Gershwin- Prelude 3

[enpassent00]

That was amazing

[MusicIhave]

is there a reason that you are not rolling all the chords like it says in the score? Is it because its kind of like a cheaters method for people with smaller hands? Since you and I have big hands, is it not necessary to roll the chords?

[pianomnn]

@MusicIhave It's just my own interpretation. I like the way it sounds without the roll. Sometimes Gershwin left some rolls out as well in certain spots in his original piano recordings. I suppose the rolls were also for pianists who had smaller hands.

Thanks,

Rich

[MUSCLEMEDSRX]

All three preludes played with much style and precision!

[olopcall]

Nice playing!! I also played that. Check my version and give out opinions :)

[MusicIhave]

jealous.

[pianomnn]

@MusicIhave Who is?

[MusicIhave]

@pianomnn I am. Very jealous. Im learning this piece right now, and you're clarity and precision making me very jealous.

[pianomnn]

@MusicIhave Oh, I understand. You could play this just as well if you were to put in the time that it takes. It's a big sacrifice. I spend the first hour and 15 min. just warming up with various kinds of technical exercises like most good pianists. It's not easy to do each and every day, but it is necessary. Do the difficult sections of the piece over and over again. They will become exercises in a sense. You must have endurance and patience. You can do it! Good Luck.

[chiangui24]

BEAST!

[pianomnn]

@chiangui24 Thanks!

[ummbreo]

you made me jump at 0:23 :)

[pianomnn]

@ummbreo Yes, that is a very fast part! LOL!

[bradleypianoman]

You have a nice style

[pianomnn]

@bradleypianoman Thank You so much.

[pianomnn]

Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, it took many many hours of dedicated practice to get it right from start to finish. I did several other takes, but this one was the best out of all of them. If you put your mind to it and are determined enough, you can do anything! : )

[TenorSaxchick]

When I first started working on this piece, this is the first version I watched on YouTube. Your playing is truly beautiful. I only hope to ever get up to your speed. You play with amazing accuracy and clarity, even when playing that fast. You must have put so much work into your piano playing. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Truly FANTASTIC playing.

[pianissim]

ENORME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pianomnn]

@pianissim  adj enormous, huge. Thank you so much!

[TheCoxinator747]

Hey I think you're a beast. I'm playing this for my recital in March, and I love your skill. You may need to make it a wee bit slower, though. Otherwise incredible.

[Elliissse]

Wonderful!! Encore!... Oh wait, I just have to hit piay again (and I will :-) )

Thanks for sharing your talent!

[4gregorysf]

Great performance! I've been practicing the three preludes and am continually amazed at the genius of George Gershwin. Your tempo is exactly correct despite the uninformed comments of others. You also appear not to use any pedal which is another trait Gershwin wished for. He was very specific on his accent markings and following them precisely gives the piece incredible energy! Especially for the time in which he wrote it. Only a real piano provides the percussive effect Gershwin wanted. 

[frenchxtoastx87]

BEAST!!!

[NewEquinoxProduction]

You play faster than the camera can record!! But its still awesome!!

Greetings from germany

Niclas

[Kolocal1]

@mcgoergl the song is supposed to be fast

[megz8611]

I just started playing the Preludes and it was great to listen to you for a little inspiration. Very entertaining and precise! Thanks.

[Tengo148]

WOW



[anemoporos1]

Don't  play so metronomically! And try a real piano! It would sound better!

[fluunguyen]

respect.

[20000DT]

At measure 8 do you take the A natural with the right or left hand?

[pianomnn]

@20000DT The A natural is in the bass clef and is part of the chord thereof, so it would be played with the left hand.

[Mononoketh]

congratulations, very accurate and with no errors!

please check my performance of gershwin prelude n. 3

[lonewolf488]

i think you can make the rythms and dynamics more pronounced if you played it a bit slower, I think it would sound much more musical then, otherwise, great!

[pianomnn]

@lonewolf488

I know what you mean. Thanks.

[olkomat1]

haha only one person voted this down who wouldn't like this? even those that aren't piano players or that aren't familiar with Gershwin's preludes should still be in AWE like I am right now.

[pianomnn]

@olkomat1

Thanks!

[aznt1x33]

this is one of the best versions i've heard of this song..

[pianomnn]

@aznt1x33

Thanks!

[headliners50]

@aznt1x33 this is not a song.

[pianomnn]

@headliners50

Correct. It is a prelude.

Thanks,

Rich

[clara1860]

Your performances of the Preludes are superb, in my opinion, and set the bar very high on YouTube. I know what you mean about Oscar Levant's speed but he takes strange liberties with the rhythm on the first Prelude and spoils passages by rushing them. Odd, considering he must have heard Gershwin playing them at first hand.

[pianomnn]

@clara1860

I totally agree about Lavant. Thanks

[ThePengcipal]

DAYUUUUUUUUMMMMMM

[ploschad]

I HAVE to let you know that I never get tired of this clip; your rendition amazes me every time! Love the "breath" at 0:08 (aside from everything else haha)

[kolocal0]

i'm trying to learn this song now....it's so difficult(just got the music)

[ploschad]

... ultraperfect and exciting! also, you seem to move your hands very efficiently. I can't wait to hear you playing it on a grand...

[zoranrosendahl]

Wow!

You playes it wonderfull! And it is so bright!

[kolocal0]

my cousin is 10 and he's playing this song as good as this...does that mean he's good?

[pianomnn]

hmmmm, let me see. yes?

[kolocal0]

i don't see him often...lol sorry

[kolocal0]

idk how to post stuff either...

[seliguy555]

@kolocal0 definitely.

[seliguy555]

@kolocal0 definitely.

[TheTucsonJeff]

This is by far one of the best-played versions of this Gershwin prelude that I've ever witnessed!! The interpretation is full of life and vigor, and the piece is played flawlessly. Your performance of this piece has set a new standard.

[pianomnn]

Thanks for your generous comment, and if you listen to Oscar Lavant's recording of the Preludes on Columbia Records you will find that he is a technical wizard who probably plays them even faster. Thanks again.

[neoguy9090]

Great interpretation! Totally faithful to the "Ritmato E Deciso" feeling.

I had learned the piece in a rush several months ago and I'm returning to it feeling that I hadn't done it justice yet.

Thank you for the video! I have a lot of good ideas to apply to my own rendition now :)

[UnScriptedFlix]

very good, I have to say, e.piano's are extremely difficult for me when songs get fast.

[20000DT]

Sounds very good at this tempo, it doesn't feel rushed at all.

[DroDro7]

dude, thank you! You inspired me to learn this song and do my own kind of improvisation. Keep up the good work!

[baldwalrus7]

Impressive!

[pianomnn]

On the octave Bb's, I use first finger on the lower one and 4th finger on the upper one. All other octave notes are 1 and 5. Thanks for your interest.

[jpeacock4]

right on! :)

what fingering did you use on the octave melody starting at the sixth measure from the end?

[pianomnn]

Thank you so much. I worked long and hard to get it to that point.

[sora4440]

Wow i know this song but i still can't play it as nearly as good as you can good job

[talory]

At first I thought it was a little too W.C. Handy-ish (not a slight, by any means) but on the 6th or 7th play I saw how you were interpreting - it helped to play the 3 Preludes as a sequence. Can't wait 'til you have an honest-to-goodness piano and can post some things then. Outstanding work.

[snicketfan]

oh my gosh... i'm still under shock... you play this piece sooooo amazingly! congrats!! reeeeal nice job!

i'm learning it and i so don't play it nearly as well as you do. but hearing you play has helped me understand the piece better and given me hope that it is possible to learn it if you work hard enough!! =)

[Kreisleriana80]

Awesome playing!!You have the "gift" for this piece!!

[Yeseman1]

Hey nice job! I am learning this one and im having trouble on the intro. Any advice on how to do it?

[pianomnn]

Thanks!

[freshechidna]

awesome

[pianomnn]

I do, but have not posted any of them yet. I am a big Billy Joel fan. Perhaps someday I will release myself plying and singing some of his songs. I don't want to get in trouble for copywrite infringement.

Thanks,

Rich

[nairdaleo]

Wonderful playing! (applauding), do you also do other jazzy pieces?

[UnoAcoustic]

I'm 15 and learning this, and your performance has helped me to understand what parts of it should sound like. The last part with the octaves is the hardest, your hands move like lightning! Brilliant performance, better than almost all of the other videos of this piece on Youtube. Should there have been a break at 0:32? There is on my sheet music, excellent playing nevertheless. I hope to be able to play this as well as you by the end of the year, but I'll need to practice a lot. Thanks again.

[pianomnn]

Thanks for the comment! And no, I have never played it with a beak at that point. Listen to how Oscar Lavant plays it if you get a chance. He actually does an Eb arpeggiation at that spot. (HIs own little addition to the prelude) I have always enjoyed playing this prelude, you will too. Good Luck!

Rich

[BluXone]

i'm still shocked..... i jus finished the first one (not like u) but u kno....lol

[blasiansurfer]

nice job. my piano teacher, veda zuponzic, made me learn this piece in 5 days, today being the 5th day. it was very fun

[pianomnn]

Congratulations, that's a tough piece to learn in only 5 days. I wonder how long it will take you to perfect it and work up to tempo?

[blackcape88]

The part near the end where the right hand has the melody is the most difficult for me to play in this piece. You make it sound really easy!

[pianomnn]

I do many different types of octave exercises for long periods of time. It's just time and dedication. Thanks

[havey91]

I'm about to learn this piece, hope i can play it as well as you. This was amazing :)

[jed6195]

insanely good

[Lekookaracha]

amazinggggggggg

thanks for the advice :)

[pianomnn]

I have a great keyboard with great built in speakers. (Yamaha P250) The video was recorded with my Sony digital camera which has very good sound detection. Both of them together work very well.

[dyschy]

how did you record this was such good sound quality..?

[ghfan210]

that was incredible! i played this a few years ago and it's not easy to play. but that was amazing. wow, really nice job

[neoguy9090]

Amazing clarity!

[dyschy]

im learing this but im no where as good as you :)

by the way you have loads of pianos/keyboards, i can see 3 :P

[friendofhryzleff]

that's fantastic!

i very like this Gershwin's prelude, and your play is really great. thank you for that ;)

[carlotta4th]

That's way better than I ever played the little thing (I'd mess up on the end, particularly).

Oh well. Good job, and kudos to you!

[jamesjimbob66]

That was fantastic and inspiring, really great job!

[pakmanATL]

i dont think it was too fast...very nice

[setsunalove111]

I liked this adaptation but you played it kinda too fast.

I still like it though! ^^

[setsunalove111]

I like your adaptation. But it was kinda too fast. The notes were almost bunched to me. Were you nervous or something because some people play it faster when they are nervous.

I still loved it though! ^^

[pianomnn]

No not nervous, but I used to listen to the Oscar Lavant recording when I was a teenager and he played it much faster than I did in my rendition. I always wanted to play it as fast and as accurate as he did. Gershwin himself also played it incredibly fast. Thanks for your comment.

Rich

[setsunalove111]

lol. I play gershwin songs kinda fast too. :P

[jengarocks12]

You have amazing clarity with your fingers. It's so precise. Bravo!

[annettemh]

I've played Gershwin's 3 Preludes...but that was 37 years ago! I still have the music, but I haven't played the piano in almost 10 years.

I think I've listened to every performance of the 3 Preludes found here on youtube, and yours are by far the best...certainly the only ones I've listened to more than once.

Outstanding!

[OrangeSodaKing]

oh geez this one's SOOO much better than the other two!!! GREAT job!

[elmarcoco]

hey great job...i have been trying to learn this myself but cannot find a score/pdf anywhere. Any tips?

Cheers

[pianomnn]

The best tip I could give you would be to practice it as many times as you can a day consistently.

[pianomnn]

Thanks for the comment. You have a nice start. The more time you put into it the better it will become. Keep working and don't give up!

[pakmanATL]

That was fantastic! I'd really like to hear you do that on a real piano.

[pianomnn]

It's even easier on a real piano.

[moviedirector17]

Hey great job! I have been learning this song (if you check my channel you can see my vid of practicing it). You did really great... don't judge me too harshly, though! When I taped myself I was still in practicing stages so I made lots of mistakes. You, however, did excellent. Great vids! I would also love to hear this performed on a real piano (I know you'll play it fine) for the better tone quality.

[dougo18907]

ran out of space there.. but like I was saying-- don't worry about elongating the notes a bit too much and just try to mix that with those staccatos. Pity you didn't play this on an actual piano, I would have loved to hear it. :)

[dougo18907]

Thanks for the invite, and personally I've never been a player within the modern period of music. However, I have heard of this piece before and I have the sheet music infront of me! I found it interesting how you decreased the amount of slurring within the notes, but from an outside point of view; I'd say the combination of the slurs and staccato like movements within the piece are very important. And remember, this isn't a classical piece composed by the piano, so don't worry about resonating

[abcde86420]

I have spent a long time getting good at this piece, and I have to say, this is the best recording on YouTube. Great work. What this performance lacks in interpretation it amply makes up for with precision and technique. Perfectly played - literally - no mistakes that I could hear... (most other recordings have obvious mistakes)

[boomzxz]

I really like the swing it has to it :)

[jaredkehe]

That was incredible--the best I have heard this song of every YouTube version. I'm considering learning it, but I'm afraid it's too hard. How does it compare to Beethoven's Pathetique? (That's the hardest song I've played)

[boomzxz]

This may be a subjective topic, but honestly, if you can play the Pathetique, you can play this. Just remember, mistakes are okay, but emotion is key. :)

[CySafinia]

The Pathetique is harder. I'm 14 and I've played both. The prelude is easier.

[pianomnn]

And you would be correct.

[aldcor]

Please, don't remove this video. This one really helps me to get learn.

[Nukanikugi]

OH MY GOD!!

U HYPNOTIZE ME, Mr.GiLLEY!

EXCELLENT.

[boomzxz]

This is very well played, it isn't on an actual piano but I prefer to listen to this one over most of the others on youtube. :)

[drmrh01]

VERY EXCITING. Gets to the heart of the matter.