Q&A with PianoTV: Choosing music books and fast playing

[@nathanwilson723]

I clicked on the video seeking advice for early curriculum- didn’t expect to find advice for advancing my playing too! Great video!!

[@springchild9118]

Could you do a video about ear training? Tips and tricks and demonstrations of the elements in the RCM level exams. Thank you for all the work you're putting in to this amazing channel!

[@KeepingOnTheWatch]

Hey there! I was wondering if you have any of the 'Four Star - Sight Reading and Ear Tests' books. Just in case you don't: I use this RCM series for my sight reading practice. The books also has a code at the back which you enter on the RCM website and ear training is all done online. It's a fantastic tool and I love it.

[@springchild9118]

I've read about them and they seem good! The problem is that I haven't found any where to buy them in Europe and shipping from the States is really expensive. But thank you anyways :)

[@KeepingOnTheWatch]

@ 8:00 "Speeding up tiny sections at a time": For a few days I've been practicing Clementi's 'Pyrenese Melody' and I was stuck on a certain passage. Yesterday I took the advice to focus on a small section - and I did this only for a couple minutes - and today I can play it well.

[@PianotvNet]

Yay, glad to hear it helped!

[@MansterBear]

3:16 Awesome! I’ve been wondering about where I am as far as equivalent to the “grades”. My teacher, my grandmother, has compiled her own books and she uses Thompson’s and Fabers as additional song books. I just finished my grandmothers “Book 2” and the Faver piano adventure books 2A are what goes with her Book 2. So good to know about where I am as far as grade.... but sad to know I’m not even grade 1 yet lol. I’m about 6 months in. Hopefully I can grade 1 by the summer!

[@RichWoodwardMusic]

I find practicing passage-work in different rhythms very valuable too...

[@benatchison2371]

Could you please do Chopin's Prelude in A Major? I love that piece! Also, your videos are amazing! I learn a lot from them. Thank you.

[@leeyongzhen6526]

Could you do some videos on advanced pieces? I'm in late intermediate currently learning prelude and fugue in c minor and arabesque no. 1. I would really like to know where i could head to next.

[@jorgeluiz1698]

Coul you do a video about one technique, is a fingering slide ( I don't know if is this name) but the fingering travels many keys but I have more difficulty when is ascending.

[@billsutton801]

Hi Allysia, love the videos! Took up classical piano as an adult (35yo) having zero music playing or reading experience. My teacher was 92 and had been teaching for 75 yrs - she took me through the Bastien series of books for the Older Beginner. Are you familiar with them? Wondering what your thoughts are in comparison to some of the beginner books you mention.

[@PianotvNet]

Bastien is old school but totally fine - I've used them before as well. It's pretty typical in that it's very chord-based, which is great as a gateway for pop but isn't necessarily the best prep for Classical music. Still, I would probably rank it in my top 3 of methods I've used!

[@dcunited710]

I have the same tension problem in Chopin's first prelude. Sometimes I get lucky and no tension occurs and sometimes I do not.

[@yalikejazz8439]

Eddie Younis You should relax so that no tension ever occurs

[@charleslaine]

I have another technical question. I could use some tips or advice about how to play chord transitions smoothly and with legato. I'm working on Tchaikovsky's Morning Prayer from his Album for the Young. In the third measure of the piece, the left hand goes from playing a two note chord of C & E with fingers 4 and 2 to another two note chord of B and F# played with 5 and 1. I'm finding it is difficult to play this transition smoothly because a) it requires a sudden change in hand shape and b) the hand has to move inward toward the fall board in order to play the F# with the thumb. I could use a few pointers on how to make these white key/black key transitions that are smooth, delicate, and even-toned. Is it just a matter of requirings lots of practice or are their some particular techniques for moving in and out of the keys.

[@PianotvNet]

Ha ha that's crazy! I literally just finished filming a tutorial for this (it'll be up next week). This is hard to explain, but the best I can suggest is to play around with wrist rotation. If you keep your wrist facing forward the whole time, it's really awkward. But if you rotate your wrist in the direction of the black key as you move, it seems to help. If it's your first time with a motion like that, it might also just feel awkward because it's new.

[@charleslaine]

Thanks! I am finding this piece to be very challenging. the Jane Magrath book has it listed as level 4, but I just don't think that's right. Compared to some of the other level 4 stuff I've learned, this is by far the most challenging, at least for me. There's an interplay with the shape of the chords between the left and right hands, and it requires some clever fingering maneuvers in order to progress through the chords. I am having to break it down measure by measure. I think I spent the better part of 6 hours yesterday just on the first four bars. And it still hasn't fully sunk in yet. As far as that chord change in measure 3, I think I understand what you are saying. But I look forward to seeing your video. I've been trying to make this transition by rolling my wrist forward, curling my fingers under my palm (sort of like how you would go about rolling up a newspaper). This is sort of working for me. But maybe it's the "wrong" way of doing it ;-)

[@malelonewolf80]

Any advice on how to approach learning piano when you come from an organ / keyboard background?

[@sambchico]

Thanks Allysia :) I'm working through the Faber Adult Piano Adventures. Which of the "regular" Piano Adventures should I continue on with once I finish the Adult Book 2?

[@PianotvNet]

I'm 98% sure it goes into the regular piano adventures 3a after that. Love those books!

[@sambchico]

Thanks

[@mayabewsher6987]

How did you get on? I am just finishing Adult Piano Adventures book 2. I think I will get Piano Adventures 4 afterwards. Which level did you find suitable?

[@rachelma1196]

Do you know of any RCM preparatory music for the Alfred basic piano library series

[@rezkalif]

I am an adult beginner. I've learn piano by myself for a year now. I'm thinking of getting a lesson but my hands are really small. I can't even reach an octave if not on the edge of the keys. So I'm always thinking that getting lessons won't get me far anyway because of my small hands. but do you think it is possible to reach high grade with small hands like mine? I know that there's a piano made for smaller hands like mine but I think there are none in my country. sometimes I want to learn piano properly and get lessons but my small hands keep haunting me. Any advice?

[@diegoe.vargas8708]

What are the different grades that you talk about? And how does one know what grade they are in?

[@Slynell1]

get lesson books or get a teacher

[@WarriorOfMetal]

How can I play two or more notes at the same time (problem is accuracy and synchromism) its so annoying.

[@cross-eyedliszt5183]

what was the czerny piece?

[@PianotvNet]

op. 740 no. 41 - it's a left hand etude.

[@dangerousbutterknife7988]

Octave chromatic scales. How?

[@HilbertXVI]

Jill Schroedl This

[@AnTran-ff2nm]

I got rcm 8 in 2 years .-.

[@aprilteniente4455]

What country and states are you from?

[@KeepingOnTheWatch]

She lives in a Canadian province where you can watch your dog run away from home for three days. :-)

[@KeepingOnTheWatch]

P.S. In case if anyone needs to dish it back to me - I live in the province of Ontario.

[@PianotvNet]

+Walter B. knows what's up! :)

[@aprilteniente4455]

I wanted to know what country you're from

[@SlushyCheese]

No on mentioned this ever in the comments but your skin is flawless make up tut or healthy eating guide ?