Tips for L-H arpeggios in the last movement of Op 2 no 1

[steve_m]

In The last movement of Beethoven's first sonata, does anyone have any tips for executing the left hand arpeggios going down the piano where you have to pass the thumb under (such as bar 3) and then again going up where you have to bring the pointer or middle finger over the thumb (Such as bar 5)?

These things are pretty tricky. I have it to a point where I can do it relatively good, but I still miss more often than I'd like.

[ramseytheii]

To execute the 3rd bar, think of the first beat (3 triplets) and the second beat as two positions, so you don't actually bring the thumb over, but just move the hand over.

When you do it, the hand doesn't move strictly sideways, but goes in a subtle arch, as the elbow executes a small counter-clockwise motion.

Going up, in bar 5, the same idea, but the elbow executes a clockwise motion.

Walter Ramsey