I am no expert in video generation, unfortunately. Maybe I should try to convert it lossfree (at least soundwise) into an avi format? I don't know which codec is required. I used Microsoft MediaPlayer V9.0 and WinDvD. If anyone has an idea what to do? I really would be very interested in your opinion, both audio and video wise.

Not to worry, I could play it at the office where I have a new Media Player. I could have sworn last week when I tried this, the firewall said 'access forbidden'... but seems like on some days they forget to switch that on

Very good performance, very clean and relaxed though you get just a little stressed in the middle. Nice elegant style too. Indeed you seem to be quite far from the piano but what the heck, if you arms are as long as your legs You got a bit of a nervous twitch now and then, but I guess we all have our funny habits. I suppose you will be submitting this Mazurka real soon now ?

I must see if I can borrow a camcorder or some other device to make a video too.

Thank you for your comments. It seems that also the organ playing enhanced the habbit to move away from the keyboard. If the upper arms can't hang loosely down, there is the danger of additional tension, but I really think one should play as relaxed as possible. That I do some strange grimaces did surprise me too, but don't know whether I can or even should control that.

Submitting the Mazurka... To be honest, it is almost not worth the effort for this little piece to put all that recording stuff on, so I wait a bit that at least another piece comes additional to that.



Yes, please do!

Yeah now that you mention it. I was just wondering the other day whether or not I had moved back too, though I did not connect that to the organ practice. Seems to make sense.


If you would say that, you'd pick on me... As if each Mazurka is not worth all the time in the world

You are right - but don't ask me how long I needed to practise for this little piece...

very dissapointing...can not open the file..waiting and waiting.........

I sometimes make strange grimace (did not realize that while playing). I like also to say that I don't have a serious illness what one could think because of no hairs - it is an hair illness I have from youth on, so I lost bit by bit the hairs, but nothing more.

I can not open the file. Never mind....for a moment I thought you are some kind of skin head???? obviously you are not...

Perhaps you should try to save it on hard disk and open with Windows MediaPlayer.Seems however not to work on some PCs, a codec missing (but I don't know which)

A really great video and from what I can see, you play with a lot touch and feel. Really good performance all the way through!

my come back. I saved it on my hard drive and give me few days, I will take it home using my own computer see if I can open your file.

bang it worked at works window. Perferct...Nice palying....I think the piano is too small for a giant. Your eye twitches, just as funy as my daughter compalins me when i some time openning my mouth with no reason. Obviously, you enjoyed what you played.

You have inspred us to use video camera......so I should get one /???sony???

Thank you all for the kind responses!

According to your comments, and also what I supposed already, I should change something regarding sitting height and sitting distance to the keyboard.
One possibility would be to saw off something from the piano bench feets to lower it (it was already in the lowest regular position).
The other possibility would be to put something below the piano feets to raise it.

After discussing with another tall piano player I probably raise the piano for some centimeters. So the knees can come below the keyboard and I can come closer to the keyboard, and the lower arms are more horizontal how they should be. Because since I am tall I don't sit really comfortable if I would lower the bench more and more because the upper legs should remain horizontal as well.
The only drawback I see is that it gets a bit more uncomfortable to hit the pedals as they are higher now. But that is also sometimes the situation for a concert piano or uprights elsewhere as they often have larger rolls.

To John: It was a Sony video camera I borrowed, with mini CD-RW so to play it back on PC. However it was really very tricky to get it converted to an MPEG format, and audio substitution (I needed help from friends). Maybe it is much easier to feed the camera directly with external mics with also acceptable results in order to easen the conversion trouble.

Olaf, I'm confused (again)
With a digital camcorder, don't you just turn it on, record, and then plug it in to your tv or computer, or take out a disc and put in the computer? Isn't the sound already there?

Yes, it is there but in my case it sounded terrible. Because there was a clipping of the sound that eats all of the dynamics, it sounded metallic and crazy overdriven in my case. Maybe it would be helpful to plug in external mics, together with fixed audio recording volume level instead dynamic volume. Because of the terrible sound I decided to record parallel with my audio recording equipment and merged that together with the pure video signal. Got lots of trouble with conversions to get that to run.

But even the work is not done with taking out the disc and put it in the computer - that file format needs to be converted to mpg or avi with hopefully codecs used that it works everywhere... All I asked told me that video conversion on the PC is a wide large area with lots of trouble. Best thing is if your digital camcorder could put out already a compressed mpg file, and with external mics to have at least sufficient audio quality. And that one cut's out the part one likes to have at end already inside the camcorder instead afterwards on PC. So not to introduce error sources for conversions. Maybe there are video experts here who could give more usefull hints.

Thanks, Olaf, but everything you just said went right over my head.