Hi new to forum, and I've got a question.

[archneko]

Well, i'm a middle schooler and started piano when I was ten. I have now 3 years of experience and completed Moon Light Sonata just a week ago. My aunt says I should try harder songs and so I tried Fantasie Impromptu Op.66. I did learn the first two pages(6 more to go), but It took me a lot of tries to learn and play both hands since the right hand has 4 counts while the left has 3 counts. Is Fantasie Impromptu above my level or should I continue?

[justliam]

Do you know the whole of Moonlight Sonata? Because that's quite a feat after 3 years.  If you have, than Fantasie-Impromptu is probably a good next step, but if your finding too hard and strenuous, find something else, but bear in mind  you could learn several easier pieces.  Just learn the impromptu in the time it takes and learn one piece with it, then another, then another,  that way you're still adding repetoire, or get a teacher/ask your teacher

[donjuan]

In music, most things are easy or impossible.  If you are ready for it, it's easy.  If you dont have the technique or theory, then it's impossible.

You have the motivation to work it out for 2 pages, so maybe it's difficult for you, but not impossible.  4 against 3 is a weird thing to get used to, and there are few other pieces you can do to prepare for that rhythm.  

Therefore, I say keep at it!  When you come out of it, you might not be able to play it from start to finish without stopping, or at the indicated speed, and you may have to fight like a tiger everyday to keep it in your memory. but it's impossible not to learn something while working on such a piece.  I say learn it for your own curiosity, walk away, pick up something easier (that will seem even easier after playing FI), and then come back to fantasy impromptu.  Then you will be able to play it and keep it.  I hope you realize, as most people agree, that keeping any piece of Chopin for any length of time is very difficult, because it is so hard to memorize.

I also second Justliam's question - Can you play the whole mmonlight Sonata?  I'm thinking that you can't, based on what your aunt said..

donjuan

[archneko]

I can play moonlight sonata, the entire thing. I'm not sure if it is the right version, but its in the same books as FI so i'm probably guessing it is the right version. Thanks for your help! 

[emmdoubleew]

I can play moonlight sonata, the entire thing. I'm not sure if it is the right version, but its in the same books as FI so i'm probably guessing it is the right version. Thanks for your help! 

The third movement?

Can you post recs? I am impressed.

[justliam]

I think it might just be one movement, I haven't seen many books of different pieces which have entire sonatas in them.  Are there three clear movements when you play it?

[archneko]

wow, you thought I played all three movements? no, I just played one movement. I didn't know there was three movements so I thought that was the whole song. I did finish Fantasie Impromptu though, but it really is hard to play normally, meaning extremely fast.(Well for me its extremely fast.)

[justliam]

Well when someone says they can play the entire thing, I usually do assume they can play the entire thing yeh  .  By the way, Sonatas in nature tend to have 3 or 4 movements, so theres a little clue for any future ones you look at.  If the  Impromptu is difficult just keep practising it slow, getting it engrained on your brain, and speed it up over time, sine you're fairly new to it, it will be a good strength builder in your hands anyway.

[super5james]

Hey its James try learnig some Chopin Preludes thats a big jump to the FI from the Moonlight in 3 years. Aslo try getting some more books some recordings and sheet music.

[gyzzzmo]

Is the first movement of the moonlight sonata one of the hardest pieces you ever played?
If the answer is yes, i think its not a good idea starting Fantasy Impromptu. You VERY LIKELY wont be able to play it a decent speed and transparant. FI is alot harder to play right than most people say.

[donjuan]

wow, you thought I played all three movements? no, I just played one movement. I didn't know there was three movements so I thought that was the whole song. I did finish Fantasie Impromptu though, but it really is hard to play normally, meaning extremely fast.(Well for me its extremely fast.)

actually.... maybe you'd better wait a few years.  You'll enjoy it more when you grow up a bit.

[mariocast]

My opinion is that if you only list the 1st movement of Moonlight Sonata as your only significant repertoire piece, then Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu is over your head.  My question would be how many pieces have you played that had similar 4-against-3 rhythms or even 2-against-3 rhythms, as that is probably the most technically challenging aspect of the piece.  If you haven't, then you're going to have a hard road in performing this piece successfully. 

Jane Magrath lists this piece at a Level 10 in her book, The Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature.  So if you haven't gone through at least some of the pieces at the earlier levels, then I would recommend keeping the Fantasie-Impromptu on the shelf for now.

[alwaystheangel]

FI is hard, if you are progressing, I think you should keep on going, if you aren't, don't bother wasting your time, you'll just end up being frusterated.  Try learning the 2nd and 3rd movn't of Moonlight, 3rd is hard enough and I don't think it's even close to as challenging as FI.

[super5james]

The Moonlight Sonata is fairly easy compare to other piecies but of course you just started i dont balme you for thinking that its hard. Listein to me learn some other piecies in order of diffucutly. This is what i did after working on your basic techquie exersices like scales,arpeggios, octaves, repeated notes and son on. them find some of the basic piecies like  Chopins- Preldues then upgrade to the Waltzes, then to the Nocturnes, Etudes or Bach- Two-Part invetions then three then some of the preldues and fugues form The WTC. you know what i mean if not send me personal message or ask.