Chopin Nocturne

Dear Greg,
I am currently playing the Chopin Nocturne op 48 no1 in C minor. The music isn't too difficult until the crazy, passionate, difficult, fast return of the first theme. My hands are small and it's really hard to hit all the notes and voicing is extremely difficult because there are those big chords that support the music yet the melody is often times a single note (usually a higher, lighter note). How would you bring out the melody more? Without pounding away until your fingers hurt midway? What is your interpretation of the piece? Does it have to go really fast? I would like my music to be beautiful, not clashing to the ears. Thanks so much!
 - Elaine

Dear Elaine,

By the looks of your question, you are well on your way to a masterful interpretation! All of your concerns and considerations are valid; it's that kind of thinking that will lead you to good technical skills.

Your teacher will be able to help you more than I could, but I will offer a quick suggestion. If you'd like to voice a chord to the right side of your hand, you should direct the weight of your arm (the weight from your upper arm and your lower arm) to that side of the hand. I find that my wrist adjusts to accommodate this by moving to the right as well. This way, I am able to use the natural weight of my body to produce a full, beautiful sound. It takes much more work (and the sound isn't nearly as nice) to play the piano by the strength of your fingers alone.

I confess that I really like the return of the theme to be exactly as you described it: crazy, passionate, and fast. Practice it so that you can play it effectively fast or slow; in other words, you should be able to play it any number of ways: slow and tormented, fast with direction, loud and grand, quiet but intense, etc. Then in performance (and here's the kicker), you should let yourself go - let yourself be carried away by the music. That section is all about the passion and intensity of the moment.

Have fun with such beautiful music!

- Greg

Scores for Sale

Hi Greg!
I'm impressed! I want to know if its possible to get the sheet music of you piano variations on a theme by Nokia! thanks
Rafael

Dear Rafael,

Thank you for your interest! Unfortunately there are copyright issues for me to untangle before I could ever begin to think about publishing the score. Today's modern world makes it very difficult for classical composers to reference popular culture sources. Had the composers been alive today, Saint-Saëns could never have composed Carnival of the Animals, copyright law would have prevented Liszt from writing his transcriptions, and Mozart would have gone broke paying necessary fees to write his variation sets.

Someday, when I have an army of lawyers at my disposal, perhaps I can consider publishing my variations and Star Wars Fantasy. For now, you can find the scores available for sale on the scores page.

- Greg

Blue Danube & Libertango

Dear Greg,
hey can i ask if your piano duet scores are for sale? i am interested in specifically the piazzolla's tango and the blue danube. Love it!! =)
 - Jeremy

Dear Jeremy,

Thanks for your interest Jeremy! Unfortunately the Libertangoarrangement and A New Account of the Blue Danube Waltzes are not for sale. Not only have Liz and I decided to make a couple of our arrangements exclusive for a while (we know, how nasty of us!), but several of our scores are still completely illegible (including both of these) and face an onslaught of copyright issues. The day I get around to settling these copyright issues and manage to notate the messy handwritten manuscripts into the computer, I will post the news on my website and email the mailing list. I hope that day won't be too far into the future, but I honestly cannot predict when this will be!

However, in the meantime, there are a number of other scores available for purchase. Visit the compositions page for more information. For those of you looking for wild four-hand/one-piano music, consider the Sabre Dance arrangement. Additionally, you will be able to hear several of my latest compositions on the upcoming Anderson & Roe Piano Duo CD, to be released early this winter, including "Erbarme Dich," "The Cat's Fugue," "The Cuckoo in Sussex," "Danse macabre: remix," and "The Swan," all available for sale.

- Greg

Some Programming Suggestions

Dear Greg,
I am a college student who has recently won a prelim to my state competition for the miss america program. I have been advised to change my piece from a "dark" comtemporary prelude...??? Do you have suggestions for a dramatic and impressive piece from which I can easily arrange a 90 second segment? I am a classically trained pianist with over 13 years of lessons and will be working with my teacher on the new selection. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated--I am considering Lecuona's "Malaguena." However, I am not set on it or on that type of piece!
 - C.T.

Dear C.T.,

Ummmmmmm. It's sounds like you need a very short but not horribly difficult encore piece. Off the top of my head: Liszt's First Transcendental Etude, Flight of the Bumblebee, Prokofiev's March from "The Love for Three Oranges."

Good luck with the pageant!

- Greg

More Programming Suggestions

Dear Greg,
My teacher told me I need to play something "big" and she said either Liszt or Rachmaninoff. I've played the Rach Elegie but have never played Liszt. She said a Liszt etude maybe? I like the Rachmaninoff Etude in d and think it would be easier than a Liszt etude. What would be a good liszt or rachmaninoff piece. I'll be using this as part of my audition/senior recital program so it I agree it needs to be good!
Josh in MS

Dear Josh,

Oooooo. I really dislike programming for judges. (Of course, I understand your dilemma.) I can make recommendations, but remember that I've never heard you play and I don't have a sense of your strengths and weaknesses.

There are a couple Rachmaninoff etudes in D minor, but I assume you are thinking of the calmer one. If you like it, then you should play it! Otherwise, many of the Liszt etudes aren't as hard as they sound (and many of the Rachmaninoff etudes are harder than they sound!). The second Transcendental Etude (in A minor) is pretty straightforward, but it packs a punch (perhaps your best bet). "Wilde Jagd" is a little tougher but still manageable. "Waldesrauschen" and "Gnomenreigen" are both good choices. "Un Sospiro" and the fifth of the Paganini etudes aren't especially "big," but they are beautiful pieces of moderate difficulty. Outside of the etudes - Liszt's transcription of Danse macabre by Saint-Saens is very impressive and not too difficult. It may not be "serious" enough for an audition. There are a couple movements from the Annees de pelerinage that could be appropriate - the Sonettos, Au Bord d'une Source and, Les Jeux d'Eaux a la Villa d'Este.

As for Rachmaninoff, have you considered some of the Preludes from Op. 23? Or the Moments musicaux?

- Greg

Advice for Solo Programming

Hello Greg,
I am a Senior Music Education student and was wondering if you had any ideas for a senior recital program design. I play the Alto Saxophone but I thought that maybe you'll have some different aspects to bring to it.
Thanks,
Jordan

Dear Jordan,

Gosh, I can't say I've given much thought to Alto Saxophone programs. The first programming idea that comes to mind is a group of pieces based on song, capitalizing on the lyrical nature of your instrument. You could create your own transcriptions (it's really easy - just play the vocal line). ...perhaps a Schubert song or two, Faure (Apres un reve), Rachmaninoff, even Bach. Then you could include a couple more recent songs - a jazz standard, and a sophisticated pop ballade. A friend of mine played transcriptions of Sigur Ros and Radiohead on his senior recital. Is it sacrilegious to transcribe classical songs for sax? I don't really think so. I think such a program it would highlight just how much today's pop music has in common with 18th and 19th century music.

I wouldn't recommend filling the whole program with song transcriptions - too much of a good thing! You could balance them with some virtuoso showpieces, or a meaty contemporary piece.

You should also toy with finding ways to add your friends to the recital. It's really difficult to program a solo recital that will hold an audience's attention from beginning to end. Continually changing the performing forces is an easy way to prevent monotony. It will also help bring in more audience members! A good rule of thumb is to increasingly add more people to the stage and end with the most, although sometimes the reverse can be surprisingly effective.

I wish you and your audience a wonderfully enjoyable program and performance!

-Greg

Electric vs. Acoustic Pianos

Dear Greg,
I own a yamaha P250 ditigal piano and its really nice. The only thing is I just don't get that "acoustic" feel. It sounds just like an acoustic, though I still don't get that feel..I occassionally go to Eastman school of music to use their pianos, but it uses a bit too much gas.. And I 'm only there like once a week for 2 hours. My parents currently cant afford an acoustic, especially since the American ecomony is down. Do you think after this ecomony thing I should ask my parents to begin to invest in a real one? Or do you think I should just stick with the P250 until I move out and buy my own? -Kalen

Dear Kalen,

It's not just the feel, but the *sound* of digital keyboards that will hinder your growth as a pianist. Digital keyboards are unable to recreate the natural blend of overtones heard on a real piano; furthermore, they lack the immense variety of tonal "colors" that a real piano can create. As a pianist, it is necessary to learn to control these colors and overtones in beautiful ways. Developing your skills on a digital keyboard will weaken your ear's ability to hear these differences and it will prevent you from truly learning to exploit the tonal possibilities of a piano.

That said, you probably should evaluate your priorities first. If your number one priority is to become a classical pianist, then you really should be training on an acoustic piano, preferably a grand piano. If playing the piano is just one of many things you enjoy in life, then perhaps you should stick with the keyboard. Keyboards certainly have many advantages (I use my Yamaha P80 quite often!): they stay in tune, they make less noise, they hook up to a computer, and they are more affordable. For an aspiring concert pianist, however, these advantages are small when compared to the feel and sound of a real piano.

- Greg

Upgrading to an Acoustic Piano

Hi Greg!,
First of all, your videos and compositions are great, you and Liz are really unique!. I have a question for you, when do you think it is advisable (for a classical piano Student who wants to play like you, basically :D) to move from a digital piano (in my case, a Yamaha Clavinova CLP-240 with the Grade Hammer 3 stuff) to a grand piano?. And another one!, my teacher says I should play staccato notes by lifting my wrist a little (hand above the keyboard, but not touching it, slightly above, like floating! ) and hitting the keys from that position (just moving the fingers, the wrist stays just there, in the floating position). She says that is to avoid future injuries or something like that, but I found it very unnatural, why do you think?. How do you play staccato notes (not super fast staccato notes, but, for example, staccato for bach inventions, sinfonias, etc). Please post more videos!, a new parody :D
 - Raúl

Dear Raúl,

Switch to an acoustic piano as soon as you can afford to. It doesn't necessarily need to be a grand (I practiced on an Everett spinet until I was 16 years old!!), it just needs to have real hammers hitting real strings. Of course, eventually you will need to switch to a grand piano. Electric keyboards are handy (I have a Yamaha P90), but they do not do a very good job of recreating the resonance of a real piano. As a student of the piano, you should be developing your ear for color and timbre, and these pianistic traits are impossible to imitate on an electronic keyboard. Even the action feels different on a real piano - staccato notes in particular!

As for those staccatos that are giving you so much trouble, I'm afraid I can't help you. I do not consider myself to be a specialist in the mechanics of playing the piano. If anything, you should talk to your teacher. Perhaps he or she isn't explaining it effectively, or perhaps your discomfort is a symptom of something else. Your teacher should be able to clear this up for you.

- Greg

Soundproofing

Dear Greg,
I once heard you talk about how your dad soundproofed your practice room at home. I've just moved into a new apartment, and though the walls are thick and I don't have any wall-neighbors, the sound travels up the wall and bothers an at-home writer 4 floors above me. What should I do? I don't want to muffle the piano too much but instead would rather attempt to "sound-proof" the room. What do you think about foam? I am open to any and all suggestions.
Blisteringly Bombastic (not really) in Berlin

Dear Bombastic,

My dad's form of soundproofing was nothing more than mattresses hauled up from the basement and placed around the piano. It didn't really work and my family members remained frustrated by the bombast.

You could hire a professional acoustician. Soundproofing is a tricky job, so much so that people spend years in school studying the science behind it. They could offer you better advice than me! One thing I've seen repeatedly in soundproofed apartments: the piano is elevated off the main floor. Apparently, the main conduit for the sound to reach other apartments is the legs of the piano and the floor. With this in mind, you could try putting the piano on, like, three thick rugs.

I own an electronic keyboard (Yamaha P90). Really, it's not as bad as you might think! It's designed for classical pianists and it has several functions which are surprisingly handy (various Baroque-style tunings, recording capabilities, and several fine-tuning sound adjusters). I use the keyboard for composing (because it connects to my computer) and when I want to spares my neighbors from the bombast.

You're in a sticky situation. Flowers, chocolates, and baked goods may help diffuse the emotions with your neighbor!

- Greg

Recommended Piano Brands

I'm curious to know what your opinions/thoughts are about the various brands of pianos you've played, which is your favorite, and why?
 - Brian

Dear Brian,

You've asked a question that is surprisingly difficult to answer! Every instrument is different, let alone every brand. Every time I make a generalization about a maker, I find a piano that shatters my opinion. Usually Kawai pianos tend to be dull and weak, but once I played a concerto on a glorious Kawai with great projection and a beautiful tone. I love Steinway pianos, but I'm frequently forced to play Steinway pianos that are out-of-tune, out-of-shape, and unregulated - that's no fun.

By and large, Steinway makes the most satisfying instruments that I come across. They generally have the largest spectrum of tonal and color possibilities, the best dynamic range and projection, and the most consistent action. They also last forever. Mason & Hamlin, Boesendorfer, and Faziolli make terrific pianos as well. Yamaha pianos generally have a bright sound that is fantastic for some pieces and not for others.

Perhaps I'll update this response after I ponder it a bit more.

- Greg