Thursday, January 8, 2009
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This was my first piano lesson back at college this semester, with Mrs. S. I was quite nervous about it.
She asked me why I was coming back to music. I explained why I had left, saying I was too tough on myself, and got discouraged, but that I ended up missing the piano after a few months. She gave me a really nice speech saying that there’d be times I would be discouraged, but that I was good at the piano, and had good hands, so should continue on. She said she thinks I made the right decision.
She decided to do the piano concerto, first. Great; that’s the one I’m most nervous about. 
She said to really make the beginning of it grand, and using a lot of rubato.
That run in the beginning wasn’t bad. She said though to crescendo up to the top, and let the last note ring out. For some reason, I had a lot of trouble with that, probably because I was focusing on trying to play the run accurately. I have to practice that.
The next three rolled chords, well only the left hand is supposed to be rolling, and I was rolling both hands.
Hey, my arpeggio actually went OK! Furthermore, she said to stage it in the beginning, since it is supposed to accelerate. So that gives me time to get settled into the arpeggio.
She was very picky about the phrasing in the slow part that followed. I think I got it, though.
There were a few instances where my time was a little off, but we worked through that.
And then, yes, the 32nd notes, around page 9 I guess. Those nice descending notes in the right hand. Well I actually did OK on them. Not too fast, but they were accurate. She was impressed with the one part, with all those chords going up and down in the right hand, saying it was a tough part. 
Then, the part after that. I’m not sure how to describe it, but there are a lot of 32nd notes, then it rapidly ascends the piano. Anyway, I did OK on those. She asked though why I wasn’t playing them faster, and I said I was having trouble on the one that started on the D’s in both hands. Apparently I’m supposed to be playing them as octaves, not as single notes as before. That gives me more time to jump down to the D-Bb-D chord in the left hand.
Next, the octave runs. I love those, and she showed me how to play them better, letting the left hand lead, being loudest. She told me to try playing it fast, and I did. That was cool.
I had some trouble with the transition from those octaves into the descending chords. I didn’t really hit the octave G accurately, then didn’t go directly into those descending chords. She told me to practice that more.
I had a lot of trouble with the arpeggios a few pages later. She thought the left hand was supposed to take more notes, but then saw it was only supposed to take four of them, and the right hand should take the rest.
Then only some minor adjustments; play louder here, much slower there. There was a part near the end that was supposed to be very slow and depressed, I think she said.
Then the end, the toughest part of all. I had a lot of trouble with the two arpeggios, which isn’t helpful when I have to play in time with the orchestra. She said to practice that for hours, because it has to be right on and very accurate. She said I could start a half beat sooner if I had to.
So overall, not too bad, I guess, though the ending poses some difficulties. She reiterated that she wanted me to be in the piano concerto competition in October, and if I won, I would get the chance to play with an orchestra. That would be absolutely amazing, so that is something to work towards. I just hope I can do it. I keep thinking she wouldn’t have given it to me if she didn’t think I could, though.
I know some of my descriptions of the parts were not that good. You should know what I mean though if you listen to the recording. I went in order of what happened in the lesson, to the best of my memory.
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