[Phil Barone]

Working Hanon to death the last few months, scales, some pieces from a Bach collection. What are you doing? Phil

 

[OhRightSF]

Much more basic:
1. Major scales:exercises from "Scales Boot Camp."
2. 2-note guideline voicings on "Have You Met Miss Jones" and “All the Things You Are."
3. 3-note voicings on "Sonnymoon for Twp."

I’m having a blast comping with left hand and improvising with right. Wish I’d done this years before, but hard to imagine having any more fun now.

 

[lostcircuits]

I can't afford a decent piano now but I found a $100 Spanish guitar in a pawnshop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igvt6Q1AnQQ&feature=youtu.be

 

[mark_m]

I noodle around every night on my own stuff, working on things to later track sax to. Helps me sleep, whether 15 minutes or an hour. Worked this winter on the shortest easiest piece I could find by Charles Ives. Got it close to performance ready, but only if I was working on it every day. Couple days away from it and it would be unplayable again But triggered a bunch of stuff that I'm still noodling...

 

[StuartSax]

Hey Phil,

Hanon really is a great way to get your fingers working but, if you haven't done it yet, throw away book 1 and concentrate on 2, scales and arpeggios in books 2 & 3. Because of the weak fingers, I used to do a warm up with book 2 which doubled the key strokes for the 5,4,3/1,2,3 segments.

I get my practice in these days by reading opera/vocal scores. Playing up to speed is not the goal. Slow practice is very helpful for any style. If you are playing Bach, Mozart and Beethoven should be considered.

Are you working on repertoire, reading skills or improvisation?

 

[Phil Barone]

Hey Phil,

Hanon really is a great way to get your fingers working but, if you haven't done it yet, throw away book 1 and concentrate on 2, scales and arpeggios in books 2 & 3. Because of the weak fingers, I used to do a warm up with book 2 which doubled the key strokes for the 5,4,3/1,2,3 segments.

I get my practice in these days by reading opera/vocal scores. Playing up to speed is not the goal. Slow practice is very helpful for any style. If you are playing Bach, Mozart and Beethoven should be considered.

Are you working on repertoire, reading skills or improvisation?

Hi Stuart,

I've already done all the Hanon books except the one that's blues influenced but I have that one too, I'm just revisiting it but I'm always changing the accents to make it more challenging. I have a book of Bach pieces that I love to read every day. Not working on improv but I studied it for many years with a student of Lennie Tristano, Sal Mosca, who you might want to check out on Youtube but I'm focusing on classical right now. I was deeply entrenched in the Tristano school for a very long time. My project is Chopin's piano concerto #1 which I'm really not up for. It's probably a two year project and that's just roughing it out. Phil

 

[nathan61]

Pro Chord Changes - Volume 1: Over 150 Standards with Professionally Altered Chords Paperback – October 1, 2013
by Frank Mantooth (Author)

I've been practicing out of this book. Really a lot of fun to play the ol' standards with Frank Mantooth's changes and alterations.

 

[Jazzoetry]

I'm finding creative things on sax then working them out on piano with chords in "All keys" so I can share the material with other musicians.

 

[johnw]

If you interested in Chopin pieces check out Alan Rusbridger`s book -- Play it Again
He was editor of Guardian paper in UK but also a passion for piano which he managed to continue with during his daytime job
--very easy reading and splattered with amazing insights for pianists or any musician.
He set himself a target to be able to play Chopin`s Ballade number 1 in G min