Tristesse & General Q's

[Ruro]

Heya folks, been a while since I posted (not that anyone will recognize me anyway ), been caught up in college and all that yada O_o And finaly got a job!

Anyway, I took a shining to the Tristesse Chopin Etude, and there is one thing that I don't understand about it, infact something so basic you'll be wondering why I'm trying it!
At the start on the Bass Clef, it goes: E, B, B, my question is though, the E despite being connected as an 8th note, has an extra stem going south marking a crotchet?
How is it to be played? My best guess is there is... an 8th rest before the first B comes in, whilst the E is being played for the length of a crotchet? Just making sure I'm getting this right O_o Infact, that would be played throughout the notes on that beam...

Some other misc questions I'm curious about: A Glissando, even if you aren't on the C Major scale, do you still go straight along the white keys? Otherwise that is friggin complicated O_o

Third question: I could have sworn I read the Burgmuller Op.100 pieces were reffered to as "Etudes", is this really what they are? Because I'm not REALLY at Chopin Etude standard, and if I can find something on the simpler side (and his Innocence and stuff are neat ), then I guess I can start there to make my general technique aquisition ^_^

And a final question you probably have gotten tired of by now, my weekends are now pretty consumed with work, with college encompassing 3 weekdays, leaving alot less time then I used to have. How much on average will I have to practise to get somewhere? I'm afraid I'm putting in time to only find I won't even be able to breech a reasonable level of Grade 5 summit O_o I really need to take one of those exams too...
I learn at a reasonable pace I believe, as long as you don't stick me on friggin Jazz music like my old teacher!

[allchopin]

1) First of all, the E is connected as a sixteenth note (semiquaver).  Thus you will play the E and play the B a sixteenth after but while holding the E for its full length (quarter/crotchet).

2) You can do a glissando in a key other than C major (provided you've tuned the white keys to a different key beforehand ).  Ravel and Debussy are known to have used purely black key (major pentatonic) glissandi.

3) The Burgmuller Op. 100 is a set of 25 etudes. (btw, Chopin's Tristesse is not one of the easier etudes!)

4) My personal view on the 'not enough time' deal is if you can't get ahead by doing what you're doing, try a different approach.  I.e., if you aren't able to practice five hours a day, try putting your efforts into something you can acheive in your limited time, maybe just learning to sight-read well or improvise.  You may not be able to conquer the Liszt sonata like 'everyone else' but you'll have an array of other useful skills. *shrug*

[Ruro]

1) My apologies, I'm used to calling them by there names as opposed to the number format, so Semi/Demi Quaver and stuff ^_^;; Thankyou for your help on this!

2) Ah I see... I will have to learn that stuff one day, friggin Aolean and what not, there seems to be LOADS looking at the Virtual Chords simulator thing on the net.

3) Ah, so they are just exercises, that's pretty sweet, as I said I do enjoy his Innocence and Arabesque ^_^ Hopefuly they are a reasonable stepping stone! Tristesse isn't one of the easier ones!? Dayum, I picked that thinking it was... I took a list someone proposed and was revised by someone else depicting the easiest to hardest... the Tristesse was midway in the Op.10 group O_o Anyway, the beginning is easy for the RH, but I guess I am under estimating it as a whole!
Oh, and the first 2 bars for the right hand for Op.10 No.1 does wonders for improving your hand stretch O_o I can reach a ninth somewhat more easily! I recommend it for any stretching improvements

4) Aye, good points, it just occured to me maybe I should put some scores on my webspace, and do sight read in college... wish I was a better sight reader And Liszt Sonata? I would be thinking more like the Prokofiev Tocatta

Thanks for your time allchopin, much appreciated! Keep up the good posts on the forum