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I'm learning piano by myself and posted here in the past because I really like the feedback you provide. Now I have improved a bit and wanted to share a new recording with the hope to get feedback.

Here is the video (unlisted):

I already know that:

  • a) I'm hitting too many wrong keys.
    • Strategy: Practice the song again and again, slowly if I make mistakes. Really focus on the sections where the mistakes happen, but also try to play the whole song to maintain my focus for longer periods of time.
  • b) I am playing the song too slowly (around 75% of the intended tempo)
    • Strategy: I am trying to make one part faster at a time, always working on the slowest part. For that, I practice slow and fast, alternating between the two to make sure I push myself but then go back to playing it nicely without mistakes.
  • c) My rhythm is slightly off and some parts are too fast compared to others.
    • Strategy: This is really hard, if I play super slow I can count or use a metronome. At faster speeds, I just play the midi file (song on my PC) along and try to hit the keys at exactly the same time.
  • d) The loudness or energy is not at the point where I want it to be.
    • Probably the hardest. As soon as I focus on how I want it to sound I mess up a) b) and c) so I am struggling with this one. Maybe this will come once I master the others.

But I would love to know what other problems I have and how I can solve them. Especially if it is very concrete and actionable feedback. I know that some will say that this song is too hard for me. That might be true, but I want to give it all I got regardless.

Thank you!

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  • It actually sounds and looks pretty good. How long have you been trying? The only thing I noticed was the rhythm and timing seemed a little choppy. As an example when you played the 4 1/16 th note runs up into a whole note chord I heard a definite pause between the fast run and the chord. Strictly speaking you should hear a smooth transition, the chord should happen in time right after the last 1/16 th note, no pause. I'd recommend practicing this at 1/2 speed until it's really smooth.
    – user50691
    May 28, 2020 at 19:38
  • thank you! Do you mind giving me the timestamp in the video? There are so many times where I do 4x 1/16 although I am sure your remark applies to more than one it would help me to have an example. I have been practising this piece since Dezember, but have never played anything else on piano - weird, I know but I wanted to see how long it takes to learn a complicated piece entirely from scratch.
    – user667804
    May 28, 2020 at 19:49
  • @user667804 I also agree that its looking good, good job. On my side I would put emphasis on getting the rhythm cleaner. The left hand is not easy and has a lot of syncopation. Without knowing the piece it was hard to tell where the beat was, something that youtube.com/watch?v=OMQYhCtaK-s does really well. I think you can work on emphasizing the down beats so its more understandable for the listener. You definitely don't want to sacrifice your phrasing for speed. If this speed is giving you trouble, you might want to post a slower version
    – hirschme
    May 28, 2020 at 20:59
  • What is your recording setup? This is the best way to get feedback!
    – Carl in 't Veld
    Jun 7, 2022 at 9:48
  • What is the song you are playing? I wonder how it would sound in a reference case. Maybe you can share a YouTube link.
    – Carl in 't Veld
    Jun 7, 2022 at 9:51

1 Answer 1

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Two thoughts:

There is a technique for octave playing where fingers 5 & 1 are used for white keys and 4 & 1 used for black keys. The idea is when 1 & 5 are on white finger four is already close to the black keys. Also, you get some alternating finger motions which can help make things smoother.

I don't know this piece or if there are other records of it. If one of the next things you learn is a well-known piece, you should be able to find lots of records of it, and you can compare your playing to those recordings.

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