This is SUCH a difficult song to master! I feel the difficulty in the book has been ramped up massively with this one. Videos like this show it is possible and are hugely inspiring. Thanks for posting 👍
You are very welcome! Reviewing previously learned music is time well spent. Great to reinforce concepts and also see the progress that you have made. Norma
Hello, I have a question about the right hand position on the 6th and 7th measure. How can I reach F# and E after the triplets much faster? I replayed that part multiple times and saw that you pushed your fingers inward on the triplets. Is this an instinct thing that comes naturally to a player while sight reading? I don't have a teacher to ask so I just try to learn from your videos. Thank you.
Yes, move your hand further into the keys so that the thumb will more naturally be on the black key. That way you are not twisting your hand in order to get your thumb up there. It is better to have an in/out movement of the hands deeper into the keys than a twisting of the hand/wrist/forearm/elbow to get the thumb where you need it. This creates less tension and facilitates faster movements. Hope that makes sense. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I was twisting my hand to reach the black key but moving them further in made a lot more sense and it's much more comfortable now.
@@deadpixel08 Wonderful! So glad it made sense. Yes, the goal is to keep body/hand/arm/finger movements as comfortable, relaxed and free of tension as possible. --Norma
Hi Norma, I'm having issue with left hand chords, my fingers aren't striking the keys at the same time (specially involving flats/sharps), chords sound arpeggiated, any suggestions or exercises ? I'm definitely keep fingers curled. Thanks
If your right hand is playing chords just fine, take a look at its finger position and replicate that. Most likely it is simply a matter of finger strength especially if you are right-handed. My left hand is still my weaker hand even though I've worked on it a lot. Exercises to strengthen the fingers definitely help though. Hanon is great for overall finger strength and dexterity. Czerny has some great left-hand exercises too. Norma
+Melissa Andrade Here's the lyrics for this Sacred favorite that has stood the test of time. Enjoy! NM Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed.Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine.When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.
Well played I have noticed most of your songs that you play somewhat fast but this you have played slightly slower than your normal speed. I have learned to play most of the songs from the level 1 but for some reason I am not able to move forward, I am stuck with this song I am not sure how it is different, I wish you can help me with some clue any idea?
This song is usually a bit more difficult for students at this level because both hands are moving around the keyboard more and it is a bit less patterned. Some struggle with the triplet rhythm and find it hard to have a consistent 3 beats per measure. I suggest practicing it hands separate and in sections. And expect it to take longer to learn than some of the other songs in the book. --Norma
Hi Norma! Thanks again for these invaluable instructions. I had a more theoretical query. Would you be kind enough to explain what is happening, harmonically, on the first two beats of the 6th bar (w/o the pickup bar) - the D-F#-E and D-F#-C thing. What chord is that? And then again on the 8th bar - G-D-F. What chord is that one, now?
In measure 6, that is a D9 in bits and pieces. The complete chord would be D-F#-A-C-E. In measure 8, that is a G7 chord. The complete chord would be G-B-D-F. Often with 7th chords they may leave out the 3rd or the 5th note of the chord, but it still has the essence of the chord since they retained the interval of the 7th as in this situation with the G to the F. I believe that it is in the Level 2 book that they explain the 7th chords in more detail. --Norma
So I got the fingerings and the triplet rhythm down in probably like a day for this song. I didn’t even find the arpeggiated(sp?) chords in the second part overly hard. But I kid you not it took me a solid 8 days to get down that polyrhythm with the eighth note followed by the triplet. It was like my brain just couldn’t do it with the metronome. Still working on playing this one to a better level with the dynamics. It does feel like one of the tougher songs in the book. But hey, this was my mom’s favorite church song before she passed and she (who was a piano player) always wanted me to play it.
Yes, this is one of the tougher songs in the book, and yes, 8th note/triplet combinations are tricky and take some getting used to. They do get easier in time. So glad that you are able to honor your mom's memory with this song. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 it seems you yourself still struggle with it haha. you arriving at the quarter note early losing half a step. i would recommend getting a metronome if you dont already have one.
Starting this. Just absorbing it now. As usual, your recording is the aspirational one. The "rolled arpeggios in a triplet!" are freaking me out a bit at this point. Any tips? :)
Practice just the arpeggio with the right hand over and over until it feels comfortable, then practice just the arpeggio with the other 2 notes of the triplet over and over, then practice the arpeggio/triplet and going to the next note or notes in the right hand, then arpeggio/triplet and next notes in right and left hand. As you can see, a gradual process of isolating and then adding a bit at a time. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 Are the notes in the arpeggio supposed to be held down for their duration or is it fine to play the first note, let go, then play the next ones immediately? I hope that makes sense.
@@deadpixel08 In this situation, the arpeggio is on an 8th note triplet and is so quick, that I really wouldn't worry about whether you are holding them down or not. But yes, technically, you would hold down and add all of the notes of an arpeggio for the duration of the notes such as you have on page 125. --Norma
Yes, this one is quite a bit more challenging than the prior songs, with all of the moving around, arpeggiated chord clusters, triplets, etc., but good for you, making the effort to sort it out. --Norma
Oh my goodness! Flawless rendition....those are tough!! If I waited for one of those, I never would have posted anything on RUclips. I just had to decide when it was "good enough". I can quite easily go back to my videos and pick them apart and see where they need improvement. There is always room for growth. --Norma
It sounds like my tempo is approximately 84 BPM which puts it in the low end of the "Andante" range on my metronome. The tempo marking is "Moderately Slow", but I don't like this one rushed. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 While I've started to get acquainted with the next piece - the melodious Over The Rainbow of Judy Garland - I intend to take this piece to at least 65.
@@ribusgan You are very welcome! Recording yourself is a wonderful tool for tracking your musical journey and also assessing what needs to be worked on. It is so much easier to analyze one's playing when you can just sit back and listen and not be completely immersed in the doing. --Norma
@@ham1533 Could you google it and then ask/show your teacher what you find and get his opinion on it, say "I saw this on the internet, what do you think?" Then it is less confrontational and gives him the opportunity to explain his reasoning behind his explanation of eighth note triplets. Maybe he thinks they are to be played in a "swing" style?? Typically standard eighth notes are the only notes that you might swing in a song and the triplets would remain even. Time wise, 8th note triplets are in between standard 8th notes and 16th notes. And you see the progression in 1 count of 2, then 3, then 4 notes. Hope that makes sense. Let me know how it goes. --Norma
This is SUCH a difficult song to master! I feel the difficulty in the book has been ramped up massively with this one. Videos like this show it is possible and are hugely inspiring. Thanks for posting 👍
You are very welcome! So glad that you are inspired and motivated in spite of feeling the challenges. --Norma
You are my gold standard that I am aiming for!
Thank you so much!! --Norma
I am finally able to play at this speed. It doesnt sound as good but I still never thought I would be able to do it.
Congratulations! Good for you!! Practice pays off. --Norma
Lovely. I will have to go back to this book.. Relearn some things I forgot. Love these books! Thank-you for sharing.
You are very welcome! Reviewing previously learned music is time well spent. Great to reinforce concepts and also see the progress that you have made. Norma
After watched your "moonlight" play, come here to continue my book 1 study . thank you
You are very welcome! Glad that you are finding the videos helpful! --Norma
Amazing grace is echt mooi!! Top gedaan!👍
Thank You! --Norma
You are playing so good
Thank you so much! --Norma
Thank you for the song👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻😀😀😀😀😀😀😀☺☺☺
You are very welcome! Thank you for listening and commenting! Norma
Hello, I have a question about the right hand position on the 6th and 7th measure. How can I reach F# and E after the triplets much faster? I replayed that part multiple times and saw that you pushed your fingers inward on the triplets. Is this an instinct thing that comes naturally to a player while sight reading?
I don't have a teacher to ask so I just try to learn from your videos. Thank you.
Yes, move your hand further into the keys so that the thumb will more naturally be on the black key. That way you are not twisting your hand in order to get your thumb up there. It is better to have an in/out movement of the hands deeper into the keys than a twisting of the hand/wrist/forearm/elbow to get the thumb where you need it. This creates less tension and facilitates faster movements. Hope that makes sense. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I was twisting my hand to reach the black key but moving them further in made a lot more sense and it's much more comfortable now.
@@deadpixel08 Wonderful! So glad it made sense. Yes, the goal is to keep body/hand/arm/finger movements as comfortable, relaxed and free of tension as possible. --Norma
Hi Norma,
I'm having issue with left hand chords, my fingers aren't striking the keys at the same time (specially involving flats/sharps), chords sound arpeggiated, any suggestions or exercises ?
I'm definitely keep fingers curled.
Thanks
If your right hand is playing chords just fine, take a look at its finger position and replicate that. Most likely it is simply a matter of finger strength especially if you are right-handed. My left hand is still my weaker hand even though I've worked on it a lot. Exercises to strengthen the fingers definitely help though. Hanon is great for overall finger strength and dexterity. Czerny has some great left-hand exercises too. Norma
Where can I get these lyrics?👍🏻
+Melissa Andrade Here's the lyrics for this Sacred favorite that has stood the test of time. Enjoy! NM
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Well played I have noticed most of your songs that you play somewhat fast but this you have played slightly slower than your normal speed. I have learned to play most of the songs from the level 1 but for some reason I am not able to move forward, I am stuck with this song I am not sure how it is different, I wish you can help me with some clue any idea?
This song is usually a bit more difficult for students at this level because both hands are moving around the keyboard more and it is a bit less patterned. Some struggle with the triplet rhythm and find it hard to have a consistent 3 beats per measure. I suggest practicing it hands separate and in sections. And expect it to take longer to learn than some of the other songs in the book. --Norma
Hi Norma!
Thanks again for these invaluable instructions.
I had a more theoretical query.
Would you be kind enough to explain what is happening, harmonically, on the first two beats of the 6th bar (w/o the pickup bar) - the D-F#-E and D-F#-C thing. What chord is that?
And then again on the 8th bar - G-D-F. What chord is that one, now?
In measure 6, that is a D9 in bits and pieces. The complete chord would be D-F#-A-C-E. In measure 8, that is a G7 chord. The complete chord would be G-B-D-F. Often with 7th chords they may leave out the 3rd or the 5th note of the chord, but it still has the essence of the chord since they retained the interval of the 7th as in this situation with the G to the F. I believe that it is in the Level 2 book that they explain the 7th chords in more detail. --Norma
So I got the fingerings and the triplet rhythm down in probably like a day for this song. I didn’t even find the arpeggiated(sp?) chords in the second part overly hard. But I kid you not it took me a solid 8 days to get down that polyrhythm with the eighth note followed by the triplet. It was like my brain just couldn’t do it with the metronome. Still working on playing this one to a better level with the dynamics. It does feel like one of the tougher songs in the book. But hey, this was my mom’s favorite church song before she passed and she (who was a piano player) always wanted me to play it.
Yes, this is one of the tougher songs in the book, and yes, 8th note/triplet combinations are tricky and take some getting used to. They do get easier in time. So glad that you are able to honor your mom's memory with this song. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 it seems you yourself still struggle with it haha. you arriving at the quarter note early losing half a step. i would recommend getting a metronome if you dont already have one.
@@benburch Yes, I agree with you. It wasn't executed as accurately as it should have been.
do i need to use the damper pedal throughout the song?
I prefer it that way. :) --Norma
Starting this. Just absorbing it now. As usual, your recording is the aspirational one.
The "rolled arpeggios in a triplet!" are freaking me out a bit at this point. Any tips? :)
Practice just the arpeggio with the right hand over and over until it feels comfortable, then practice just the arpeggio with the other 2 notes of the triplet over and over, then practice the arpeggio/triplet and going to the next note or notes in the right hand, then arpeggio/triplet and next notes in right and left hand. As you can see, a gradual process of isolating and then adding a bit at a time. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 Are the notes in the arpeggio supposed to be held down for their duration or is it fine to play the first note, let go, then play the next ones immediately? I hope that makes sense.
@@deadpixel08 In this situation, the arpeggio is on an 8th note triplet and is so quick, that I really wouldn't worry about whether you are holding them down or not. But yes, technically, you would hold down and add all of the notes of an arpeggio for the duration of the notes such as you have on page 125. --Norma
I'm working through this one now. I'm trying to sight read it only for practice...difficult.
Yes, this one is quite a bit more challenging than the prior songs, with all of the moving around, arpeggiated chord clusters, triplets, etc., but good for you, making the effort to sort it out. --Norma
I finally recorded it at 55 BPM. Unfortunately, couldn't produce a flawless rendition. :(
What's the tempo you're playing at?
Oh my goodness! Flawless rendition....those are tough!! If I waited for one of those, I never would have posted anything on RUclips. I just had to decide when it was "good enough". I can quite easily go back to my videos and pick them apart and see where they need improvement. There is always room for growth. --Norma
It sounds like my tempo is approximately 84 BPM which puts it in the low end of the "Andante" range on my metronome. The tempo marking is "Moderately Slow", but I don't like this one rushed. --Norma
@@92pianokeys40 That was so so candid and reassuring!! Thank you so much.
@@92pianokeys40 While I've started to get acquainted with the next piece - the melodious Over The Rainbow of Judy Garland - I intend to take this piece to at least 65.
@@ribusgan You are very welcome! Recording yourself is a wonderful tool for tracking your musical journey and also assessing what needs to be worked on. It is so much easier to analyze one's playing when you can just sit back and listen and not be completely immersed in the doing. --Norma
my teacher taught me eighth note triplets wrong... How do you tell him without offending him?
(he taught me to play like 2 sixteenth notes, 1 eighth note and a quartee note
)
@@ham1533 Could you google it and then ask/show your teacher what you find and get his opinion on it, say "I saw this on the internet, what do you think?" Then it is less confrontational and gives him the opportunity to explain his reasoning behind his explanation of eighth note triplets. Maybe he thinks they are to be played in a "swing" style?? Typically standard eighth notes are the only notes that you might swing in a song and the triplets would remain even. Time wise, 8th note triplets are in between standard 8th notes and 16th notes. And you see the progression in 1 count of 2, then 3, then 4 notes. Hope that makes sense. Let me know how it goes. --Norma
92PianoKeys my class is today, hope it goes well.
@@ham1533 Keep me posted. --Norma