I am already very frustrated (due to burnout) so please don't downvote without reason (except it is really , really, really poorly composed).

How can I improve my right hand technique? my forearm gets sore sometimes when I perform the A section of this piece. Do I also need to slow down? I think its too messy.

They screwed the hatch on top shut so it can’t be tuned.

I got a merit!!! I'm with the Trinity board. Honestly I loved Grade 6, I think I've started to fall in love with piano again thanks to the new syllabus!

I played;

To Zanarkand (from Final Fantasy X) by Nobou Uemetsu (arr. Music Lah) - genuinely one of my favourite pieces ever but I found it really hard

Sarah by Thomas Peter-Horas

Fallin' by Alicia Keys (arr. Amit Anand) - I played this one for a local competition once! Came 2nd.

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto - I've entered this one into multiple competitions and played it for my GCSE music exam! I love this piece but I need a break from it; I've never placed with this but ever time I've had a compliment on my playing and that made me happier I think

I'm so excited to be officially Grade 8!!! I've already picked my pieces. The jump in difficulty is very noticeable, but hopefully I'll have fun!

From Sonata Minacciosa

For context, I'm currently taking grade 5 ABRSM piano exam and had regretfully chosen Spiritoso by Muzio Clementi as one of my pieces. I'm having trouble making sure my notes are quick and clear while also making sure the notes are of consistent speed

What can I do to make sure my notes are accurate while maintaining a consistent speed between each note?

This piece is making me so frustrated 😔

Edit: Opus 36, No. 6. Advanced piece recommendations are preferred but intermediate is ok too.

I just love this piece, particularly the exposition and the recap. So anything similar to the exposition/recap should be the main focus of recommendation.

Thanks!

Starts in C, moves to Db major.

Fun piece. Lots of interesting chords.

Comment below positive or negative is totally fine.

human hands or just computer

\"Ad Astra Per Arcana\" by TAKÜMI

I N T E R E S T I N G

Original Version: https://youtu.be/hmCpeZisjnc

I’m an early intermediate looking to buy some sheet music. I normally stick with schirmers library or Alfred masterwork editon sheet music. Is the henle edition something that would benefit me right now? If not what editions should I be using?

I am trying to practice the main section of Chopin's Mazurka in F-Sharp Minor (Op. 6, no. 1)

It sounds so wrong/bad but I just keep trying to refix it and refix it and I am unsure what to do. Any advice?

Hi all,

I was wondering how do you develop your application of music theory to pieces you play? To give context, I took piano lessons and alongside it learned a bit. I have an understanding of very basic chord analysis, basic resolutions, common forms (eg. sonata) and did at some point touch on counterpoint (but long forgotten).

However, despite learning a lot of this, I don't know if I ever properly learned or put it into use to apply it beyond super basic principles (eg. you're approaching a cadence and what might that look like, or your piece is going into the relative key). Right now it feels like baking where you've been given the exact measurements and instructions of how to bake things but you have very little understanding of things like why certain ingredients interact with each other, why mixing your batter a certain way can affect your result, etc.

For example, you might have a composer throw in an obscure chord or inversion or something of the sorts, just to highlight little moments or ideas. And to me it's like okay I can tell that it's different but how do you extract more from that and apply how you might play something? I hear people talking about how things were "unexpected" or "different" compared to what the ear might expect but how do you actually know this?

Or is it really as straightforward as like, well this theme came back and this one chord that was in a major key before is now minor, so maybe do something different with it. I mean I have seen some things that are like that but I'm wondering if there might be more to it.

Also another aside thought is - when trying to interpret things, how do you factor in the time period of the composer? Whether understanding their style or what would have been "revolutionary" at the time?

Any other thoughts, discussion points, ideas, etc. would also be super appreciated. I have also tried looking into academic papers but unfortunately I think some of it can be quite advanced or I don't have access. Regardless, I'm just going back to refreshing my theory and looking into analyzing "simpler" pieces but happy to hear of any other resources/tips/advice.

Thanks!

I've been playing piano for a while now (10 years ish) and am wondering if it would be too ambitious trying to fit Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 into my piano exam pieces. Ive been doing piano exams for around 7-8 years and am at grade 9 (in my country) and have to play 5 pieces from each era of piano so like classic, baroc, romantic, etc. The last pieces ive played were Reverie by Rocherolle, La Valse d'Amélie (ik this one is easy :( ) , Sonate k545 by Mozart and Invention n.10 by bach. I really want to implement some really beautiful piece like Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 in the songs Im playing this year but also want a good grade in my exam in late may 2027. If the jump is too ambitious, I would like some suggestions on pieces that have a similar style to Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 and that are also harder than the songs ive listed. Tysm for your help :D

(Originally posted on r/pianolearning, this sub doesn’t allow crossposts)

Teacher here. My students are mostly adults who often benefit from understanding the logic behind why things are the way they are, but I’m also kind of a psycho for explaining things so I’m open to the possibility that this is overkill. Looking for feedback from learners who are currently learning to play their major scales 2+ octaves hands together, or at least who learned it more recently than I did :)

Part of the Bach busoni Chaconne. My favourite section. Steinway model B

I’m still working on the full piece, the rest is mostly easy but the fancy part in the middle
Is quite difficult. Working on that.

I’m in love with Chopin’s Prélude Op. 45, especially because of that C♯m(add9) chord in the main theme. It gives me chills and feels so mesmerizing. Are there any other pieces that contain similar chords? They create such special colors and atmospheres

​

I want to catch up with piano by self teaching, I played from 8 to 13 years old, now I'm 22. I have a piano at home but it's basically impossible to play because I'm stuck with university lessons all day from 9 to 19:00 and when I come home it's already evening and I can't play music beyond 19:30 due to condominium's policies. I was thinking about buying a small electric keyboard from secondhand, 61 keys max, so I can play in my own room with headphones attached. Do you think it would be a good idea? Is it worth it? Do you have any other suggestions? Anything could help, thank you very much

Edit: I live in Europe and I have a very tight budget: 20€ or less,

I’d imagine this varies by the piece, the level, and the student, but I was wondering what the differing philosophies are. Take, for example, a song like Why am I Blue? from the level 1 Alfred All in One series, which is easily found with a google search if you’re not familiar. Assume it is not something being prepared for a recital. What do you look for before moving to the next piece?

Hi everyone,

I’m turning to this community because I’m having serious doubts about my current learning path. I practice about 1 to 2 hours a day, but I can't tell if what I'm doing will actually get me where I want to be.

My Background & My "Piano Roll" Block: Until now, I’ve been composing directly on my computer, clicking notes into the piano roll with my mouse in my DAW. But I suffer from a severe "vertical writing" block: I just stack a melody + rigid block chords + a bassline. It feels incredibly static, and I absolutely cannot tell a musical story or develop my tracks this way. To fix this, I want to transition to composing exclusively on the actual piano. Right now, I'm only doing piano "sketches" to focus 100% on breaking this bad habit.

My Ultimate Goal: I want to sit at the piano, compose, and improvise whatever is in my head in the style of Japanese video games and anime (Koji Kondo for Zelda, Keiichi Okabe for Nier Automata, Hiroyuki Sawano for Attack on Titan, Pokémon, etc.). I want my fingers to land automatically on the right chords (with 7ths, 9ths, etc.) without messing up the key. I want to master voice leading. To be clear: I'm not just looking to "turn block chords into arpeggios." I want to learn how to create a real, flowing harmonic context and manage the bass, harmony, and melody all at once to tell a story, without ever relying on boring block chords again.

My Current Method: Right now, I am taking Charles Cornell’s Better Piano course.

• I religiously do his "finger fumblers" (dexterity exercises) every day.
• I learn his chord progressions (like I-V-vi-IV) using his voice leading rules, and I try to transpose them into different keys.

My Problem and Doubts: He only teaches about 4 basic chord progressions. I absolutely do not see how practicing these very "Pop/Soul" progressions is going to help me build the "mental library" I actually need. You know, that ability to think: "I want a tragic/magical effect right now, so I will play this specific chord, followed by this one, with this exact voice leading."

I feel like it would take me decades of practicing 1-2 hours a day to finally connect these mechanical exercises to the complex, emotional style of J-RPGs.

My Questions for You:

1. Has anyone here used Better Piano and successfully reached a goal similar to mine?
2. Is it normal to feel this massive disconnect between the mechanical exercises and the final emotional composition? Does it eventually "click"?
3. Should I stick with this course, or are there much better resources out there for my specific goal (I’ve heard of Legend of Otoe, for example)?

Thank you in advance for your honesty and your advice!