# Need help from advanced pianists



## Jord

I've been playing piano about a year and four months now, i've been learning Scarlatti's sonata in B minor K27, i read it's in the ABRSM grade 8 piano book i think, i can play it fairly clean, i hope so anyway :lol: but i've been told my technique isn't great, does anyone know any pieces i could learn a little simpler than this sonata that will help me develop my techniques, i know this is kind of hard to ask because i can't tell you what techniques i'm not very good at because i don't know, i've been listening to Liszt recently, any pieces by him i'd like to learn but i'm not sure what? any recommendations?

I also need to brush up on sight reading, i can sight read really basic stuff, any pieces or exercises anyone would recommend for that?


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## kv466

Rasa? Lukecash?


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## Jord

kv466 said:


> Rasa? Lukecash?


I'm sorry i have no idea what they are, are they Liszt's pieces? I can't find them, but thanks for the reply


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## kv466

No, no...they are two forum members whose opinions about piano I greatly trust and respect. Look out for them.


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## Jord

Oh right thanks :lol: will do!


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## Mephistopheles

Technique is really something that you need a teacher to tell you about and demonstrate; it's not something you can just learn automatically by playing. In fact, it could even be worse to just continue playing on your own without instruction because you're more likely to make bad technical habits even harder to get rid of.


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## Jord

Okay thanks, i guess that answers my question on my habits, shall be getting a teacher soon then!


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## googlebordello

I think Liebesträume No. 3 is a good entry point to Liszt. Good luck with lessons!


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## Jord

Gonna get learning that then! and thanks!


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## Humidor

Lol k. Woah woah woah woah woah. Dude, slow down. Liszt and Scarlatti and you've never had a lesson? and only been playing a year and six months? You've been told your technique isn't great, chances are it's actually horrible. Playing all the notes in a piece "fairly cleanly" doesn't make you anything but a butcher. I know that there's an ego boost associated with playing a level 8 ABRSM after only a year and half with no training, your so talented K well that last part is actually probably true in many ways (couldn't resist) but playing way beyond your actual level for the sake of ego is a terrible wasteful idea. If you're serious about developing in a real (past party trick) way you absolutely need to a teacher. I guarantee you that with a teacher when you start play correctly there will be things at level 2 or 3 or 4 that you will have trouble with. This is not meant to be disparaging or to tell you you can't become as good as you want to, you absolutely can and it sounds like you're talented, but you're approaching things in the wrong way. Want the secret to becoming a good pianist? Leave any trace of ego at the door and do the nitty gritty base work.


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## Jord

The reason i learnt the Grade 8 piece was because i thought it sounded great, then after learning half of it found it was in the G8 book, i can play most of it fairly clean and without messing up, I'm extremely pessimistic about everything i do, so if it was bad i would think it was terrible, my music teacher at college told me i needed to get a teacher because my technique wasn't great but as most of it was clean i'm guessing it was tempo/fingering/dynamic problems, i had a teacher in my last year of school for about 2 months so i haven't been completely self taught, and if you want some ego the first thing i ever learnt on a piano was Bach's Bouree in E minor :lol: and i'm now learning Liszt's Liebestraum No.3 which is definitely on my level of playing/sight reading, excluding one or two bars


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## Humidor

Oh forgive me maestro! Carry on in your greatness. Don't let my feeble musing intereupt your dedication to the craft. Bouree in e minor eh? take it easy there richter, us mere mortals can't compete with your mighty level 8.. But in all sincerity carry on, the world could really use some more bad pianists


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## Jord

I never said i was a good pianist, i posted this for criticism to help me develop as a pianist, to hopefully become good, and i thought we were starting to have a friendly conversation, i guess not.
Thank you for the constructive criticism in your first comment anyway


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