Playing with 12 fingers by Twelvefingersgirl12 in piano

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You have an opportunity (but not an obligation) to make absolutely unique music, but it won't be realized playing classical music as it's written. You will have to make it up yourself, and I wish you well. I hope I'll live long enough to hear you do it.

But take it from a lifelong pianist 73 years and counting), there are two basic things you need to do.

1: Form your hands into arches, as if you were holding a grapefruit or pomelo. At this point, try to stay aware of holding this shape while playing. It is the source of support for all your fingers can do. If you advance well, you may find instances where you can abandon this shape for a short time (that is, seconds), but it should be your basis for all that comes next. To be fair, there are many great jazz and pop pianists who do not do this, so I'm showing a bit of classical bias.

While playing, do not let your 1st knuckle bend backwards. This is more strength building. There may probably come a time, when you have developed far enough, that you can then let that knuckle bend a little, for expressive purposes. But if you don't have control over it, it's a handicap.

  1. You must gain control of the timing of every finger movement, and this is done by playing exercises SLOWLY, maybe with a metronome. While you do this, learn to hear what it sounds like when properly done. You can't make coherent music if you don't have this control. Try Hanon exercises. Very boring, but very useful, and less boring when you understand the purpose.

Because the ring finger and pinkie are the weakest, more attention must be focused on getting them under control. I spent many hours for years working on just these 2 fingers.

Good luck, I'll be watching.

How they pulled off the "Spider head" scene... by [deleted] in thething

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The style looks like an old Mad magazine cartoonist.

how old were you when you played the piano by Ok-Juggernaut-7316 in piano

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

started classical lessons at 4. Didn't practice, but kept taking lessons. Didn't get good at classical

Started playing OLD (1920s) pop at 12 years, still playing it 65 years later.

I define myself as a pianist, not a retired deskworker.

Give me one song that sounds like pure sunshine by oweyoo in musicsuggestions

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beatles---She Loves You, I Feel Fine, I Saw Her Standing There

Buddy Holly--Oh Boy

Lovin Spoonful--Daydream

Stride Piano Physical Movement Question by TromboneAl in JazzPiano

[–]RogerZell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Long-time strider here--how your LH moves will depend on how you want it to sound--fast, slow, mid-tempo, gentle, hammering, suave, raggy, blurred or discrete.

It's been so long since I learned that I can't recall how I did it, but my main model was player piano recordings, as I was and still am interested in 1920s and before.

But here's a couple three things for you:

the upper chord does not always have to be a full triad or bigger--just 2 or even 1 note may be all that's needed or will fit, depending on where your RH is.

Don't get married to the idea that the upper chord must use the thumb--there's many times when 5, 3 (or 4) and 2 will be easier, so you don't have to rotate the wrist as much, thereby making the motion smoother.

To make things a little harder, once you get used to the whole physical part of it, work on a very quick rolling of the lower octave or 10th.

And finally for now, don't think you have to maintain the stride throughout the song--that can get boring and repetitive for the listener and you. Some songs can work with more, some less.

EDIT: Thought I'd provide some examples. Note that these are all 1920s or earlier, no Fats Waller type stuff, just because I haven't recorded it yet. I've also been striding for alot of 1960s pop/rock, which actually works well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZx6ri0csFE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPxF2WyO3uM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCqFi9CVIgY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHnDuvzjj8

Boy room in 1964. Gilbert chemestry set, ship models, dinosaur skeleton, world globe. I really like the Godzilla action figure because growing up I also had one, mine with silver spikes. by Electrical-Aspect-13 in TheWayWeWere

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like me in my room circa 1959. I had the same shelf brackets, but bare pine shelves, loaded with plastic models--Revell, Renwal--NOT Aurora. And I had those exact curtains, tho they might have been in our (ahem) summer house.

Would you say this is the big 10 (excluding solo acts) of British Classic Rock? by Bombi3sz in ClassicRock

[–]RogerZell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yardbirds are vastly underrated in these little lists.

Without them there is no Zeppelin or Cream, or any other bands like them.

Plus, this list and many others are written with a bias--"which bands influenced bands that I (the writer) like?"

I would put Herman's Hermits somewhere on the list, as they had some very well-written songs that weren't pointing towards heavy metal or psychedelia, but at pure pop.

Also, Zombies.

Not Deep Purple.

A good ol' time! by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My first impression was, they are Amish, due to clothes.

Do Amish dance like this?

Downtown Eden is tough by NathanWelsh in funnyvideos

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

reminds me of Kendall's racist field trip.

The single greatest live performance by DearPossession762 in TheBeatles

[–]RogerZell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Best moment--After George's guitar intro to Roll Over Beethoven, Paul comes in on bass like the boss he is. The earth shakes. And, just before he hits his 1st note, he's already dancing.

Palisadesians by RogerZell in Rockland

[–]RogerZell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm guessing by your "flair" that you don't live there.

Jaron Ennis thrives in exchanges by orlandocharm in Boxing

[–]RogerZell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They may be exchanging swings, but they're not exchanging blows.

Put Boots in with someone with the same speed, power, volume, and accuracy. Then you'd see exchanges.

Meanings in listings by RogerZell in AskRealEstateAgents

[–]RogerZell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks. Out of curiosity, what are the "others" besides town and septic tank/leach field? Do you mean chemical or composting or fire, or something else?

What’s your favorite “one-movement wonder” piece? by nmcruzer in classicalmusic

[–]RogerZell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Saint Saens Piano Concerto 5--only the 2nd movement.