# Piano Lesson 2



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Rho was surprised that I'd reached the end of the book and was pleased with me. She's put me onto another Child's Book called *Chester's Easiest Piano Course* written by Carol Barratt and illustrated by Sarah Lenton. There's an earnest frog at the piano on the front, with a bored cat lying asleep at his feet - probably very apt for me and Taggart. 

Rho made some notes of what she wants me to do for next week - a pleasant change since The Inspired One has never made a note about any of my fiddle lessons, as far as I know.

She told me that she doesn't mind how slow I play pieces at first, and not to worry about dynamics until I can play the notes.

This led to an interesting discussion, since The Inspired One always wants me to put dynamics in straight away. He's fond of quoting Beethoven - *'To play a wrong note is insignificant - to play without passion is inexcusable.'* It's a constant source of argy-bargy between us, because I can't feel anything at all, let alone passion, until I'm confident that I won't make cringe-worthy mistakes. To my delight, I found that Rho is of my mind on this one.

Is it a gender thing?

I am not overlapping the notes enough; and I am not sitting properly, straight, on the edge of my seat, and with my right leg stretched slightly and left leg tucked under. I didn't tell Rho that left to myself, I always sit slouched back with crossed legs for both violin and piano; and in fact my favourite position for fiddling is sitting in the kitchen with my left elbow resting on the table... But then Winston Churchill *did* attribute his success in life to *"Conservation of energy. Never stand up when you can sit down. And never sit down when you can lie down." *









I tried Book 2 today - I felt too poorly yesterday with my ear infection - and I have a feeling that Rho will not be as impressed with me next week. I just cannot read two clefs at the same time, and I cannot play notes over the bar-lines with one hand while chiming in on the first note in the bar with the other.

It reminds me of a Morris Dance Workshop that Taggart and I attended in our youth. We found it impossible to hop up and down while simultaneously twirling hankies.

Morris Dancers and Pianists are clearly both members of the Super Race.


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