Chopin Etude 25/11 - Winterwind. Video

[andrew_close]

Hello folks.

Here's the result of about 4 months practise.
Yes I know my piano sounds rubbish.
Yes i want a better one.
No i don't have any money.

Any comments on technique/basic dynmaics/speed/anything much apprectated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ8rG8DFYAg

Thanks for watching
Andrew

[thierry13]

You should watch the fingering at the beggining, even if it's slow and you can use pedal, use a fingering that would work even if it was presto and legato. In the second measure, watch out releasing each notes of the previous chord when playing the following one. Your left hand could sound a bit more strong compared to your right hand. It didn't get out enough(sometimes it did, but we often miss some few random notes). Except that, excellent playing !

[ganymed]

im a noob when it comes to piano but all i can say that it sounds really nice to me

[Kassaa]

Your playing is awesome!

Does your right arm/hand get tired after playing 1/2 pages? Mine currently does, but everything is relaxed? Did you just practice stamina?

This question applies only if you have ever played it on a real piano/grand.

[thierry13]

Your playing is awesome!

Does your right arm/hand get tired after playing 1/2 pages? Mine currently does, but everything is relaxed? Did you just practice stamina?

This question applies only if you have ever played it on a real piano/grand.

It indeed would be A LOT more demanding on a good grand piano, espacially concert Steinways, who have amazing sound, but kinda heavy keys. BTW, you must not practice stamina, but you must practice not getting tension at all. On each note, or the most often possible, you must realease any kind of tension. If you never get tensed, you won't get tired. Stamina will come naturally while practicing it.

[michael_langlois]

Congratulations - a very difficult etude, as you no doubt know.  Two words of caution for you:

1) Be careful to observe the precision of the dotted eighth - sixteenth rhythm so that it does not sound like triplets.

2) A matter of interpretation: I would not take the opening bars so slowly.  Yes, it is distant, yes, it is possibly threatening, but I find it loses musical coherence with too much breadth (there is a range of convincing "tempi" for musical diction)

Again, good work on the whole, Andrew.

Best,
Michael

[Kassaa]

It indeed would be A LOT more demanding on a good grand piano, espacially concert Steinways, who have amazing sound, but kinda heavy keys. BTW, you must not practice stamina, but you must practice not getting tension at all. On each note, or the most often possible, you must realease any kind of tension. If you never get tensed, you won't get tired. Stamina will come naturally while practicing it.

Thanks, my practice grand is heavier than steinway grands though .

[andrew_close]

Hi folks.

Thanks for the comments.
In response to Kassaa,

if I play this piece cold, without a warm up, my muscles tend to tense up after very little playing. 
If I play this piece after a good warm up, I can manage once through without too much difficulty.  I agree with thierry13 that the trick is not to build stamina - as this can often mask underlying problems, and cause others - but to concentrate on releasing tension wherever possible.  I have always been a particulary tense player/person, and it took some years for my piano teacher to bring some relaxation to my playing.  And it's not all gone, even watching myself I can see several muscles tensed without reason.

I have played this on an upright piano, though the action on my digital in heavier than many uprights (there's an actuall 'hammer movement' in the digital keyboard, though underneath the keys).  Not yet had the chance to play it on a grand, but hopefull get the oppertunity soon.


To michael_langlois
From other recordings of the piece i've heard, you're probably right - the introduction should be faster.  I guess my reason for slowing it down is that I don't play the body of the piece as fast as most, so slowed the intro accordingly.  Thought, in hindsight, this was perhaps unnecessary.

Thanks again folks.
Andrew

[thierry13]

I guess my reason for slowing it down is that I don't play the body of the piece as fast as most, so slowed the intro accordingly. 

Then play all faster  hehe kidding, your speed is okay.

[nik0]

Very good! Stable playing.

[viking]

Overall I applaud your hard work and the guts it takes to post a video of yourself, especially on an upright piano.  Having said that, I do think that this piece must go quicker.  This is not to make it more flashy, it is to keep the piece flowing.  I have no doubt that you have learned the notes, but it is time to take it above that level.  However, I would suggest in the future learning the musicality of a piece BEFORE the notes.  Yes, it might sound weird, but what I have come to realize is that by following the musical line properly, your technical problems will become naturally solved.  I also think that you could use your body to make a better sound.  The best sound in the world is not made by your forearms, but by your ass.  I do realize that your piano is not the best, but everything sounds the same dynamic to me.  As you continue to learn and perfect this piece, always remember the musical line.  Have fun with this piece!

Sam

[gyzzzmo]

I would like to be a bit more critical than the previous repliers, maybe thats more useful.

To my opinion you make a bit too many mistakes, so you better play it slower first before you perform it at this speed before you start to learn yourself bad habbits.

Good luck, 

gyzzzmo