Revolving stars

I have been using Italki since the start of the year; new year resolution :P and it seems to be working quite well for me. Till date, I have started on 2 packages and the teachers are pretty good. I think it pays to look through the reviews and get somebody that you think you would be comfortable with. The only drawback is that the skype connection is sometimes bad and eats into the lesson time, but it's a technical issue that can't be easily solved. But so far I have no complaints. So, my resolution for this year for language learning is: 1) to sustain the korean lessons for 1/2 hr each week 2) to sustain the japanese lessons for 1hr each week Hopefully by the end of the year, I would be able to pass my N1 (I totally know that I have been dragging this since forever!) and TOPIK 2. I am so contemplating if I should take up the Russian classes too, since it is not as expensive as taking it in Singapore, but I shall KIV till I have more spare time. Time is a luxury...

Recently, I went to take the grade 5 music theory exam. It was unnerving, especially I made the decision to take the exam quite last minute and had to do a crash course (twice a week) less than 4 weeks before the exam. I just got my results and to my surprise, I got 85, and that's a merit! With this boost of confidence, I'm going to try for Grade 3 practical next year, and hopefully I will pass it too :D

Realised that it has been a pretty long while since I have updated about my piano lessons. Yes, I'm still continuing my weekly lessons at West Coast area, with some absenteeism here and there. Obviously, I'm not progressing as much as I should, seeing how I do skip practice *ahem* pretty often. However, I really can see a definite improvement in playing, especially when I return back to the old pieces that I played a while ago. Now that I'm at grade 3 lessons, I can pick up grade 1-2 pieces pretty quickly (depending on the length and difficulty of the pieces - I'm still pretty bad at the ornaments). Currently, I'm doing Fur Elise and Spinning Song, together with Long Long ago from the Piano Pieces for children (green colour book). I quite like this book as there are many pieces where I can recognise the songs, which helps in my playing. Alan Chan (from youtube) also did the covers for the book (if I'm not wrong), which is very very helpful if you want to...

I got my Hailun HL125 piano in black! It's now sitting in my living room. It's brand new and I paid 3.6k for it (excluding the extra $40 for moving up the piano) with 10 years of warranty and 3 free tunings. Super thanks to Jiahao who drove me down and accompany to choose the piano. We also saw a used one at the Pianomaster but it was 2.8k with only 1 year warranty and 1 free tuning. I felt that the new Hailun is a better deal. The touch of the new piano is slightly heavier than the display set in Piano master. And it has a new smell that permeated my living room for the past few days. I have started on 2/3 of the first piece and maybe 1/8 of the second piece? And I'm feeling the split brain syndromes. U know how sometimes you get inspired to do something? This is one of those times. Ahh... Jiayou!

Progressed much since the start. Scales learnt: C major, G major, D major, A major, F major, C major contrary motion (1 octave). Currently on: A harmonic and melodic minor, C major broken chords, 22nd piece on the A book. As I just got my bonus, I will be shopping for my piano =D Am looking at either 2nd hand Kawai or 1st hand Hailun HL125. Budget around 3-4k. Hopefully I can get a good one!

I have officially started on my grade 2 theory. Am currently using Theory of music made easy - Grade 2 by Lina Ng. Contrary to the book title, the theory is not easy at all! Esp the ledger lines and time signatures. They are just OMG. Also, as I am not having class this Thursday, I'm supposed to learn 5 new pieces as well as the 2 graded scales - C major and G major.

For some odd reason, I bonded very well with my teacher and I stayed way past the official lesson time to talk about stuff as well as to hear her play on the piano and the harp. I'm officially starting on Grade 1 theory stuff next lesson. And since I'm skipping straight to Grade 2 for the exams next year apparently. I honestly think she's having a high expectation of me since most people I know takes around 2 years to reach that level @@ Another 3 pieces before Sunday as usual.

I thought I couldn't manage the three pieces that I was given on Thursday but I managed to scrape through it- just barely though. I have a bad feeling that she would make me play for her again on Thursday. The three new pieces that I have this lesson for homework is... Crunchy Flakes, Swinging along and Tick-Tack-Toe. Tick-Tack-Toe sounds weird. There's a lot of accidentals and they kind of clash with each other when being played. Advice from the teacher => Should practise more with the metronome so that I will be familiar with the counts as I tend to shorten the minims. I'm almost finishing the My third theory book. I think I will need to have a new book soon.

I got new books! John W. Schaum Piano Course A- The Red Book My Third Theory book by Lina Ng I honestly think I'm moving through the theory much faster than the practical >.< Teacher started on the 1st 3 pieces - The woodchuck, Snug as a bug in a rug and Hannah from Montana. I'm supposed to practise them and play it to her on Sunday. Obviously I can't play as well and they sound...incorrect. I shall sleep on them now.

Was looking through some other people's blogs and figured that I should blog down my lessons too~ It's probably a better motivation to make myself practise harder =P My teacher is super young - around 17 years old studying in NAFA and playing the harp! 1st lesson was good. She didn't buy the books yet but she prepared a notebook for me which I'm supposed to bring every lesson. - Got introduced to time signatures, Middle C, the 4 different music periods, dynamics (whether it's ff or pp etc), C, G, D, A Majors and F, Bb, Eb Minors. - Have to practise two hands playing up the scale? (not sure what it's called exactly) I thought that the lesson was quite short so I upped it to twice a week. So now it's Thur and Sun :) Quite excited actually but I shouldn't neglect my Japanese too since the exam is coming (again T.T)