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qUICK DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANY "THIS IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO GO, YOU MUST LEARN EASY PIECE AND KEEP GOING UP PROGESSIVE" YES I AGREE WITH THIS, BUT I'M GOING AGAINST THE BOOK HERE OR AGINST THE GRAIN, BECAUSE I WANT TO GET A PERFORMANCE OF SOMETHING FLASHY AND POST IT ON YOUTUBE AND MAYBE IF I GET LUCKY I CAN GO VIRAL AND INSPIRE A BUNCH OF ADULT BEGINNER PIANISTS AS WELL WHILE IM AT IT WITH MY PROGRESS...
















Hey, it's best to watch the video but I can summarize the question here..

Based off my current level, I have planned to complete these pieces.



Bach invention C major,
bach little prelude C major,
minuet in G,
arabesque (burgmuller edition)
rest of cream color book 2,
Chopin waltz in a minor, Chopin prelude,
clementi sonata in c major,
I also do 1 czerny etude a week (I can do more than 1 tbh, just my teacher says to go slow w/ czerny which IDK why when I know I can complete more!!)

All of these pieces I have work put into, I can ideally learn them all completely in let's say 1-2 months? If I honestly grinded I think I could finish them in a week or two, but, I like to have fun and not force myself to practice...


Once I complete these, I want to try something that's flashy (not for my own ego, I just want to blow up on youtube b/c capitalism),

I am aware that technique is my strong suit. I can play arpeggios 1,2,3,4 with octaves on each and every 1 (eighth note vs. whole note), I actually composed my own piece using this strategy. It's the rach 3 main theme transposed to C major -> F on LH over A minor -> D on LH over G -> then end back to C.

So, what I was thinking is since I haven't been playing that long. I can maybe take on something that is going to be a challenge and a bit more of a flashy piece so I can upload a click bait youtube video that would maybe help my chances. I don't think there is many adult beginners who progress this fast, so I think it would be a great inspiration to them if I work hard on these pieces and complete them in only playing for around a year. I know most of you will say, have a progressive outlook or whatever. Why not learn the minute waltz by chopin first, then another piece, and so on then tackle revolutionary. Which is probably not a bad approach, but, I think no lifeing a more difficult/flashy piece once I get past these fundamental pieces wilf push me to a higher level...


So, my thoughts of the pieces to try is chopin easier etudes (octave or aeolian, black eky?), revolutionary etude, rage over lost penny (this one is actually hard, but I like it more).

I think revolutionary is most doable, but, I don't think my interpretation for the left hand will be that intersting (in terms of using damper, contrats whatever), but I think I can make my right hand melody sound interesting and put good contrast between voices..


I will ask my teacher this same question, but, I'm curious on your opinions as well? In a few months time? What would be stopping me from playing revolutinoary etude (say I complete a few bach inventions, and some more czerny)?

I can do the left hand comfortably, as you see in the video.. and i've only been wroking at it with intent for 1-2 days... If i practice c minor scale for more time it'll be even better!!

I'm not qualified to give any sort of advice. But I can say that I envy how your hands appear in the video. Very relaxed and as if they're 'petting' the keys as I notice in concert pianist videos, vs. 'clawing' at the keys as I often observe in some self-taught beginners. If this technique came from your teacher, my opinion is they have done a good job. As far as fame on YouTube, I've seen some of the stuff that goes 'viral' out there, but if that's your dream, go for it.

I'd say

80% of it comes from videos on youtube, applying principles/logic from video games to piano, watching other great pianists on YT or in person, (my russian teacher technique in person blows my mind, I've copied some of her principles like keeping a parallels or straight arm)


15% from the art of piano by Neuhaus, and some other great books or just stuff I've read on the internet Senar.ru is great although it doesn't talk much about tecbnique.


then the other 5% is in lessons of me asking specific questions on stuff I have issues in lessons.

Lessons suck dick, I barely learn anything I need much more time. Legit most of them just get sidetracked by questions, and I get good answers and it's helpful. But, I need DAILY lessons, because I become a different player every day I wake up lol!!

My best lesson ever was a 2 hour lesson with my Russian Master teacher, I got to ask a lot of questions and we worked through the Leila Fletcher book a bit. But, the questions I was able to ask really just taught me so much about music. I asked her a lot of fun questions about pianists and other stuff, and she played all kinds of excerpts from stuff and we discussed it like Liszt B Minor, Chopin, etc...

In that one 2 hour lesson, I'd say I learned more compared to all of my 30 minute weekly lessons with this TA at my college, and then my 8 lessons I got for christmas from a different teacher.

That being said, the lessons still help. But, I think the format of them is not conducive for actually teaching someone how to play properly, if I didn't have the internet I would be awful.

It will be interesting to watch your progress and get in the the 'ground floor' of your going viral on YouTube.

I’m in no position to judge your playing or aspirations. However, your opinion regarding lessons could be better described. You might try it in the future.

Hmmm... apart from a scale you don't show anything with hands together in the video. Put up the first part of the invention hands together and let us see your current level with that. Or something else you have finished HT. Maybe then someone can comment or advise.

Can you play your left hand scales at 160 BPM at 4 notes per click? That is the tempo of the Revolutionary Etude. I mean, you could learn the notes and play them slower but then it's not going to sound flashy. I have to be blunt. Beginners are NOT impressed by other beginners playing virtuoso pieces badly. You are not going to go viral playing this piece.

You do what you want but there are many flashy intermediate level pieces you could try that you are much more likely to be able to play.

Compared to some earlier videos of the OP I'd say he has improved a lot since starting lessons. I would say he is grossly underestimating how much he is learning from his teacher.

I wholeheartedly agree about the teacher influence. Pablo, keep up the great work. I, too, would find 30 min lessons inadequate. Have you thought about making them less frequent but longer?

You still have serious issues with your hands position and flexibility. They lack relaxation and fluidity. You play too much with your fingers and high wrist. In the video you are not playing anything really.

Why wait to play the revolutionary etude ? You should start practising it right away. All the pieces you have listed are fine but wont help that much to play that etude. So go for it and see what happens.

Sorry, I could no longer edit. I would give a big thumbs up to the Grieg; I hope you’ll consider it, when I hear a pianist, I can hear when a pianist is playing music they’re not ready for, and it sounds like a struggle rather than a cohesive piece.

I’ve been playing for many years, and taking lessons. I still have music in my ‘not yet, but someday’ list. That’s ok. When I finally learn it, I don’t want to sound like I am struggling above my pay grade. I hope you’ll take this as a personal reflection rather than any chiding. You’re doing great!

Don't forget to take your piano to the street, or to go to the airport. Sorry if it sounds as a joke, but as you ask for a YouTube hit, that will help you.

Anyway the best way to inspire adult learners would be to make them look for long term results. Did you know that there are 3 teenagers age 17 at the final of Chopin competition? That means in just 12 years of study you can be top class player. As i guess no adult learner needs to get even closer to that level, just 9 or 10 years is enough for them. That's what should inspire them. The "2 months playing and i already play Chopin" approach leds to nothing, no matter how flashy it may sound on a YouTube video.

I don't want to be harsh on you and i wish you luck in your goal. But adult learners don't need to be misleaded. They need (usually very much) be recalled to be patient. I say this because you use them as an excuse for your video and i think that's not fair. Im ok with you searching for a hit. Just the "inspiring adult learners" reasoning is way off.

In an older post on this forum i read the most inspiring thing : "we usually over estimate what we can achieve in one year and under estimate what we csn achieve in ten years".

Wait, I thought TikTok's where it's at

Out of the fast flashy Chopin pieces I think Minute Waltz is the most doable. Whether you can pull it off convincingly is another matter as it's still harder than all the rep you listed but at least you're less likely to hit a wall. It also has the advantage that it still sounds good even at a slower tempo.

The OP has been playing for 1.5 years. Are you suggesting he can learn Revolutionary Etude to a level where it can be posted to You Tube as inspiration for others? I believe that is what he is looking for.

Listen, lessons are great. I've done around maybe 20 in my lifetime I think so far. Mostly 30 minute ones.

Over summer though, I studied with an EXCELLENT teacher. We did 5 lessons total. She was really amazing, we literally only went over basic counting and rhythm, and she forced me to do this easy Leila Fletcher book. That book completely transformed my playing in every aspect, rhythmically, interpretation, technique, etc. I still play through a lot of it everyday, if you guys like I can send some of my performances of the pieces. I can make them sound pretty musical for being simple pieces..

Just the issue with lessons is, from reading half of Art of Piano by Neuhaus I think I've gotten much more from that compared to my lessons with these two other teachers... One was a great pianist, she was older maybe in her 60s. But, she couldn't teach me for her life. She was too kind, not straightforward, she was more of the "go watch a waterfall type"

My other teacher at college we do 1 30 min lesson a week, and he barely cares. But, we still have fun and get a good bit done. Most of the lessons are actually guided by me, and he just clears up any little misconceptions, or just forces me to do more challenging stuff that I have questions on (like counting complex rhythms, playing stuff by ear, random interpretation stuff from great pianists, etc.)

The Russian Master teacher I did lessons with was what I BELIEVE a lesson should be, but those lessons were great, but even she said herself her purpose is to teach me so I can figure it out on my own. Which I think by teaching me cream colored book she did a large portion of her job...

I think it's a bit disrespectful to the work I've put in, to say that lessons is a huge factor to my improvement. The few lessons I had with the Russian master, Art of Piano (and some other books from master pianists like Hoffman's book, a bit from Arrau book), my own approach, and youtube has been the overwhelming majority of my improvement. So yeah, lessons definitely helped a lot. But the ones that only really changed me were those 5 with the russian master, and all we did was finish basically the Leila Fletcher cream colored book. I didn't know how to count when I came to her, but she taught me that and that was transformative.

People like myself as an adult learner have been playing for over a decade and posted videos online. Any piece you choose to record you're going to find people who already uploaded their versions of the same piece. Coming up with original content is not easy and probably less than 10% of the uploaded videos would go viral so I'm not hoping any of my uploads would reach more than 1000 views per year. A lot of people posted videos of their own playing starting from day 1:


The past week watched a few student recordings of "La Campanella" by Paganini transcribed for piano by Liszt. A recording of this piece usually gets a lot of views. Another piece that is technical & fast is Rimsky-Korsakov "Flight of the Bumblebee".


Bach wrote a lot more than Inventions. Many students are playing & posting Inventions recordings online. Videos of Bach Inventions may not bring a big audience since they're becoming very common like student performances of the Pachelbel Canon in D. You may want to get into playing a few Preludes & Fugues which are more challenging to learn.

Instead of pushing for fast & technical pieces, you can also aim for ones that are slow & expressive like "Morning Mood" by Greig:

Yeah, I'm not looking to play it in tempo or perfectly. I think I can probably get it to like what 120 BPM (I am not a fan of metronome so I don't know if that'd be a decent one), it would be more than enouhg to go viral like this guy.

this guy play fantasie impromptu quite poorly, and he went viral.


Also Sidokar, what are some issues with my hand position and flexibility. I know it's not perfectly centered, but I feel flexible.. I'm growing into the piano still. Each day my body gets more and more adjusted, it's not 100% comfort to the point like horowitz, but, I'd say I'm at around like 70%ish atleast. (EDIT: I'm starting to realize what you mean my by high wrist, it's mostly on the left hand though the issue thanks for the tip)

Something too, I realized that helps me with scales and stuff (I can post a bit better of a video of me doing it so you can critique) go to around 2:46 in this video. You will see how he kind of lowers his wrist, it's not like it is in the beginning like parallel and on the piano he's slightly angling his wrist downwards.. I have been stomping left foot in the ground to make me in the perfect relaxation state, and lowering my wrist a bit like that to do scales and I can do them wicked fast and super comfortable.

OMG, that's got to be the most attrocious version of La Campanella I have ever heard. It's not even complete. Why would anyone want to post something like that on the internet?

To be blunt, your video doesn't demonstrate anything except doodling. Playing a few measures of the RH of a piece or a scale for one or two octaves is close to meaningless. Probably 99% or more of those studying piano don't ever reach the the level where they can play the Revolutionary Etude well, and thinking about that at this point is not meaningful. If you want to improve at the fastest rate you can, get a good teacher and take lessons once a week. More often than once/week is not a good idea since you should be practicing a lot between lessons. When you are ready, post a performance of a complete piece even if it's one page long. Then posters can help you with the next appropriate steps.