Fingering please for Debussy

[kaff]

I'm working on Docteur Gradus ad Parnassum (Debussy's Children's Corner) and could use some advice on fingering bars 24 - 29.  If I try to use LH to play the bass clef notes and RH to play the treble clef notes, I get stuck with the F sharp in bar 24.  What's the best way round this to avoid sounding lumpy at full speed?  Treble clef Es with LH thumb?  Alternative seems to be to finger last seven notes of bar 24 as: 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 which I'm not keen on at speed.  What about bar 28?

Kaff

[newsgroupeuan]

right hard to explain without showing the score but....

go to http://www.sheetmusicarchive.net

it has the edition I use

use the left hand for all the bass clef notes

AND

all the ones which are either crotchets or quavers NOT semi-quavers on the trble clef until retenu sign (some of them are marked m.g = main gauche = mano sinestra)

[newsgroupeuan]

use the pedal to hold the *correction* stuff on the bass

[bernhard]

Ok.

Look at the score and you will se that there are three voices superimposed in those bars. There is the bass (minims and semibreves), there is the top voice on the treble (crochets quavers and minims) and there is the middle voice (semiquavers) that forms the accompaniment.

You play both the top voice and the bass with the left hand, while the accompaniment in semiquavers is played with the right hand. In other words, you cross hands (left on top of the right).

Starting on bar 23, I use the third finger of the left hand in all notes, bass and top voice (but you can experiment with 1 or 2 and see what fits you better). Then on bar 26 I use 2(G) 3 (F#) and 4(E) of the left hand. On bar 28, I use 4(D) 3(E) and 2(F#) of the left hand for the top voice, but you may try 3 – 2 – 1 and see if you like it better. Same for bar 28.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

I have just noticed Newsgroupean reply. I am saying basically the same thing.

And yes, as he said hold the bass notes with the pedal as you cross the LH.

[kaff]

Thank you both very much.  That makes so much more sense.  Now for the next question: do I really expect to get away with spending another day of my family's bank holiday weekend playing the piano?

Kaff

[bernhard]

Ah! Holidays! A big favourite with the British!

Yes, comes a bank holiday and all students want to cancel lessons. So I ask them: are you into banking? Then piano lesson is on. It is a BANK holiday, for crying out loud! It is not a PIANO holiday!

I have never seen so many holidays anywhere on Earth. Summer holidays. Christmas holidays. Easter holidays. Then every six weeks half term holidays. How can anyone get anything done like this? My conclusion: it is a strategy of the system to turn everyone into morons that will be easily absorbed by the working forces. As slaves.

Piano needs constant and consistent attention. This pattern of frequent interruptions leads nowhere fast.

As Shinichi Susuki was fond of saying (and I am fond of repeating to my students):

You don’t need to practise everyday.
Only on the days you eat.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[kaff]

Couldn't agree more, Bernhard.  As far as I'm concerned a bank holiday is a rare opportunity for me to spend three whole days doing nothing but playing the piano. My question wasn't about whether I should have a day off playing the piano (not possible) - it was more about whether I should try to fit in something else too!