How Are Your Chops?

[soapbox]

When was the last time you got out your Hanon book and did some woodshedding? Can you sit down at a piano and blow em away like you used to, or do you think to yourself, "I wonder if they noticed that mistake?"

 

Ill be the first to admit that, while I think that MIDI and sequencing are a Godsend, my chops have suffered because of them. Im still surprisingly able to do what I need to despite the lack of practicing, but I was at my best during my music major days and during my piano bar days. How about you?

 

This message has been edited by soapbox on 01-31-2001 at 06:44 PM

[joegerardi]

I suck!

 

I haven't even turned my boards on in over 3 months. Now, I'm afraid to. Before that, it was sporadic at best.

 

A long fall from being able to sight-read and assimilate pages of Rachmaninoff in a single glance, expression marks and all.

 

Proves the old adage "Life is what gets in the way when you're making other plans."

 

This message has been edited by joegerardi on 01-31-2001 at 03:55 PM

[Dave Bryce]

While I can't remember the last time, that I got the Hanon book out, I do occasionally run through a few of the exercises to warm up. Same with Bach Inventions - I'm still partial to the d minor and F two-parters. When I really want to feel bad, then I try breaking out the Chopin etudes - that always let's me know exactly how out-of-practice I am very quickly. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif

 

For me, the best thing that I seem to be able to do is to make an effort to try and spend a bunch of time every day playing the Real Actual Piano - I find that it keeps my strength up.

 

dB

[sbrock1san.rr.com]

I developed tendenitis 6 years ago and my chops have gone way down hill. I stopped playing my digital piano because the weighted keyboard was hell on my hands. Guitar doesn't bother me much and I can play it for a longer time.

 

I have compensated by learning more theory and orchestration, and really thinking about my music and where I want to go with it. I'm actually having more fun but playing a lot less.

 

I love the Hanon books. I have small hands and I can't stretch much but I think they are a great warm-up if nothing else.

[marino]

I really struggled to mantain a decent tecnique in the middle of the MIDI revolution, computers, sound programming, composing, not to speak of marriages, moving houses, not having a piano, etc.

My advice is: DO it, because it pays! Do a minimum of 20 minutes every day, more if possible.

BTW I don't need Hanon... I know it by memory, pratically from beginning to end.

Try also Beringer, Cortot and the wonderful Brahms exercises.

 

marino

[Guest]

I hate Hanon. I find it unmusical and uninspiring and pointless. Try Dohnanyi: they're really focused exercises that get you somewhere with technique without all that boredom and repetition. Throughout school while I've been taking lessons mostly for voice what I've done for piano is read through the simpler Bach pieces, not the WTC fugues, but the Partitas and the Suites, which. It helps me sight read, get new patterns into my hands, and think about how to approach different types of music.

 

My chops are failing, and even my improvisation can't save that anymore, that's why I've decided to put off all other pursuits in my life (going abroad, to grad school, traveling across the country) and decided I'm spending the next two years studying piano. I'll do synth stuff on the side, but the piano is where it's at. I never feel as good about myself as I do after practicing my first instrument.

[marino]

Steve: I used to hate Hanon too. It IS so unmusical. Dohnanyi is so much more "artistic" and pleasant, just like the Brahms exercises. But the very "genericity" of Hanon is its strength also. Don't let the "saturation effect" bore you. In its naked state is an excellent warmup, and it lends itself to endless variations. First of all, change keys (not only major; try harmonic and melodic minors, major b6, double harmonic). Than change speed, touch and articulations. It teaches your hands a lot of situations, very useful for improvisation as well.

 

marino

[stratman_dup1]

I know ever since I got into the recording side of things my chops have gone downhill. On the guitar at least, I don't think I'd say I ever had chops on the piano but I'm working on it.

 

These dang boards don't help much either!! I don't know how many times I've said " I'll just hop online and check a few forums out" . Next thing I know it's two hours later and I've seriously cut into my practice time. I guess it's time to incorporate a little more discipline into my practice time.

 

Which leads me to a question for you all.

Do you think it's possible to work 9 hours at a *normal* job, and still have time to spend with the family and practice guitar, and practice piano, and learn about the recording side of things, and sequencing. etc....... Not to mention practice and gig with a band, which I gave up (for the time being) btw to become a better musician.

 

Can you overload yourself with so many different aspects of music that you never really gain in any one area, thereby defeating the purpose you had initially of being GOOD at all these things??

 

My GOD I would have never believed four years ago that I'd dive so deep into this thing we call music. I really enjoy learning about MIDI and sequencing and recording. But the MAIN thing I wanted was to be a GOOD musician. First at Guitar, then I got into Piano as well. Is it possible to get GOOD at all these things, obviously taking more time, or am I wasting my time taking on too much????

 

This message has been edited by Stratman on 02-01-2001 at 12:25 AM

[Guest]

Originally posted by Stratman:

I know ever since I got into the recording side of things my chops have gone downhill. On the guitar at least, I don't think I'd say I ever had chops on the piano but I'm working on it.

 

These dang boards don't help much either!! I don't know how many times I've said " I'll just hop online and check a few forums out" . Next thing I know it's two hours later and I've seriously cut into my practice time. I guess it's time to incorporate a little more discipline into my practice time.

 

Which leads me to a question for you all.

Do you think it's possible to work 9 hours at a *normal* job, and still have time to spend with the family and practice guitar, and practice piano, and learn about the recording side of things, and sequencing. etc....... Not to mention practice and gig with a band, which I gave up (for the time being) btw to become a better musician.

 

Can you overload yourself with so many different aspects of music that you never really gain in any one area, thereby defeating the purpose you had initially of being GOOD at all these things??

 

My GOD I would have never believed four years ago that I'd dive so deep into this thing we call music. I really enjoy learning about MIDI and sequencing and recording. But the MAIN thing I wanted was to be a GOOD musician. First at Guitar, then I got into Piano as well. Is it possible to get GOOD at all these things, obviously taking more time, or am I wasting my time taking on too much????

 

It's funny you're bringing all this up since I've been thinking about this a lot.

 

I have a full-time(non-music related) job which ends up equating to about 60 hrs/week (heck, it's 10:00 and I'm still at work). I'm trying to spend 1hr per weekday, 2 hrs each weekend day on music stuff, and I try to split it into practicing, composing, and 'random tinkering'. I came to the conclusion I can't spend more time, and I have to deal with it. What I've found it I waste waaaay too much with the latter, editing patches, trying to get the best reverb, looking for the perfect snare for the drum track. What I'm trying to do is actually budget my time with each; as ridiculous as it seems to budget ones creative flow, I'm finding that I need to it. Last week I realized I had spent a good week just tinkering with a stupid drum track for a song, redoing the fills, changing drums sounds, etc.

 

I've decided I can't spend as much that as I would like with music, so I'm trying to make the most of it. And yes, I agree, you can overload yourself that you end up going in circles and never really gain in any area.

 

I didn't get into computer music until a year ago. I had played in bands, but the most I had ever done with midi was connect a master controller to modules. A year ago I could never have expected to be where I am. But at the same time I do in way miss the time when all I did was practice, play and improvise.

 

Also, for the past 6 months I've been contemplating buying a guitar, but what the hell, I barely have time to play keyboards. I definitely axed that idea for the time being. Ditto on the band, as much as I love it I can't afford the time commitment.

 

And going back to the original question, I think my chops stink right now. Every since I found out I could correct mistakes and do a slight quantize to tighten up the feel has been the end of my improvement in technique.

 

I don't have access to a piano, but I try to spend at least 40% of my time on my pc88mx, just on the piano sound.

 

Ditto on the forums ;-) But this way too much fun...

 

Rod

[ksoper]

I must say I'm blessed. I make my living playing, and therefore I'm either playing live, in the studio, or rehearsing for a gig or session. My chops are in pretty good shape. The recording I do is straight to disk or tape--not much sequencing these days.

On the other hand--I was asked to play a friend's wedding. (This Saturday, as a matter of fact.) I spent most of my youth and much of my young adulthood playing the pipe organ, even studied again from '91-'94. But when I sat down to practice pieces I used to be able to rip straight through, it was a painful and humbling experience. The organ is a tracker, too, so I'll be swinging a lead bat. And to top it off, just for the challenge, I'm closing with the Widor Tocatta. I'll have a bucket of ice next to the console after that one. So, it goes to show, even for someone fairly "practiced up," you gotta use it or you're gonna lose it. K.

[testyza]

Last time was, well....last time I actually played piano.

 

(I call it play, because I suck, and practice is STILL play to me, I like it because I can feel my self get better every few days.)

 

I actually broke out my books, because I'm waiting for my QS6.1 to arrive...looking at 'em the best I can play is the simplest of Bartok, Gretchaninov, etc.

 

I do have a nice Hanon book that I'd do a few minutes of every day.

 

Until after the late 20's exercises I find it to be dull, but still good once you pick up the tempo....finger strength is worked even at low though.

 

The only other exercise books I have that I can think of is Czerny.

 

For my skillset, my tempo is low, and I"m still on the first exerices of the pamphlet books I've got.

 

THEY ROCK, simply....if for some reason you don't have CZERNY, I'm sure you'll like it..

 

Personally, it's been over 7months since I've played, and I can't wait to play Hanon.....throw it to the curb and go to some CZERNY.

 

(I know I go into to detail sometimes...but that's for the benefit of other new keyboarders in case they don't know what Hanon is)

 

Later,

testyza

[Laurie Z.]

Originally posted by marino:

Steve: I used to hate Hanon too. It IS so unmusical. Dohnanyi is so much more "artistic" and pleasant, just like the Brahms exercises. But the very "genericity" of Hanon is its strength also. Don't let the "saturation effect" bore you. In its naked state is an excellent warmup, and it lends itself to endless variations. First of all, change keys (not only major; try harmonic and melodic minors, major b6, double harmonic). Than change speed, touch and articulations. It teaches your hands a lot of situations, very useful for improvisation as well.

 

marino

 

You know, I don't mind Hanon and Czerny at all since I studied with a wonderful old guy when I was a teen who told me stories of how he used to "concertize" on Hanon and such. Yes, really. He's the one that taught me the lesson of my lifetime: it's not WHAT you play, but HOW you play it.

 

And believe it or not, for some strange reason, I play best when I've been away from the keys for a few days. I think I get so antsy to play, my body just takes over and goes nuts.

[marino]

Lauriez: I believe you. In fact, many pianists seem to benefit from little vacations from the keyboard. And I also agree on the fact that if you play something without thinking about the *way* to play it, you're wasting your time.

There's no thing as "pure" technique of course. It involves concentration (the very special musical brand) and musical vision of what you're playing. Very often, is much more useful to take a difficult passage from a piece you want to play and make an exercise out of it, rather than going thru the motions of some technique book that you've played 10000 times.

BTW, about "concertizing" on Hanon: There's an old record by french jazz pianist Martial Solal, where he plays some Hanon with the left hand and improvises over it with the right... I can't remember the title, but it's beautiful, complex and hilarious at the same time.

 

marino

[murph]

Warm up? I thought warming up was when you turn your boards on at least a half-hour before soundcheck!