Piano #1

In this article, I will touch on my piano background, my current way of learning it, and some notable piano pieces that I learnt and aspire to learn.

At the young age of 5, my piano journey kicked off as a typical Asian hobby. My mom, armed with dreams of melodic excellence, ushered me to the neighborhood piano tutoring center. Fast forward a decade, and the pursuit of classical music had become a marathon of climbing the ABRSM exams ladder, with Grade 8 as the coveted summit. Diplomas loomed above, but for most, Grade 8 marked the sweet spot between hobby and professional pursuit.

Truth be told, my enthusiasm for piano waned. The routine of practicing the same pieces for impending exams felt like a musical Groundhog Day. It wasn't until I crossed the Grade 8 finish line that my interest in piano sparked anew. No longer confined to exam-driven tunes, I began exploring different piano genres.

My piano evolution hit a roadblock when I relocated to Singapore for studies. The cost of tutors prompted me to bid farewell to formal lessons, relying instead on the repertoire gleaned from my beloved piano teacher. Yet, my musical curiosity flourished, venturing beyond the classical realm to embrace diverse genres.

From the grandiosity of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 to the delicate notes of Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu Op.66, my fingers danced across a spectrum of emotions. But the journey didn't stop there. I delved into transforming pop anthems, like Attack on Titan's OP 'Boku no Sensou' and Genshin Impact's 'A Winter Night's Lazzo,' into piano masterpieces.

So, here I am, treating piano as a 'real hobby' that I'm really interested in, and wish to paint my musical canvas with newfound melodies cherished classics in the coming years.

After leaving Malaysia to pursue my studies at NUS High School, I was thrilled to discover the presence of music rooms in the boarding school, complete with a piano and drum set. The piano wasn't in perfect condition, but who cares? As long as I have one to play and release stress after school hours, it's perfect.

Despite this, I seldom had the time and motivation to walk down to the first floor of the boarding school to touch the 88 keys. I found myself doing so mainly during holidays or before exams when the urge to do something different after continuous studying struck.

There was a memorable instance when I was practicing Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu Op.66, and I decided to contact my piano teacher, Ms. Chan, via video call. I distinctly remember her surprise at my progress in learning the piece, considering I didn't have any in-person guidance. Perhaps it was because I found passion in the practice sessions, aiming to master the piece while listening to fantastic pianists, instead of being spoon-fed with pieces I didn't even choose back then. I'm glad to say that I've rekindled my love for the piano.

I stumbled upon a few piano channels on YouTube and found myself tuning in regularly for some background music while studying. It's impressive how these musicians showcase their skills and convey emotions through their play. Among the notable channels are Animenz, who arranges grand piano pieces for anime opening and closing themes; Rousseau, capable of playing challenging classical pieces; and ChaconneScott, who puts a piano twist on Genshin Impact's music, creating a unique vibe distinct from the game's official background music.

I often feel the strong desire to buy music sheets, especially for my favorite anime themes. However, the complexity of the pieces always gives me second thoughts. Then again, I persuade myself that I'll eventually master them one day. So, I bought a few, and oh my, it was challenging! There were a couple of pieces where I managed to learn about 80% of them, but it's not perfect. For most others, I only got to about 20%, and my attention span wandered to tasks beyond the 88 keys. It's a setback in terms of progress, not fine at all, but I've convinced myself once again to practice them when I have access to a piano back in Malaysia.

Sadly and embarrassingly, I didn't learn many new pieces during my high school years. Instead, my focus was mainly on replaying the old pieces that I had already learned before leaving Malaysia. Nonetheless, I'll still share the names of the few main pieces I did learn in this section. And, well, there might be a couple of simpler pieces I casually sightread, but we'll just keep those hush-hush.

Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu Op.66

Just as its name suggests, Fantasie Impromptu feels like an impromptu journey into a world of fantasy, complete with all the elements you'd anticipate from such a realm. The piece emanates a mysterious and dreamy vibe. However, tackling the triplets in the left hand and sixteenths in the right proved to be a sobering reality check for my unsharpened piano skills.

Boku no Sensou

I picked up this tune after wrapping up my binge-watch of Attack on Titan Season 4. The catchy opening theme didn't seem too challenging when I first heard it, and indeed, even though it took a bit of time to nail the octave jumps on my left hand, the repetitive phrases made the practice sessions more manageable. While I still can't play this piece with 100% accuracy, something I'll need to improve on, I'm content to put a full stop on the learning journey for this piece.

Zankyosanka

This is the first piano piece by Animenz that I learnt, and let me tell you, it was quite the challenge. I got the sheet music, thinking, "Hey, it's only 6 pages and rated as 'Normal' difficulty – shouldn't be that hard." Well, turns out, it was "normal" for Animenz, but for me, it felt like a dazzlingly expert level. I never quite managed to play it at full speed; every time I tried, my fingers seemed to stage a rebellion. I suppose it boils down to the lack of practice :/

Upon continuing practicing the before stated pieces to perfect them, I also have a list of pieces that I want to learn.

A Winter Night's Lazzo

If you're a Genshin Impact fan, you've probably heard this song; if not, give it a listen. A year ago, when it first dropped, the debut of the Fatui Harbingers shocked and thrilled all Genshin fans; but the most surprising element to me is its background music (BGM). The mysterious, gentle humming at the start, followed by the grand turn during the reveal of all the Fatui, and ending with once again the gentle melodies signaling goodbye to the departed Signora. I've looped the piano version too many times, and I will learn it.

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (3rd Movement)

The most famous movement from the Moonlight Sonata, I'd say. The fast-paced arpeggios movement that runs throughout the piece is intriguing, but I believe that by mastering the rapid arpeggios run and the fast, tight repeats motifs, it would be a much easier piece to learn.

Liszt's La Campanella

When I first listened to it, the beginning didn't sound too difficult. However, when I glanced at the sheet music, I nearly cursed. Those big jumps for the right hand played at a fast tempo will surely cause cramps, but hey, it's going to be painful to learn but fun to master, right?

Vivaldi's Winter (The Four Seasons)

I'm a huge fan of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons series, and I used to set the main chorus of Winter as my morning alarm. However, after a while, it got a bit unpleasant because it's pretty loud and quite a shocker for a morning wake-up call. Nevertheless, I still love this song a lot and would like to add it to the list of pieces I want to learn.

The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings

Ah, another modern take on Genshin's theme. I really like the Middle Eastern vibe in this arrangement, and the way ChaconneScott put it together already seems challenging looking at his performance. Still, it's got a catchy rhythm, and yes, I'll definitely give it a go.

Stay tuned for more updates on new piano pieces

I'll practice more when I see a piano :>