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Hi, any Chopin lover's out there try this one on? was it fairly easy for you? What would you rank the difficulty of it compared to the other etudes? I have been studying it for about 2 months and I find that it requires a lot of endurance, even though it is about the shortest etude in length. Absolutely amazing! I can only play it about 85 percent speed without falling apart.. when I go above that speed I find the left hand jumps just start becoming too innacurate..I obviously didn't realize what I was getting into before I started this one..

Meltone1

I find it very helpful while working on an Etude such as this to do the following (now let's see if I can put it into terms that will make sense to you) :

Starting at bar 25, where the LH begins with an octave.

Try first - only for the purpose of practice, of course! - considering the Gflat octave, then the F octave (etc.) as mere grace notes leading to the following three note chords. Strike the octave firmly but lightly and immediately move to the three note chord, landing firmly on the chord - and holding it - as though it were the accented note. Practice any section of the etude where the LH gives you difficulties in this manner.

Then: reverse the process.

Starting again at bar 25, this time consider the three note chords as grace notes, leading to the octave note. Strike the chord quickly and then immediately move to the octave note, landing firmly on it and holding it as if it were the accented note.

Each time you do this exercise - and don't rush it - mentally and visually prepare the jump before you do it. Know exactly where you are going to go, and when you have "envisioned" the physical movement, then do it as quickly as you can without losing accuracy. Accuracy is the key word here and preparation will help you gain accuracy. Do not concern yourself with the relative note values of the octaves and the chords as printed in the score. At this point you are working on the "jump."

You can also practice the LH in triplets, first starting with the octave as the first note of the triplet, then starting with the three note chord as the first note of the triplet group. At first, I would even pause for a beat after each triplet group. Later, you may try to do several bars at a time in strict "triplet" rhythm. If you have infinite patience, this triplet exercise works well in developing accuracy if you gradually increase your speed to the strict beat of a metronome.

First of all, does this make sense? Secondly, I hope it helps.

Regards,

[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

Thanks alot Bruce for the helpful advice. I guess I never really considered trying alternate practice methods for the left hand, other than just playing the song slower and focusing on it. I'm going to put this to good use! I find the right hand a little more easier to manage, but that still needs work too! I guess it's no mystery the main idea behind the "étude"is "study"!

That's pretty neat, I worked on this piece briefly a few weeks ago, and I'm about to get into it again (my teacher's away allll summer ) so I'll try that exercise, though the thing I first noticed was the tension developing in my right hand as I played it. I think that was working out though, I just wasn't used to stretching that way for so long.