Studying Scriabin Etude op 8 No 12... advice?

[lelle]

Hi all!
This is my first post; I am new to the forums. It seems like a great place!

I am a guy who turned fifteen in january, and I've been playing the piano since I was nine, when suddenly the interest came out of nowhere.

So, two weeks ago my teacher told me I could begin practice on this Scriabin etude after I told her I wanted to play it, and since I have been ill I haven't had any lessons since then. So I have been practicing this piece for over two weeks now without any supervision (sorry if the English is strange, I don't always find the right words^^) and the next lesson still feels like it's far off in the future...

What are the most common "newbie" mistakes on this piece? Is there something extra important one should think about when practicing this?

This is my progress so far:
about two thirds of the piece memorized (the beginning with the "theme" until the piece shifts to F#major and piano instead of forte (and then F#m7) where memory begins to fail, and the part where the "theme" is restated together with lots of rapid chords).
I stick to a slow tempo, I don't want to rush and make many mistakes and get bad technique because of that I haven't practised slowly. I do use the pedal.

I have both practised hands together and separate at different tempos. After each practising "session" or what you call it I let my self go and play through the piece once, only focusing on enjoying myself (means forfortissimo molto on climax among other things ^^), as a reward for practising

If it sounds like I've forgotten something important or that I'm practising in the wrong way, do please tell! Any tips or anything are welcome, this is such a difficult piece, but a fantastic one too, and I feel really motivated to work on it!

That is, if anyone came this far in this huge wall of text...

[lelle]

Eh, I don't want to come to the lesson and have to start all over because I practised in the wrong way...

[michael_langlois]

I suggest a few supplementary practice techniques:

1. The entire texture in slow motion, in order to refine the smoothness of the leaps.

2. The R.H. octaves practiced thumbs only and top only while playing the L.H. texture beneath.

3. The outer section(s) practiced without the repeated chords.

I also find it is helpful to do a basic harmonic analysis to inform the interpretation and direction of phrasing.  It is easy, otherwise, to get carried away with the rush of octaves and mass of notes in the L.H.

Best,

ML

[lelle]

Thanks for the reply michael!

I hadn't thought about any of those...

Harmonic analysis though... I don't know why, but I always think about the harmonies and how they interact and work while I play them :S So maybe I should skip that one?

[michael_langlois]

So maybe I should skip that one?

You seem to be already doing it, so yes!

Best,

ML

[quantum]

Try practising  the RH by itself working on phrasing and expression.  Since a lot of the tune is played jumping around in octaves you may wish to just work on single notes and shaping the direction of line and phrase.

Also playing single notes RH and LH, melody and bass.  This will give good outline of the harmonic structure.  It will also help outline the suspension chain at the end where the climax is.

[lelle]

....you may wish to just work on single notes and shaping the direction of line and phrase.

Could you specify a bit more clearly what you mean? I'm not too good on english...

[quantum]

Could you specify a bit more clearly what you mean? I'm not too good on english...

Play one note, not octaves.  Practise melody like in a nocturne or other melodic piece.

Then play one note in each hand, bass and melody, like a Bach invention.  Concentrate on the counterpoint.