Hi Everyone :)
Hopefully, to spread a little sunshine today!
Here it is, I have finally captured a sing-a-long on my phone camera...this to me is what playing that out of tune grand piano is all about!! and why I love playing on it!!
Sadly, my phone battery went on me so you only get about 3 minutes to watch but, to be honest that is all that you need...when the phone clicked off I was praying that it managed to capture the video and save what little it had recorded! thankfully it did...YAAAAAAAAAAY!
You are gonna love this, never mind the quality of the sound or the quality of the video just see what happens when you can walk into a room full of strangers, sit down and play a few things, pull a crowd around the piano and then...wham!! they are all singing at the tops of their voices.
I get a complete and utterly amazing feeling inside that I cannot describe properly but, trust me it is probably more fun for me than them!
Please enjoy these magical 3 minutes that I captured last night:-
have a wonderful Christmas everyone
regards
Lee
Friday, 14 December 2007
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
You'll Never Walk Alone 24th Augst 2004
Next one...
You'll Never Walk Alone {click}
This was recorded on the 24th August 2004 just over a month later
Mike had quite a few helpful things to say to me about my continuing rhythm problems which you should still hear when listening to this piece
More pieces to follow...
take care y'all
Lee
You'll Never Walk Alone {click}
This was recorded on the 24th August 2004 just over a month later
Mike had quite a few helpful things to say to me about my continuing rhythm problems which you should still hear when listening to this piece
More pieces to follow...
take care y'all
Lee
The magic of Mikes guidance at pianomagic!
Okay, now to hear some of my recordings posted at pianomagic
This is a chance for you to hear how I have improved in my playing from recording to recording and a chance for you to read some of Mikes (aka pianomagic) comments on my pieces.
This to me is the absolute value of pianomagic!! not only is it a pretty cool way to learn to play the piano (IMHO) but, you have Mike to listen to your music and help you through your struggles with some amazing feedback and guidance (just by listening to your recordings!)
First one
This was posted 1st July 2004 (I joined October 2003 so, this is...erm...around 9 months in!)
What A Wonderful World {Click Here}
Mike always has helpful comments on our pieces to help us along :-
He could tell I was making good progress and had many helpful suggestions to stop me tripping myself up with my rhythm problems
The start of many similar conversations over the coming months as rhythm has been a real kicker for me!
More to come...
This is a chance for you to hear how I have improved in my playing from recording to recording and a chance for you to read some of Mikes (aka pianomagic) comments on my pieces.
This to me is the absolute value of pianomagic!! not only is it a pretty cool way to learn to play the piano (IMHO) but, you have Mike to listen to your music and help you through your struggles with some amazing feedback and guidance (just by listening to your recordings!)
First one
This was posted 1st July 2004 (I joined October 2003 so, this is...erm...around 9 months in!)
What A Wonderful World {Click Here}
Mike always has helpful comments on our pieces to help us along :-
He could tell I was making good progress and had many helpful suggestions to stop me tripping myself up with my rhythm problems
The start of many similar conversations over the coming months as rhythm has been a real kicker for me!
More to come...
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Playing on a Lobby Piano
Hi Folks :)
As some of you may know already I am a DJ and at Xmas time I have a run of around 20 gigs at a Medieval Banquet Night.
At this particular hotel complex there is a lobby piano (a very out of tune Yamaha grand piano) that I like to play just for fun!
Late at night after the disco has finished it can get quite "hair raising" (people assume that I am the regular pianist - they want sing-a-longs and request loads of songs too!!!)
It's a little like throwing yourself in at the deep end! but this is my 4th year playing on it and it doesn't bother me at all anymore.
Sorry about the quality of this video, its the best that the secondary camera on my mobile phone can do. This was taken before the festivities of the night so there is no singing a long as they are not drunk enough yet!
maybe the next one I'll take late at night
So here it is...I've edited it down to just under 10 minutes...but, have left in "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" which I hadn't played for a year and you may notice I got a little stuck remembering how it went...but, the key is to keep going and make the same mistake again if you can so it seems to anyone listening like a variation (if you are lucky)
Have a wonderful Xmas everyone (especially to the members of my 'fan club')
Lee
Edit to add:
Someone has mentioned to me the video quality and all the background noise!...until I get a phone upgrade its the best I can do for video quality but, with regard to the noise? this is what I said about it:-
"yes that background noise huh?..however, that's what I wanted y'all to hear...'cause that is exactly what it is like...the room is just chock full of excitement and expectation with regard to the night ahead at their office Xmas parties. I was hoping you would get a sense of it? Heck, you can hardly hear the dang piano! (in other words one can get away with murder at this joint...which is kinda kool)
later on in 'sing-a-long territory' I have to really play it LOUD!!to get it going"
Its been a great venue for me in many ways, a baptism of fire in others!! but on the whole its been a blast!
As some of you may know already I am a DJ and at Xmas time I have a run of around 20 gigs at a Medieval Banquet Night.
At this particular hotel complex there is a lobby piano (a very out of tune Yamaha grand piano) that I like to play just for fun!
Late at night after the disco has finished it can get quite "hair raising" (people assume that I am the regular pianist - they want sing-a-longs and request loads of songs too!!!)
It's a little like throwing yourself in at the deep end! but this is my 4th year playing on it and it doesn't bother me at all anymore.
Sorry about the quality of this video, its the best that the secondary camera on my mobile phone can do. This was taken before the festivities of the night so there is no singing a long as they are not drunk enough yet!
maybe the next one I'll take late at night
So here it is...I've edited it down to just under 10 minutes...but, have left in "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" which I hadn't played for a year and you may notice I got a little stuck remembering how it went...but, the key is to keep going and make the same mistake again if you can so it seems to anyone listening like a variation (if you are lucky)
Have a wonderful Xmas everyone (especially to the members of my 'fan club')
Lee
Edit to add:
Someone has mentioned to me the video quality and all the background noise!...until I get a phone upgrade its the best I can do for video quality but, with regard to the noise? this is what I said about it:-
"yes that background noise huh?..however, that's what I wanted y'all to hear...'cause that is exactly what it is like...the room is just chock full of excitement and expectation with regard to the night ahead at their office Xmas parties. I was hoping you would get a sense of it? Heck, you can hardly hear the dang piano! (in other words one can get away with murder at this joint...which is kinda kool)
later on in 'sing-a-long territory' I have to really play it LOUD!!to get it going"
Its been a great venue for me in many ways, a baptism of fire in others!! but on the whole its been a blast!
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Adding a minor section to the improv last night
Hi Folks
Anyone who knows me, knows my tenacity with this piano thang!!
Man...I'm addicted
So last night I was kinda playing around with the improvisation below, attempting to take it into a minor key and back to major
For those that just love listening to me fool around at the piano
Feel free to take a listen :)
Improvisation with a minor section added - take 1 [click]
Fooling around with it some more - with bloopers - take 2 [click]
[they are a bit long winded! so be warned ;)]
Best wishes
Lee
Anyone who knows me, knows my tenacity with this piano thang!!
Man...I'm addicted
So last night I was kinda playing around with the improvisation below, attempting to take it into a minor key and back to major
For those that just love listening to me fool around at the piano
Feel free to take a listen :)
Improvisation with a minor section added - take 1 [click]
Fooling around with it some more - with bloopers - take 2 [click]
[they are a bit long winded! so be warned ;)]
Best wishes
Lee
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
Using Cantabile Light and a VST instrument
Hi Folks :)
Following Matthijs Instructions over at pianoworld, I downloaded a free program called 'Cantabile Light' and used it with my VST 'Steinberg the Grand'
This recording is for an improvisation challenge set by Matthijs over at pianomagic
Seasides December 2007 Improvisation
Please feel free to pass a comment if you like or don't like the piano sound, I'm pretty happy with it and the best thing is it saves me time converting the midi files (that I have recorded at home on my Yamaha CLP170) through the motif rack every time :)
take care
Lee
Following Matthijs Instructions over at pianoworld, I downloaded a free program called 'Cantabile Light' and used it with my VST 'Steinberg the Grand'
This recording is for an improvisation challenge set by Matthijs over at pianomagic
Seasides December 2007 Improvisation
Please feel free to pass a comment if you like or don't like the piano sound, I'm pretty happy with it and the best thing is it saves me time converting the midi files (that I have recorded at home on my Yamaha CLP170) through the motif rack every time :)
take care
Lee
Saturday, 1 December 2007
My First video lesson - beginning improvising
Hi Folks
Okay, I have Mikes permission to show this video in my blog :) so here goes...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This video is rated as a **12a** due to some *really, really bad singing!!* and it is strongly recommended that children of a sensitive nature or household pets be kept in another room whilst watching!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, this video gives hope to those of us (out there) that think because they can't sing, they can't play a piano and also disproves Buffys theory that anyone can sing. For some of you (hopefully) the singing should make you laugh.
This is a video I made specifically for Elssa a pianomagic member but, if anyone wants to start improvising then, this may be of some help??
Have fun
regards
Lee
Okay, I have Mikes permission to show this video in my blog :) so here goes...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This video is rated as a **12a** due to some *really, really bad singing!!* and it is strongly recommended that children of a sensitive nature or household pets be kept in another room whilst watching!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, this video gives hope to those of us (out there) that think because they can't sing, they can't play a piano and also disproves Buffys theory that anyone can sing. For some of you (hopefully) the singing should make you laugh.
This is a video I made specifically for Elssa a pianomagic member but, if anyone wants to start improvising then, this may be of some help??
Have fun
regards
Lee
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