On "even" days:
4 Bach 3 part inventions in C major, C minor, D major and B flat major
On "odd" days:
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" intro
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
I can usually do it in 30-40 minutes
#PianoNotes
4 Bach 3 part inventions in C major, C minor, D major and B flat major
On "odd" days:
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" intro
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
I can usually do it in 30-40 minutes
#PianoNotes
September 20, 2026 at 4:05 PM
On "even" days:
4 Bach 3 part inventions in C major, C minor, D major and B flat major
On "odd" days:
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" intro
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
I can usually do it in 30-40 minutes
#PianoNotes
4 Bach 3 part inventions in C major, C minor, D major and B flat major
On "odd" days:
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" intro
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
I can usually do it in 30-40 minutes
#PianoNotes
My current daily piano practice, FWIW--
Every day:
Finger-spreading scale practice starting with F major 7 chord
Brahms' Exercise 13 from his 51 Exercise book, WoO 6
Gigue from Bach's French Suite in G major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
(cont)
#PianoNotes
Every day:
Finger-spreading scale practice starting with F major 7 chord
Brahms' Exercise 13 from his 51 Exercise book, WoO 6
Gigue from Bach's French Suite in G major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
(cont)
#PianoNotes
My current daily piano practice, FWIW:
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" (found a really good transcription)
Genesis "Seven Stones" (playing & singing)
#PianoNotes
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" (found a really good transcription)
Genesis "Seven Stones" (playing & singing)
#PianoNotes
I've now incorporated this Brahms piece (Ballade in B major Op. 10) into my regular practice, along with
Bach's P&Fs in G#m and A major from WTC I and lastly Rachmaninoff's Prelude in A flat opus 23, #8
#PianoNotes
Bach's P&Fs in G#m and A major from WTC I and lastly Rachmaninoff's Prelude in A flat opus 23, #8
#PianoNotes
September 20, 2026 at 4:05 PM
My current daily piano practice, FWIW--
Every day:
Finger-spreading scale practice starting with F major 7 chord
Brahms' Exercise 13 from his 51 Exercise book, WoO 6
Gigue from Bach's French Suite in G major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
(cont)
#PianoNotes
Every day:
Finger-spreading scale practice starting with F major 7 chord
Brahms' Exercise 13 from his 51 Exercise book, WoO 6
Gigue from Bach's French Suite in G major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
(cont)
#PianoNotes
I think this Brahms piano exercise I’ve been doing must be doing something different to me cause I’m feeling muscles twinge in my elbow that I don’t normally feel when I play piano. #PianoNotes.
September 12, 2026 at 5:09 PM
I think this Brahms piano exercise I’ve been doing must be doing something different to me cause I’m feeling muscles twinge in my elbow that I don’t normally feel when I play piano. #PianoNotes.
Fun fact: Beethoven and Mozart are roughly 100 times easier to sight read than Bach and Rachmaninoff #PianoNotes
June 15, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Fun fact: Beethoven and Mozart are roughly 100 times easier to sight read than Bach and Rachmaninoff #PianoNotes
3) get bored practicing that piece over and over and not perfecting it
4) go back to #1
#PianoNotes
#PianoLife
4) go back to #1
#PianoNotes
#PianoLife
May 27, 2026 at 1:36 PM
3) get bored practicing that piece over and over and not perfecting it
4) go back to #1
#PianoNotes
#PianoLife
4) go back to #1
#PianoNotes
#PianoLife
I've realized that it's far easier for me to get a song up to a level where I'm willing to perform it, than any of the piano pieces I've been practicing for ages now.
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
March 14, 2026 at 3:58 PM
I've realized that it's far easier for me to get a song up to a level where I'm willing to perform it, than any of the piano pieces I've been practicing for ages now.
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
Stupid things that invariably completely mess up my piano playing:
1) making a video of myself playing
2) thinking about how well I’m playing
3) having a cracked cuticle on one of my fingers.
#PianoNotes
1) making a video of myself playing
2) thinking about how well I’m playing
3) having a cracked cuticle on one of my fingers.
#PianoNotes
March 4, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Stupid things that invariably completely mess up my piano playing:
1) making a video of myself playing
2) thinking about how well I’m playing
3) having a cracked cuticle on one of my fingers.
#PianoNotes
1) making a video of myself playing
2) thinking about how well I’m playing
3) having a cracked cuticle on one of my fingers.
#PianoNotes
My current daily piano practice, FWIW:
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" (found a really good transcription)
Genesis "Seven Stones" (playing & singing)
#PianoNotes
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" (found a really good transcription)
Genesis "Seven Stones" (playing & singing)
#PianoNotes
I've now incorporated this Brahms piece (Ballade in B major Op. 10) into my regular practice, along with
Bach's P&Fs in G#m and A major from WTC I and lastly Rachmaninoff's Prelude in A flat opus 23, #8
#PianoNotes
Bach's P&Fs in G#m and A major from WTC I and lastly Rachmaninoff's Prelude in A flat opus 23, #8
#PianoNotes
Just played this incredibly lovely and hypnotic Brahms Ballade in B major that I hadn’t played in over 10 years after a friend reminded me of it. #PianoNotes youtu.be/Jwg7-1spW1s?...
February 11, 2026 at 3:54 PM
My current daily piano practice, FWIW:
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" (found a really good transcription)
Genesis "Seven Stones" (playing & singing)
#PianoNotes
Bach's Praeluidum, Allemande and Corrente from the keyboard partita in B flat major
Rachmaninoff's prelude in A flat major, opus 23 no. 8
Genesis "Firth of Fifth" (found a really good transcription)
Genesis "Seven Stones" (playing & singing)
#PianoNotes
and it will likely never happen.
In all my years playing piano, I only have two pieces consistently memorized: Bach's 2 part invention #8 in F major and Bach's prelude in C major from book 1 of the Well Tempered Clavier. #PianoNotes
In all my years playing piano, I only have two pieces consistently memorized: Bach's 2 part invention #8 in F major and Bach's prelude in C major from book 1 of the Well Tempered Clavier. #PianoNotes
February 7, 2026 at 3:40 PM
and it will likely never happen.
In all my years playing piano, I only have two pieces consistently memorized: Bach's 2 part invention #8 in F major and Bach's prelude in C major from book 1 of the Well Tempered Clavier. #PianoNotes
In all my years playing piano, I only have two pieces consistently memorized: Bach's 2 part invention #8 in F major and Bach's prelude in C major from book 1 of the Well Tempered Clavier. #PianoNotes
So it's hard to avoid some level of getting spun up, and morning is almost always my best time to play, energy and focus-wise.
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
December 7, 2025 at 11:56 PM
So it's hard to avoid some level of getting spun up, and morning is almost always my best time to play, energy and focus-wise.
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
I drew some charts to indicate my general progress learning a new difficult piano piece (e.g. Rachmaninoff op 23, no 8) over the course of a year with a daily practice of the piece (while working on other pieces). #pianoNotes
November 30, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I drew some charts to indicate my general progress learning a new difficult piano piece (e.g. Rachmaninoff op 23, no 8) over the course of a year with a daily practice of the piece (while working on other pieces). #pianoNotes
Because I hate myself, I took another stab at playing Rachmaninoff's 3rd. Played for ~1 hr, very slowly because I hadn't played it for 5 years. Ended up with a very sore shoulder and neck, didn't even finish the 1st movement. :/
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
October 8, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Because I hate myself, I took another stab at playing Rachmaninoff's 3rd. Played for ~1 hr, very slowly because I hadn't played it for 5 years. Ended up with a very sore shoulder and neck, didn't even finish the 1st movement. :/
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
Beautiful version of the Rachmaninoff piece I've been working on for a couple years now (#8 in a flat major). I can play it but I can't PLAY it. He makes love to it here. It's very sensuous. #PianoNotes
youtu.be/NkoVS-nTeBQ?...
youtu.be/NkoVS-nTeBQ?...
Boris Giltburg performs Rachmaninov: 10 Preludes Op. 23 (Queen Elizabeth Hall recital)
YouTube video by Boris Giltburg
youtu.be
October 7, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Beautiful version of the Rachmaninoff piece I've been working on for a couple years now (#8 in a flat major). I can play it but I can't PLAY it. He makes love to it here. It's very sensuous. #PianoNotes
youtu.be/NkoVS-nTeBQ?...
youtu.be/NkoVS-nTeBQ?...
never came close to playing it well. But the playing the 3rd movement is such banging fun, it was still worth it. #PianoNotes
October 5, 2025 at 3:55 PM
never came close to playing it well. But the playing the 3rd movement is such banging fun, it was still worth it. #PianoNotes
I hate when I compose piano pieces that I can’t play perfectly, which is why my recordings tend to be easy to play pieces! ☺️😊 #pianoNotes
September 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
I hate when I compose piano pieces that I can’t play perfectly, which is why my recordings tend to be easy to play pieces! ☺️😊 #pianoNotes
Always fun to play a grand finale to a piano piece and then instead of applause, just hear my dog snoring away. 🤣 #PianoNotes
September 14, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Always fun to play a grand finale to a piano piece and then instead of applause, just hear my dog snoring away. 🤣 #PianoNotes
3) I don't turn on my phone to record and and can't get into an interesting groove or I mess up (common)
4) I turn on my phone to record and DO get into an interesting groove that goes on for a
while (rare)
#PianoNotes
4) I turn on my phone to record and DO get into an interesting groove that goes on for a
while (rare)
#PianoNotes
August 20, 2025 at 12:25 PM
3) I don't turn on my phone to record and and can't get into an interesting groove or I mess up (common)
4) I turn on my phone to record and DO get into an interesting groove that goes on for a
while (rare)
#PianoNotes
4) I turn on my phone to record and DO get into an interesting groove that goes on for a
while (rare)
#PianoNotes
My piano improvisations are fun and so much easier to play than any of the classical pieces I practice everyday #pianoNotes
August 8, 2025 at 3:11 PM
My piano improvisations are fun and so much easier to play than any of the classical pieces I practice everyday #pianoNotes
I think I've developed arthritis in my right hand trying to master a Rachmaninoff prelude.
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
August 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I think I've developed arthritis in my right hand trying to master a Rachmaninoff prelude.
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
The piece I'm really obsessing on now and that I've added to my daily practice is Op. 76 #8, a Capriccio in C major. #PianoNotes
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwiv...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwiv...
July 21, 2025 at 8:16 PM
The piece I'm really obsessing on now and that I've added to my daily practice is Op. 76 #8, a Capriccio in C major. #PianoNotes
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwiv...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwiv...
But it's sort of like the right combination of notes or sounds or harmony, unlocks the memory. #PianoNotes
July 13, 2025 at 10:18 PM
But it's sort of like the right combination of notes or sounds or harmony, unlocks the memory. #PianoNotes
My current piano obsession is Brahms Opus 76-- 4 Capriccios and 4 Intermezzos, all perfectly challenging and delightful to play #PianoNotes www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NZ3...
Johannes Brahms: Eight Piano Pieces Op. 76
YouTube video by conan2717
www.youtube.com
July 8, 2025 at 1:05 PM
My current piano obsession is Brahms Opus 76-- 4 Capriccios and 4 Intermezzos, all perfectly challenging and delightful to play #PianoNotes www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NZ3...
Reflecting on the importance of the sonatas to the evolution of classical music, conductor Hans Von Bulow compared Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to the Old Testament and Beethoven’s sonatas to the New Testament. He directed his students to believe in both.
I believe! 😃🙏
#PianoNotes
I believe! 😃🙏
#PianoNotes
June 28, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Reflecting on the importance of the sonatas to the evolution of classical music, conductor Hans Von Bulow compared Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to the Old Testament and Beethoven’s sonatas to the New Testament. He directed his students to believe in both.
I believe! 😃🙏
#PianoNotes
I believe! 😃🙏
#PianoNotes
My first pass through the Brahms Op. 76, no. 1 Capriccio and it took me 30 minutes. A pro player plays it in 3 minutes... 🥲
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
June 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM
My first pass through the Brahms Op. 76, no. 1 Capriccio and it took me 30 minutes. A pro player plays it in 3 minutes... 🥲
#PianoNotes
#PianoNotes
Just played one of my favorite Chopin nocturnes. Last time I played it was right before the pandemic…. #PianoNotes
May 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Just played one of my favorite Chopin nocturnes. Last time I played it was right before the pandemic…. #PianoNotes