I'm retired and decided to take piano lessons as my retirement hobby. Each daily practice session includes at least ten minutes of scales using the book Ashlee recommended. I'm still on pages 18 and 19 of the book, but my accuracy and speed are improving.
Good luck! I find daily practice crucial. I started taking lessons 6 months ago from scratch. With help from my tutor and this great RUclips channel of Ashlee's, I myself am improving steadily too. Starting piano was one of the best decisions I have ever made. May your piano journey be filled with joy and excitement of expressing yourself through music!
Once again Ashlee, you knock it out of the park. Truthfully, outside of Chord Theory, getting my fingers in the right spots to play the next note or group of notes is my main struggle. This will help a ton with how to properly prepare and practice, and hopefully with some practice I'll be able to better manage my hand and finger placements.
This is a good video for laying out some good principles for the complicated "art and science" of fingering -- covers a *LOT* of ground on a late-beginning / early intermediate piece. I agree with cptdemel2680's comment -- several shorter videos with easier pieces such as Bach's Minuet in C or an early Mozart minuet would be helpful to show the use scale-wise and triad/arpeggio fingering. A more comprehensive series on fingering would be massive when considering the huge variances of fingering needed throughout the repertoire. However, it comes down to that in many cases fingering needs to be adapted for personal fit and comfort, in which cases a person-to-person interaction (even if via remote/Zoom, etc.) is needed. However I realize that this video also serves to invite viewers to follow up with you for more comprehensive instruction - 🙂 ( ... and yes -- you really DO get "into" your teaching and talk really fast !!! ;-) ) On a different note (pun intended) -- as an organist (or any pianist playing without use of the sustain pedal) -- I find that frequent finger substitutions are also of key importance in playing legato lines -- often adding clarity in piano repertoire where use of the sustain pedal is reduced, thereby reducing blurring of the lines and inner-voices.
Your question in the middle of the video: Have you ever tried different fingering for the same passage? Yes, I have. Just like you said, I don't hesitate to give alterations to an editor's suggestions in the score when I think a different fingering feels more natural for me to execute the passage. I am playing one Chopin Prelude in a casual, small, and friendly concert for hobbyist piano learners next week btw. My tutor wanted to hear and watch my playing before I perform. She gave me a few tips, one of which was fingering alterations. I knew her suggestions made perfect sense. I started practicing on her suggestions a week ago. But it still feels very new to me! And even if the suggestions were minor, since the preceding passage and the following are connected, I struggled a lot in mastering that new fingering. I honestly don't think I will be comfortable with this for one week until I perform next week, so I went back to what I practiced for months. Shared this as well to highlight an important topic you brought up, how our brains work and consistency in learning. Thanks again for this. I learn a lot from you.
kinderszenen such a sweet melody I've been thinking about fingering for a long time, very interesting ideas for a complex topic I am reading a third book about william shumann titled the faces and the masks I probably listen to schumanns piano music more than anything these days and mostly stuff I think most people dont pay attention to - the 3rd sonata (concerto without orchestra), kreisleiana, faschingsschwank aus wien, humoresque, bunte blatter, novelettes, davidsbündlertänze, the concerto is really good
I sometimes work out two (or more) alternative fingerings. But then when I try to play the piece properly my hand gets confused as to which one to use, and I make a mistake!
This is awesome! And yes, ideally you're trying two fingerings REALLY early on in the process and committing to one after just a few tries. That way you don't get confused and you can start to be consistent with the chosen fingering as soon as possible.
I'm retired and decided to take piano lessons as my retirement hobby. Each daily practice session includes at least ten minutes of scales using the book Ashlee recommended. I'm still on pages 18 and 19 of the book, but my accuracy and speed are improving.
Keep up the great work! You'll never outgrow scales and arpeggios -- but scales and arpeggios will always help grow *you!*
Good luck! I find daily practice crucial. I started taking lessons 6 months ago from scratch. With help from my tutor and this great RUclips channel of Ashlee's, I myself am improving steadily too. Starting piano was one of the best decisions I have ever made. May your piano journey be filled with joy and excitement of expressing yourself through music!
Once again Ashlee, you knock it out of the park. Truthfully, outside of Chord Theory, getting my fingers in the right spots to play the next note or group of notes is my main struggle. This will help a ton with how to properly prepare and practice, and hopefully with some practice I'll be able to better manage my hand and finger placements.
Thanks so much and thanks for taking the time to say so and to share this with me!
This is a good video for laying out some good principles for the complicated "art and science" of fingering -- covers a *LOT* of ground on a late-beginning / early intermediate piece.
I agree with cptdemel2680's comment -- several shorter videos with easier pieces such as Bach's Minuet in C or an early Mozart minuet would be helpful to show the use scale-wise and triad/arpeggio fingering. A more comprehensive series on fingering would be massive when considering the huge variances of fingering needed throughout the repertoire. However, it comes down to that in many cases fingering needs to be adapted for personal fit and comfort, in which cases a person-to-person interaction (even if via remote/Zoom, etc.) is needed.
However I realize that this video also serves to invite viewers to follow up with you for more comprehensive instruction - 🙂 ( ... and yes -- you really DO get "into" your teaching and talk really fast !!! ;-) )
On a different note (pun intended) -- as an organist (or any pianist playing without use of the sustain pedal) -- I find that frequent finger substitutions are also of key importance in playing legato lines -- often adding clarity in piano repertoire where use of the sustain pedal is reduced, thereby reducing blurring of the lines and inner-voices.
Your question in the middle of the video: Have you ever tried different fingering for the same passage?
Yes, I have. Just like you said, I don't hesitate to give alterations to an editor's suggestions in the score when I think a different fingering feels more natural for me to execute the passage.
I am playing one Chopin Prelude in a casual, small, and friendly concert for hobbyist piano learners next week btw. My tutor wanted to hear and watch my playing before I perform. She gave me a few tips, one of which was fingering alterations. I knew her suggestions made perfect sense. I started practicing on her suggestions a week ago. But it still feels very new to me! And even if the suggestions were minor, since the preceding passage and the following are connected, I struggled a lot in mastering that new fingering. I honestly don't think I will be comfortable with this for one week until I perform next week, so I went back to what I practiced for months. Shared this as well to highlight an important topic you brought up, how our brains work and consistency in learning.
Thanks again for this. I learn a lot from you.
This is awesome - thank you for sharing!
kinderszenen such a sweet melody
I've been thinking about fingering for a long time, very interesting ideas for a complex topic
I am reading a third book about william shumann titled the faces and the masks
I probably listen to schumanns piano music more than anything these days and mostly stuff I think most people dont pay attention to - the 3rd sonata (concerto without orchestra), kreisleiana, faschingsschwank aus wien, humoresque, bunte blatter, novelettes, davidsbündlertänze, the concerto is really good
LOVE your energy, a great way to start the day! ROUTINE seems to be a key word for me here. Thank you, God bless!
Thank you!! And I’m glad it was helpful!!
❤❤❤❤
I sometimes work out two (or more) alternative fingerings. But then when I try to play the piece properly my hand gets confused as to which one to use, and I make a mistake!
This is awesome! And yes, ideally you're trying two fingerings REALLY early on in the process and committing to one after just a few tries. That way you don't get confused and you can start to be consistent with the chosen fingering as soon as possible.