F. Chopin: Etude op. 10 no. 1 in C major

[prongated]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt7XRLxlK80

And attached is one of the better takes...

This is something I learned and played a few years ago. I started practising this again a few days ago and recorded it last night, supposedly for a competition audition cd. In any case, it didn't turn out good >< [and obviously I didn't put it in the cd]

...is it lack of practise? Or am I doing something wrong? I did no less than 5 takes and my RH wrist was busted. HELP!

[jlh]

I wouldn't say it's a lack of practice.  Look and listen to your left hand... there's obviously tension there.  You started practicing this a few days ago?  I think you may be trying so hard to get it back to where it was when you originally learned it that you're pushing the limits of what you can do.  Give it some more time, and I'm sure it will get to where you want it. 

Don't do 5 performance takes back-to-back of this.  Play it slow at least as much as you play it fast.  Don't force it.  Let the LH breathe a bit -- sometimes you start rushing.

Imagine if you will that the RH represents you going up into the sky and down to earth again many times in a row -- as if you are on a trampoline.  In this scenario, the LH is the mode of takeoff from earth and back into the sky.  It would be quite an abrupt flight from the earth if you were shot from a cannon.  A trampoline, however, has some breathing room, and it is smooth. 

Don't mess the rhythms up, but let the LH breath.  It doesn't have to be loud all the time, either -- you're asking for your wrist to be busted if you do that.

Josh

[gruffalo]

you have a good foundation to work on. you seem very tense, so slow it down a bit but make sure you still play small sections up to speed and a little faster from time to time to make sure you are using the correct motions for fast playing. use the fast motions for your slow practice and just focus on relaxing the hand, wrist and shoulders. dont under-estimate how much your left hand can have an effect on the right. keep it as relaxed as possible and dont speed up too much. do some metronome practice (not for rhythmical purposes, but to keep it tight technically). if tension is accumulating as you progress through the piece, break it up into sections and put them together bit by bit as and when you feel you can start to join sections.

you can go and do more advanced things to secure it, like transposition into other keys, playing it with your left hand etc. but that is up to you.

overall, a good effort though. dont be too worried about. it will just need time. 5 days of re-practicing it is still too short for the piece. just dont push it.


Gruff

[prongated]

...thank you very much! I really appreciate it!

I also had a lesson today on this where we discussed how this could/should be approached. I was doing neither the things mentioned here or in that lesson. So it's back to the piano

[gruffalo]

good to hear it. im sorry that my advice was only general and not specific, as i have not actually learned this piece myself. i merely pointed out obvious things which i felt could be tried out. i am also going to learn this piece myself over the rest of the summer (starting in few weeks).