the cheapest way...utube guzheng....    

Claire,
I am still taking guzheng lessons. I am wondering where to buy your 2 books? In my school every one plays for fun and had no intention of taking the exam. We had one basic book which was hand written by laoshi. After completing that book laoshi will give us peices to play. Going through book stores, I only manage to buy one book.

On emotion again. Let's see if I can use another angle. Let's use a happy song. I think you should have 凤阳花鼓. It is a very popular song and you should know the tune. You can pluck without emotions and it will sound flat (not out of tune, as long as you strike the right note it wont be out of tune). Think of how to play it more lifely (because this is the mood of the song). It is all about of how you touch the strings. Try to imaging the strings as a stage and your fingers as a balerina dancing gracefully on it. This balerina knows which steps to add power and which steps to glide lightly. Just let your fingers dance gracefully or playfully. Try it for a few bars first. Then get someone to listen to you playing flat and the other with feel. If they can hear they difference, you got it.

Claire,
Playing in laoshi presence is nerve wrecking. Although I had overcame stage fright since school days, I still panic when my loashi comes over. I just want to make it perfect so that he can give me a new peice to play. Now, I just don't care. I guess knowing that I had already aquired  all the skills listed in the exam book[COLOR=blue][SIZE=7] had given me a sense of accomplishment. No more new tricks to learn Now is a question of how many classical piece I can play. That takes time. To play with feel you also need to know the story behind the song.

RM80 is really steep. I guess the teachers want to make some commission for selling the book too.

Actually, I am looking for one particular book. It is a collection of peices from different genes (Henan, Hokkien, Hakka, Teo Chew ...). One of my class mate had this book but it is a photocopy of photocopy book. Since you said you have lots classical pieces, I figure it may be this book. If I  could I prefer to buy original. Authors and publisher must make some money for their effort. If I still can't find that book, I will have to throw my conscience out of the window and photocopy it.

I see exam as expenses. There is no need to cough out money if you do not have intention to teach professionally. I am content with sharing my 1 sen experience for free.

Subang,
How much did you pay for mei mei's copy of the exam book? The exam book is not important to me. If it is reasonablly price it would be good to own it.

Claire,
Han Yu Pin Yin makes no sense to me. One sound has four tones and so many characters. Some even have 5 tones like nu 女. I tried to figure out the songs you mentioned but I cant make it out. Most likely I do not know those songs. As I told you my laoshi dont follow the syllabus. We can get 60s era songs or even children songs like 小白船. Post the pieces here. I will see if I can help. If you can tell me the mood and background story for the song, it would be better.

Subang,
Ahh, RM33 is more like it. Not only music books are cheaper but all books are cheaper. Cook book, DIY books ... That is why I love to buy chinese book. An english book on drawing manga cost RM70 (minimum), but chosen a similar book in chinese that cost me RM17. Amazing, isn't it. It really does not matter if you cant read because it is about drawing. Sunway Menatri again, eh. Subang area is confuse land to me. I can get in but dont know how to get out. It like I will have to go there one of these days. Can I impose a favour on you to get the exam book for me? We can meet up at the MPO on 12 May.

Empire,
Now you are making me scared. Actually when I looked at your site, I did not pay attention to your Angels. I look at your site to know you because you are the one I am chatting with. The other thing that caught my attention was your long client list. It was very impresive.
I think if the Angles flank you outside Burger King, it will be hard to miss. Then we can go up to Chillis and ask the bartender who ordered a St James Gate. That person will likely be Subangman.

Cassie,
I dont have simple left hand pieces The most simple one is 1535 and it is the same through the song 凤阳花鼓. This 1535, my left hand can play even without seeing already. When combining it with the right hand, they break apart. Did you have this problem before? It is like the left hand is not part of your body.

Claire,
You must be at level 5 or so? What tips can you give me on playing with both hands. How is the 扫摇 training comming along. By the way your problem is with the 扫 component or the 摇?

I was wondering what happen to you. Good to hear that you, like CassieMissy, had chased after paper qualification. Anyway it is nice to have you back and congratulatons.

If you local and in KL on Jan 28, please feel free to join our gathering.

After lunch time at Empire's house. We will end before dinner. I dont remember the address. I know it is 5 minutes drive (15 minutes walk) from Kelana Jaya LRT. So, I prefer to take LRT. Plus Empire dont mind pick you up from the LRT.

Posting for the past year are mainly about going for concerts/competition together and as the bond grew between regulars we started organise gathering. Of course there are the inquiry cases. Most of them are the same (where to get lessons).

Claire...sure...but I gotta see who you are. I cant let stangers in my house. PM me your Facebook link.

Empire,
Claire had been posting actively to this thread since I started with this theread. I think you can find her posts around page 10.

Claire,
I look forward to seeing you.

I am stuck with that song for one year. Double handed play is taking me too long to master. Liu Yang I had been doing this for 1 year.

What about you what song were you playing before you went to study?

so it is confirm on the 28th the saturday? Around what time? I think should be alright. Excited to be meeting everyone..   but i need to warn you all..   I'm quite the shy shy one..    

zhan tai feng is very high level already.
Can you do 高山流水？ I am doing that on my own (without teacher guidance).

Faceless....yes...I approve of Claire joining us.

Thanks! I remember she said she had a good collection of music pieces. I am looking forward to see her books then gauge if I should buy some of them.

You can PM Empire he will give you address. If you want to come by LRT we can meet up first.

In that case I will bring all my guzheng books too and make it book sharing session too.

By the way pieces repeated in other books are expected. That is what make the piece a classic.

All meet in kelana LRT station, ok? 2pm ok?