Hi Kristeta,
Lovely tune and well done on your rendition of this this tune. Also a favorite of mine!
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Thanks very much! Paul 
Much appreciated. Am working on another version but still running out of ideas on how to end it hahah… Hope you’re well!
October 2020 Progress
Christmas Song goal #3 
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
67 days before Christmas (in my time 
)
not my best take - some construction happening beside our house hehe… so am kind of hearing the drilling more from outside… hehe planning to do another take without the metronome next time… plus really polish and memorize it … and later on improvise to it…
hope you are all doing great! Curious what you all are currently learning? I love this piece and Hayden’s arrangement and performance of this are unique and incomparable which all the more make it so very inspiring to learn from…
any - all tips/ comments welcome! Take care.
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wow so perfect … not any hesitation or mess of timing … bravo
next step is probably, as you have already planned, to leave the metronome and give even more expression dynamics and air but its already beauftiful 
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Nice performance Kristeta!
As Pierre suggests, now that you can comfortably play the chord changes and the melody, it might be nice to play a little more free with the timing.
I would suggest listening to lots of different versions, see here on Spotify for example if I search “I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas Piano”:
Create a playlist with your favourite versions and try the following:
-
Memorise The Lyrics - When I sing or hum the lyrics along with my playing, I often find subtle ways to change the melody and phrasing to make the arrangement more personal.
-
Tempo & Style - some arrangements are faster, some are interpreted freer etc… experiment with different speed and feel.
-
Phrasing Of The Melody - try to imitate the phrasing of the melody on your favourite versions, perhaps add extra notes in, or switch up the rhythmic placement.
-
Fills & Embellishments - analyse and transcribe the fills and other embellishment when there is space the harmony and/or melody
-
Introductions & Endings - many of these recordings contain improvised intros and endings. It can be nice to transcribe these and add to our own arrangements.
A final tip - it’s likely that you will find recordings played in many different keys. Play the melody along with the recording and you will hear if it is in the same key that we have arranged the tune.
Keep us posted on your progress with the above 
Cheers.
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hi there Pierrot Yay. Thanks so much for the thoughtful words! Means a lot!
Sorry for the late response hehe - the right wrist was bandaged for a few days…house chores haven’t been friendly to my hands hehe… but all okay now!.. So happy you liked it!
yeah - I need to play this again without the metronome and just really enjoy esp when I finally have memorised it 
it’s funny each time I would play Piano Groove’s jazz pieces, it feels like I am playing them for the first time and the big smile on my face is always present
Is there a piece or tune you have been practising recently maybe?
Please keep us posted. Hope you and your family are doing well. Take care.
Hello Hayden
Thanks very much! Wow 
these are all sooo very helpful! At first, with the pieces I have tried to play, I am/was a bit hesitant and just really wanted to play your arrangements - sometimes I am a bit too scared I might end up playing it in a non-jazzy way (or I probably already am hahaha oh dear… )
But as I went on - just really enjoying myself to listen to and sight-read them, slowly - my desire to listen to other versions and be more open to new possibilities has started … You never cease to inspire us - and your recommendations and suggestions always encourage us big time…Really Thank You!
There’s also one thing that has started to happen to my fingers /hands
I used to really find it difficult to find the notes and allow my fingers to learn the positions - but this time - slowly my fingers are starting to recognise the chord shapes and sometimes, they just magically position themselves on the keys - when a similar chord is present (that I played from previous songs) -
I really am enjoying every bit of this journey, am always excited now to just play and practice on the keys, not that I wasn’t before, just that now, I’m always (so much more) looking forward to what the next piece/lesson/course will teach us - or what new stunning music I would hear and listen to…
I was trying to also learn “Waltz for Debby” a week back and because I could only play the first part - I just played it over and over just to allow myself to hear that beautiful melody. I also started to listen to the vocal versions…
and yes I will make sure to do that - and go to spotify! to check them - Really appreciate - Hayden. Hope you re doing well and safe. Take care
PS
I will make sure to take note of these reminders you gave and put it on my wall in the Music room 
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That’s great news Kristeta… this is exactly how we improve our ability to arrange tunes and to read and interpret new chord charts and lead sheets.
The more tunes that we learn, the better our understanding of voicings becomes. Gradually we build an appreciation of what type of voicings work well in certain harmonic situations.
This becomes almost a subconscious process, when your eyes see the chord symbol and the melody note, your fingers will gravitate to certain voicings shapes. It’s a nice feeling! 
Remember to always analyse the melody note in terms of scale degrees relating to the underlying harmony. That way it helps to memorise what types of voicings work well in specific harmonic situations.
Again congratulations on your progress! 
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Thanks Very Much! Hayden. I’ll make sure to take note and remember all these golden tips.
I have noticed that my interest and taste in listening to varied music styles have started to change too … and some other changes that happen daily …These are all gradual changes but am just ecstatic they started happening already I must say, being a member of PianoGroove is … definitely a LIFE changing and very inspiring experience 
October 2020 Progress
This was recorded in October but life gets busier and busier
My initial attempt to
Christmas Time is Here…
At an instant that I watched this lesson, I knew right away I wanted to get to know this piece I will now go back to all the pieces I have learned and just keep working on them one at a time… there is much to do hehe… Take care everyone!
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November 2020 Progress
" Ëmbraceable You " Progress Video
Since the month of May - that I first tried to learn this tune - I’ve always tried to include it when practising and to me will still take probably up to 2021 before I can fully improvise to it…
I decided to play it again this week and focus on it
This would be the very first song that I finally ‘almost’ memorised hahaah. . I guess when the process is complete and when I have finally listened and connected even more to different versions, then I can finally apply myself and put something in it that I can call my own…
I didn’t see much improvement yet, except probably that I can already play to a certain tempo for the whole song and I felt a little more comfortable playing it compared to before … it felt a bit frustrating that I felt I was ready to record then when I hit the button - all kinds of bloopers happen haha
Planning to try it again this week and over again in future practices… am a million miles away from achieving the goal but currently happy with the little progress… heheh
Hope you are doing great Take care.
Edit: As always, Hayden’s arrangements, performances of the jazz standards are so moving, heartfelt and simply stunning…
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Hi Kristeta
Well done, such a challenging piece as well. Funny how when recording your own work we for some reason always find it nerve wracking and make silly mistakes…haha.
Keep it up and I can see definite improvements in your playing. These advanced pieces also take months (for me as well) and its great once you accomplish the arrangements that Hayden has so kindly pulled together for us all.
Keep up the good work!!! 
Your videos are becoming quite creative as well.
Cheers
Paul
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Very nice Kristeta. This is one of my favorites and has taken me some time as well.
It is such a moving song that I now play parts of it with my eyes closed…getting lost in the feeling of the song. Just yesterday, as I was struggling on a new song, I remembered that Hayden told us that we will be playing these songs for the rest of our lives. That is a such a motivating thought! Just think how I may improve on that song in the next two or three years! Keep sharing and have fun!
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That’s very nice, Kristeta! I appreciate and enjoy following your progress; keep it up!
Coincidentally, I’ve been listening to Eliane Elias’ tribute album to Chet Baker (I noticed you mentioned Eliane on another thread) so thought I would recommend their versions for additional inspiration:
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hey Paul Thanks so much for the great motivation! Means a lot.
… not sure why, but the words “nerve-wracking” keep floating in the air each time I record hahah …Curious what’s your "favourite song of the month that you are playing or listening to? " (from PianoGroove)
Hope you and your family are well, Paul. Really appreciate you listening and watching. Take care.
Thanks very much! Really like that reminder about - us playing these jazz songs for the rest of our lives… that is so true
happy to hear you’ve been playing this jazz standard too!.. Yay… Pls keep us posted!
Take care, hope you are doing great.
Was there any piece you found most difficult to play and learn maybe recently?
wow. Thank you for sharing these! Listening to them whilst writing these responses - what a treat, I love these versions too! Big thank you for the thoughtful words Greg. Stay safe and hope you and your family are doing well!
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! 
So so happy to have realised I have reached my 
FIRST Year Anniversary in Piano Groove! Yay! This is such an AMAZING community and the BEST-est PLACE for Jazz Music learning hehe
It was my first ever time to have witnessed myself not just playing the keys even more but intently listening to relevant music styles (esp to jazz music)
Before starting Jazz Piano
I was (still am) so into drumming as it is one of the newest instruments I have been learning (on and off 5 yrs) and this was the time I started to really become more appreciative and even more conscious about the other styles of music - this has further improved my sensitivity to the other instruments in each song I would listen, play to or other music players I’ll play with… The five years have somehow started in me a good foundation (I still am continually working forever on the drumming rudiments hahah but happy with where I am currently) apart from listening to and drumming to songs…
Then came PianoGroove - and it felt like I was learning a new instrument (knowing its a new music style - JAZZ piano) - not that I would not know how to navigate on the piano, but the manner, style and the content of what I started to learn in this site - I felt is different from what I would usually do or have been playing for a long time hahah -
It definitely is to me - again, entering a different realm/world and best thing about it is - I realised it was the style of music that I have long been searching for! to learn and get to know and live with!
Instantly when I heard and watched Hayden’s lessons, it was like a magnet, and his playing and music hahah will haunt me and will make me want to listen more and watch more lessons… I didn’t care if I was at first confused about the chord structures, upper structures or all the other jazz terminologies, - as long as I hear and watch the PianoGroove instructors’ lessons - I’m just simply hooked to each one of them and would make, write notes in each one I would watch. I would have to watch over again too, cos for sure, it is not easy to remember everything - The ‘notes’ feature in PianoGroove I really like a lot. The LESSONS are Top Notch - very WELL explained, really EXCELLENT! - their approach is SO COOL! and of course another BEST part are the lead sheets and stunning arrangements! … oh it doesn’t end there ---- the LIVE SEMINARS are just WOW! … There is so much more to say!!!
Didn’t mean this to be long
To Hayden and all other Superb Piano Groove instructors - Thank YOU SO SO MUCH! You’ve all made a difference in our lives
Here are the songs that I have started to learn and will forever polish , improvise on and play heheh
- My Funny Valentine
- When I Fall in Love
- Embraceable You
- Girl from Ipanema ( have learned but not recorded yet)
- Nearness of You
- The Christmas Song (one of my top FAVES!)
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas
- Darn that Dream (another super fave!)
- I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
- Christmas Time is Here
- Waltz for Debby (still for posting soon)
After the 11th song, I started learning Hayden’s arrangement of Winter Wonderland and could play it slow but still unable to record - life happened heheh!! Will continue to learn it and will also start to polish the other previous songs that I have not yet really fully memorised.
I am overjoyed being here and having that chance to talk to and learn from the lovely members of the community - Super impressed with Lyndol’s “Sing and Play” lessons. I hope to soon record one that I am learning from her Vocal Accompaniment repertoire.
I wish you all a SUPERB, HEALTHY and MOMENTOUS 2021 !!! Take care.
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Fantastic Kristeta…what a great achievement. Imagine what 2021 will bring with your playing…can’t imagine!
Hope you had a great Xmas and for 2021, may you year bring food fortune, happiness and everything you have wished for!
Take care! - Happy New Year for 2021
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Happy Anniversary Kristeta! You should be proud as you have accomplished so much in your first year. As Paul says…just imagine where you will be when you reach your 2nd anniversary.
I agree…PIanoGroove is the perfect learning platform. I love your enthusiasm! Happy New Year!
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@Paul Thank You So Much ! This community inspires me a lot (yourself, Celia, Scott and many more included!) I learn a ton from PianoGroove and I just don’t know what 2020 would have been like without it. Most (like 99%) hahaha - of 2020, I had that joyful feeling of logging in to PianoGroove- reading comments, watching the superb live seminars, lessons, members’ videos that helped me to get going (knowing how challenging the Pandemic season is/was)
Now I AM SO excited what 2021 will bring us and I can’t wait to check which songs I would like to learn this time! (maybe the ones that I skipped hahaha) some of them are really hard so I skip heheheh…
I am giving myself (this year) that challenge of slowly starting to learn to improvise - the jazzed up manner - and though I am so nervous to do it, I’ll see how it goes.
Thanks so much for the lovely wishes - really made me smile! and I wish the same for you and your family and everyone here on PianoGroove 
Take care .
@celia - Thank You!!! 
so so so happy to be here! Am thrilled to also witness your Jazz Piano journey this 2021 and so is Pauls’, Scotts’ and other members of the community! Take care and Happy 2021 to all of us!
Happy anniversary and Happy New Year Kristeta. You’re an inspiration with your practice log. My learning is much more haphazard. My only commitment to organized practice is my three-ring binder with my lead sheets covered in scribble that only I can understand.
Cheers aye,
George
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hey! Thanks so much @George_Miller - Wow, honestly (to me) what you’re doing is SO fun but not easy at all! It’s something I am continually exploring and learning - esp with jazz… your share of recordings is very motivating and inspiring!
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