Chopin Ballade 3

[acha114]

I am currently learning this beautiful piece.

The first 4 or so pages are relatively straightforward. However there are some places where I have difficulty.

- How do I get the trills as smooth and seemless as possible? Often they are uneven, or don't sound properly



Secondly, how do you play this left hand passage without the hand tiring? The big jump between notes is pretty hard. I use 5-3-1-3 fingering in the lefthand here.



Lastly I have this passage learned in terms of hitting the right notes, but how do you achieve the mezza voce that is required in this passage? Is it for the left hand, the right hand or both?



Also which passage in this piece is considered the most difficult?

[mike_lang]

Secondly, how do you play this left hand passage without the hand tiring? The big jump between notes is pretty hard. I use 5-3-1-3 fingering in the lefthand here.

I would recommend 4-3-1-3-1-3 as a fingering here, rather than using the pinky.  The alignment in the hand is more natural between 4 and 3.  As for the movement, a bit of rotation should do the trick.

Best,
Michael

[lmpianist]

Secondly, how do you play this left hand passage without the hand tiring? The big jump between notes is pretty hard. I use 5-3-1-3 fingering in the lefthand here.

You might also try 5-4-1-4-1-4, with a "leap" from the 5 to 4.  I find that the wider 4-1 span is worth the trouble of making the 5-4 jump, and it is less tiring on the hand.  A rotation motion in the hand or wrist is definitely needed though; don't make your fingers do all that work alone.  If you're having trouble with the jump, practice by playing the lower note, pausing and getting your left hand positioned up an octave, and then continue.  Eventually this should become natural enough that you won't need to pause.

As for the trills, not sure how fast you're playing this part, but just practice slowly and it should come.

[paris]

Secondly, how do you play this left hand passage without the hand tiring? The big jump between notes is pretty hard. I use 5-3-1-3 fingering in the lefthand here.

i use that fingering too and it's good fingering in my opinion because 3rd finger is stronger then 4th. don't think 'i have jump', rather connect melody.
i think the real 'trouble' here is to make those jumps not hearable, and to get wonderful piano.

Lastly I have this passage learned in terms of hitting the right notes, but how do you achieve the mezza voce that is required in this passage? Is it for the left hand, the right hand or both?



Also which passage in this piece is considered the most difficult?

practise left hand staccatto, practising in that way you'll gain control, and when you have enough control it becomes easy to play with dinamics.
left hand here is very important and it shouldn't be played as an accompaniment. there is wonderful melody in left which should be notable.

as for the most difficult passage, believe it or not, for me is last passage in coda. maybe due to i don't practise it, or some other weird reason, but i find it hard to get powerful forte and hit all notes *shy*

[zheer]

I am currently learning this beautiful piece.

Also which passage in this piece is considered the most difficult?

 Dont laugh , but bar 1 - 8 is the most difficult to play well, there is a story of a very famous pianist Clifford Curzon (spelling?), this pianist would spend 2 hours on one bar daily on perfecting a passage similar to this opening theme from Chopin Ballad. The second most difficult passage would be from bar 173- 183.
  Rachmaninoff has recorded this Ballad.

[acha114]

You might also try 5-4-1-4-1-4, with a "leap" from the 5 to 4.  I find that the wider 4-1 span is worth the trouble of making the 5-4 jump, and it is less tiring on the hand.  A rotation motion in the hand or wrist is definitely needed though; don't make your fingers do all that work alone.  If you're having trouble with the jump, practice by playing the lower note, pausing and getting your left hand positioned up an octave, and then continue.  Eventually this should become natural enough that you won't need to pause.

As for the trills, not sure how fast you're playing this part, but just practice slowly and it should come.

I tend to play the trills quite fast, but slow the trill down on the 3rd and 6th beats to play the 2-note turn which leads to the next trill. It sounds ugly because the change in pace is noticeable instead of being seemless. How can I achieve this effect? Or does the score indicate that it should be played the way that I am playing it now, i.e. on the 3rd and 6th beats, do I play the turns to the next trill?