OK, just for fun, since I already played the two piano duet to this piece, I decided to learn the solo (Ernesto Lecuona). I am having the most trouble with the octaves on page seven - where both hands play octaves and go screaming down the keyboard at ffz. I am varying the rhythm to work on playing it clean, but when I play it up to tempo,I can bearly get the big chord out at the end, without completely collapsing on the bench. Its like I'm too tense, or my arms and shoulders aren't in good enough shape, and I have completely worn the muscles out and have to shake my arms a little before I go on. What should I do? Lift weights? Jodi

Hi Jodi you may already be doing this but if not perhaps this suggestion will help. Its important to relax your shoulders as much as possible thus allowing the arm to be more relaxed. If you tend to lean forward when you play and tense your arms up you are promoting the build up of lactic acid in your muscles and expending way to much energy. By letting the natural weight of your upper body produce the force for the strike and not soley relying on your musclature you will find that you can play much longer and with greater control. Also slightly tilt your pelvis forword while sitting at the bench and you will have better posture while not tensing your back muscles up. I hope it helps, see you around.

You have an artist bench, right? So, it might help to twiddle you knobs (to avoid shoulder shrugging). But, don't go crazy with twiddling!

Twiddle them up, or down? (the knobs) Jodi

I have found that sitting a little higher helps me prevent shoulder shrugging.

I have found that a good glass of Sangria before (and during) helps me play all the Latin composers better!

Nina

:rolleyes:

"I have found that a good glass of Sangria before (and during) helps me play all the Latin composers better!"

Ha! Now there's a great idea! I did try raising the bench a little, that seems to help. Jodi

Jodi,

Is the problem playing loud octaves or clean octaves (or both)? I find that it helps to practice just playing the passage using thumbs, with 5th fingers held relaxed (not stretched out in an octave).

Yes, I meant raise the bench. My tech altered the regulation of my piano last fall, and I spent about a month twiddling knobs only to end up back where I started. :rolleyes:

[ January 23, 2002: Message edited by: MacDuff ]

I will try the thumb thing. My problem is getting the whole thing clean when it's up to tempo. I have had some success with practicing it unevenly - that is playing it in groups of two, with the set of octaves in the group long, the second short (dotted eighth,sixtheenth, dotted eighth, sixteenth...?)and then switching it to short, long, short, long... That helps me with the jumps. (Did that make any sense?) Its better now than it was a couple of days ago, but tonight, my shoulders hurt. I guess I'm hunching... Jodi

when trying to get double octaves with leaps down, i've found it helps to play into the keys at a very slow tempo. it might seem a bit obvious, but even when i was going slow i was playing a bit staccato on the octaves (the section i'm talking about isn't staccato or legato, but fast, so staccato sound comes out anyway). so i played them slowly imagining i was pressing down very deep keys, but also immediately relaxing after sinking to the bottom- pausing, then going to the next notes. it helped when playing it fast to use less energy and tense up less.