Musings On Satie Piano Lessons...

I have been progressing in leaps and bounds with my piano lessons, and my teacher has been very happy with that. She asked me yesterday, if I had ever considered composing. I was playing a simple chord progression (C, Am, F, G) and playing a nice melody with it, and while playing, I smiled at her and said, 'I'm composing right now. I'm just making this up as I go along.' LOL She said that I needed to write it down, and I told her that I needed to learn how to read the 'dots' first, and she said that I had come to the right place.

I've been working on a couple of Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes, and playing around with some blues stuff, as well. I really want to get into ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing. For now, I'm enjoying the discipline of practicing, and the direction that it gives me, so that I have a way to focus my energies. I've wanted to take lessons all my life...

I've also been slowly trying to work out Erik Satie's, 'Gymnopedies.' In the beginning of the song, the left hand plays chord roots, and the right hand plays the chords. It alternates between two chords, and then the melody is started up high, but while that's playing the chords are still being played, so I guess the left hand has to take over playing the lower root, AND the chords, while the right hand is playing the melody. (Either that, or else Erik Satie was able to play piano with his toes) <G> I've been faking it for now, just playing the roots with the left hand, (alternating a low G and low D) while playing the melody with my right, and when the melodic phrase is finished, returning to playing the chords with my right hand. So far, it's proving much too difficult for my present skill level, but it's fun to give it a try every once in a while...

Cheers,

Frank, play the bass note with the left hand and hit the middle pedal, then play the chords with the left hand, also. The melody is only in the right hand.

Thanks, Mark. I can see I'm going to need a WHOLE LOT of practice! Right now, it sounds like crap. I think it's probably way beyond my skill level, but it will be fun to return to periodically, over the next couple of years, perhaps as a way of gauging my progress... Thanks again.

Um, I've been using the right pedal for this.

I also toy now and then with the beautiful Gymnopedies... at least I've known the melody for long enough that they're second nature. As for the chords, just like you say, they're beyond my current level.

But we'll get there.

. I think it's probably way beyond

Thats the best way, I find. Set yourself achievable targets. So you don't get bogged down trying to master something that is too advanced.

I've been playing for nearly 18 months

Best wishes with it, O'Gatolan! Hopefully, someday, I can provide a link to a MIDI or WMA file on a website with my recording of myself playing it flawlessly. (Well, I can dream, can't I?) <G>

Cheers,

Thanks, Bruce.

I can only play 'Skip To My Lou,' and 'Mary Shagged Her Little Lamb,' so many times... <G> I've been working on Andrew Lloyd Webber's, 'Music Of The Night,' that he composed for 'The Phantom Of The Opera,' and while the fingerings are quite complex and have taken me some time to sort out, the song itself is beautiful and I'm making some nice progress with it. Having a piece like that to work on, in addition to the regular grunt work, is what makes keeps me motivated. One of these days, my fingers will be flying smoothly and effortlessly over the keys.

All The Best,

After reading some of your posts , I think that the following books will be of some help to you:

J.B.Duvernoy - Elementary studies op.176 Lemoine - Etudes enfantines Op.37 From the collection 'Piano Step by Step' - Etuden - Konemann Music Budapest

Thanks! I've copied your email to a personal folder, and as the money becomes available, I will order them.

Thanks again,

I've been having fun with these myself. First bit of new sheet music I went out and bought after buying a Chickering concert grand on a lark. I find myself catching those occassional low bass notes with the right hand crossing over the left and back again to the treble range keys for continuation of the melody line. Works for me.