Chopin's Fantasy Impromptu

Chopin's fantasy impromptu is the only piece I still remember how to play. Unlike other sonatas or Bach's three or five part inventions, this piece has some uniqueness to it that makes lasting impression, especially on the hands. Figuring on this piece is really important. Good figuring will lead to smoother practice and faster time to master this piece. The slow transition in the middle of the piece gives the hands a break from the busy polyrhythms. The coda on the other hand, is what I would say the toughest. There are many repetitions in the coda, making the practice very boring and easily neglectable.

If you are confident enough to try this piece, I would say practice very slowly with both hands until you are use to the whole idea of both hands going at different paces. After you have done that, slowly increase the speed. If you try practicing very fast at first, which is what most people are very eager to do, then it will be harder for you to completely master the piece. Anyway, enjoy!

Street Performer in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.

So I was meeting up with a friend at Dupont Circle in D.C. the other day. It was the south of Dupont Circle Metro statement where the escalator were paralleled with LED and neon colored lights. Right outside of the metro station is a nice African American family with each member playing an instrument: the drum, trombone, and tuba. I don't quite remember if the french horn is in it or not. They were playing bebop, a style that was really popular in the 60s. Along with the fast tempo was this little boy standing in the street and enjoying all the attention. I have to say, he has the music genes within him -- able to play jazz with such ease, swinging the musical notes with ascends and descends.

As an individual who is trying to tackle jazz on the piano after years and years of classical music training, jazz is quite a challenge for me. The inability to express myself and let myself go on the piano is preventing me from conquering the field of jazz. Compare to him, my training still has a long way to go.