Continuing the thought I had yesterday about the advantage of having a "conversation between left and right hand" versus chords, I went back into the music I had and found a piece that I played before when I first started this 30 days project and wanted to experiment with how well I was able to sight-read a few pieces after my 4 to 5 year hiatus >_<". Anyway, while I was playing "From the Beginnning until Now" (Ryu- OST for Winter Sonata) I noticed that I was able to pick up notes and play the piece with more fluidity, compared to when I first started- and I think its because, although the piece isn't exactly stylized like a conversation, it does alternate the melody between treble and bass clef (although many of the times when the left hand is providing the melody, the right hand is still holding a half note):]

Checkpoint: Having a conversation between left and right hand is easier than playing chords? ^o^

After playing so many chords for a while, I decided to switch back to fairly easier music, at least in my opinion. With chords, since I'm playing multiple notes simultaneously as one, it usually takes me a while to locate all the notes in the chord when I first begin practicing a piece >_<. That's why I prefer piano pieces that mostly have single note melodies and accompanying harmonies; the pieces that I like the most (because I am able to master the pieces the fastest ^o^ and the notes on the treble clef (mostly played by right hand)and ones on the bass clef (mostly played by left hand)can each contribute a portion to the overall melody) are works that includes alternating melodies between notes on the bass clef and notes on the treble clef, that way you're two hands don't have to simultaneously play (I've never really had good coordination with both hands) but can exchange the melody back and forth. Although it looses the richness that having two hand combined playing at once provides a piece, it does create something almost similar to a duet between the two hands or even a conversation: the left starting the first question, and the right answering it, before the left provides an agreeing response, and right continues that thought, and so on...

odd..o.O

Thinking back on all the difficulty with the chords that I've had these past few days, I decided to put "Variations on the Kanon" temporarily on hiatus (after practicing it so much, I was a bit frustrated/ fed up with it -not with the piece itself, just my own slow progress with it >_<") because I've actually found that it feels like, if I continously repeatedly practice a piano piece to correct a certain fingering or wrong notes that I keep playing, I'll simply end up frustrating myself. However if I come back to it after a rest of 1 or 2 days, or more, I feel like I can play the song with less mistakes and more fluidity then I had been able to before immediately after all that practicing- almost like I was able to improve better without practicing; but maybe it was the rest added to the frenzy of practice (due being extremely stubborn about wanting to play the piece right!- and perhaps just a tad bit of OCD-ness lol >_<) that allowed me to play better...odd isn't it? o.O

chords: so beautiful, yet such a pain (for me T_T)

To reemphasize the difficulties I am facing with piece "Variations on the Kanon" (George Winston arrangement), I am posting the link to the sheet music (its in "Public Domain" :D) so that one can further visualize just how many chords one must play throughout this piece! (in the very beginning, and during the fast-paced middle parts of the piece as well!)
Tada!:
Variations on the Kanon (Canon in D) arr. by George Winston

Credit: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16031626/Variations-on-the-Kanon-Canon-in-D-arr-by-George-Winston

Checkpoint: - :(

Played "Variations on a Kanon" again today! ^^

Ok, so to continue my last post...
The cons of playing this piece (at least for myself because I'm not particularly adept in playing, after maintaining a hiatus from playing the piano for around 4 to 5 years >_<" during which I forgot how to read the bass clef -____-") include an aspect that's a bit ironic (situational irony anyone? -^o^-) - is the chords!
As I mentioned before, the main reason I love this version of Pachelbel's Canon ever since I first heard a recording of it, is because of the richness and depth of sound the chords seem to bring to the entire piece! And perhaps, this is also enhanced by the different key (C major versus D major) that this version is written in that allows it to be something similar to...another perspective of the classical Pachelbel's Canon? And perhaps the different key (C major versus D major) that it is written in probably also enhances this version. I also think the faster tempo (allegro? rather than andante...) it is played at, compared to the original "Pachebel's Canon", near the climax of the piece allows it to create a more celebratory? and a bit hopeful? tone.
Anyway, the main problem I'm facing is that everytime I come across a chord (versus just single notes) I have to stop for five seconds to look up at the sheet music and back down at the piano to confirm which notes are in the chord and where they are on the piano (more times than not I play the wrong note the first time -_-") and it gets quite frustrating for me b/c it takes me forever to finish just one run through of the piece...I don't like having to pause after ever other chord - it completely ruins the melody! >:{ But I guess its part of the process I have to suffer of relearning piano >_<"
...I feel sorry for my family though, having to listen to me try to sight-read, Message to mi familia: Sorry mum, dad, kenny! (note to self: must get then something extra nice for their b-days / do more chores around the house! >_<)

+ :)

I practiced "Variations on the Kanon" (George Winston arrangement of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon") again today and there are a lot of pros and cons that I am facing with practicing this piece.
To begin with, the pros are that its written in the key of C major (yay! ^^) which is better for me because I'm really quite terrible at sight-reading; so having to find the exact notes of each chord on the piano, as well as remember which notes in the key are either "sharp" (have to play the black key to the upper right of the "natural" white key) or "flat" (have to play the black key to the upper left of the "natural" white key) is often one of the greatest annoyances I constantly face when I'm first reading the music and practicing it for the first few days. Even though there is the key signature at the beginning of every line that's there to remind you which notes on the scale are sharp/flat throughout the piece, I think I might just have short-term memory because I can never remember to play them sharp or flat when I'm playing! T_T"

"Variations on a Kanon"

So today I decided to go for a more classical piano piece today! -"Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel (also known as "Pachelbel's Canon")! I've actually played this song on the violin before, in orchestra, and in a small quartet in church, and I loved the way the various different instruments, violin, viola, cello, blended together to form such a poigant, soothing melody- it really is one of my favorite classical pieces!
Even though I really liked though I really like the original piano version of the song:

credit: http://www.youtube.com/v/H1kGJoGVpOs&hl

I could only find music for the George Winston arrangement of "Variations on the Kanon" by Johann Pachelbel. Yet after playing it, I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually enjoyed this version of "Pachelbel's Canon" a little bit better than the original; I think its because while the original version is mainly a piano solo and focuses on the melody (kind of like playing mainly the first violin part in a quartet arrangement of this piece), George Winston's arrangement includes many chords (vs. the original piece starting off w/ single notes) that add a sort of richness to the piece (similar to achieving the same musical quality as when an entire quartet plays the piece versus just the first violin's melody)...but that's just my opinion >_<
Hope you enjoy this version as much as I did! :

credit: http://www.youtube.com/v/kllZlF6mB2s&hl