I'm learning Clair De Lune, by Debussy, Part 1

[@NahreSol]

This is so exciting!!! So glad you've embarked on this journey. Love it.

[@truecuckoo]

Thank you so much! You’re playing a big part in this actually. Thank you for all the inspiration 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@perdifoil]

and here it is: the intersection of two of the most beautiful and insightful people on music youtube. i'm awash with joy 😊

[@rafaelribeiro2140]

Is it possible to shot a small video clarifying the main "mistakes" from Cuckoo attempt? It would be great to see this croosover! Congrats, Cuckoo!!!

[@tristannicole7492]

Classical music, as digested by a synth musician ❤️

[@JackDevalera]

Always love your authenticity and kind nature Cuckoo - always shines through no matter what the content! I'll be following this with interest!

[@truecuckoo]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@jonathonkiner7415]

I remember teaching myself this song a few years back. I never played it perfectly but I learned it from beginning to end. I love your channel.

[@RoomReflections]

They way you talked about making your way through the piece is so deep and relatable for any musician. The funny part is that, to me, it speaks more about change itself as a process rather than playing music. I really enjoyed watching, thank you

[@SyncdAlien]

One of my favorite pieces. I'm gratified you were able to go full rainbow by the end of the video!

[@garlikfool]

I feel exactly every moment of the video! I would really like to see you playing the whole piece one day

[@truecuckoo]

Thanks! Yeah I should just push through with it, and learn the whole piece. My biggest challenge is that I have been improvising by ear, staying in the moment, for the majority of my life, and that is making it difficult for me to learn one specific classical piece and play the same thing every time. I never play the same thing twice, lol. But I will do it!

[@MilenaEtc]

Debussy is so funny to play. I remember playing Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum when I was 15 and that was superpsychedelic with hands crossing and jumping around all over the piano. I can't play it anymore but studying that masterpiece for months was like a mystic experience

[@davidowle3772]

THIS is becoming my all time favourite performance of this piece, lightning clouds, rainbows and all.

[@truecuckoo]

🌈⛈

[@c31979839]

That's amazing that you're picking up a classical piano piece. There are all sorts of tequniques that you can learn while studying and practicing new music. I'm tagging along for this journey for sure!

[@truecuckoo]

❤️

[@l00kns33]

It’s funny that you embarked on this journey just as I’ve discovered a brain tickeling interest in Debussy’s music myself after listening to a radio show episode about Debussy’s music this summer. I find it interesting that, as my knowledge of music increases by watching videos like those of Adamn Neely and Nahre Sol I start to appreciate music more that is on the next level for me. Although I have a wide appreciation for different music genres but being mainly a synth guy at heart it challenges me to explore even more. I really enjoyed your discoveries and will follow your progress on this beautiful piece. Good luck with the rest of it!

[@brunocristan7047]

You inspire me to continue music education at a self taught level. Continue what you love doing as i find myself doing the same thing..

[@jimluket]

Nice video. I love Clair De Lune as well. I learned to play a lot of the first section a while ago, but I've forgotten most of it now. I think I could relearn it much quicker than before though. I watch Nahre too and she is great.

[@DJazium]

This is a wonderful video. I've been studying claire de lune for the last 3 months and it's been an incredible journey - beauty, frustration, confidence, humility, inspiration and discovery. Thank you for recording this.

[@crazyjorgito]

Super interesting video Cuckoo. Hope that part 2 comes along! So important to acknowledge that sometimes we are stuck musically and we need to get back to learning new tunes/rhythms/techniques... Awesome video!!

[@pierson9728]

when i was younger, my grandma taught me to play piano. i wanted to play clair de lune so badly, but i kept forgetting the key and getting clumsy on the left-hand runs. it got to the point where i would “forget” to practice all week because i was so disappointed that i couldn’t play my favorite piece. in one of her old lesson books she tracked down a simplified arrangement (c-major, 3/4 instead of 9/8, simpler arpeggios) and i took to it like a duck to water. that change, taking that piece from frustrating to challenging, made all the difference. it’s still one of my favorite pieces to play. so peaceful and gentle, like a moonlit lake in winter.

[@tracingtheta]

Thanks for the inspiration, Cuckoo! I actually went through a similar exercise last year. I have no musical training and I'm just getting started with instruments. I picked up a keyboard and a copy of The Entertainer by Scott Joplin. It took about 9 months to learn to play it all the way through, and I still make mistakes. I've been looking for a new piece to learn, and I think I've found the one. Thanks again, and good luck to you!

[@WaterTimeLapse]

To study this piece, takes some courage. To film the process and then also brilliantly edit that video and upload it to the biggest audience of all time.. That's a true Cuckoo. Love your true-ness.

[@Lunedora]

Felt so good watching this, the editing is fantastic, and you really seem like such a nice person

[@truecuckoo]

❤️ thanks!

[@WoodyPianoShack]

well played mate, gorgeous tone, sustain and resonance on your upright!

[@davidowle3772]

Claire de Lune is a favourite of mine as well. Learning to play it is on my do-before-I-die list. Watching you do it is the kick in the pants I need to get going!

[@mauriciomandara5946]

Nothing like a real piano sound ....👍🏻

[@katanaxi]

this was beautiful, thanks for sharing the whole journey including the messy stuff!

[@TheMachinesWon]

Been wanting to attack this piece as well. Such a great one, good luck and excited for you!

[@nuggelpuggel734]

Love your approach to this, your joy and the initial approach toward the harmonics is just astonishing! As a guitarist just getting into piano, this is truly inspiring and motivating. Thank you

[@lwgl_xyz]

I just fucking love your voice and style of talking And then this piece.... Thanks for recording this wonderful journey

[@kevinnel7038]

this made me want to practice! thanks, its very refreshing seeing someone be so honest online and not just portray the best of the best. i loved seeing this process and it made me feel like its ok to be frustrated because it needs to happen for growth. great video cuckoo!

[@agentred8732]

Thanks so much for sharing this, Cukckoo! Loved watching and learning...

[@corrinmana9324]

I think it's good for people to see the struggle. Adam Neely posted a video of him practicing for four hours one time. And while it's not exiting #content, it's real. That's how you git gud. So I'm glad to see you posting yourself doing something you haven't already mastered.

[@ManCalledMif]

very inspiring video. thank you for walking through your learning process. very helpful. would love to be able to play this also.

[@louierubio]

Exciting! Been waiting for this for a while hahah. Thx!

[@thecaffineman]

Clair De Lune is my favourite piece of music hands down. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful piece of music ever written. Best of luck to you learning the piece, I managed to learn how to play parts of it, but just by ear rather than reading the sheet music, which I find difficult to do at the same time as playing.

[@ektopia]

So inspiring. Thank you. Looking forward to where it goes.

[@Jonwa63]

Love this. I stopped playing any synth to focus on piano after chatting with you on live stream during lockdown about your approach to piano. Just starting to get back to using octatrak. So much to learn ☺️

[@johnnyk1080]

as someone new to the world of synths and playing music in general, its super nice to see your learning process!

[@ar8ch560]

Ahh I just started learning this a couple of weeks ago as well! It’s been such a help for my sight reading skills. Claire de Lune synthers unite!

[@floydartx]

This was a surprisingly helpful video. Got myself a (digital) piano again after not playing for so many years. Good luck with the journey!

[@rockhead11]

This really helped me as I am on my journey to learn to read music. Synths have been my musical forte playing by ear. But I want a new challenge. Thank you, Cuckoo!

[@Pyroific]

I really loved this video, one of my favorite things is just listening to you playing and talking so this was perfect!

[@Efimer]

I decided to learn this song some years ago for the same reason as you, it's a great challenge, good luck!

[@teganmora]

i am quite late to this video, but i find it very inspiring. i’m new to music and piano as a whole, but stuff like this is what keeps me going :) thank you

[@mossy393]

Im here for the journey, thanks for sharing

[@pidgeon9024]

this warms my heart... ! you are an inspiration, my friend! I will stick around to see this through :-)

[@strobeant144]

Great timing Cuckoo. I have recently decided (at 48!), to spend a little less time recording electronic music and revisit the piano (where I started at 6yrs old). I’m so rusty and worried it would be a waste of time but, as always, your calm methodical approach is encouraging. I love the way you played in the relevant key prior to embarking; that helped my practise last night - thanks so much 😊

[@TontonPanda]

very nice video, nice editing, we can follow you step by step, it's very instructive and interesting :) and you have these cool vibes mate, very relaxing !

[@BrandonWalowitz]

Love this. Please please please do a famous mega tutorial of the deluge. Please. We love you

[@DavidGarcia-je8jv]

I've never seen your channel before now. Certain things about this video were just uncanny to me. I'm a keyboardist and piano instructor, but I grew up with jazz and R&B rather than classical. In the last day or so, I picked up Debussy's Arabesque no. 1, and have been working my way through it exactly how you did this tune. I definitely have different struggles than yours, but it's wild to see the similarities to our approaches. I was also freaking out when I saw the background from Phantasy Star 1, because that's actually the desktop background for my laptop that I watched this video on. You seem super cool. I can't wait to check out more, and see the progress you make on this piece.

[@H3ath]

Ahhh i can relate to this, thanks for the inspiration :D

[@NicStage]

Love this piece!

[@Ponchy]

Great to see your progress man! I think it's extremely important to reinvent yourself and break out of your patterns as you put it.

[@wavesequencer]

Debussy is what kept me playing piano in my teens after I gave up on grades/lessons. I would say, Debussy was a synthesist.. he used the piano to make patterns and chord transitions that create textures and layers that can create images in your mind. A lot of his stuff sounds simple, but the timing can be really tricky with each hand doing things out of sync.

[@rjschrei]

Thank You. Inspiring.

[@EarmonkeyMusic]

This is awesome. So nice to see the piano getting some love. Side note: My daughter is working on this piece right now as well but she's decided she likes to steal my Montage to play it 😆

[@neilloughran4437]

Really important to get the fingering right in classical music (or any music!) as you say. I am in the same boat... self taught and more on the improv jazz tip but learning a new piece is always both rewarding and challenging as I feel it's changing pathways in my brain. In the end it's all for the better because it's breaking the typical patterns we build up. The fingering is what kills me to be honest.... i tend to run out of fingers and get frustrated then give up... need a decent repertoire! Anyway good luck with completing this one! I am sure you will do it!

[@stevedavey1710]

Well done cuckoo ! That was amazing and beautiful ! I have loved this piece since back in the day when isao tomita first released it ! Loved Anne Annie's modular version too . Again well done cant wait to hear you play the whole piece , I'm sure you'll do it , good luck , stay focused!

[@mediaphile]

As a pianist who loves synthesizers but can't do anything close to what you do with synthesizers, but who loves playing Debussy, I'm excited for you. If you get this one down, give Reverie a shot. One big piece of advice for you is go through and mark all the flats on all the notes throughout the whole piece. So whenever you see a note, you'll know it's flat. Also ignore the fingering if it doesn't make sense for you. It's all editorial. Those first notes I'd have played 5-3, 3-1. And you're already doing it but draw the phrases, absolutely. I draw big long arcs over phrases, so I know when to "breathe."

[@LifeInSpacePodcast]

Pianos great I just recently was learning Time by Hans Zimmer and it really starts to click once you get down the pattern and let your fingers take you to the next key. It almost becomes natural in a weird way if I’m explaining it in the right way 🙂

[@BowlcutSquadBowlcutsLab]

Lovely approach! I always fear of playing keyboard because I scared of pressing wrong note... but your approach frees from that pressure :)

[@jt342]

My favourite piano song ✌🏼

[@leestevenscoder]

Your videos quite often make me want to go buy some piece of music tech. Now I want an acoustic upright piano. 😆Good work on the self learning btw. Way better than me. It's taken most of my life to barely get halfway through Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

[@Cheech519]

Glad you went analog and also glad you’re fluent in English (not your 1st language) and we’re learning notation,,,.3rd language

[@chantalakerman5837]

Not sure this is the place but, Plogue just released a new synth - Chipsynth SFC - based on the SNES... could you make a video maybe? Love your other ones!

[@truecuckoo]

Yes, I love their new SFC plugin! Sounds extremely genuine. Will probably make a video on that too in the near future.

[@chantalakerman5837]

@@truecuckoo Awesome, thanks Cuckoo.

[@snoolee7950]

beautiful

[@aaronsaarela9883]

I love how you start by attacking 6 or 7 bars and then quickly realize 4 will do as a start. I can totally relate to this. Do track how long it takes you to learn this piece as a good benchmark for future pieces.

[@joelfluri8110]

Great content!

[@shadowhenge7118]

I've never been interested in classical, but there's a few from Bach and Chopin I wouldn't mind picking up. Good luck.

[@yeahrightbear8883]

This is such an awesome song. The only thing I hate is that it gets over used in movie trailers and on TV shows and other things.

[@AetherState]

curious about the screen below the laptop your using and the monitor stands you have. Great video!

[@truecuckoo]

The screen below the laptop is a Wacom Cintiq Pro drawing display. I used to work in animation, and I still cling on to it. Still doing some drawings on it. My monitor stands are soundrisepro.com/ They’re really nice, but since they’re made out of flexible aluminium they can bend a little. The good thing is that you can bend them into an angle that you like (not sure if it’s a feature). I like them!

[@Mobra_Music]

Did you pull of the tape? Well, not really a question because I can hear you removed it 😁 ...have you considered felt? To make that soft Sound... Oh, and great job with Clair De Lune 👌👍👍

[@vorbaud]

What a beautiful piece of music. Thx for dealing so intensively with it and letting us be part of it. It stays in my ears the past three days. Which Notes/Edition did you use?

[@traktorfaktor]

Jag är inte så inlyssnad på Debussy, men efter vad jag hört så finner jag många likheter med Satie (som är en av mina många hus-gudar). Har Debussy gjort någonting lika depressivt?

[@willyvee]

What did help you to get “synchronization” between you hands? I started learning to play the piano really late (at 30 years old) and I’m really struggling playing with both hands and also keeping track of tempo.

[@andrewsmith8762]

I doing grade 5 classical piano and you are way ahead of me. Wish I had spent the time on jazz piano tbh, then I would be able to improvise.

[@andrewsmith8762]

Practice small sections, maybe 4 bars. Play hands separately to start with, then hands together once you're more comfortable. Also, don't worry too much about dynamics until you have got on top of the notes.

[@_greenleader]

The best song to learn

[@SleepyAMS]

Just curious where did you get the sheet music with the finger suggestions from? Great video you've inspired me to do the same :)

[@truecuckoo]

I was using an iPad app called Piascore, where I downloaded several sheets containing this piece, until I found one with good finger suggestions.

[@JayTheLane]

I agree with the sentiments in this video. You have to challenge yourself. Why don't you sample that piano Bro and put it up somewhere?

[@Travistalktoyou]

master peace song

[@dacox3167]

what are you doing between 8:40 to 9. Sounds cool. Any specific rhythm or anything your are following?

[@truecuckoo]

Thanks! That is one of those moments where improvising is getting into a certain flow, and I just keep riding that flow for a bit. In this case I was moving from Tonic major, up to Median minor and just thought it sounded particularly emo, so I kept going back and forth. In hindsight, I realise, this is a rhythm that I often play (divided into right and left hand). On paper, banal, but I like it, and it’s something I fall back to, I have noticed. Basically 1 fourth note followed by 6 eights. Dam, dabadabadaba Dam, dabadabadaba. Is so fundamental that I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a name for it. Then I’m mixing it up a bit by accenting and leaving out certain steps here and there. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@dacox3167]

True Cuckoo cool thanks for the reply. I’m kind of new to the piano and was wondering if you are thinking and count rhythm all the time when you play?

[@truecuckoo]

Da Cox I rarely count when I play my own music. But when learning this classical piece I certainly count when in the process of learning. When I know the music I don’t count anymore.

[@thescreenviewer1349]

True cuckoo congrats. What would advice me to compose music not for the money but doing it for passion? I have these trouble. Music is my passion but you know they are bills to pay.

[@brendencannon3583]

inspiring

[@Rob_Hogan]

No part 2? 🥺

Congrats! Overall For the nearness on your videos and your very slow and soft speaking. And specially for this. The study of a musical instrument is a titanic effort,physical and of constance You have choose a very difficult piece. I’m piano teacher. Although I’m autodidact in a lot of things I don’t recommend it in the study of an instrument . Look for a good teacher and then you will go straight to the thing. with my appreciate and all my respect.

[@LifeInSpacePodcast]

Great show I really like these piano videos. By the way, do you know how often do you need to tune a piano or when looking for a piano what things should you keep in mind when buying a piano from someone? Stay creative friend!

[@andrewsmith8762]

I think it's twice a year. Also, you need to be careful about buying second hand. If it hasn't been tuned for years it probably won't ever be able to be tuned again. I used a digital piano which to my limited playing ability is pretty good, no worries about tuning it either. And no annoying the family.... and neighbours.

[@LifeInSpacePodcast]

Andrew Smith that’s true I still am sticking to digital I have to say my Komplete kontrol has done me well plus no headaches with tuning issues lol

[@stocchinet]

If you want to loose the pinky and the ring finger there are some dedicated methods, like Hanon for example, good luck into the 88 keyed hell

[@kabood777]

How did I miss this?

[@philipclevberger1360]

Phantasy star tunnel?

[@theshinylunchbox]

the whole world would be amiss without the sounds of the piano and people that play them.

[@harmony2368]

25:37 moment of dmt illumination...

[@DaraM73]

As a self taught blues rock n roll Celtic soul pianist, but classical trained violinist, I’m attempting to murder myself by going through Nina Simone’s Bach catalogue.

[@cleekersneaker]

The reason we get much better one day after practicing is because of dreaming.

[@grproteus]

19:45: "fingoric dexterity" is the term, maybe? #lordsofsynth_reference

[@chadbaier6571]

Without DeBussey, who would have linked romanticism to modern day music?

[@minisynthcollective7822]

One of my fave pieces of Music. prefer Tomitas version .

[@frederiktollund]

Love that too. His Debussy interpretations are so playful and moving.