I'm scared...

[kelly_kelly]

I'm going to start the Moonlight Sonata in a week... how am I ever going to get the third mvt???!!!

Any advice for learning it?

[alzado]

I would just take them one at a time. 

It would be very distracting to be working on the first movement while spending much of your time anguishing about whether you can play the third movement.

Many amateurs do not necessarily learn the complete piano sonata, but just learn one particular movement.

Another example would be the second movement of Pathetique.

[kelly_kelly]

Sorry I didn't clarify; I've already learned the 1st mvt. (without a teacher) so I feel good about it. I have all the notes, and (if I'm to flatter myself) a good idea of the piece. And the 2nd mvt doesn't look too worrying (hopefully)...

My teacher specifically asked me to play the entire sonata, so...

[jas]

Do a lot of arpeggio practice! Left hand, too, since you have a two-handed arpeggio at the end. It'll help those fast Alberti bass passages, too. There are ninths in the left hand, which I found very difficult, so you might want to try some kind of stretching exercises if you can't comfortably manage it.

It's not as hard as it sounds. It has its tricky bits but nothing really virtuosic. If your teacher thinks you're up to it then it mustn't be too far above you. Plus it consists of a lot of the same figurations, so basically if you can get the first page or two you'll manage the rest no problem. You might find fatigue is a problem at first but that'll sort itself out the more you play it. Good luck!

Jas

[rc]

It could take some time, could be a real challenge for you. Just go for it, learn it as you would any other piece. If it proves to be too much, you can just shelf it for the time, nothing to be afraid of.

 

[abell88]

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,16052.0.html

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