Comments | acw: The impossible chord

acw

The impossible chord

Nov 26, 2007 21:53

My semianonymous reader "GK" sent me, by the agency of the United States Postal Service, no less, a photocopy of a page of piano music together with a fingering question. I responded within 24 hours, because GK had taken the precaution of including a stamped, self-addressed envelope. It would have been churlishness of historic proportions not to ( Read more... )

music, friends

Comments 6

anonymous November 27 2007, 05:12:57 UTC

Thank you, acw. That was exactly the assist I needed.

I have commenced my assault on this piece in earnest, and I look forward to playing it for you, perhaps in a year or so.

GK

emmacrew November 27 2007, 06:51:12 UTC

But things in lots of flats are easier on the piano than things in a couple of flats, because you can just hang out on the black keys. Or so it's always seemed to me.

acw November 27 2007, 21:35:24 UTC

It's an interesting point, which reminds me of something that a music professor said to me in college. It's possible that this was John Harbison. His point was that kids should not be introduced to the piano with pieces in C-major; he felt that E-major was a superior key because both tetrachords (E-F#-G#-A and B-C#-D#-E) matched the natural lie of the right hand, with the thumb on a white key and the first two long fingers on black. This plays havoc with the traditional fingering of the ascending scale, which I recall as 123-12345; E-major favors a 1234-1234 pattern which I remember getting scolded for by my piano teacher when I was six.

Sorry, I forgot my point. I guess I'm just incoherent this afternoon.

Clumsy Ghost anonymous November 28 2007, 00:53:34 UTC

My assault on this piece continues apace. The operative question is, "Can my hands make all the necessary shapes (except for the monkey-fart chord)?"

The answer is, "They can and they will and they shall." But not at speed, not yet. That is going to take a long time. But I am making good inroads, and am having fun with it.

GK

Re: Clumsy Ghost acw November 28 2007, 02:14:47 UTC

If you want a place to record your progress, you might consider a blog!

Only kidding ... you are welcome to use this comment thread for the purpose.

Re: Clumsy Ghost anonymous November 28 2007, 04:10:10 UTC

I am naturally gregarious much of the time, but my spouse is a privacy fanatic and has asked me not to start a blog. And there are a few people out there with whom I would just as soon not share details of my life and from whom I would not want to receive comments on same. And with a blog, well, it's out there for everyone.

Once upon a time I used to maintain what I liked to think of as "a lively correspondence". Yep, by post. I miss those days, and if life would calm down just a tiny bit more, I like to think I might resurrect that practice. But I've had that intention for several years running, now, and have yet to act. Boo, hiss.

Thank you, acw, for letting me piggy-back on your blog from time to time. It's the next best thing. I try not to be too obtrusive.

GK