4/9/09

Hola!

Just thinking about this Thursday- a bunch of people told me they were not going to be here, and I'm just trying to figure out a condensed schedule for those people who will still be here. Can you please post a message ASAP listing what times you are available on Thursday? I can be at Marist anytime from 5-9. After you send me your availability I'll let you know what time your lesson will be. If I won't see you, have a good break!

Laura

this past week, I've been working on perfecting my G major scale with my hands going in opposite directions as well as perfecting two songs: On Top of Old Smoky and the Can-Can. It's been going well and I look forward to working on something new this week.

3/26/09

Just a quick note reminding you that there's no class tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions about your practicing. Enjoy your week, and I'll see you in April.

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been without a computer until yesterday....as far as my piano skills go, I've been doing pretty well. I've begun moving out of positions quite a bit, which is certainly challenging. It is definitely taking me a little more time to master songs. Having different rhythms that are more complex then quarter notes on both hands at the same time is also a challenge for me. But overall, everything is going well.

Well, the good thing is that I am slowly progressing through the book. I am now able to see a song and play it within a 15 minute period, not perfectly of course but that's just fine with me. I am having a little trouble with left hand and the C and G7 chords but that will all shake out with practice!

So I have slowly been progressing over the past few weeks. I went home last weekend and dug out my old keyboard so I brought it to school with me. That means that I can practice whenever I get a free moment or two which will work out much better for me. The music reading is going along, I still find base clef rather difficult to do but that will come along in time. I started working on C and G7 so we'll see where that takes me next week!

~Caitlin

Well, I am starting to play with both hands but I am getting frustrated easily becuase I don't know how to read music. So, I am going into piano note boot camp and will be practicing reading music every day at least for 5 minutes. I feel that if I can read music easily then my playing will improve much quicker becuase my hands are moving fine and can do the pieces in the book but not as fast as I would like since I cannot quickly tell a g from an f, etc. So, hopefully this will make me progress much quicker! See you next thursday!

So I practiced for almost an hour and a half last thursday. I am trying to fix my schedule so that I can practice more than just once a week because I'd really like to be able to start playing actual songs with two hands by the end of the semester. I did start to learn harmonic and melodic intervals. I really think that if I can easily read music I will progress much faster so that is what I have been practicing for the most part. I am going to try and make a goal for the week to practice at least 2 1/2 maybe 3 hours this week!

P.S. Francine, do you want to meet Thursday at 6:30pm so we can make up for the group time next week? That is if you are feeling better. I hope the food poisoning wasn't too bad!

Happy Playing!

I'm so sorry Caitlin and Laura that I didn't come tonight. It's so very unlike me to do that without a heads up but I went out to dinner tonight and feel really sick so I think I may have gotten some type of mild food poisoning... So you definitely wouldn't have wanted me there anyway.. I'm really sorry and I hope it didn't throw things off too much.
I'll work extra hard practicing this week to make up for it..

I practiced for over an hour tonight without even realizing how much time had gone by! I worked really hard on playing songs with both hands simultaneously and also learned how to play a few chords. I got up to the Saints Go Marching In song which is written twice in the book with the melody on each hand. I was able to get the RH melody pretty well but had to stop playing before mastering the LH melody.

I started practicing last Thursday before meeting with you from about 6:30 and then until about 7:40. I quickly moved through the treble clef stuff in the beginning of the book thanks to my familiarity with it and began concentrating on learning bass clef. I also focused on my form and have worked up to simultaneously playing with both hands, something that will probably be a challenge as I continue practicing.

Francine

I started practice today...I think i'm going to enjoy it once I get into the swing of things!

Thanks for inviting me to your blog! Happy practicing and blogging!