Wonderful progress Jen! I like that fact that you stuck with level appropriate pieces throughout your 1 year journey and didn't try to jump to harder pieces straight away that is quite common you see in these 1 year piano progress videos :) Great job!
Thank you! I feel like the pieces I learned were plenty challenging (sometimes too challenging 😬)and I had no desire to skip ahead. I think it’s good to learn the fundamentals well so they can be applied to more difficult repertoire down the road. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊
I'm glad you had a teacher. You can really see the difference in self-taught pianists and pianists who have a teacher. E.g. how they use their hands, fingers, arms, and how they sit at the piano
Thank you so much! I feel good about the first year progress and hope year two will continue on the same trajectory. I also love that arrangement. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it and how much I learned from it! Every day I was excited to sit down and explore the different classical periods. I’d like to find a regular, non-Christmas piece with similar variations that I can play all year. 😊
I admire your perseverance. I’m over 50 and starting learning jazz piano in the last year. It’s complicated but very rewarding. Love classical too. Well done.
Thank you! Ooo jazz piano. That does sound complicated. It’s not my main area of interest, but I do find many pieces relaxing and beautiful. I bet you love playing it! Have fun on your journey. 😊
Thanks for the comment. Sometimes I watch these videos and see someone play Chopin or a perfect rendition of the Entertainer after 3 months, and I’m like, “There’s no way!” But everyone learns at a different pace, so who knows? 🤷🏻♀️
@@jenweaver01 Some professionals playing for years have worst position and technique than many of this 1 year progress videos...That speaks by itself!! Lying to oneself is the way many in this world feel like living something....
@@albertoyzf7429 can you give an example of someone who seems to have better technique after one year? It's out of curiousity. I'm also playing for one year and most pieces I'm playing are grade 1/2 and sometimes grade 3 pieces. Besides the last ones, they don't feel that hard anymore to learn. Anyway, I did approach very few more advanced pieces, though and I think you can "play" them if you really have the drive for it. But! you won't play most parts of it very well and it seems to take forever. For instance, this guy who played fantasy impromptu after one year did it not very well if we ignore that he only played for a year. I think there can be many subtle things within the playing and when you listen close enough to many reditions and/or dive deeper into this music/which nuances exist, you will be able to tell the differences. But that's just my thought. Becauce e.g. I have listened to Trifonov many times playing the transcendental etudes from Lizst and especially in my favourite parts I can hear like every second time something new and it just gets me. Well, maybe I'm addictive 😂
@@albertoyzf7429 can you give an example of someone who seems to have better technique after one year? It's out of curiousity. I'm also playing for one year and most pieces I'm playing are grade 1/2 and sometimes grade 3 pieces. Besides the last ones, they don't feel that hard anymore to learn. Anyway, I did approach very few more advanced pieces, though and I think you can "play" them if you really have the drive for it. But! you won't play most parts of it very well and it seems to take forever. For instance, this guy who played fantasy impromptu after one year did it not very well if we ignore that he only played for a year. I think there can be many subtle things within the playing and when you listen close enough to many reditions and/or dive deeper into this music/which nuances exist, you will be able to tell the differences. But that's just my thought. Becauce e.g. I have listened to Trifonov many times playing the transcendental etudes from Lizst and especially in my favourite parts I can hear like every second time something new and it just gets me. Well, maybe I'm addictive 😂
👋🏼 Hi Jan! What a small world! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I’ve really enjoyed meeting you and the rest of the CPP community. It’s been a fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
Great job! I started right around the same time as you as an adult beginner, so it's nice to see other people doing it as well. Very inspirational, Jen.
Hey Jen, It's Mitzi from CPP, your video popped up in a search. Wow you are amazing! This was a fun video to watch! You are an inspiration. Great Progress! keep up the great playing!!
🎉Hi Mitzi! It’s so funny UA-cam recommended the video. It happened for Jan from CPP that way too. It feels like such a small world! Thanks for watching and commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😊 My husband encouraged me to record myself from the beginning. He said I’d appreciate it later. He was right. ❤ It’s kind of neat to play it back and see how much I’ve learned. Sometimes we get stuck in the week to week practice and don’t realize how far we’ve come!
@@jenweaver01 Hi Jen, your husband sounds like a very smart guy!! 🙂. Glad I found your video, it inspired me. I've never played anything that took longer than a week or so to learn. I'm going to pick a piece that I know will take 5 or 6 weeks to learn. time to step out of my comfort zone! I subscribed to your channel, looking forward to watching your awesome progress! See ya on the Forum!
@@ITPoshLady1 He is smart 😊 He knows me well. Yay! Have fun with your new piece. Those more difficult pieces can be frustrating sometimes, but settle in and enjoy the process. With enough repetition it will eventually come together, as you know ❤️ looking forward to hearing you play!
I’m on month 1 and I’m looking forward to being where you were at month 8 - then I’ll feel like I’m really playing the piano❤ Thank you for sharing and inspiring us😊
Awesome video with progress... very nice playing! Lovely pieces chosen. I started to learn end March 2020 (lockdown) from scratch. You chose many same pieces I chose. Great channel. 😊
@@jenweaver01 aaah that's very kind. I am learning Chopin Waltz in A minor with teacher. I tried it a year ago but had to put it down! You play very clean, with very good technique. I subscribed to your channel and will watch more of your videos. Thanks again 😊😊
Hey😊 the first video I watch from you. I bought a piano last year and started lessons in october. It was my goal when I turned 30😊 and I love it so much, best decision to start learning an instrument as an adult❤ Looking forward to follow your journey😊 Greetings from Germany! Denny
That's awesome! Yes I agree. The piano was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I love it so much. I’m glad you are enjoying it as well. Thanks for the comment and I wish you an amazing and enjoyable piano journey!
Your clementine first movement is really good! (The other ones too) I'm 11 months in and am learning it as well, I feel like most of it is okay because there are many repetitions, but getting it up to speed will probably take a while
Thank you! If I can give you any advice, prioritize accuracy over speed when speeding it up. I went too fast too soon and practiced in a bunch of mistakes. If I could go back and do it again, I would focus on mistake free repetitions. Hope you enjoy learning the piece 😊
This was such a beautiful video!! Love this. You should keep recording progress videos for this new year! What has been the most challenging piece you learned this year?
Thank you! I plan to keep up the recordings. They have been very motivating. When I don’t think I’ve made any progress, I go back and watch some old ones. The most challenging so far was the 2nd movement of Clementi Sonatina 36 no 1 (the slow movement). Even though it was slow, everything about it was new to me. It felt like it took forever to make any progress. But eventually it started feeling easier and I was able to play it. I’m glad I stuck with it because I almost gave up a couple times 😊
It's been nearly 30 years since I last looked at a Clementi Sonatina, but my right hand still remembers the first couple of lines from op. 36 no 1. If you liked that one, you should try Kuhlau's op. 55 no 1.
I believe it. After playing it so many times, you’ll remember the Ba-da-da-da-da forever. I’ve heard good things about Kuhlau. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Jen, That was fun to watch! The improvement over the year was impressive. You must be happy? It has certainly given me some ideas on perhaps mixing it up a bit in my choice of pieces. (I sort of committed myself to the Alfred Adult All in One method books and am just about to move to the third and final level). I take it you find having a teacher very helpful? I look forward to following your progress in the coming year(s). Best wishes from Adelaide, Australia. Stephen.
Thank you Stephen! Yes, I’m happy with my first year progress :) I didn’t realize how far I had come until I made this video and watched it back. When we play, we only see the day to day stuff. It’s hard to see the big picture. I really like method books, and Alfred’s is a good one. But I wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far without my teachers. I highly recommend in person lessons whenever possible. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Great playing and progress in a year. Good to hear from adult beginners like myself. Guess it's common for people to play a movement of a piece with several movements a few months apart like the Clementi Sonatina in C. Some pieces like the Minuet in G & G minor are usually performed together 1 after another. They can be played as separate pieces as well. I come from a non-musical family so nobody around me has the confidence to play in front of others although many took music lessons (piano or violin). Many people like myself struggle to play pieces up to the "ideal" tempo especially technical Classical pieces. We have a tendency to do "slow" practice and perform them slow too. We wouldn't reach the fast tempo playing some pieces until years later.
Thank you! Yes same here. Although there are couple people in my family that play an instrument, it’s not something that we do when we get together for family gatherings. So this year at Christmas, everyone wanted to hear the piano. I was so nervous 😬. I made so many mistakes and had a complete brain failure and had to start over. But they are my family and they were just happy I was trying. Regarding the slow practice, I completely agree. Slow and careful practice is the best way to learn. But it is hard to speed up a piece cleanly. Really hard. I can’t seem to think far enough ahead to play as fast as the tempo requires. I do think that will improve with more time and just getting used to everything(I hope so anyway). Thanks for the comment and happy practicing 😊
A foreign UA-camr came across your video and followed you right away, in case he needs to learn some tricks/techniques/methods 🙂" lol. Talking in 3rd person... Anywho: I have no Piano teacher and took "Organ" lessons when I was around 11 years of age. I am not planning to take any lessons (at least not in the forseeable future). I also play/make other genres of music (EDM and such), therefor I don't (really) feel the need to take lessons, even though it could/would help me tremendeously... ;-) I DO enjoy seeing how you've improved and gotten better (great) at it! IN CLOSING: Unfortunately most of my music is stored locally (thus not online). I do have some stuff on another UA-cam account which I've lost access to because of a stupid/silly mishap. However, not that long ago I received an E-mail from Google that I could recover it within two weeks (knock on wood). I uploaded some of my other works to TikTok, but I usually put them on Private after a few days. TL;DR: this became a rather long rant! Thank you for your time/patience reading all of this. See/Hear you around! 😀Regards from The Netherlands
Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it! I also enjoy seeing others improve. It’s fun to watch! Lessons are not for everyone, I just like them :) I wish you well in your journey and hope you can recover those lost videos 😊
Did you know how to read music? I'm starting week 2, and getting my 54 year old brain to translate notes to my hands seems like an impossible task to advance. I must say, you came strong out the gate, it sound fantastic, inspiring! Cheers, to you;)
Thank you so much. Regarding reading music, yes and no. I played the flute in school, but it’s been 25 years since I’ve seen any music. Treble clef came back pretty fast but bass clef was impossible. I used flash cards for months and those really helped. Alfred makes the set I used. Also, the first videos from Month 1 weren’t from the first day. I practiced for two weeks before I finally listened to my husband suggestion to record myself. Thanks so much for commenting. 😊 I wish you all the best in your piano journey.
Very inspiring! I must say your progress is amazing. I struggled for months and could not get beyond what you did in your first piece. How many hours do you practice a day and how many hours were you with the teacher?
Thank you! Yes mastering a song and playing without mistakes is difficult. One thing my teacher does is have me continue with a song even after I’ve learned it. I get bored after a couple of weeks but he has me continue to play and work on the trouble sections for several more weeks until they start to get better. I still have issues playing through without mistakes, so many of the clips from this video weren’t from the first take. I had to record several times before I was happy with them. Maybe one day I can play without mistakes like so many seem to be able to do. Best wishes for you for a great year 2 at the piano!
Thank you! Yes I have learned note reading. I spent the first month or so using flash cards trying to really internalize the notes so that when I went to the piano it would be easier.
Well done. What book did you use? Any tutorial that you recommend? I took piano lessons for a year but I stopped practicing. This was years ago and I don't remember anything. I need to learn again.
Thank you! I like Faber Adult Piano adventures method books best. I like the RCM syllabus to pick out level appropriate repertoire outside the method books. I’ll put the link to that in the description as well. For courses, my favorite is a paid course I linked in the video description but there are fantastic free options as well, although not as structured. The channels I linked in the description have some really good instructional videos, starting from scratch. Hope you enjoy picking up the piano again! 😊
I recommend Piano Adventures Adult All In One for the method book. I would recommend the RCM syllabus for extra level-appropriate repertoire (linked in description box) You can do the method book plus extra pieces. I recommend Czerny Op 599 for technical exercises. I like easy pieces for daily sight reading and also the Piano adventures sight reading book. And I highly recommend getting feedback about your technique from a person who can see how you play. Best wishes for a fun piano journey!! 😊
Amazing progress! And great video 😁 I was wondering how much time daily did you put into it on average? It’s my second day playing the piano and am excited to start my journey 😊
Thank you! Some days only 30 minutes but other days I spent up to 3+ hours, all depending on how much time I had. On average I probably spent about an hour and a half. I broke the sessions up into short sessions throughout the day, never all at once. I would probably play more if I didn’t have to go to work. I love it so much. Best wishes for an enjoyable piano journey 😊
Well done. I've started out at the start of this year. It's been 7 weeks. Sometimes, it does feel like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Any tips for the early days?
Thank you! It definitely feels like 2 steps forward and one back. It’s not a linear process. Overall there’s improvement, but week to week it’s hard to see. Some tips? - Record yourself. It’s really nice to look back and see the progress. - Do sight reading every day or almost every day. - i used flashcards a couple minutes a day to learn notes and simple chords for the first several months. Just to cement them in my head. It really helped. - Practice slowly and accurately so you don’t have to unlearn your mistakes. - Be kind to yourself and be patient. Sometimes it takes many days or weeks before a tricky passage can feel comfortable. Let yourself enjoy the process. Hope you have so much fun on your journey!❤️
Hi! Your 1 year progress video is very inspiring! I started 7 months ago. While I’m happy with my progress, I only learned pieces that I like which means pieces that are way beyond my level. The past week I decided to play easy pieces and work my up because I really want my sight reading to improve. Do you have any tips? Do you mainly play pieces that you can only sight read? I also recently hired a teacher.
I saw your comment and hope you dont mind me replying. I think it's not a great idea to only play pièces you like - this results in trying to learn pieces that are too difficult which is not a good use of time. I use ABRSM graded pièces as a benchmark and all other pièces I get my teacher to assess if ok or not for me. I have learned nearly all parts of the Clementi Sonatina and thoroughy enjoyed. Re sight reading. I WAS really bad at it, so avoided it. The new teacher (had her nearly a year now) assessed me and it was bad!!! Started again with grade 1 - she calls it counting practice. I began to make progress and count with ease in every sight reading session. Eyes on the score for the most part has helped me progress. For sigh reading I use ABRSM and also a scheme of progression called Improve Your Sight reading by Paul Harris (Faber) as well as, as many little pieces as can - things you can sight read then learn to play in a couple of days. When I do this I choose material that is at least 2 grades below what I normally play in order to manage and progress with sight reading. 😊 i do ABRSM Theory study too.
@keys thanks! Yes, that’s my new goal. I realized that just forcing myself to learn play a certain piece will slow my progress in the long run. I dont want my time wasted since I do put in a lot of time practicing especially during my days off. I will look into the ABRSM books. 😊
@@smokingninja85 great! I have a very long list of pieces I will learn, but not now! I like ABRSM for the progression. I am at grade 4. However, I can now look at a score and have a rough idea when it's out of my skill range! I work with ABRSM...As if taking the exams, but no exams for me! Alfred's all in one books are good too but I only used a little. Classics to Moderns books 1 - 3 are also good. If you want a challenge, try Bach Invention no.1. It exposes to the skill of counterpoint and is enjoyable to learn. Enjoy your journey!
@smokingninja85 Yes I agree. While it’s fun to play what you want, it takes so much time to learn one piece. Time that could have been spent on many level appropriate pieces. And missing out on a bunch of new skills. Glad you got a teacher and will be taking more of a step wise approach. After a year of this, I think I’ve settled into a pattern that works well for me. 1. Method book stuff or following a teachers plan 2. Easy pieces to sightread every day. 3. Technical exercises. I like Czerny 4. 3 repertoire pieces at a time. The first is easy and I can learn in 1 week. I get a new one of these every week. The second is at my level and it takes 4 or 6 weeks to learn. And one stretch piece that’s above my level and I spend 2-3 months on it. Currently my stretch piece is Satie Gymnopedie 1. For repertoire I like ABRSM, but I tend to use RCM because they have a very easy to read syllabus with TONS of pieces. It’s linked in video description. Hope this was helpful 😊 good luck to you!
@@jenweaver01 fab!!! This is very similar to how I learn. My Czerny book has gone missing! So using Hanon! I think structure is vital. I made a little chart with all the pieces I leaned that I dont want to forget (some will have to go!) But those that were a real.challenge, I don't want to forget. The chart has them all listed - Mon to Sun they all get a play!
You have done a great job on that Clementi. After a year and a half of lessons I am still trying to get it performable. What do you do for warm ups? Hanon, scales, Czerny?
Thank you! It was a tough one for me as well. I do scales and Czerny primarily. My teacher also gives me exercises to improve fast passages. He does things like the plus one, where you add one note at a time until the passage is built. We also do mirror exercises where you have the left hand mirror the right, in short sections. Lots of repetition. Lots of different types of exercises, depending on what I’m learning. Good luck with your future progress. Piano really is so much fun! 🤩
Why don't you try playing Diabelli's sonatina op. 168, no. 2 (allegro moderato)? This piece may appear hard but it actually isn't. It's graded between 3 and 4 level (early intermediate to intermediate). You've played Clementi's piece and that one is graded level 3 according to the ABRSM.
That’s a really good suggestion. There are a few new things in there, but not too much above what I’m playing now. It’s also very pretty. Thank you so much!
Hi Jenm, it was amazing seeing your progress throughout the year !. It was incredible (I am 55 and starting to learn piano on my own ) and gave me hope that I could also do it...... I can imagine that a teacher will surely help, but would you say that made a big difference? I am trying to define whether I need to invest in that or not. Congrats and I will be waiting for your year 2 video!
Hi Jamie. It’s great to hear you’re starting piano! A teacher made a huge difference for me. I wouldn’t have gotten this far on my own. If you can find a good teacher locally, and if it’s in budget, I highly recommend! I so look forward to my lessons 😊 If you’d prefer an online route, I found an amazing online course that I would recommend. It’s linked in the description box. You get instruction videos each week, real feedback from the instructor every week, and you can be part of an online community where you chat with others learning the same thing as you. If none of these work, there are tons of great free resources on UA-cam. Following some method books and videos will serve you quite well! Faber Piano adventures are my favorite method books. Best wishes for a fun piano journey. Thanks so much for commenting ❤️😊
Hi! 👋🏼 I practiced on average 10 - 12 hours per week, in 30 to 60 minute sessions, multiple times per day. If I had to guess, I probably spent about 500 hours practicing during my first year.
Well done. You are inspiring us, adult learners, to do it the right way and build up skills along with sight reading abilities.
Aww thank you! Yes, always keep up with technique and sight reading. They are easy to skip but so important.
Thank you Jen for sharing this inspiring video - I am 60 and about to start my first lesson! Great piano investment too!
I’m 66yo and I have hope to start too 😅
Wonderful! Best wishes for an enjoyable piano journey. Don’t forget to take a couple of videos of when you first start so you can look back.
@@andersphansson I'm 67 and already started 10 month ago. Why I did't in Jen young age
Wonderful progress Jen! I like that fact that you stuck with level appropriate pieces throughout your 1 year journey and didn't try to jump to harder pieces straight away that is quite common you see in these 1 year piano progress videos :) Great job!
Thank you! I feel like the pieces I learned were plenty challenging (sometimes too challenging 😬)and I had no desire to skip ahead. I think it’s good to learn the fundamentals well so they can be applied to more difficult repertoire down the road. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊
I couldn't agree more with you
Agree 100%
I'm glad you had a teacher. You can really see the difference in self-taught pianists and pianists who have a teacher. E.g. how they use their hands, fingers, arms, and how they sit at the piano
Thank you. Yes I agree. Having a good teacher has really helped my technique.
What an exciting journey! You should be so proud of your progress and determination!
One of my favourite arrangements of We Wish You a Merry Christmas! So well played!
Thank you so much! I feel good about the first year progress and hope year two will continue on the same trajectory.
I also love that arrangement. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it and how much I learned from it! Every day I was excited to sit down and explore the different classical periods. I’d like to find a regular, non-Christmas piece with similar variations that I can play all year. 😊
I admire your perseverance. I’m over 50 and starting learning jazz piano in the last year. It’s complicated but very rewarding. Love classical too. Well done.
Thank you! Ooo jazz piano. That does sound complicated. It’s not my main area of interest, but I do find many pieces relaxing and beautiful. I bet you love playing it! Have fun on your journey. 😊
Well done!
The only one of this kind that I have seen and looks real progress.
Enjoy!!!!
Thanks for the comment. Sometimes I watch these videos and see someone play Chopin or a perfect rendition of the Entertainer after 3 months, and I’m like, “There’s no way!” But everyone learns at a different pace, so who knows? 🤷🏻♀️
@@jenweaver01 Some professionals playing for years have worst position and technique than many of this 1 year progress videos...That speaks by itself!!
Lying to oneself is the way many in this world feel like living something....
@@albertoyzf7429 can you give an example of someone who seems to have better technique after one year? It's out of curiousity. I'm also playing for one year and most pieces I'm playing are grade 1/2 and sometimes grade 3 pieces. Besides the last ones, they don't feel that hard anymore to learn. Anyway, I did approach very few more advanced pieces, though and I think you can "play" them if you really have the drive for it. But! you won't play most parts of it very well and it seems to take forever. For instance, this guy who played fantasy impromptu after one year did it not very well if we ignore that he only played for a year. I think there can be many subtle things within the playing and when you listen close enough to many reditions and/or dive deeper into this music/which nuances exist, you will be able to tell the differences. But that's just my thought. Becauce e.g. I have listened to Trifonov many times playing the transcendental etudes from Lizst and especially in my favourite parts I can hear like every second time something new and it just gets me. Well, maybe I'm addictive 😂
@@kattttttyou made a very good comment.
@@albertoyzf7429 can you give an example of someone who seems to have better technique after one year? It's out of curiousity. I'm also playing for one year and most pieces I'm playing are grade 1/2 and sometimes grade 3 pieces. Besides the last ones, they don't feel that hard anymore to learn. Anyway, I did approach very few more advanced pieces, though and I think you can "play" them if you really have the drive for it. But! you won't play most parts of it very well and it seems to take forever. For instance, this guy who played fantasy impromptu after one year did it not very well if we ignore that he only played for a year. I think there can be many subtle things within the playing and when you listen close enough to many reditions and/or dive deeper into this music/which nuances exist, you will be able to tell the differences. But that's just my thought. Becauce e.g. I have listened to Trifonov many times playing the transcendental etudes from Lizst and especially in my favourite parts I can hear like every second time something new and it just gets me. Well, maybe I'm addictive 😂
Well done. I started two weeks ago and loving it so far
Hej Jen. It's me - Jan from CPP 👋. Your channel popped up as a recommended channel :-) Fun to watch your progress.
👋🏼 Hi Jan! What a small world! Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I’ve really enjoyed meeting you and the rest of the CPP community. It’s been a fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
Great job! I started right around the same time as you as an adult beginner, so it's nice to see other people doing it as well. Very inspirational, Jen.
Hey Jen, It's Mitzi from CPP, your video popped up in a search. Wow you are amazing! This was a fun video to watch! You are an inspiration. Great Progress! keep up the great playing!!
🎉Hi Mitzi! It’s so funny UA-cam recommended the video. It happened for Jan from CPP that way too. It feels like such a small world! Thanks for watching and commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😊 My husband encouraged me to record myself from the beginning. He said I’d appreciate it later. He was right. ❤ It’s kind of neat to play it back and see how much I’ve learned. Sometimes we get stuck in the week to week practice and don’t realize how far we’ve come!
@@jenweaver01 Hi Jen, your husband sounds like a very smart guy!! 🙂. Glad I found your video, it inspired me. I've never played anything that took longer than a week or so to learn. I'm going to pick a piece that I know will take 5 or 6 weeks to learn. time to step out of my comfort zone! I subscribed to your channel, looking forward to watching your awesome progress! See ya on the Forum!
@@ITPoshLady1 He is smart 😊 He knows me well. Yay! Have fun with your new piece. Those more difficult pieces can be frustrating sometimes, but settle in and enjoy the process. With enough repetition it will eventually come together, as you know ❤️ looking forward to hearing you play!
Omg you were already good at month 1! Nice job
Thanks! I took those first few videos after several weeks of practice in my first month 😊
I’m on month 1 and I’m looking forward to being where you were at month 8 - then I’ll feel like I’m really playing the piano❤
Thank you for sharing and inspiring us😊
Aww thanks for the sweet comment. Have fun on your journey 😊
Overall as well, you made really good progress!!!
Awesome to see the progress 😊
Thanks! 😊 I’m glad you liked it.
Awesome video with progress... very nice playing! Lovely pieces chosen. I started to learn end March 2020 (lockdown) from scratch. You chose many same pieces I chose. Great channel. 😊
Thank you! I just watched a few of your videos as well. Really excellent progress. 😊
@@jenweaver01 aaah that's very kind. I am learning Chopin Waltz in A minor with teacher. I tried it a year ago but had to put it down! You play very clean, with very good technique. I subscribed to your channel and will watch more of your videos. Thanks again 😊😊
@@keys6 I’m looking forward to hearing you play it. It’s such a beautiful piece!
@@jenweaver01 will post it... eventually! It's a great way in to Chopin and will also help me get better with the pedal!
Hey😊 the first video I watch from you. I bought a piano last year and started lessons in october. It was my goal when I turned 30😊 and I love it so much, best decision to start learning an instrument as an adult❤
Looking forward to follow your journey😊
Greetings from Germany! Denny
That's awesome! Yes I agree. The piano was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I love it so much. I’m glad you are enjoying it as well. Thanks for the comment and I wish you an amazing and enjoyable piano journey!
Truly wonderful
Thank you 😊
Congrats, this is inspiring👏👏👏
Thank you! 😊
Well done!
Thank you so much :) It was a fun year!
Your clementine first movement is really good! (The other ones too)
I'm 11 months in and am learning it as well, I feel like most of it is okay because there are many repetitions, but getting it up to speed will probably take a while
Thank you! If I can give you any advice, prioritize accuracy over speed when speeding it up. I went too fast too soon and practiced in a bunch of mistakes. If I could go back and do it again, I would focus on mistake free repetitions. Hope you enjoy learning the piece 😊
Metronome helped me increase tempo....
Wow great progress !! 🎹🎹I subscribed ,to see next steps !!! Really COOL 👍👍👍😎
😊 Thank you so much!
Congratulations!
Thank you 😊
Woaw, keep up ivbeen taking lessons for a month and half now Hope to reach it lvl
Beside good song chose love them
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes for a good piano year for you 😊
This is very inspiring, Jen!
Aww thank you for your kind words 😊
Awesome! Started too with my Roland fp10. 38yo.
This was such a beautiful video!! Love this. You should keep recording progress videos for this new year! What has been the most challenging piece you learned this year?
Thank you! I plan to keep up the recordings. They have been very motivating. When I don’t think I’ve made any progress, I go back and watch some old ones.
The most challenging so far was the 2nd movement of Clementi Sonatina 36 no 1 (the slow movement). Even though it was slow, everything about it was new to me. It felt like it took forever to make any progress. But eventually it started feeling easier and I was able to play it. I’m glad I stuck with it because I almost gave up a couple times 😊
It's been nearly 30 years since I last looked at a Clementi Sonatina, but my right hand still remembers the first couple of lines from op. 36 no 1. If you liked that one, you should try Kuhlau's op. 55 no 1.
I believe it. After playing it so many times, you’ll remember the Ba-da-da-da-da forever. I’ve heard good things about Kuhlau. Thanks for the suggestion!
Also thanks for recommending these channels
You’re welcome!
Hi Jen,
That was fun to watch! The improvement over the year was impressive. You must be happy? It has certainly given me some ideas on perhaps mixing it up a bit in my choice of pieces. (I sort of committed myself to the Alfred Adult All in One method books and am just about to move to the third and final level). I take it you find having a teacher very helpful?
I look forward to following your progress in the coming year(s).
Best wishes from Adelaide, Australia.
Stephen.
Thank you Stephen! Yes, I’m happy with my first year progress :) I didn’t realize how far I had come until I made this video and watched it back. When we play, we only see the day to day stuff. It’s hard to see the big picture.
I really like method books, and Alfred’s is a good one. But I wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far without my teachers. I highly recommend in person lessons whenever possible.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Cheers! You made fantastic progress! BTW I started at 46 but focused entirely on jazz.
Ooo how fun! You’re braver than I. Jazz sounds so difficult to me. I assume you’re improvising a lot.
Just checked out your channel. Wow you are definitely braver than I am with all that improv. You sound great!
@@jenweaver01 Well, thanks a lot for kind words.
@@jenweaver01 I just don't have enough patience to stay focused on learning pieces note-by-note. I like classical stuff very much regardless. Cheers!
Wonderful Channel and really, really good progress. Congratulation 🎉❤
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words
Great playing and progress in a year. Good to hear from adult beginners like myself.
Guess it's common for people to play a movement of a piece with several movements a few months apart like the Clementi Sonatina in C. Some pieces like the Minuet in G & G minor are usually performed together 1 after another. They can be played as separate pieces as well.
I come from a non-musical family so nobody around me has the confidence to play in front of others although many took music lessons (piano or violin).
Many people like myself struggle to play pieces up to the "ideal" tempo especially technical Classical pieces. We have a tendency to do "slow" practice and perform them slow too. We wouldn't reach the fast tempo playing some pieces until years later.
Thank you! Yes same here. Although there are couple people in my family that play an instrument, it’s not something that we do when we get together for family gatherings. So this year at Christmas, everyone wanted to hear the piano. I was so nervous 😬. I made so many mistakes and had a complete brain failure and had to start over. But they are my family and they were just happy I was trying.
Regarding the slow practice, I completely agree. Slow and careful practice is the best way to learn. But it is hard to speed up a piece cleanly. Really hard. I can’t seem to think far enough ahead to play as fast as the tempo requires. I do think that will improve with more time and just getting used to everything(I hope so anyway).
Thanks for the comment and happy practicing 😊
Keep the good work up❤ Indeed there is great improvement
Thank you so much 😁
My new toy is the Yamaha PSR-EW425 with 76 keys. I am only using one hand so far using a teaching app called FlowKey
Oh nice! Have fun learning 😊 Don’t forget to record a few of your earliest practices!
A foreign UA-camr came across your video and followed you right away, in case he needs to learn some tricks/techniques/methods 🙂" lol. Talking in 3rd person... Anywho: I have no Piano teacher and took "Organ" lessons when I was around 11 years of age. I am not planning to take any lessons (at least not in the forseeable future). I also play/make other genres of music (EDM and such), therefor I don't (really) feel the need to take lessons, even though it could/would help me tremendeously... ;-) I DO enjoy seeing how you've improved and gotten better (great) at it!
IN CLOSING: Unfortunately most of my music is stored locally (thus not online). I do have some stuff on another UA-cam account which I've lost access to because of a stupid/silly mishap. However, not that long ago I received an E-mail from Google that I could recover it within two weeks (knock on wood). I uploaded some of my other works to TikTok, but I usually put them on Private after a few days. TL;DR: this became a rather long rant! Thank you for your time/patience reading all of this. See/Hear you around! 😀Regards from The Netherlands
Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it! I also enjoy seeing others improve. It’s fun to watch!
Lessons are not for everyone, I just like them :)
I wish you well in your journey and hope you can recover those lost videos 😊
@@jenweaver01Thank you so much 😊 and..... keep playing! 😃
Awesome and amazing! Me too is adult piano learner.
Thank you! Have fun and good luck:)
Did you know how to read music? I'm starting week 2, and getting my 54 year old brain to translate notes to my hands seems like an impossible task to advance. I must say, you came strong out the gate, it sound fantastic, inspiring! Cheers, to you;)
Thank you so much. Regarding reading music, yes and no. I played the flute in school, but it’s been 25 years since I’ve seen any music. Treble clef came back pretty fast but bass clef was impossible. I used flash cards for months and those really helped. Alfred makes the set I used.
Also, the first videos from Month 1 weren’t from the first day. I practiced for two weeks before I finally listened to my husband suggestion to record myself.
Thanks so much for commenting. 😊 I wish you all the best in your piano journey.
You're very welcome,.Thanks for the tip on flashcards, ordering now; and by all means, please keep posting your progress;)@@jenweaver01
Very inspiring! I must say your progress is amazing. I struggled for months and could not get beyond what you did in your first piece. How many hours do you practice a day and how many hours were you with the teacher?
Good playing. It’s one year and one month for me but can’t yet seem to master one song clearly
Thank you! Yes mastering a song and playing without mistakes is difficult. One thing my teacher does is have me continue with a song even after I’ve learned it. I get bored after a couple of weeks but he has me continue to play and work on the trouble sections for several more weeks until they start to get better.
I still have issues playing through without mistakes, so many of the clips from this video weren’t from the first take. I had to record several times before I was happy with them. Maybe one day I can play without mistakes like so many seem to be able to do.
Best wishes for you for a great year 2 at the piano!
Hi again! Another suggestion, duvernoy's etudes for grade 2
I’ve actually not heard of those. Do you happen to know the opus number? I looked it up and saw a few different collections.
Excellent 👍🏻 inspires me to start at 66yo. Have y learned to read notes or?
Thank you! Yes I have learned note reading. I spent the first month or so using flash cards trying to really internalize the notes so that when I went to the piano it would be easier.
Well done. What book did you use? Any tutorial that you recommend? I took piano lessons for a year but I stopped practicing. This was years ago and I don't remember anything. I need to learn again.
Thank you! I like Faber Adult Piano adventures method books best. I like the RCM syllabus to pick out level appropriate repertoire outside the method books. I’ll put the link to that in the description as well.
For courses, my favorite is a paid course I linked in the video description but there are fantastic free options as well, although not as structured. The channels I linked in the description have some really good instructional videos, starting from scratch. Hope you enjoy picking up the piano again! 😊
@@jenweaver01 Thank you for your recommendations🫶
Congrats. You’re doing very well. May I ask what books you recommend as I want to get good as you in a year
I recommend Piano Adventures Adult All In One for the method book. I would recommend the RCM syllabus for extra level-appropriate repertoire (linked in description box) You can do the method book plus extra pieces. I recommend Czerny Op 599 for technical exercises. I like easy pieces for daily sight reading and also the Piano adventures sight reading book.
And I highly recommend getting feedback about your technique from a person who can see how you play.
Best wishes for a fun piano journey!! 😊
Amazing progress! And great video 😁
I was wondering how much time daily did you put into it on average?
It’s my second day playing the piano and am excited to start my journey 😊
Thank you! Some days only 30 minutes but other days I spent up to 3+ hours, all depending on how much time I had. On average I probably spent about an hour and a half. I broke the sessions up into short sessions throughout the day, never all at once. I would probably play more if I didn’t have to go to work. I love it so much.
Best wishes for an enjoyable piano journey 😊
Hi, you are so great and your talent is amazing. I subscriebed you. Kind regards Alex.
Thank you so much! 😊 it was a fun and challenging year.
Well done. I've started out at the start of this year. It's been 7 weeks. Sometimes, it does feel like 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Any tips for the early days?
Thank you! It definitely feels like 2 steps forward and one back. It’s not a linear process. Overall there’s improvement, but week to week it’s hard to see.
Some tips?
- Record yourself. It’s really nice to look back and see the progress.
- Do sight reading every day or almost every day.
- i used flashcards a couple minutes a day to learn notes and simple chords for the first several months. Just to cement them in my head. It really helped.
- Practice slowly and accurately so you don’t have to unlearn your mistakes.
- Be kind to yourself and be patient. Sometimes it takes many days or weeks before a tricky passage can feel comfortable. Let yourself enjoy the process.
Hope you have so much fun on your journey!❤️
Hi! Your 1 year progress video is very inspiring! I started 7 months ago. While I’m happy with my progress, I only learned pieces that I like which means pieces that are way beyond my level. The past week I decided to play easy pieces and work my up because I really want my sight reading to improve. Do you have any tips? Do you mainly play pieces that you can only sight read? I also recently hired a teacher.
I saw your comment and hope you dont mind me replying. I think it's not a great idea to only play pièces you like - this results in trying to learn pieces that are too difficult which is not a good use of time. I use ABRSM graded pièces as a benchmark and all other pièces I get my teacher to assess if ok or not for me.
I have learned nearly all parts of the Clementi Sonatina and thoroughy enjoyed. Re sight reading. I WAS really bad at it, so avoided it. The new teacher (had her nearly a year now) assessed me and it was bad!!! Started again with grade 1 - she calls it counting practice. I began to make progress and count with ease in every sight reading session. Eyes on the score for the most part has helped me progress. For sigh reading I use ABRSM and also a scheme of progression called Improve Your Sight reading by Paul Harris (Faber) as well as, as many little pieces as can - things you can sight read then learn to play in a couple of days. When I do this I choose material that is at least 2 grades below what I normally play in order to manage and progress with sight reading. 😊 i do ABRSM Theory study too.
@keys thanks! Yes, that’s my new goal. I realized that just forcing myself to learn play a certain piece will slow my progress in the long run. I dont want my time wasted since I do put in a lot of time practicing especially during my days off. I will look into the ABRSM books. 😊
@@smokingninja85 great! I have a very long list of pieces I will learn, but not now! I like ABRSM for the progression. I am at grade 4. However, I can now look at a score and have a rough idea when it's out of my skill range! I work with ABRSM...As if taking the exams, but no exams for me! Alfred's all in one books are good too but I only used a little. Classics to Moderns books 1 - 3 are also good. If you want a challenge, try Bach Invention no.1. It exposes to the skill of counterpoint and is enjoyable to learn. Enjoy your journey!
@smokingninja85 Yes I agree. While it’s fun to play what you want, it takes so much time to learn one piece. Time that could have been spent on many level appropriate pieces. And missing out on a bunch of new skills. Glad you got a teacher and will be taking more of a step wise approach. After a year of this, I think I’ve settled into a pattern that works well for me.
1. Method book stuff or following a teachers plan
2. Easy pieces to sightread every day.
3. Technical exercises. I like Czerny
4. 3 repertoire pieces at a time. The first is easy and I can learn in 1 week. I get a new one of these every week. The second is at my level and it takes 4 or 6 weeks to learn. And one stretch piece that’s above my level and I spend 2-3 months on it. Currently my stretch piece is Satie Gymnopedie 1.
For repertoire I like ABRSM, but I tend to use RCM because they have a very easy to read syllabus with TONS of pieces. It’s linked in video description.
Hope this was helpful 😊 good luck to you!
@@jenweaver01 fab!!! This is very similar to how I learn. My Czerny book has gone missing! So using Hanon! I think structure is vital. I made a little chart with all the pieces I leaned that I dont want to forget (some will have to go!) But those that were a real.challenge, I don't want to forget. The chart has them all listed - Mon to Sun they all get a play!
You have done a great job on that Clementi. After a year and a half of lessons I am still trying to get it performable. What do you do for warm ups? Hanon, scales, Czerny?
Thank you! It was a tough one for me as well. I do scales and Czerny primarily. My teacher also gives me exercises to improve fast passages. He does things like the plus one, where you add one note at a time until the passage is built. We also do mirror exercises where you have the left hand mirror the right, in short sections. Lots of repetition. Lots of different types of exercises, depending on what I’m learning.
Good luck with your future progress. Piano really is so much fun! 🤩
Thanks for the response. I love everything about playing the piano and look forward to playing with other instrumentalists someday.@@jenweaver01
Why don't you try playing Diabelli's sonatina op. 168, no. 2 (allegro moderato)? This piece may appear hard but it actually isn't. It's graded between 3 and 4 level (early intermediate to intermediate). You've played Clementi's piece and that one is graded level 3 according to the ABRSM.
That’s a really good suggestion. There are a few new things in there, but not too much above what I’m playing now. It’s also very pretty. Thank you so much!
Hi Jenm, it was amazing seeing your progress throughout the year !. It was incredible (I am 55 and starting to learn piano on my own ) and gave me hope that I could also do it...... I can imagine that a teacher will surely help, but would you say that made a big difference? I am trying to define whether I need to invest in that or not. Congrats and I will be waiting for your year 2 video!
Hi Jamie. It’s great to hear you’re starting piano! A teacher made a huge difference for me. I wouldn’t have gotten this far on my own. If you can find a good teacher locally, and if it’s in budget, I highly recommend! I so look forward to my lessons 😊
If you’d prefer an online route, I found an amazing online course that I would recommend. It’s linked in the description box. You get instruction videos each week, real feedback from the instructor every week, and you can be part of an online community where you chat with others learning the same thing as you.
If none of these work, there are tons of great free resources on UA-cam. Following some method books and videos will serve you quite well! Faber Piano adventures are my favorite method books.
Best wishes for a fun piano journey. Thanks so much for commenting ❤️😊
Hi Jen, Awesome progress. How long do you practice every day?
It depends, but on average about an hour and a half
I'm 56, scared to try.😅
Don’t be scared! You’ll never know if you like it if you don’t try. 😊
Jakie to pianino?
It’s a kawai
How much did you practice a day ?
Hi! 👋🏼 I practiced on average 10 - 12 hours per week, in 30 to 60 minute sessions, multiple times per day.
If I had to guess, I probably spent about 500 hours practicing during my first year.