Q. Hmm. That should have got your attention. The main reason for this question is to see how badly you can pay out on Yiruma and people that post questions like this on YA. If i knew how to give points i'd give some out to the best answer, but seeing how i don't, there's not much point, really.
Do your WORST!! :)
-Ranga
A. At first, my childish side thought "oh, good - a chance for a rant". Then I thought that some Yiruma lovers might actually read the responses to your question and so I thought it would be of more use to try to explain WHY questions about "River Flows Up Your Bum", "Bela Lugosi's Lullaby" and "Kiss the Rain, get a wet face" provoke the reactions they do.
1) For the last 3-4 months questions about these pieces have been posted in the classical music section up to 5-6 times every single day (I can't remember a day when at least one question wasn't posted). Such ignorance and laziness is deplorable. Very few questions are unique and most have been posted time and time again. A quick dip into Y!A's lovely search bar would reveal the hundreds of questions and answers on this subject. In any event, Yiruma does not write classical music and his pieces are not works of classical music. It is instrumental pop. Just because music is played on a piano, it does not mean it qualifies as classical music.
2) Make no mistake - the vast majority of regular contributors in the classical music section have nothing against non-classical music. I know I am not alone in enjoying jazz, rock, pop and film music as well as classical. However, in ANY genre, these pieces would be meaningless pap. The music is so bad and so basic that a moderately gifted child could probably accidentally produce something like Yiruma simply by playing arpeggios, consonant chords and various other 'pretty' sounds (for it is the 'prettiness' that seems to appeal to the teenage girls). It is that compositional cynicism by these musical frauds that makes our blood boil so.
3) As music, these pieces show no originality, no sincerity, no harmonic progression or tension/release, no rhythmic interest and no melodic interest. They are simple series of chords and arpeggios designed to sound 'nice'. Hardly great music deserving of respect! Nice to make a quick buck out of the gullible, the stupid and the hormonally challenged!
I think many of us yearn for the day with the infestation of "Twilight" and fraudulent, worthless 'composers' such as Yiruma, Yanni and Ein-Audi (thank you, Dr John!) no longer curse our section.
One can dream, can't one?
Cool songs to play on piano?
Q. So I teach myself piano and I know how to play all the little kid songs like mary had a little lamb and stuff. I can also play set fire to the rain by Adele and kiss the rain by yiruma so I was wondering if anyone knew any songs to play on the piano that are about the same difficulty level as those songs? Please no lame nursery rhymes and I would prefer songs that are easily recognizable when you play them? I would rather have like pop or rock or something other then classical if possible?
A. "Someone Like You" and "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele are both pretty easy and basic, especially "Someone Like You", it's probably easier than "Set Fire to the Rain". I would also suggest "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga; that's pretty easy to play, but it's hard to figure out the exact chords in the verse; there's a lot of ways to make it sound good, though. Um... "Part of Me" by Katy Perry is pretty easy... So is "Starships" by Nicki Minaj. Um... Ah yes, I'd also recommend "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen, "Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park, and "What The Hell" by Avril Lavigne. That's a good start.
What is my piano level?
Q. I am 8 years into self-teaching myself the piano. I'm curious, what piano level would I be considered?
FYI A few pieces I can play well include:
One Summer's Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1ni1sVCgEk
Wedding Dress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7M9UAPHmIM
Chopin's Nocturne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvxS_bJ0yOU
Maple Leaf Rag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B04--XmZiE
Yiruma's Kiss the Rain and River Flows in You
Moonlight Sonata http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk
By piano level I mean piano grade, not literally the level. Sorry if I was unclear
No they are not videos of me playing, they're videos of the pieces I can play
uh no that's not me playing maple leaf rag...
A. For having been "self-taught" for 8 years you do pretty well. I have some questions regarding your other skills and abilities at the piano (after 8 years.)
IS THAT YOU playing the Maple Leaf Rag? Sometimes just "zipping-through" the piece is really not the issue, demonstrating "technique" strictly for technique's sake. A "rag" is a type of piece developed in the early 1900's music, championed by Scott Joplin, characterized as having syncopated, off-the-beat-accents-in-unusual places, therefore its true name "Rag-ged-Time" music. Intended to be played MUCH slower, rag-time music then takes on a whole different shape and style.
Seeing no other videos with YOU playing, it would be difficult to render an accurate assessment without knowing, do you also: read music? play from memory all major and minor scales hands together 2 octaves? play from memory all major and minor chords, inversions, and "color" chords?
These are the types of skills most "accomplished" pianists (and musicians on other instruments/voice,) have developed. While you seem to have a good grasp on memorization, I would suggest contacting a reputable teacher and seeking their opinion. While there's a wealth of written information out there about performing, studying seriously with a competent teacher can really put you "so much farther down that road, faster." Surely, on a scale of 1-8 you are a grade 2++ but hearing only one piece, (if that's you on MLR,) it's difficult to be fair. Keep working. Seek a competent teacher. Good Luck! (Next time, let's see some video OF YOU!)
2/23 UPDATE: OK, so if that's not you playing MLR or in any of the other vid's it is impossible
to tell what "level" you're at without knowing your skills/abilities/technique at tempo,
accuracy, interpretation, reading, and style. Please post some examples of yourself!
My other thoughts about performance, study, and style remain.... Keep working! Good Luck!
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Title : River Flows in You Twilight Yiruma Classical?
Description : Q. Hmm. That should have got your attention. The main reason for this question is to see how badly you can pay out on Yiruma and people tha...