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@Andrew, haha!!! Yes, the quote was from Amadeus. 😅 I couldn’t find the exact clip of that quote, but this one has a similar vibe: https://youtu.be/PGSzeHKgHfI?si=jshz8hAj67fhLNk0
I love that movie so much. I need to watch it now. That’s the most dramatic way you can say you like someone’s music ever. 😂
Oh and thank you so much, I will keep going with it! 😊
@leb397, couldn’t agree more with what you said, Rock Class 101 is a very special group of people indeed. I truly don’t think I would’ve grown as much as I have and been able to unlock what I can do now creatively without the people and music from here. So inspiring and exciting to see what everyone can do here, and such amazing lessons. 😊💕
Haha thank you, friend! 😂 I am pretty shocked that I was able to at least memorize the first theme so quickly, but it needs a ton of ironing out to get it as seamless as the other performances here, and also achieve the expressive sound I hope to reach. But with that take (of many) I liked that it was the most expressive, even though there are many mistakes. 😊
Everyone did such an amazing job this month, really incredible playing by all! 😊
@lhamilton, I really loved the emotion behind your take of Toccata and Fugue. So, so beautiful. And @morrieuke1 also an amazing take of that with crazy speed and accuracy! @katazumiri, I loved your take of Blue Moon. I actually really like it a bit slower like that and with the bass. Really beautiful! @johanna2509, that was so cool with the Werewolf song! Lol. You played it perfectly. Everyone’s entries were so amazing this month! 😊Ha, okay. I knew I’d only get through Theme 1 of Toccata and Fugue by the time I finally got to play through it, but I was pretty pleased with how far I got with really only two days of solid practice. I’m starting to think I actually work better under pressure like that, with less time. 😂 I did listen to the lesson multiple times and practiced little bits of it, but only played through all of Theme 1 for the first time yesterday. So, considering that, I’m pretty happy with it, LOL, but there are still many bumbles throughout. I will keep working on this because it was indeed more possible than it seems (thanks to the inspiration of others here) and so satisfying once you get it! @misterbones, I found out the hard way what you meant about Measure 13, I think? LOL. Good times.
Not to exaggerate too much, but this quote sums up my feelings about @Andrew ‘s arrangement:
Astounding! It was actually, it was beyond belief. These were first and only drafts of music, but they showed no corrections of any kind. Not one. He had simply written down music already finished in his head! Page after page of it as if he were just taking dictation. And music, finished as no music is ever finished. Displace one note and there would be diminishment. Displace one phrase and the structure would fall. It was clear to me that sound I had heard in the Archbishop’s palace had been no accident. I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink-strokes at an absolute beauty.
😂😂
Oh, and I have a lot of trouble accidentally inverting chord shapes, which is why it took me so long to figure out what direction the first staircase shape went in that run down the fretboard.
Okay, here ’tis:
Thank you for these amazing challenges each month! 😊
@misterbones, you’re welcs! I think the thing about Bach that’s so tricky to play is that clarity and “even-ness” that it’s so easy to tell if there’s even one mistake or any tone imperfections, but I didn’t notice one with your performance, so well done. 😂 In some ways it is easier to play with rubato because you can adapt the speed to what’s comfortable for you and add pauses, but it actually sounds good with that (I think British Steven has talked about that a few times in lessons here – how you can sneakily utilize rubato in that way 😂). Obviously, the way Andrew plays in that more Romantic style is insane because of the speed and clarity he achieves. So, both are tricky. But you’re really right about that, that once you realize it’s playing out of shapes and repeating patterns, it’s not *as* crazy as it sounds. When I first heard his arrangement I thought I’d never be able to play it, but it’s true what you say that when you break it down, the actual music is not that difficult. To me what makes it difficult is the speed and clarity required, and then the style. But that’s why I love it because you can make it your own. Well, that’s why I love Romantic era music because it’s so expressive (and here, Bach with that stylistic interpretation). Actually the thing I’m struggling with the most is the multiple pull offs in a row at the beginning. 😂 I haven’t played past the first little section, but I think I have the layout and “tricks” of the first theme roughly memorized from listening to the lesson. So we’ll see how it goes today. Thank you for the lovely reply and sharing your performance, very inspiring indeed! 😊
@misterbones, that was insanely good! Just how much clarity and speed you achieved in playing that, perfectly crisp, is so impressive. When I think of Bach, that’s how I think of it sounding. I was wondering if / hoping you would pick that one this month. What Andrew said about the pauses between the themes is the only tiny thing, true, because I think Andrew’s arr. is sampling themes from the larger piece from what I understand. And his performance is a more Romantic interpretation of Bach, which I really love, but it’s cool to hear a more baroque-esque take on it, played so incredibly well. Sorry that really blew me away. 😂 I hope to get to that level at some point. Well done!
@Abster, absolutely amazing job!! Incredible for you to play a piece like that so well. 😊
@anyon1, so, so beautiful! Perfectly played! 😊Sorry it’s very exciting that so many people picked the Fugue this month. Hoping I can finally get to my attempt tomorrow. 😂
Such an amazing month of entries so far, enjoying watching every one when I can! 😊 Just want to comment on a few…
@brettboy, such amazing playing! Your puppet friend at the end has a surprisingly deep voice. 😂😉Loved seeing all the different playthroughs of Toccata and Fugue, so inspiring and incredible! I still brazenly think I can at least get through the first theme, even though the madness this month meant I haven’t physically played through it but I’ve listened to the lesson multiple times and think I can do it. 😂😊
@dianna, that was so magical! Really beautiful playing and very spirited! 😁💕 Haha!!! If @Andrew hadn’t mentioned in his feedback about the ending, I probably would’ve been super spooked by that but I was braced for it!! 😂🎃👻🍂💕
@leb397, really beautiful playing, friend! That theme is so lovely and you captured the flow of it!! 😊💕
@yukalele, that was so funny, crazy how you did the snapping too! That “Thing” hand always creeped me out, I hate the idea of that existing (thankfully it doesn’t…). Well played!! 😊@shmu88 and @marianne, such amazing takes on that one! I agree with Shmu, Marianne, I am jealous of your long fingers (along with your majestic playing and seemingly ethereal nature 😉😂). I have stubby, puffy little Hobbit fingers. 😂😅 Also not good for playing piano especially which always was a struggle. 😂 Anyway, really, really lovely playing! And @lucauka, too, that’s a fun song! Well played!! 😊
@katazumiri, haha, that doesn’t surprise me at all that I got the chord progression wrong. I’m sure you’re right that that’s what it is. 😅 That may affect my plan but we’ll see.
I’d love to see what you come up with and then I can also do what I was planning and we can compare! Great idea!! 😁
I will probably try to write it down in this case because I think that’d just be way faster and more efficient (even though I prefer to play by ear). I feel like there’s a high chance I could make a mistake in reversing it. 😅 This is fun! Should be interesting to see how this unfolds! 😂
Okay, here is the melody I came up with a while ago, but just got to recording it:
So, my thought was to reverse the melody and overlay the reversed version, if I’m understanding that concept correctly. I actually think this might work with this one possibly because I think it is a “musical palindrome,” going G, D, C, D, G, if I remember what I did. 😂
Either way, I actually did end up liking that melody, even though it’s simple and think it might have potential to be made into a more developed song perhaps. Let me know if you think that would work, the reversing and overlaying. Once I get a chance to try it I’ll share it here. 😂
@otzepeng, I guess that’s really true, that feel is more important than speed. I think overall I tend to play more slowly so that’s probably why that happened. The song is 100% fun to play. I think I learned it quickly because I’m pretty familiar with Matt’s style of arrangements because I think I’ve learned his songs the most and also have talked to him a lot in lessons about how he creates songs. Anyway, it’s a really fun one and I loved your take on Blue Moon! 😊
@dianna, haha, thank you, I hoped to capture both the spooks and scares of that one! 😂😅 Ha, very true about Toccata and Fugue, but don’t worry… I’ll definitely learn the whole thing and be able to play it at Andrew’s level in a month’s time! 😉😅😂🥺🤐😶 Oh but I do have a little surprise of sorts of how I’m going to play it which might be amusing. However much I learn this month I’ll share that. 😅😊
@deadbuggy, so beautiful and fun, you captured the spirit of that song so perfectly! 😊
@deflygirl, really awesome take on that one, such an iconic theme! Well done!! 😊 I like the bats you added. 😂So excited to see more entries this month!! 😊💕
@Andrew, thank you so much! It always means a lot when you like those kind of changes, because I’m not always sure if they work. 😅 The first chord of the B Melody in SSS is a chord from Steven’s Spanish Romance and so it made me think to play it more with that fingerpicking style. 😊 Thank you, I was surprised I was able to learn it that fast, but I’m determined to tackle T + F. 😅
@leb397, thank you so much, friend!! 😊💕 Haha nice, which one did you say you were thinking of doing?
I realized I was playing SSS way slower than I thought. I listened to Matt’s play through again and then realized how much faster he played it. Whoops, that was not on purpose. It’s Spooky, Scary, Sluggish Skeletons. 😂😅😂
I actually didn’t get to re-watch @simonalexander ‘s performance again until just now. Wow, indeed. Good gracious, that was perfection. Maybe if I quit my job I could learn that in a month, LOL. But I’m still going to try and see what happens. 😊
I AM A PREMIUM MEMBER
Boom, baby! Step one, complete: Learn a simpler song to secure my entries for the challenge. Step two, begins: Time to serve up a delish hot “Fugue” sundae (really stupid, lol). Actually, I do realize it’s borderline impossible for me to learn that this month, but I’m still going to see how far I can get. I already started.
I actually am pretty pleased with this (Spooky, Scary Skeletons) considering how quickly I learned this (for me) and how I tried to be a little “extra” with the chorus. It could be smoother, still some pauses, but overall… Not bad, eh?!?!?!? ;D Also, I really, really enjoyed playing this more than I even expected and would recommend this song to anyone who’s not sure what to work on. 😊
Thank you for listening and for all these amazing challenges! 😊❤️
@katazumiri, holy crudsticks, that was amazing! Absolutely beautiful! So you created all that based on that folk song? Wow!! Golly. 😂
I’ll have to watch it again and comment more later but just wanted to say that was so cool!
And I actually did come up with a melody for this concept that I want to attempt to do something similar with, but just haven’t gotten to put it together yet. I may be able to get to that tomorrow finally too. Life has just been extra crazy lately, not just with busyness but other stuff I’ve been going through.
Thank you so much for sharing that! 😁
