PianoTell Recital #6 Is Now Live!

navindra · 2025-11-15T16:10:00+00:00

Welcome to PianoTell Recital #6! WieWaldi — Kansas City Blues by Jim Jackson plop_symphony — Pièce pour l'œuvre du Vêtement du blessé, L. 133, by Claude Deb...

ShiroKuro

navindra my flabber is gasted!

Aww, thank you!!! (Also, this is the best expression ever!!! 😃

navindra I really enjoyed seeing your notes and markup on this arrangement.

It's awfully messy, but it works for me! 🙂

I mean I just really enjoyed the whole thing.

Thank you so much!!!!!!

Nightowl

ShiroKuro navindra It's a British expression usually used for comic effect.

navindra

rsl12 Good singers make it seem effortless, right? But the good news is that it's a skill that can be acquired through the right kind of practice. You already do some nice things with your voice, and I'm sure you can get the effect you want.

So true. I gave it a shot today, just thinking about making my voice fuller and stronger (at the temporary expense of other things like expressivity/musicality) in the higher ranges and I believe I was able to pull it off. It's only a week difference between when I recorded, so I still have some hope of improvement here!

Thanks a lot for the pointers and encouragement. I think this is something that I would need to work at much longer term in order to be better next time.

Nightowl I'm glad my words did not offend you, that's a relief because I have a track record of going too far sometimes. I'm sure when you're back to full health your voice will be stronger, but the difference between your voice in the Mauritius video and your voice in this recital video was huge - your voice was much fuller and more relaxed singing notes in that lower register. I think if you choose a song within that lower range of notes it will be much easier because you'll be working within your natural range rather than forcing your vocal chords to do something that strains them.

I definitely agree with you that my performance was not ideal, but where I fully depart is whether I can improve significantly or not.

It's just not that simple. I could have easily recorded a version of Chandava Priya Kara that you would have deemed horrible — it just so happened that I worked hard at it. Even though it appears I was relaxed and singing with a fuller voice in the video, you're just seeing a very small fraction of the work and preparation involved.

Btw, this goes for every single video I've recorded. The ones that are better are usually the ones I worked harder at and for a longer time. An easy example is Bluebird in Mauritius — I learned that piece years ago and play it on public pianos every chance I get! Not to mention, although the recording appears casual and lo-fi, I've gained some skill at recording through all the previous videos I've made. All of that is a payoff of hard work over the years.

There are very interesting aspects to the voice that need learning, whether one chooses to sing with a chest voice, a head voice, falsetto, or mixed registers. In this video I think I was doing more of a falsetto, which probably allows more expression but at the expense of power. There are voice muscles involved, chest capacity, all of which can be trained. An incentive spirometer is an easy example that demonstrates the possibilities here.

There are a lot of things I've been told I couldn't do which turned out being quite doable, an easy example of this is tuning a piano. It's made out to be practically out of reach for an amateur, but I've found the reality to be quite different. I have no reason to approach vocal training any differently.

Nightowl All that said, it's hard to play piano while singing - respect to you for doing something so difficult. Even professionals get it wrong sometimes - remember that Phil Collins' Live Aid vid you posted? Luckily for us amateurs we are never under that sort of pressure.

Thank you! Hah, yeah I remember that Phil Collins video... the thought of that does make me feel better somehow. 😃

Nightowl

navindra There are a lot of things I've been told I couldn't do which turned out being quite doable, an easy example of this is tuning a piano. It's made out to be practically out of reach for an amateur, but I've found the reality to be quite different. I have no reason to approach vocal training any differently.

Ah, this says a lot about you - when someone says "you can't do it" your response is "I can... and I will!" - then you prove them wrong! 😄 I don't doubt that if you set your mind to it you can develop your vocal skills, you are clearly indomitable! 🙂

Simonb

3rd batch coming up:

@Calavera
A new one to me. It's very atmospheric and I've no doubt if you've seen the related film it develops more meaning. Even so most enjoyable in it's own right and your playing seemed immaculate to me. Looking at a version of the sheet music on-line it's certainly not easy either!

@Nightowl
John Barry wrote so many great film and TV themes! I must have heard this growing up (I was 5 in 1966) as I knew it instantly. Well done, another recital, another piece of music learnt, and improving all the time.

@Cratersmash
As I said in my reply to Schubertian2 it's my ambition to learn a Beethoven sonata one day. I think your playing is very good, expressive, and at a standard I would love to reach. Sadly IMHO, I don't think the keyboard you used is worthy of your talent. That could just be me, but maybe that was the only way you could record it?

@Opal
You're right the Piano could be better, but we are all constrained by budget and space, so you've done your best with what you have. And it's a lovely recording and played very well.

@rsl12
Now we're talking. I have the sheet music for this somewhere as decades ago I bought the music book with accompanying cassettes! I don't see the connection to CC Rider either. But I love it, and I love Doctor John's playing full stop. Saw him in concert in 2000. You played it well and with a bit more practise I'm sure you could nail the whole thing. I'll have to dig the music out, you really have whetted my appetite now!

Cheers

rsl12

Simonb I have the sheet music for this somewhere as decades ago I bought the music book with accompanying cassettes!

There's sheet music for this? I'm a little jealous! But even if I had it, I think I'm probably better off learning by ear. It really helps me internalize the ideas. Even though I learn it slower, hopefully I learn it better.

Simonb

@Nightowl @ShiroKuro @navindra

The original expression is "flabbergasted"; all one word, which is generally accepted as meaning astonished, though a common theory is that it's flabby and agast combined....

Navindra's variation is a sort of slang version.

Not that I'm an expert on the English language. I couldn't possibly be as I live here.

Cheers

ShiroKuro

Simonb The original expression is "flabbergasted"; all one word

Yes, I know this word (I am also a native speaker of English, though only just! 😁 )
But I’d never heard the break-down usage of (my flabber is gasted), which is very cute!

Nightowl

Simonb Navindra's variation is a sort of slang version.

Indeed. It's usually heard when somebody is being humorous and if they want to stress the point more they might say; "My flabber was completely gasted". It's similar to someone saying "my mind was completely blown". Etymology is a fascinating subject and useful for my other hobbies (crosswords and online Scrabble).

ShiroKuro

Ok here’s my next (and final) set.

@Schubertian2 very nice! I don’t know this piece but you’ve done a great job. I’m curious about those “barbarisms” you mention because I didn’t notice any… 🙂

@lilypad I’m not familiar with this piece (and I’m having a hard time imagining it as a big band piece but that’s not relevant!). You did a great job with the pretty chords and harmonies. Thank you for sharing it!

@Calavera oh wow, I love this!!! I love the there’s a really compelling sense of modulation in the music and you do such a nice job with the parts where it rises and falls… beautifully played! And I want the score 😅 can you share a link or tell me where you got it? I think I’ll buy it too…

@Nightowl Add me to the list of people who don’t know this piece. But you’ve done a great job with it and you seem, and sound, very relaxed. Nice work!

@Cratersmash No wonder you won a competition with this! It is indeed a gorgeous piece, but the important part is that you make it gorgeous with your mastery of it. Well done!

@Opal this is another of my favorite Chopin preludes, so mournful and you do a great job with that! Well done!

@rsl12 Oh. My. That was so sooooo good! The intro was fantastic, it grabs your attention and tells you “hey, listen up. This is why we’re here!” And the rest of it makes you glad you followed those listening orders.. .. so um, I would not call this half-baked. It’s most definitely whole-baked.
Also, listening to this, I found myself thinking that I selfishly want you to play the Crave by Jelly Roll Morten. Do you know it? I can send you the score… 😅

@Simonb that was gorgeous! I love those chords! Somehow this arrangement reminds me of “And So It Goes,” by Billy Joel, but I never associated Danny Boy with And So It Goes before… Maybe just because of the wistful quality that both have, I don’t know. “And So It Goes” is more like a hymn but somehow listening to you play here, I wanted you to segue into a jazzy arrangement of “And So It Goes”. (Sorry, perhaps this is “thread drift”) Anyway, your rendition was just lovely, thank you for sharing it with us!

@pianocat very nicely done! And your piano sounds really lovely as well! I bet your Zoom mic makes a difference in sharing with us more of what you hear.
Wait, is this your first recital? If so, welcome, and congratulations! (If not, well, still congratulations ! 😅

@ShiroKuro whoops, 7+ minutes?! Who has time for that! Better skip her… 😁

@rach3master ooohhh I love this! I don’t think I know the original, is it from Final Fantasy? (Forgive me if I’m off here). I’m curious about the original, since this is a piano arrangement, maybe the original is orchestral? Anyway, it’s a truly compelling piece and your playing is divine as always!

@navindra this was charming! I think your singing is sweet and adds a child-like hopefulness to the song.
I don’t know anything about tuning but whatever you did, your piano sounds just wonderful! And your piano playing is great, nice to listen to on its own but also a good support/accompaniment to the song itself.
I’m sorry to hear you’re sick, please feel better! Maybe pushing through to finish this recording will give you a musical placebo pill and help you get better faster!

Ok thas a wrap folks! Well done all, what a wonderful musical group to be a part of. Thank you @navindra and all the players!
❤️🎶❤️🎶❤️

Simonb

ShiroKuro that was gorgeous! I love those chords! Somehow this arrangement reminds me of “And So It Goes,” by Billy Joel, but I never associated Danny Boy with And So It Goes before… Maybe just because of the wistful quality that both have, I don’t know. “And So It Goes” is more like a hymn but somehow listening to you play here, I wanted you to segue into a jazzy arrangement of “And So It Goes”. (Sorry, perhaps this is “thread drift”) Anyway, your rendition was just lovely, thank you for sharing it with us!

Hi @ShiroKuro

The arrangement is by Nikki Iles, who is a well established British Jazz Pianist. She also does a lot of work for ABRSM as well. I've seen her play a few times. As I've mentioned previously (here & on PW I think) her set of 4 sheet music books "Jazz in Autumn", winter, spring etc are well worth getting. All the pieces are fully notated (including short solos) in the grade 5 to 8 ish range. A mixture of standards, Jazz standards and her own compositions, all inspired by famous Jazz musicians (mostly Pianists).

That's a Billy Joel song I didn't know. I can see how you could relate the 2 songs.

Cheers

pianocat

ShiroKuro And your piano sounds really lovely as well! I bet your Zoom mic makes a difference in sharing with us more of what you hear.

The bass register is what sold me on the K200. For a 45" upright is has a surprisingly rich tone. And yeah, that little mic provides great sound quality for the money.

Wait, is this your first recital? If so, welcome, and congratulations! (If not, well, still congratulations ! 😅

It is indeed my first time participating in the recital! Thank you! This is such a supportive group.

rsl12

ShiroKuro Also, listening to this, I found myself thinking that I selfishly want you to play the Crave by Jelly Roll Morten. Do you know it? I can send you the score… 😅

I know the Crave. It was in that movie too, Legend of 1900? Not exactly the style I'm interested in learning right now, but if I ever decide to get into Jelly Roll, I'll let you know!

keff

Nightowl Well done. Matt Monro had a lovely voice.

Cratersmash Bravo. A performance deserving first prize.

Opal Well done. It is one of the few Chopin pieces I have played .

keff

rsl12 Impressive, as always. I admire your technique.

Simonb Very well played. I have a copy of Percy Grainger's arrangement which I keep thinking I ought to learn.

pianocat Well done.

ShiroKuro

pianocat I agree, the PT recital community is especially great and we’re glad you’re now part of it! 😊

Nightowl

keff I know you're not particularly looking for comments but I really enjoyed that, especially the lovely run of notes beginning at 2.32.

As a side note this song always reminds me of the film "Play Misty For Me", starring Clint Eastwood.

Finally, thanks very much for your kind comment on my recital.

keff

ShiroKuro What a refreshing arrangement. I loved it.

keff

rach3master Bravo.

keff

Well done navindra . You have a good vocal range. Liked it very much.

Thank you also for making these recitals work and indeed all the support you put into PianoTell.

plop_symphony

Cratersmash That was really pretty, especially the dynamic range.

Simonb

Final set:

@pianocat
I played this prelude myself recently, and was going to use it for the recital, but decided against it, I think because you'd already submitted yours. Let your Teacher hear the recording, if you haven't already, he or she will give you a lot of constructive feedback. I enjoyed your recording; well played.

@ShiroKuro
I listened to the whole performance. Top marks for endurance, and some lovely, & fluent, playing at the end. Having listened to the Canon a lot for the other recital, your performance probably lost some impact for me because of that. Very impressive regardless. Next time you'll have to go for double figures (10+ mins)!

@rach3master
I didn't know this piece, but that didn't matter, as your very impressive playing held me spellbound. A great performance.

@navindra
Believe it or not I didn't know this. I've never watched Cheers....
Well done for getting the recording done whilst sick. I did that a while back and it's not easy. Presumably this affected your voice? I haven't read the whole thread so apologies for repeating what a lot of other people may already have asked. In the circumstances a great effort.

Thanks to everyone for your contributions. What a wonderful and varied recital.

Cheers!

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