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How can you play fast Piano Etudes?

Posted: 06 Jul 2011, 10:09
by sunan
I have this Liszt Etude but my fingers just go before the end and I can't play it in tempo.Does anyone know any technics? or useful tips perhaps I'm playing into the piano to much or I'm
not lifting my fingers. If anyone knows any finger exercises to make my fingers stronger it would be great.

Re: How can you play fast Piano Etudes?

Posted: 07 Jul 2011, 08:31
by MarkGoodwinPianos
Play with a metronome at a very steady pace. When you can play perfectly every time speed up a bit. Don't speed up until you can play it perfectly

Do you have a piano teacher?

Re: How can you play fast Piano Etudes?

Posted: 11 Jul 2011, 11:40
by Colin Nicholson
To play any Liszt or Chopin etude, I would assume that you have surpassed Grade 8 piano?? These of course require great dexterity and alot of patience. You must also stick exactly to the composer's finger system. For example, Chopin marked his own fingering in italic to differentiate from an editor's fingering methods - and sometimes there are two sets of fingering, one on top of the other like this:-

2
2

So finger number '2' at bottom would be Chopin's own fingering. Very much needed when playing the Revolutionary Study - Op 10 No 12.

Personally, leave the metronome for now (sorry Mark) unless you have learnt the notes backwards.... and remember that "fast music is slow music speeded up" ! Take each note at a very steady pace - around half-speed to start with. Developing your finger strength should have already been encountered with 4 octave scales.... major & both sets of minors/ chromatics/ arpeggios/ dom & dim 7ths etc etc.....

Also to develop good finger strength, if the rhythms are 'scalic' in pattern, and evenly performed (say as semiquavers), then turn each pair into a dotted rhythm.... this helps muscle memory in your fingers..... try it.

Re: How can you play fast Piano Etudes?

Posted: 17 Jul 2011, 13:45
by markymark
Colin Nicholson wrote:
and remember that "fast music is slow music speeded up" ! Take each note at a very steady pace - around half-speed to start with. Developing your finger strength should have already been encountered with 4 octave scales.... major & both sets of minors/ chromatics/ arpeggios/ dom & dim 7ths etc etc.....

Also to develop good finger strength, if the rhythms are 'scalic' in pattern, and evenly performed (say as semiquavers), then turn each pair into a dotted rhythm.... this helps muscle memory in your fingers..... try it.
Yes! This is the run-of-the-mill approach for any fast-paced piece of music. What I'm trying to say is to be patient and realise that these 'types' of music are not something you'd encounter as part of your sight-reading test. Don't be discouraged but look at small phrases in the music to help get a literal feel for the music (Colin called it "muscle memory" in his post); this is very important in fast and flowing pieces. There simply isn't time to read the music and perform.

Re: How can you play fast Piano Etudes?

Posted: 18 Jul 2011, 13:31
by NewAge
sunan wrote:I have this Liszt Etude but my fingers just go before the end and I can't play it in tempo.Does anyone know any technics? or useful tips perhaps I'm playing into the piano to much or I'm
not lifting my fingers. If anyone knows any finger exercises to make my fingers stronger it would be great.
I think the other replies here have summed it up well.
For what it's worth, my son has always sworn by the Hannon finger excercises (although many swear at Hannon for their own personal reasons).
Here's my son warming up on a Czerny etude. I'm happy with my own modest playing but would give anything to be able to play as well as 'junior' NewAge.
http://www.box.net/shared/h8bve32hdr