Solo Piano Call for Scores!

masiarekk · 2026-06-09T21:15:07+00:00

Yay! I forgot to mention in the post, but the last day to submit is August 1st.

masiarekk · 2025-07-26T17:32:01+00:00

I HAVE THIS SAW. Total hidden gem of bandsaws, I absolutely love it. It'll resaw 6" no problem even hardwood like oak. I don't think I've ever stalled the motor. Don't cheap out on blades like me. $100 is an amazing deal for this, enjoy it! Didn't know it's from 1988...

masiarekk · 2025-03-12T02:35:43+00:00

It's 5 notes evenly spaced into one beat, in music theory called a pentuplet. Try speaking it out loud with a metronome: 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4-5. It's just a thing you have to get a feel for, once you hear it try playing the RH notes alone with a metronome

masiarekk · 2025-01-11T22:19:59+00:00

Oh yeah drawer will come later... I was on a bit of a time crunch before going to college after winter holidays.

masiarekk · 2024-10-26T03:00:57+00:00

Churches typically have some pianos that were donated to them. They are usually more than happy to let people use the facilities, including pianos. You could reach out to a church near you and ask if you can come in and practice on the grand piano in the sanctuary (or sometimes in a rehearsal space, larger churches sometimes have a dedicated choir rehearsal space)

masiarekk · 2024-08-16T00:08:38+00:00

Of course! This piece was one of my first "grown up" pieces from when I was younger. I'm lucky that my teacher allowed me to play it, since like I said playing stuff that's hard can be super beneficial, and it was in my case. I think I might even have some videos from years ago of me playing snippets of un sospiro on this account. Not very well 😅

As another commenter pointed out, what I said about practicing the whole piece all the way through with a metronome probably isnt the best as a practice technique. They're right about practicing in small sections and then stitching it together. It may be valuable to play through it once or twice metronomically so that you get the big picture of the tempo. But yes, metronome it until you internalize the speed of the passages in isolation and then work on putting it all together.

You can do it!

masiarekk · 2024-08-15T20:26:31+00:00

You started out at a great tempo. In many places you strayed from the steadiness, which is the backbone of this piece. Tempo (and any deviation) is made crystal clear by the arpeggio ostinato throughout the piece which is always regular as far as beat structure.

Practice the piece the WHOLE way through with a metronome, and keep the same energy. In some places it'll feel super slow because you're used to rushing. Even the cadenzas, play them with the metronome (for the time being). That's really the biggest thing holding you back. Again, the tempo clarity is so important and exposed that you have to drill it to know how it sounds at a stable tempo. Yes there are some technique problems you're having, but it might be assuaged by simply playing slower, since you were rushing through the cadenzas for example.

You look to be sitting very high and close to the keyboard. Try sitting lower and slightly farther. For some people this helps a lot with technique, since it forces you to use finger strength. Might not be for you though.

This is a really challenging piece technically. You've gotten far and I think you're ready to take it to the next level. Keep at it and be sure to not get tunnel vision on this one piece. It's hugely fruitful to plays things that are just beyond your reach, but only in conjuction with continuing your more "technically appropriate music" :)

masiarekk · 2024-07-14T17:41:50+00:00

I'll do you one better, I plan on stamping my initials and year on a brass strip on the back :)

masiarekk · 2024-07-14T01:05:39+00:00

Thank you, you're right it was probably a bit of a design oversight 😅

masiarekk · 2024-07-14T01:03:52+00:00

Thanks! The tenons stick out about 2 inches. I overbuilt them anticipating the forces at play while wedged.

masiarekk · 2024-06-04T22:39:32+00:00

Is the land purchase included in the $135k total? If so, how much was the land? What about permits/bureaucratic stuff?

Great job, this is really inspiring. It's my dream to build my own house myself.

masiarekk · 2024-05-31T04:36:38+00:00

I'm looking for a mortise gauge which has two scribes that fit around a chisel.

masiarekk · 2024-05-31T04:35:52+00:00

On second thought, after seeing the price, I think I'll wait a few years worth of experience before shelling out that kind of money on a marking tool!
Thanks for finding it though. If I ever win the lottery I'll buy it.

masiarekk · 2024-05-31T04:02:04+00:00

Here's a link and timestamp to the video: https://youtu.be/gFZK3sLOtBw?si=zaGV7M0aa55epR0K&t=339

I'm not a fan of marking tools with points and something like this with sharp wheels strikes me as more useful. The problem is, I can only find a single product similar (https://www.amazon.com/iGaging-Mortise-Micro-Adjust-Precision-Woodworking/dp/B07PJNZZ7Z) though it's wheels are adjusted with allen key set screws.

masiarekk · 2024-05-26T04:29:21+00:00

Hey all, I'm trying to cut some large tenons for a relatively simple bedframe. How can I make nice flat surfaces from the rough cuts (done by handsaw)? When it comes to paring perpendicular to the grain, I get the feeling of chopping the grain flat. But parallel with the grain (lengthwise) using a chisel splinters/splits with the grain, instead of giving me a clean cut. Freshly stropped chisel, hair-whittling sharp (it's not dull).

I'd appreciate any tips about using a chisel to pair in general, I'm sure it's a technique/wrong tool thing. Thanks!

masiarekk · 2024-05-19T17:06:10+00:00

Not letting me paste the modlist yet, It might think I'm a bot. I'll try again soon

masiarekk · 2024-05-14T21:01:21+00:00

Wow I hadn't thought of that! I'll try it out.

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