pieces that are easy to learn, but hard to play

[stevie]

pieces that are easy to memorise the notes...but are hell to play..

there are many pieces that fit this category, even some chopin etudes.

i think the op 10 no1 and op25 no12 are particularly easy to memorise, but of course are very difficult to bring up to tempo and play musically.

theres also the finger independence etude op52 no2 by sait-saens, just repeated chords, very simple to learn, but extremely difficult to play properly, because individual voices inside the chords have to be brought out to produce the melody.

also, i think the op25 no6 thirds etude is relatively easy to learn, but famous for being hell to perfect, in terms of evenness and speed.

any other pieces that would fit this category?

[musicsdarkangel]

La Campanella

hehe...hehehe.....hahahahahAHAHAHAHA   *sigh*.  This piece gave me hell.  But it was easy to memorize, and well worth mastering.


Mephisto Waltz
Ocean Etude

[stevie]

really, the mephisto waltz?

explain, im not too familiar with the score...

[musicsdarkangel]

really, the mephisto waltz?

explain, im not too familiar with the score...

Well, listen to it.  At the beginning, you hear powerchords (5ths and what not) which is supposed to be the devil tuning his violin.

These are unison, followed by unison octaves.

Well, throughout the whole thing, there aren't too many big chords, and it is less dense throughout.  Usually, you will find octaves, or chromatic passages, with few accompanything notes, of course there are several accidentals.

I didn't finish the whole piece though, just half of it, so maybe the 2nd half is difficult to memorize.

I would like to add Chopin's op 44 polonaise in f sharp minor to this list, as well as the 1st Scherzo, the themes always repeat themselves.

[Skeptopotamus]

un sospiro.

[dmk]

Gluck arr Sgambatti Melodie

easy to play....bloody hard to pull off

2nd movement of Beethoven's op 7

again, not complicated and a beautiful melody but it takes an artist to keep his/her audience awake

cheers

dmk

[hazypurple21]

bach fugues

[thierry13]

un sospiro.

It's not an hell to play, only easy to memorise ^^ (it's not an easy piece, don't get me wrong)

[da jake]

Un Sospiro is a dumb piece.

[Skeptopotamus]

you're a dumb piece.  ZING!


everyone likes Un Sospiro ^^

[perfect_pitch]

Un Sospiro - is a brilliant piece of music, it's probably one of the most beautiful melodies... Liszt was great and so was his music...

If you don't like Un Sospiro, then you don't like Classical Music...

[da jake]

It's complete cheese.

The Schubert G Flat Major Impromptu is so much nicer and is so much easier to play. Why would anyone play Un Sospiro?

[Skeptopotamus]

the schubert doesnt have a tenth of the emotion of Un Sospiro.

[da jake]

OK fine. Taste is subjective.

But the Impromptu is simply a better piece. The harmony is unbeatable.

Btw, have you even heard the Schubert?

[Skeptopotamus]

actually i listened to it earlier today because someone mentioned it ^^

[BoliverAllmon]

I find alot of Chopin easy to memorize.

[pseudopianist]

Un Sospiro is a dumb piece.

I hope someone stabs you in eye

[jehangircama]

beethoven appasionata: its not that easy to memorise, but compared to some others... anyways its REALLY tough to play

[chromatickler]

anyone who is afraid of a memory lapse in chopin's op10#2 is a technical genius

[thierry13]

I guess Islamey could enter this category.

[chromatickler]

I guess Islamey could enter this category.

you forgot the middle section

[6ft 4]

Rach op.23 no.5 maybe?


If u did the "Bernhard method" of learning a piece, then surely you'll know it up to speed before memorizing. At least that is my understanding of the method. And boy it does get results.

[maxy]

bach fugues

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! comedic genius!

seriously: Petroushka is easier to learn than to play.

but so far, the best example remains the Chopin op 10 # 1.  So easy to memorize yet so hard to play.

[thierry13]

you forgot the middle section

I did not. And I spoke overally. But yeah the middle section is as easy to play as to learn but anyway... it's like 1/5 of the piece so I don't care.

[chozart]

most things by Mozart

[thierry13]

most things by Mozart

We spoke about hell to play. Not a bit trickier than average pieces.

[pseudopianist]

Must.... kill... 13yearoldtheirrywhoonlylearnsthedifficultpiecessohecanplaymoredifficultpiecesanddoesntplaybachcause heisgayandonlyuseshimasansightreadingexcerizeohwaitihavetoplaybachforanaudtionsoiwanttolearnthemust difficultpiececausemozartisgay(which he is)andcauseicanlearnthenotestolacampanellain2weeksirockomgworldofwarcraftrocks.

[thierry13]

First of all, that was rude, unjustified, and pretty low. Second of all I can't play an easy piece for a conservatory audition. Third of all if I don't like playing it's my taste, not yours. Fourth I can play more than notes. And fifth, Mozart is easy compared to Alkan, Islamey, Prokofiev, Scriabin etc. Sixth ... World of Warcraft do rock 

[thierry13]

Ho yeah and, I'm not 13 years old anymore, I turned 16 today 

[jehangircama]

We spoke about hell to play. Not a bit trickier than average pieces.

dont underestimate the difficulty of Mozart. I've read about a few pianists who say that some Mozart pieces are more difficult even than a Liszt rhapsody in a performance.

[musicsdarkangel]

Most Schoenberg and Bach is easy to memorize.


 

not.

lol at the Bach fugues comment.

I was thinking about that one.  Those are such a pain in the @ss to memorize.

[pianogeek_cz]

Liszt TE no. 11 is quite easy to memorize... Uncomplicated harmonies, don't change that often...

[stevie]

Liszt TE no. 11 is quite easy to memorize... Uncomplicated harmonies, don't change that often...

yes! a few of the TEs seem quite easy to memorise

no1 and no6 especially too

[jam8086]

I actually think Bach fugues are pretty easy to memorize once you get them up to speed, since theyre so much fun to play, and you just play them over and over

[brewtality]

Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso. To play this well you really need technique to burn. Its pretty easy to learn though.

[odsum25]

To me there is to play and then there is to really play.  Thus, I put much of Mozart's work in this category, but in particular the C Minor Fantasy.  It is not that difficult to memorize, but to connect and play well is extraordinarily difficult.  I second the Rondo Capriccioso, although there isn't so much of a musical challenge with it, but the technique must be there or all the listener hears is an unintelligable wall of sound, especially at the octaves. I would actualyl also agree to an extent with the Bach fugues, beacuse they are all so logical and if one looks at the harmony before hand fall right into place.

[etudes]

First of all, that was rude, unjustified, and pretty low. Second of all I can't play an easy piece for a conservatory audition. Third of all if I don't like playing it's my taste, not yours. Fourth I can play more than notes. And fifth, Mozart is easy compared to Alkan, Islamey, Prokofiev, Scriabin etc. Sixth ... World of Warcraft do rock 

Balakirev
Islamey is the name of piece

[thierry13]

Balakirev
Islamey is the name of piece

I know. But Islamey is the only reputed hard piece by Balakirev... but Alkan as like much of pieces that are... HARD.

[musicsdarkangel]

Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso. To play this well you really need technique to burn. Its pretty easy to learn though.

that's very unhealthy.


You are relying on a muscle memory, which usually can fail in concert.

It is great to memorize the notes as well, so that you can play them at all speeds.

[ako]

I find the first movement of Moonlight sonata being one of those pieces. It's not technically hard to play but it takes some work to make it sound interesting and conveys "moonlight" since it's been played by so many people. It's not part of my repertoire maybe because I'm afriad I'll make it sound boring and ruin it for myself.

[Antnee]

Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso. To play this well you really need technique to burn. Its pretty easy to learn though.

Agreed. I attempted this piece and it gave me quite a headache. I just could not get the proper Mendelssohn quality out of it. The melodies must absolutely sing and it can be tough especially when you must quiet those right hand arpeggios and play the melody at the top of chords with your left hand. Very tricky to get down.

-Tony-

[steinwaym]

Rachmaninoff concerti are typically easy to learn, but hard to play.

[musicsdarkangel]

Rachmaninoff concerti are typically easy to learn, but hard to play.

The 3rd sure isn't easy to memorize.


The Rhapsody is not easy, not hard.

[maxy]

Rachmaninoff concerti are typically easy to learn, but hard to play.

If this goes on, someone will say: Prokofiev sonatas!   

[janne p.]

Prokofiev sonatas!








(Sorry, had to.)

[musicsdarkangel]

If this goes on, someone will say: Prokofiev sonatas!   

I think he was being serious haha

[chromatickler]

i dont see how someone can consider a piece LEARNT when they cant play it. 

[Skeptopotamus]

DAYUM!  how did dis go frum

Un Sospiro------------------------------->Rach 3?



Der is much stupidity here.

[Skeptopotamus]

Ho yeah and, I'm not 13 years old anymore, I turned 16 today 

HAHAHAHA da rare comedic genius from thierry13

[stevie]

i dont see how someone can consider a piece LEARNT when they cant play it. 

by 'learnt' i simply mean note memorisation

by playing, i mean playing at standard performance tempo with accuracy and conviction.