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Thanks, Anthony.

Unfortunately, my very beat-up upright, although the pedal is there, does not support this feature.

I will practice using it anyway, and just imagine that the sound is changing.

By the way, Danny, thanks for the insightful and encouraging response to my question.

On a really old 1900's upright my sister has (as a piece of furniture the left pedal actually operates as another sustain. On some upright pianos the una corda pedal moves the hammers slightly away from the strings instead of shifting over which can result in less hammer speed by the time the hammer reaches the strings.

Another new video for YouTube.

This time it is me playing I Due Fiumi. This song (not this performance of it) was the first one I played for the ABF Recitals here. Along with that this was the second Einaudi song I learned how to play.

At this rate the only song that I can play that I don't have a video of is Limbo. Looks like I've got some learning to do.

I decided to record and post this one to give aw2pp some inspiration to keep playing the piece and hopefully we'll get to hear it someday. For all I know he'll keep it tucked away until the next recital.

Without further delay...

I Due Fiumi

I replaced the webcam audio with direct from the piano audio again but I might have been a slight hair fast on the audio sync but it looked close enough for me.

I'm probably at a similar level of polish on IDF as I was with Ombre when I recorded it for my last recital. I haven't decided whether to use it for my recital entry next quarter, or something else. Part of me would rather post something a little shorter, and perhaps something that hasn't been submitted before. On the other hand, that doesn't leave me with many choices, assuming I stay with pieces from the Einaudi repertoire.

If I can grab some time this weekend, I'll grab a recording. Our flip cam is down... otherwise, it would be time to add to my Youtube channel (which, right now, consists merely of my shaky Limbo attempt from back in, egads, July.)

Trying out Melodia Africana II. The LH chord in measure 5 (and many times thereafter) is a pretty uncomfortable stretch for me. In these circumstances, is it allowable to move the highest note down an octave?

I've only sort of skimmed the sheet music for the song but I'm wondering if the right hand could help out with the notes in the bass clef in this case.

When the huge <d c f> chord appears in the lower hand they have the treble clef with a g on a lower ledger line but with it marked up with an "underscore" as an ornament. I assume it would be hard to notate a chord for that right hand to play and only emphasize that g note.


I would have to figure out how playable measure 21 would be then. You still run up to playing that chord with the same notes ending measure 20 but then have to up a few more notes in 21 with the right hand.

Oh well, maybe someone else can come along and shed some light on the situation.

I can really use some help and advice about Limbo


There are obviously very dedicated Einaudi –experts here and I’m wondering whether it is possible to start a sort of ‘question-corner’ as a guidance for the absolute (Einaudi) beginner. Maybe it is asked before, but I haven’t read all the twenty something pages of this topic. (Sorry..)

I’ve started with Limbo and I’m ashamed to say that I in spite of all the practice I've made a complete mess of it! I just cannot get it right. I really thought that I should be able to learn it in due time, but it’s a struggle all the way. Today’s practising was so frustrating then I ended up kicking my poor piano …

I seriously hope you guys can throw me a life line and help me to clear some confusion.

About LIMBO
Measure 5 RH : I should play g bb g. No matter how I stretch, twist and turn I cannot reach it. ( I know I’ve got small hands; I can barely reach an octave).
Q: Is there a general rule/advice which note (low or high g) can be left out? There are more stretches for me in this piece so I think I have to modify it a bit, in order to be able to play it…


Measure 23/24 RH: I play the phrase bb bb d bb bb d bb bb / g bb eb g
Measure 23/24 LH: g d g / eb bb eb
Q: I’m really wondering what I’m doing wrong, the sound that I’m making is not even close to the several YT vid’s . Are the above mentioned notes the right notes? Should indeed the LH notes be played as block chords?
Listening to examples on YT it seems that there is a sort of ‘second melody’ in this part; which above mentioned notes do not seem to account for. Bit difficult to explain, hope I make any sense.

I hope that some of the Einaudi-experts (and compared to me you are all experts) can help me,

Have a nice day!
from Chaplin


PS. English is not my first language…

Anthony, that was a lovely job on I due fiumi. You've really perfected it.

AWTPP, I've not played Melodia Africana II, so this is only an off the top of my head response after looking at the music and fiddling on the piano for a minute or two. A lot of times I'll try what Anthony suggests, which is to see if there is a way to enlist the right hand to help out. For measure 5, I don't think that would work well. The problem is that you have to emphasize that G in the right hand, and it would be hard (though not impossible) to do so while holding down the F right next to it with your thumb. So I think what I would do in this case is to drop the F down an octave and play the chord as D-F-C instead.

And now for Chaplin. You can play Limbo. If it's getting frustrating, just slow down and play it one measure at a time. Let's start with measure 5, RH. Maybe I'm not understanding your post, but there are only three notes in that right hand chord: the G below middle C, the B-flat below middle C, and then the G above middle C. [Edit: I think I understand now; when you write 'bb' you mean 'b-flat,' correct?] It's only an octave, so if you can reach an octave, you should be able to play it. I personally would encourage you to keep trying to reach that octave (piano music has a LOT of octaves in it), and over time your hand really WILL stretch. But if you absolutely can't play it, I'd drop the lowest right hand G in that measure.

As for a general rule, the most general rule I know of is "use whatever sounds best." I've heard that it's often the most important to preserve the root of the chord. Sometimes it will work to drop one of the notes down an octave (as in the advice given to AWTPP); sometimes you can just leave a note out entirely. Experiment and see what sounds best to your ears.

As for measures 23 and 24, those are the right notes (assuming the second 'b' is a flat). Do you have a videocamera? Is there a way you can post just those measures so we can see what you're doing? I'm guessing you've got the notes right and just are having a problem getting the rhythm down. Try slowing it waaaaaayyy down and counting. And, yes, the left hand chords are intended to be played as a single (block) chord.

Are you pedaling while you play those chords? It will sound better pedaled and might give the impression of that second melody you're talking about.

Good luck, and hang in there.

Thanks Monica for your encouraging words!
And yes the additional 'b' indeed means 'flat'. Sorry I thought it was a common way to write it, but is probably only so in my country.

About the octave stretch in g bb g; I do try, both g's I can barely manage but then my hand is almost flat on the keyboard and therefore it is not (yet?) possible for me to hit the bb also. But I will practice, so thank you.

M. 23/24 Now you've confirmed that I do have the right notes, I think it must be a rhythm problem. I guess/hope the same recipe eventually will do the trick: so I'll try some more practice.

Thank you very much, amongst other things today I also really started doubting my (poor) sight reading abilities.

Kind regards
from Chaplin

Also remember that the first Bb comes before the chord kicks in. The first one starts over in measure 22. As Monica stated for these measures I use the sustain to hold the chord and release it and press down again for the next chord.

I just took a bit of time to make short video of those measures played slowly so maybe you can learn something from it.

I didn't feel like posting it to youtube at the moment, so see if you can download it from box.net and take a look that way. (That would be easier for watching as needed anyway.)

Short Limbo Clip

Thanks Anthony, I can certainly learn something from it; makes it a lot easier to catch the rhythm.

Initially I was a bit confused, because you've mentioned 'video' and 'watching' and the clip I've downloaded was audio. I absolutely don't mean to sound ungrateful, just wondered whether this was all right. (I'm not only piano dumb but also technical stuff stupid ) At first I thought there was something wrong with QT and the firewall, but after adjusting some settings nothing changed, so I guess it is meant to be an audio file.



Thanks again, I appreciate your help.


I’m off to practise!
Have a nice X-mas
from Chaplin

To AWTPP Re: Melodia Africana II

I had that exact same problem myself. My solution was to raise the D one octave - playing it with my thumb - and lower the F one octave - playing it with my pinky - , essentially having them switch places in the formation of the chord. Not only are you playing the same notes, but it makes a very, very smooth transition to and from the chords around it.

What is sacrificed is the bass-ness of that low D. But I'd much rather be able to play it!

If, somehow, I can afford pinky extension surgery, I'll play the correct chord.

double post

Chaplin, if that was only audio then you must not have the certain video codec it was encoded with. I'll gladly upload a different version for you to try.

Limbo Clip as a WMV file

You can give this new video clip a try and good luck learning Limbo.

Thank you, Jose. I will try that when I get home.

Those of you who met Ludovico before (Josh, Anthony, etc.)... are his hands that large? I'm a pretty big person, but can barely make the reach when and if that is all I am concentrating on. I can't imagine being able to do that at any sort of tempo.

aw2pp: Maybe you should ask about that chord over on the Einaudi forums as well. Josh or the others would have a better chance to see it and maybe comment on it.

Ludovico Einaudi is actually shorter than I am and I'm not all that tall myself. I don't know exactly how this relates to hand size but I didn't take pictures of his hand with mine as a reference, sorry.

AnthonyB, that was fantastic playing to "I Due Fiumi" "thumb". Keep up the great work

A PW member kindly brought it to my attention that I had been playing a note in "Nefeli" wrong (and a rather important note at that ). I double-checked the sheet music and confirmed that I had in fact been playing it wrong all these years. (That's the big downside of memorizing quickly and then not looking at the music again...)

Shucks. THAT wouldn't do. And since Nefeli had been one of the first pieces I had recorded with my Zoom when I got it a couple of years ago, I figured it could stand to be recorded again. So here in all its glory, is my latest version of "Nefeli," this time with more of the right notes. (There is one misplayed note, but it's more subtle and at least this time I *knew* it was misplayed!)

"Nefeli," version 2.0

Sounded pretty good here, Monica.

I should try my hand at coding a midi utility that can compare a performance from my digital piano to a midi file that I get generated when I typeset music in order to print it out. I've done that for a few of the Einaudi pieces since that book is a pain to deal with and it is difficult to scan the pages as well. Plus, when I typeset it myself it forces me to read it before playing which helps me when I get over to the piano.

Now to pick a language and get to work, I guess.