get better over time like anything else.
@@Zhenyamarushko My goodness! -- no need to be "terrified" ! ;-) As the saying goes, if you play one note wrong, it's a mistake; if you play two wrong notes -- it's jazz. 🙂
Would you say that your inclination towards improvising and composition is more towards the jazz and pop instrumental spectrum? Or are you interested in improvising and composing in other genres as well -- songs? Do you also sing and/or write poetry/lyrics)?
By improvising -- do you mean that you're taking an existing/known piece and either playing it by ear and/or reworking the melody and harmony? Or are you starting from "scratch" and creating your own (new) piece? Either is a great way to connect your mind with the music.
I definitely recommend playing existing pieces by ear as a great way to start -- it's a form of improvising. An useful exercise I like is to take a simple piece, learn to play it by ear in a simple key -- i.e. C. THEN -- play it in every other key (transpose). This is a great way to get comfortable with the chords and melodies in other keys. From there you can improvise by using alternate chords, altered chords, progressions, melodic ornamentation, etc.
Another great way to support improv is by ear training and dictation: listen to a piece of music and see if you can write down the harmonic progression and melody. Learning basic harmonic analysis * is helpful for this as well and is a good tool for both thinking and playing improv as well as composition.
* Harmonic analysis -- you may already know this, but in a given major key -- C major for example:
G a b C D e f
E f g A B c d
triads: *C* *d* *e* *F* *G* *a* *b*
MAJ min min MAJ MAJ min dim
analysis: I ii iii IV V vi vii
scale note: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C major: C D E F G A B
For improv/new compositions, start with basic chords in an easy key -- figure out if you're wanting a major key (C, G, D, A, F, Bb, etc.) or minor (a, e, b, d, g, etc.) -- run a few scales and do some arpeggios, chords and cadences in the key to get the tonality in your head; figure out whether you feel like something upbeat or more mellow, contemplative; kinda figure what harmonic style your wanting to try -- jazz, pop, folk, "classical" -- and the rhythmic texture you're wanting -- lively, jive, swing, ballad, etc.
If you've got a melody in your head work that out first, then find the chords / bass that go with it; if you've got a harmonic progression in your head, work that out -- then add the melodic material that seems to fit. Keep the harmony in basic triads at first, then develop it -- rhythm, added intervals -- 7ths, 9ths/2nds, 6ths, etc. progressions, and bass.
I like to work in a "variations" approach (or "versions" approach -- v1, v2, etc.). I create (whether playing or writing) a "rough draft" -- simplest version or outline to get the overall structure in place -- then start enhancing it a bit at a time, sort of like a theme and variations piece. If you're improvising "real time" -- that is at the keyboard as you go -- you'll find that the better you know scales, chords, and arpeggios the more material you'll have to work with.
Keep in mind that it's an experimental and learning process -- you'll discover more of what's "right" the more you do it -- do not be "terrified" of playing something "wrong" or making "mistakes" -- just *listen* and learn :-)
and ...
*have fun* !
PS -- sometimes I do better writing it out ("composing" !! ) first. There are some free music scoring software available which will play back what you write and allow you to hear it -- a great way to experiment. Finale Notepad is free -- very basic -- but usable, I've been able to do most of what I want with it since I'm only wrting basic piano (grand staff) or organ (grand staff plus pedal bass) scores (sometimes with a solo instrument or vocal line). I've also used MuseScore (paid $29 / yr) which is a little more advanced than Notepad and maybe a bit easier to use. But no need to shell out $nnn for music software (Finale, Sibelus) until you know what you want/need.
@@Zhenyamarushko listen to some Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett for some ideas and go the Jazz way and don't look back
So honest and transparent with how skillful you are becoming
Please invest in a pedal, it will really enhance the sound big time
This is wonderful! I hope each year you enjoy it more than the year before.
Thank you! I do, 2,5 years in already:)
As a pianist who has studied for 13 years at the Conservatoire of music, I only can compliment with you and your stunning progress! Don't know if you were reading music or if u learned in another way, but you're a really quck learner and you're hands coordination is excellent. If u continue this way you will achieve great results and get a lot of satisfaction. What I can suggest you now is to work on your technique (you're hands are too tense, the left more than the right) and to start practicing scales (i know it's boring but it helps to find the best fingering:)
Good job!!
Congratulations on your determination and amazing progress. I've been start stop start stop start stop since the start of the pandemic. After watching your video I'm going to start today and NEVER stop. Your husband and family is very proud of you. Thanks for sharing your year long progress most beautiful lady.
Thank you for the kind words! I hope you never stop playing! You can do it :)
I Highly recommended you getting a sustain pedal.
I definitely will this year, wanted to get somewhat comfortable with my hands first.
Inspirational development! Good work there. I have to watch your 2nd year video now. Thanks!!!
Great work! I'm in this process too, 3 months in.what method helped you the most?
Thank you so much! I didn’t really use any books (but I definitely should have and I practice with Hanon now), but I watched lots of TH-cam videos. I studied a 3-hour music theory course by Marcs Piano where it taught all kinds of different chords, scales, and some arpeggios I believe, and I practiced them all. I also watched some beginner practice videos by Pianote and Jazer Lee and did some of that.
But I have to admit that most practicing I did was just rehearsing those pieces. I didn’t have a very structured practice plan, I just wanted to learn the pieces. I would divide each piece into 15-20 (sometimes more) parts and just work on one part a day. I did lots of repetitions, and wouldn’t skip to the next part until I was confident in the current part.
I should have practiced different exercises and learned new pieces simultaneously, but now I’m doing all kinds of exercises and I see that at least learning those pieces my first year helped, so the exercises I’m doing now (chord inversions, octaves, arpeggios) aren’t too overwhelming.
I've been playing piano for around a decade now and picked it up when I was really young, though I never really enjoyed the instrument until I was a little older, maybe 14 or 15. Your passion definitely shines through in your playing, and I'm very impressed that you actually stuck with it! One piece of advice I would have would be to use the pedal and to vary your dynamics and speed. It adds a lot of character to your playing and if you do that, then you're going to be a pro in no time haha. Keep up the great work! You made my day ❤
That’s awesome Evgenia, an accomplished tennis player and now well on your way to becoming an accomplished pianists.
You can play Happy Birthday to yourself.😂
Thank you James!!
tomorrow is my second month playing the piano! i’m learning with a teacher. thank you so much for the video ❤ i’m really inspired to keep practicing and practicing