Chopin prelude in e minor op.28. no.4

[quaver]

Does anyone have any suggestions how to play the left hand effectively.  The chords are difficult to make each note sound.  They mostly have three or four notes to a chord and I find that some will sound and others will not.  Is arm weight the key here or constant practice to form the hand in the correct position for each note to sound. Perhaps a low wrist will do it.  I dont know.  Any suggestions on that one.  Also measures 11 and 19. the grace note.  Is that an appoggiatora or an accacciatora.  Do I play the note as a crushed note or keep it longer.  Thanks

[weissenberg2]

do not play the notes by moving your fingers. keep your fingers in place and use just your wrist.

[quaver]

Thanks very much weissenberg2 I will now go and try that suggestion.

[practice]

Edit: nevermind

I just learned this piece, and I use my forearm for the left-hand chords. Using the wrist feels kind of weird.

[go12_3]

Since the left hand is to be played softly, I suggest a firm yet light touch upon the keys.  Make sure each note is heard by using the finger action.  No need to use the wrist, yet it needs to be relaxed though.  Do not build up any tension with your left hand.  Of couse, the right hand is the melody and bring that out with more weight through your fingertips. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[ramseytheii]

I would agree and say play this with your forearm, meaning that the forearm wrist and hand should feel as one unit.

There is also no need to play down into the keys, but you can alternate sometimes between playing more inside (toward the fallboard) or stroking the keys outwards.  It doesn't have to be strictly one or the other, and your touch can alternate depending on how you want to phrase the chords.

Walter Ramsey

[weissenberg2]

I would also recommend you change the pedal after every chord to help make it legato.

[ramseytheii]

I would also recommend you change the pedal after every chord to help make it legato.

That seems excessive.  Would you really change the pedal eight times in a bar, when the chord doesn't change?

Walter Ramsey

[menancyandsam]

Here are a couple of threads that may help.
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,4016.msg36601.html#msg36601
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,10402.msg107930.html#msg107930

[weissenberg2]

That seems excessive.  Would you really change the pedal eight times in a bar, when the chord doesn't change?

Walter Ramsey

change it before every melody note might be better.

[algeorgessa]

hi - may you like this:

i answered in the left hand what the right hands melody asked for......
probably you like it.
kind regards
alphonse sauer

[rachfan]

Hi quaver,

Here is the way the LH is best played in this prelude to keep it very quiet in the background, while the lament and sigh motifs in the RH soar over it.  As you do this, keep the fingers playing the chords taut to ensure that all notes sound.  You actually don't articulate the keys as you normally would. Instead, you play "inside the keys".  By that I mean that when you depress the first chord of a repetitive set, you do not allow the keys to fully rebound upward and return to rest position. Thus, the keys do not become level again with the rest of the keyboard.  In the iterations of the chord that follow, you gently depress them inside the keys using relaxed but controlled arm weight with taut fingers. What happens, therefore, is that because the keys are already depressed to some degree, when next played inside the keys, the weight of the arm makes the keys drop a lesser distance than they would normally drop from full rest position.  That in turn means that less energy is imparted to the hammers which then travel through the blow distance at a slower velocity to the strings, therefore resulting in quieter and more poetic sound.  

When there are changes in the chords, you must voice (or weight) the note or notes constituting the change.  The reason is that the changed notes are points of harmonic interest in the piece for the listener.  The listener is not interested in hearing monotonous repetition.  That's why the voicing of the chords is essential.  Intermediate level pianists think this is an easy piece.  To play it with musicianship and artistry is quite difficult.  I hope this is helpful.