How do you mic your piano?

A visitor to my Facebook fanpage just presented the question:

"How do you mic your piano for these recordings and how many?"

So here is the answer!

All of my recordings prior to the Ecossaises release on July 11th were made on my Pearl River upright. I recorded for many years on this piano with limited success. I tried several ways to mic the piano but it just wasn't a recording-quality instrument. However, the best sound tended to come by opening the lid and removing the kickplate (not sure what to call it) that covers the strings beneath the keyboard. I then placed my mics about 6-8 feet back (about as far back as the room would allow) pointed towards the top of the piano. I kept the mics about a foot apart.

With my new piano, I have only had one recording session so far, but compared to my previous recordings, the sound was spectacular! For this one, I opened the lid on the piano and placed the mics about 6-8 feet back and about a foot apart - just like my old configuration. I figured I'd start with that approach as I had limited time and had the best success with that on my upright.

So that is how I've done it - but as anybody who has attempted to record a piano knows, there are limitless ways to mic a piano and it will depend on the desired sound, the piano, the mics, the room, and the alignment of the planets. Here are some other resources that I've used in my decision-making and experimentation:

• Mic techniques for studio recording
• Several great ways to mic a piano
• Home Piano Recording

For equipment, my budget is limited, so I use two PRO 25 microphones (about the cheapest I could get away with). I originally recorded with just one, and eventually saved up to purchase the second. I was a poor college student when I first started my recordings, so even one microphone was a huge luxury. I then purchased the lowest-cost mixer that I could find at the local guitar shop to use in converting the audio signal into something that my computer could understand. I use Nero's WaveEditor to record onto the computer and to clean it up as best as I can. On some of my recordings I have then used Audacity and the GlaceVerb plugin to add a touch of reverb as my living room is so small and is not an acoustically ideal setting.

Good luck in your own recordings!

First Recording on the NEW PIANO! Beethoven's Ecossaises WoO 83

It's finally here! My first recording on my newly-acquired Steinway A III :) I've been recording music on my upright piano for several years and am so excited to finally be recording on such a fine instrument.

The piano was freshly tuned, regulated, and voiced earlier the morning of the recording session to make sure that it would sound its best. I hope that all of my listener's will enjoy the refreshing new sound!

Now for a little information about the work. This recording is a short, little piece by Beethoven. It is an Écossaise, which is a Scottish dance full of energy and wide-ranging dynamics. I am not aware of any title for this work other than Écossaise Serie 25 No. 302 (WoO 83). If anybody out there has heard of a commonized title, please let me know! This was a fun piece to learn and remains fun to play. My 7 year old daughter enjoyed it so much that she asked me to teach it to her. I hope that you will enjoy it as well!

In addition to the audio recording, I also made a home video of me performing the work. You can watch that below (if it shows up) or here, on my YouTube channel.


You can download the MP3/WMA or the PDF of the score from this link. As always, the recording is also available on my free iTunes podcast.

ENJOY!
Jeremiah Jones

I BOUGHT MY PIANO!!

Thanks to the support, encouragement, and graciousnous of my listeners, I finally found and purchased a Steinway piano! It is a vintage 1941 Model A III.

As promised, I have had a plaque made and engraved with the names of all those who have donated! (view pictures of the piano/plaque here)I will continue to add names of donors until the plaque is filled. Recent donations will be engraved on the plaque every few weeks.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping to make my piano-dream come true :)

I will continue accepting donations on my site to help pay for the tuning, regulating, voicing, and other maintenance of the piano - as well as for the website, hosting, recording, and materials involved. I will also continue adding those "signatures" to the plaque mounted on my piano's music stand (as shown in the picture). I cannot say enough how much I appreciate knowing that my music has brought enjoyment to so many people. It is an artist's dream-come-true.

Please enjoy looking at a few pictures of my piano on my website by clicking here.

Gina Bachauer Announces Competition Schedule!

The schedule for The XV Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition has officially been announced! If you are in or near UT during the final weeks of June, then you need to set aside some time to attend this spectacular event. Acclaimed artists from all around the world will be gathering here in my hometown to demonstrate the many hours of hard work and the dedicated emotion that they put into their piano studies. I always walk away from this event with such elation!

If you plan on attending, please let me know so that I can keep an eye out for you. Be sure to visit the Bachauer Website for more details.

Jeremiah Jones

CONTEST RESULTS! Congratulations Thirdy!

The results from the recent contest are in and the winner of the photo prize is:

THIRDY! With 98 "likes"

You can view his picture here (also pictured below, where supported).





THANK YOU EVERYBODY who joined in the contest and shared your photos about classical music. We had such wonderful entries and I hope to do a similar contest again in the future. The winner will also be notified via a private message to arrange for delivery of the contest prize.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PARTICIPATING!

WIN A PRIZE while sharing your love of classical music!

To help promote a passion for classical music, SignMyPiano is holding a PHOTO CONTEST!

To win, you just need to choose a photo that shows any one of the following:
- You performing classical music
- You listening to or enjoying classical music
- anything that represents WHY YOU LIKE classical music

And then get all of your friends to "like" your photo! The photo with the most "like"s by April 16th, 2010 will win! (see below for information about PRIZES)

Your photo needs to be YOUR OWN and should not include any innappropriate content (they will be removed promptly)

HOW TO SUBMIT:
* Become a classical piano fan on the SignMyPiano fanpage here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SignMyPianocom/102766077732

• On the SignMyPiano fanpage, post a photo on the "Wall" by using the "attach" button
• Upload the photo along with any comment you may want to include
• Find your photo in the "Photos" section of the fanpage, click on it, and then click the "Share +" button to send it to all of your friends!
• Be sure to tell your friends to "like" your photo so that you can win

DEADLINE:
The contest will end on April 16th, 2010 as soon as I have a chance to tally the results! So hurry and submit your photo!

WINNER:
The winner will be selected based on the number of "like"s. The more you share your photo with friends, the better your chances of winning!

PRIZES:
So what does the winner get!?!? The fan who submits the photo with the most "like"s will win his/her choice of:

• An autographed CD from Lisztonian.com
  OR
  
• A T-shirt that says "I LOVE CLASSICAL MUSIC" (or something to that effect)
  OR
  
• A small plaque with the winning photo and recognition for this accomplishment!

** Prizes will be shipped anywhere in the world where the USPS will ship!

QUESTIONS:
If you have any questions, then please feel free to contact Jeremiah Jones, the founder and Artist of Lisztonian.com, at lisztonian@jkjonesco.com

GOOD LUCK!

Debussy's Prelude Book 1 No. 10 - The Sunken Cathedral

Debussy composed two books of preludes. This recording is from the first book and is No. 10 - "La cathédrale engloutie" (The Sunken Cathedral). This work was inspired by the legend of the city of Ys (pronounced "ees" - as in "geese"). There are many variations on this legend, so I will only briefly describe the more common elements among the legends. Ys was built below sea level and had a strong city wall that kept the water from entering and engulfing the city. There was a single gate to the city and only the king held the key which could unlock the gate. The king's daughter, Dahut, led the beautiful city into a downward spiral of sin and immorality. Eventually, Dahut was tricked into stealing the key to the gates whereupon the gates where opened during a tremendous storm which then submerged the city beneath the sea. As the legend goes, the bells of the church can still be heard ringing from beneath the sea on particularly calm days.

Debussy's work is inspired from a variation on the legend that concludes with the city occasionally rising from the sea to serve as a reminder of what destruction came upon the great city due to its corruption and sin. The sea begins to rise with the sound of the church bells as it emerges from the sea. This eventually is followed by the resounding and powerful tones of the church organ as the city is fully risen. The city then sinks back into the sea to await another time when it might rise again. This prelude of Debussy's follows this storyline quite closely and the sounds of the bells and the organ can be heard as the work progresses. It is a powerful piece of music full of imagery.

I hope that you enjoy my recording of Debussy's "Sunken Cathedral"! You can download my recording by visiting this page of my website, http://www.lisztonian.com/. I also encourage you to subscribe to my free iTunes or Zune podcast so that you can automatically receive new recordings as they are published. You may also use the embedded media player below (where available) to listen to this recording.




Jeremiah Jones