Oscar Peterson- Jazz Exercise No.2: ABRSM Grade 6 Piano 2009

Here is me playing Jazz Exercise No.2 by Peterson, for my grade 6 C piece. Lots of little mistakes in this one, but I have decided it is physically impossible for me to play this piece 100% perfect! So this is the best it's going to be at the moment :)
I've filmed from a different angle this time. I really cringe watching myself playing haha! But I thought i'd see how it looks :) Enjoy

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Oscar
• Peterson
• jazz
• exercise
• grade
• six
• piano
• ABRSM

[benzei2003]

I just did my G6 today... mine was jazz exercise no. 3 :> Ugh why is it always so nerve wrecking in front of the examiner? How was your exam?

[gurrrnieee]

@benzei2003 Well my Grade 6 was quite a while ago, but I got distinction :) So the pieces went really well! Lost marks on scales/aural tests (no surprises there haha). I'm always really nervous in exams and performances too :( Hope you did well in your exam :) x

[BadassVGM]

Where's the soul? Where's the stylized improvisation, the emotion, the heat and smoothly understated of an Oscar Peterson piece? You play it perfectly, but Jazz should not be played perfectly. This is why I don't do classical grades.

[gurrrnieee]

@BadassVGM I would love to learn to be able to improvise :) And I got a distinction in the exam I played this for, so my lack of soul, emotion and heat hasn't done me so badly..

[bentecho]

@gurrrnieee give her a break, that all comes in time and years of playing an instrument. jazz is all about the improvistion, you have to put your books down and understand all the stuff you know you can play where you want, not just where the book tells you to play it. But like anything in music it takes lots of practice and a serious want to do it. I think you play very well and there is nothing wrong with playing a peice perfectly.

[gurrrnieee]

@bentecho Thank you :)

[tishen09]

Oscar peterson, what a legend

[gurrrnieee]

@ilykfooddd I'd been playing this piece for 5/6 months when I uploaded this video! And I still made a few mistakes, so I found it quite hard to perfect! Don't worry, just keep practising and you'll get it :)

Good luck for your exam!

[BadassVGM]

@gurrrnieee I've been playing improv for several years now and it is something that is incredibly rewarding to do. I'm not at all faulting your skill at performing the piece, as your skill is fantastic, but as someone who has played Jazz for a time I emphasize soul over perfection. When I just improvise something on the spot - I have inferior technique, but I play it with feeling and vigour. You're exceptionally talented and with practise will make a concert pianist, but not another Bill Evans.

[benzei2003]

I just did my G6 today... mine was jazz exercise no. 3 :> Ugh why is it always so nerve wrecking in front of the examiner? How was your exam?

[nimm2999]

Try putting accent on the upbeat quavers

[Piano8myhomework]

@BadassVGM i know what you mean yet at the same time i'm selling out (to get into music courses in university) and therefore i'm doing this piece. AANNDD she did play this quite well but you are right. Classical exams require you to be unemotional perfect little robots. There is no meaning or expression. But you really arent supposed to use rhubato or anything like that with mozart or bach. Anyways she did a great job within those restrictions! Oscar peterson did all his classical piano grades.

[Wrooblas]

damn, I've been learnin' how to play this for about 2 months and it can't sound like that, fuck -.-