Calling all Pianist of this community! :D

[yotipo91]

Thanks for the new piano music to listen to gaize.

I think I already sent you a few Touhou songs for you to do for me. Here's one

edit: That Clair de Lune reminds me of Sheik's theme from Ocarina of Time

[Destiny]

For the music that you all suggested, can I only acquire  the sheet music by buying it or is there a free copy somewhere?

[StS]

I immediately thought of Debussy after reading the OP. If you've played for 8 years already, Claire de Lune should be right up your league; though in case it is too difficult, try his Reverie or one of his Children's Corner pieces. You can find recordings on Youtube, and Debussy's music is on IMSLP: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Debussy,_Claude

I'd also suggest that you play some Bach; one of the two- or three-part Inventions, depending on your skill level (if you've never played Bach before, go with the two-part Inventions). Available here: http://imslp.org/wiki/15_Inventions,_BWV_7...nn_Sebastian%29

And finally, as a piece to work on in those lessons you spoke about, I'd suggest Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances; in terms of notes and technique, they are not too demanding, but they should create a contrast in style and sound to your usual romantic repertoire. http://imslp.org/wiki/Romanian_Folk_Dances...k,_B%C3%A9la%29

[coconutcrusher]

Hmm, I wonder if learning piano helps with Tetris, the way you have to remember where the keys are and the speed and timing of pressing them . . err . .

Anyway, I played piano for a couple years when I was a kid. I don't remember too many of the pieces any more though . .

EXCEPT! . . my favourite piece, which was Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I'm sure you've heard it before. Pretty tough, there's one part where unless you have giant hands, you have to move your finger from one side of the piano to the other. I spent over a year trying to master it, and when I finally nailed it, I could really feel the song, the emotion, the rhythm . .

. . then my piano teacher said, "You're playing it wrong." (No, my piano teacher wasn't Steve Jobs.  ) The way she wanted me to play it took out a lot of the emotion, I think I quit piano shortly after in protest.  

Oh, and one other piece that I really liked and recommend for a challenge especially if you like ice cream, is Scott Joplin's The Entertainer. Although I had a really hard time with the original version, so if you can master that, you have my respect.  

(And one more that I remember liking a lot was Carl Czerny. Don't remember the names of his pieces, but I remember liking most of his music and they're apparently really popular for people learning piano / keyboard). Actually, scratch that: I was just looking down the composer list, and I think I was actually thinking of "Muzio Clementi".

Anyway, good luck with that!

[Destiny]

Wow thanks everyone for suggesting songs. I think I could even use this pool of songs for upcoming recitals i have o.O

[StS]

Hmm, I wonder if learning piano helps with Tetris, the way you have to remember where the keys are and the speed and timing of pressing them . . err . .

Anyway, I played piano for a couple years when I was a kid. I don't remember too many of the pieces any more though . .

EXCEPT! . . my favourite piece, which was Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I'm sure you've heard it before. Pretty tough, there's one part where unless you have giant hands, you have to move your finger from one side of the piano to the other. I spent over a year trying to master it, and when I finally nailed it, I could really feel the song, the emotion, the rhythm . .

. . then my piano teacher said, "You're playing it wrong." (No, my piano teacher wasn't Steve Jobs.  ) The way she wanted me to play it took out a lot of the emotion, I think I quit piano shortly after in protest.  

Chances are, your teacher was right. The problem with Beethoven's Moonlight is that it is made out to be a very romantic piece (moonlight being very romantic and featured in lots of poetry; see Debussy's Claire de lune as well); but playing it with lots of rubato and freedom, as you would a Chopin Nocturne or a Rachmaninov Prelude, is playing it wrong because you are cheapening it and thereby making the music less expressive. The way to bring out the beauty of the sonata is instead to simplify it, mitigate tempo variations and to express all the emotions through sound textures rather than rubato (of course, don't play it stiffly, but practise it without varying your tempo because you will very naturally allow yourself the right amount of freedom in performance). In my opinion (and this part really is just an opinion), it is the understatement of the emotions which makes the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata so beautiful.