Circle's Performances

KeyboardGal wrote:Enjoyed this! Great visuals too. Thanks for posting.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

(I'm a space nerd )

After a nice Christmas break, it's back to recording and getting some pieces on the camera:



I've never had computer problems before I started recording piano on you tube. This was the third recording session for this piece. The other two were lost to my own incompetence and the completely illogical workings of the Roland Fantom G. (I guess that could be blamed on my own incompetence too )

Arrrrg computer stuff! Yay piano!

Nice, circle!
And it was about time you put a new piece online! =)
Nice work!

Thanks!

Wahoo! The latest recording:

This one is from Daniel Stiebelt (another guy I had never heard of before this). After discovering the piece, I found it a nice break from some of the other stuff I had been working on. It's relatively short and easy to learn, but still a great piece.

Since it was so short, I found myself playing around a bit while practicing it. I created the little bonus at the end as a result of this tinkering, and kept playing it as part of the song:

I liked your bonus. That was really kinda groovy!

thanks!

Hi all. I haven't been around much lately, but am still practicing every day 1-2 hours. I've been learning piano now for 1 year and 3 months and have loved every bit of it.

It's been a long time since I posted here, but here are some of my favorite pieces I've learned since the last time I posted (there are lots of others on my YT channel, but I won't bore you with all of them!):

My latest from about 1 month ago. Not at all difficult - a nice, but perplexing little piece.


Mozart Adagio in B minor - February 11, 2010 (I *love* this piece and plan on re-learning soon.


Fragoso Prelude - March 13, 2010 (I love this piece too and just recently re-learned it)


Chopin Prelude in E minor - June 9, 2010


Victor's Piano Solo - August 12, 2010



Thanks for taking the time to watch - Happy Practicing!

Welcome back.
I love it when you (and others) film their piano videos (like you did in the Fragoso Prelude), so I can actually SEE what and how they're playing.
Nice listening too, you've gotten very good.

It was very pleasant watching your videos.
Your learning process video was very encouraging to me, I'm a very beginner and was kind of worried about starting the play pieces, this stimulates me completely.

Nice work with your playing and effort you put into them, your improvement is inspiring.

Jytte and Kelly, thanks for the kind comments!

Jytte, I would do the overhead shot more often, but now that I have an upright piano, it's difficult to find time where I can record (I have kids). When I do get a chance, it is only for a very short time, so taking the time to set up the overhead shot would leave no time for recording! I have 3 pieces I'm ready to record now, but I just can't find the time to do it. Oh well!

Kelly, I think you're talking about the "Learning Bach" video I made? I'm glad you liked it. I made that about 1 year ago, and at the time I was so amazed at how after a night of sleep, the next day things seemed to magically get better.

Circle_of_Fists wrote:Kelly, I think you're talking about the "Learning Bach" video I made? I'm glad you liked it. I made that about 1 year ago, and at the time I was so amazed at how after a night of sleep, the next day things seemed to magically get better.

Yes, that's the video. Andrew should say something about sleep on his videos, if he hasn't already. Decent rest can actually improve your learning tremendously. Not only for piano practice but for anything you study.

Kelly wrote:

Circle_of_Fists wrote:Kelly, I think you're talking about the "Learning Bach" video I made? I'm glad you liked it. I made that about 1 year ago, and at the time I was so amazed at how after a night of sleep, the next day things seemed to magically get better.

Yes, that's the video. Andrew should say something about sleep on his videos, if he hasn't already. Decent rest can actually improve your learning tremendously. Not only for piano practice but for anything you study.

Indeed, it's called post practice improvement. There are certain methods that you can use for it to work well and sleeping enough is very important for it.

Hi everybody! This is kind of a lot at once, but I had a chance to record this week and got several pieces down. I also bought a Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, so the sound now is *much* better than the crappy little mic on my Flip Ultra video camera.

First is "The Sick Doll" by tchaikovsky:




Next is his continuation on this theme with "The Doll's Burial":




I also got this one in:





And last but not least, I had fun with "The Sick Doll" and my digital piano (Roland Fantom G8). Prepare to be mooned!




I recorded one more, but I'm sick of editing video for the time being! Enjoy!

Thank you for these uploads Circle_of_Fists, a shame that noone replies until now, been a bit quiet around here. You show you're walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

Nice playing, I play just like this...in my dreams!

But tell me about that camera, Zoom H1. Is it good? I'm starting to look for equipment to record, if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Pianoted wrote:But tell me about that camera, Zoom H1. Is it good? I'm starting to look for equipment to record, if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Hi Ted, thanks for the positive feedback!

The Zoom H1 is not a camera. It is simply a digital stereo recording device for audio. I already had the Flip Ultra (HD) for taking video, so I only wanted something new to capture the sound better, and the Zoom H1 was perfect for that.

I recorded with both devices at the same time and with video editing software I disable the audio from the video recorder (Flip) and add the audio file from the audio recorder (Zoom H1) and sync them together manually so it fits. (not a difficult process) (first I used a free program "Audacity" to trim and normalize the sound file)

I'm *extremely* happy with the Zoom H1 for audio recording on my upright. It's relatively affordable at $99 usd ( I got mine at sweetwater).

Circle, it's always a pleasure to watch your videos.
I love the way you film it, sometimes it makes a piece of music seem more "approachable" when you can watch how other people play it.

And yea, I'm like Ted, i play like that too (in my head)

CoF, you're welcome you worked for it and thank you for explaining your recording process. With a quick net search I saw the Flip Ultra sells at 120-200 dollars, the cheapest at 120.

I assume that since you have an upright (sounds good) you need that extra software for the sound? Isn't the sound recorded through the MIDI ports on digital pianos? Then you only need a good camera or what?

Does the Flip Ultra record audio (I understand you need something more to capture the deep sound of an upright, but in the case of digitals?) Sorry for so many questions.

jytte wrote:Circle, it's always a pleasure to watch your videos.
I love the way you film it, sometimes it makes a piece of music seem more "approachable" when you can watch how other people play it.

Thanks for the nice comment!

Pianoted wrote:I assume that since you have an upright (sounds good) you need that extra software for the sound? Isn't the sound recorded through the MIDI ports on digital pianos? Then you only need a good camera or what?

Yes! All of my early videos were done on my digital, so one only needs a video camera to capture the video while the digital is responsible for making the sound. On my digital, I can create a .wav file right on the keyboard, so I would just export that file and use it in combination with the video. Like the method described last post about using the Zoom H1 sound file, I did the same thing with the sound file from the digital.

All keyboards are different, and I don't know much about midi files and computers.

Does the Flip Ultra record audio (I understand you need something more to capture the deep sound of an upright, but in the case of digitals?) Sorry for so many questions.

No problem, I'm glad to help! The Flip also records audio, which is perfectly fine for home videos and things like that. If one mixing a video together of a digital performance, the audio from the video camera can be disabled and the audio file from the digital can be used instead.

To mix my videos on you tube, I primarily use the movie software that came with my computer, I think it's Windows Live Movie Maker (this might be available for free from microsoft).

In my last video of Saturn's moons, I used old video software I have, Sony Vegas Platinum, because the Windows movie software is very basic. Unfortunately this old Sony software gives me many problems with rendering, so I only use it when I have to!

Thanks for your explanation, CoF. So if we sum it up, there are two ways to record from a digital piano:

1. Using only the camera, which records the sound and picture, not only the piano of course but every sound heard in the room. Thus risking unexpected noise, people talking in the area or knocking at the door. Then transfer the video with sound to the computer. Maybe some cutting needs to be done, apart from that the video should be ready for upload.
2. Connect the DP to the computer and let some recording program record what is played, resulting in an audio file. Record your performance with the video camera and cut out the audio from the recoreded video, or mute it before recording. Mix the audio file with the picture, then upload the resulting video.

Would like to avoid the trouble of synchronizing sound and video, so I'd prefer the first option. Besides I don't want the notes to be heard one second after they're played.

By the way I saw that you put your videos on Pianoworld and everyone was pleased, congratulations with that. I also think your performances are good.

Circle, I'm using one of your videos in another post (here), because it's so special. I hope you don't mind.

My last recording for a little while.

A very beautiful prelude from Scriabin performed by a very amateur pianist-in-training:



Enjoy!

You may be an amateur, but those "big moves" are tough! I'm amazed at how good you got in such a short time. Bravo

jytte wrote:You may be an amateur, but those "big moves" are tough! I'm amazed at how good you got in such a short time. Bravo

Thanks a lot, I really do appreciate the comments!

I have a note on the sheet music that I started on it on June 8. There was a long period in the summer that I didn't work on it (maybe 1-2 months?) because other pieces took priority, but I can easily say I put a good 3-4 months into the piece. So, it's not like I just picked it up and started playing it - I had to put a lot of work into it just to get it where it's at now. It helps that I really like it or I would have given up long ago!

Thanks again!

Hi everyone!

I stepped outside of the box a little on this one and turned to actually creating something this time. A little piece, sort of based on the style of Einaudi.

It was fun to put together, and satisfying to record since I can't *ever* seem to get a decent take of Einaudi's "I Giorni" (mine is a little easier to play!).

A brief background on the piece and its inspiration can be found in the You Tube description, but in a nutshell, a dozen women in my house chatting and me escaping at the piano.

I hope you enjoy it! I call it "White Noise".