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What is the most efficient way to finger these? I'm not having the best of luck making these sound even using Hanon's fingering, so I'd like some suggestions or to be pointed to a set of exercises that might have a better fingering.

Do you mean double thirds? If so, the RCM technique book (scales and arpeggios) has them with fingering for each key. I'm told the trick to an even sound is not to play them too slowly although I've yet to master it.

http://files.sheetmusicarchive.net/compositions_b/grad29.pdf

If that doesn't work, this should:

http://www.filesavr.com/grad29

I'm in the US, so I don't have any RCM stuff.

Double thirds is another name for what I mean. I actually have a scales, etc book. I'll look to see if it has what I need.

What's the distinction between thirds and double thirds?

Steven

Thanks! I see Tausig's name on it. What is this?

When one plays scales "in thirds" it, it often means "separated by a third". So essentially you can play a C major scale from C-C with L.H. while playing from E-E with R.H. Two keys are depressed at once.

Double thirds essentially means that you play the exercise above, but with one hand. The fingering I'd use with R.H. would be 13, 24, 35, 13, 24, 13, 24, 35.

With double thirds with both hands, you are playing 4 keys at once.


I should point out that you must be very careful while playing double thirds: if you are not relaxed or methodical enough, you can do some serious damage to your arm muscles. Pushing down 2 keys at once with 2 different fingers requires more dexterity than pushing one key down. I advise you to practice double thirds very slowly and relaxed.

Keep in mind that there are records of Rachmaninoff practicing the Chopin double thirds etude at a rate of about 1 bar per 23 seconds.


Edit: Horowitzian, it is double thirds fingering in all 24 major and minor keys.

It's from Tausig's edition of selections from Clementi's Gradus ad Parnassum.

Steven

Yeah, I guess there is a difference.

Thanks for the warning; I figured out pretty quick that you need to be relaxed in order to play them at all. My problem is smoothness; the Hanon fingering doesn't seem to lent itself all that well to smoothness. I'll try Tausig's fingering and see how it works for me.

This is another site with good resources, including double thirds scales:

http://www.musicandhealth.co.uk/pedagogy.html

Scroll down to the heading Resources, the 2nd bullet point.

Thanks! Looks like the same fingerings as those Tausig exercises above, but a lot easier to read.

This source does not include chromatic scales in double thirds, while Tausig's does - separated by a minor third and by a major third.

Regards,

If you're as fast as your buddy Horowitz, you could play 'em all with the same two fingers! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnla_5zrHAE (around 1:45)

No, it's just major and minor.

After playing with the Tausig scales this evening, I noted that the fingerings to make them fit neatly into 4 octaves are rather odd, and hard to remember. I guess they are correct, and OK to drill into habit? Or is there yet a better way I ought to do?

For C major:

3453434534343...34543434354343...543
1231212312121...12321212132121...321

3212132121213...32123121212342...123
5434354343435...54345343434534...345

Actually, those are not chromatic thirds (there are some earlier in the piece, though); but they might as well be. I've tried them, and they are difficult to pull off cleanly. Those are actually a series of 1st inversion chords on white keys.

bump.

Have you taken a look at Chopin's 25/6? It won't necessarily help you with fingering for pure double-thirds scales (as there is a mixture of major thirds and minor thirds), but it's pretty interesting to compare many different editions and the diverse fingerings that are suggested.

The chief problem in execution of the ascending scales is how to treat the lower notes when they are two successive white keys. Many editors recommend using the thumb for both notes, but I find it easier to slide my index finger from the previous black key onto the first white key and then use my thumb on the second one.

As fun as this piece can be to play, it won't help with the left hand at all; for that, you'd have to go to the Godowsky transcription. )

Steven

What piece of music are you trying to learn?

No, but I will. Thanks for the suggestion!

I still would like some confirmation from someone knowledgeable on those Tausig fingerings before I drill any of them into my head...

@ JScomposer: I'm just trying to learn scales in double thirds right now.

OK. So, what piece of music are you prepping for? Are you panning on writing something with such patterns? Or is this just for shits and giggles?