Am I ready to play 'Fur Elise'?

[concerto_love]

I've just passed my grade 2 exam and now I'm in grade 3. Learning Czerny op.139 book 2 and first lesson in Bach right now, Burgmuller will come soon.

What I want to ask is... My friends who study in different place with me already played it when they're grade 1 or 2. But when I asked to my teacher can she teach me to play that, she said that I'm not ready for it, I better work on my currently learning pieces right now.

My friends said that I should talked to my teacher again about it, but I'm afraid since I can't reach the target in the last exam. Am I really not ready to take that piece? Or it's just my teacher who's to strict... For notes, my phrasing and touches are really bad...

[weissenberg2]

just wait

[antichrist]

totally enough...what the hell are you doing here, I mastered it at grade 2-3

[practice]

If you really want to learn it, why don't you simply try learning it on your own time and see how it goes? If you find it to be too difficult, then you can always come back to it later.

[tsagari]

You may have difficulties but I think that even if you manage to play the whole piece it will not sound good because there are some difficulties, such as volumme control of left hand especially in the third part, use of the pedal etc that some one at your grade may not have the experiece to deal with. My advice is that you can try but you have to tell yourself that the piece needs too much work and may be you became discuraged.

[db05]

It's a good thing that your teacher is strict with phrasing and touch. Fur Elise is being hacked way too much. Do you really want to learn it? 

Your teacher is probably right, just wait, or maybe skip that piece. How's your Bach so far?

[dimioa]

This guy will help you greatly:

.... yes, I'm obviously joking.

I personally have to say that I despise the piece. It has been hacked so much, and along with Beethoven's Sonata no 14 1st mvt( often referred as "Moonlight") is one of the most overplayed pieces by beginners. If you are serious about piano playing and want more than to hack the piece, you should probably wait and listen to your teacher. Develop your technique, your phrasing through easier pieces, do some more Bach, and when you feel you are ready, try some of the more challenging bars, and if you see that you have the ability to manage them, get started on the piece.

[csharp_minor]

Hi

I'm at a simliar grade level to you, I think you should wait; I heard its like a grade 5 piece anyway. You should not have to feel pressured into playing any piece even though others may be able to play it. But if you really love it so much you can try to play it in your own time, but that’s up to you. I have learned a lot of my pieces without my teacher as I am busy with grade pieces at the moment with her. Personally I do quite like Fur Elise but can't bring myself to concentrate enough to learn it because its soooo familar. I would rather wait a few years when my sight reading is much better so I can learn it faster and get it out of the way. For now stick with Burgmuller 25 studies, there is some lovely pieces at grades 2 - 5 in there...or Beethoven's shorter simple works like the various little dances he composed.

[keyboard kitty]

When I started playing piano it was the song I most wanted to learn. My teacher told me to wait a bit as well, but I decided to learn it myself. The first part is not too bad and I'm sure you can learn that no problem, its just about how dedicated you are, so if you really want to learn it you will.
A couple years ago I never realised the second part to it, so before my passion for Fur Elise had completely died (the song is everywhere), I began to learn the other part too. I've only taken grade 1, working on grade 3 now, and find the second part quite challenging.
Just work hard for it and you'd be able to learn it

[jgallag]

Are you ready to play it well? Probably not. Does that mean you shouldn't try it? Not necessarily.

I tried a similar stretch this semester. At my level, well, it was a stretch, I wouldn't try it at your level. My teacher assigned me Chopin's Scherzo No. 2. So, I worked really hard, and at the end, no, I couldn't do it. I couldn't maintain tempo throughout, and my left hand wasn't ready for the fast arpeggios. Did this experience do harm? Probably not. I will continue to progress as a pianist, and eventually I will reach the level where I can play it, and I hope to make a good rendition of it. Did I learn anything from it? I learned about direction in dynamics; even, fast fingerwork; memorization of a large work; the essential importance of a metronome; pacing; voicing; tension; and a host of other skills that have improved from working on that piece. The point is that sometimes we need to work towards a challenge that we cannot attain, because there is still some good that comes of it. However, I was also working on several other pieces at the same time within my reach. This Scherzo was not the focus of my studies.

However, your teacher did say that you're not ready. You should trust her. After all, you are paying her to teach you, right? If you're itching for a new piece, tell her and ask if she can play several pieces that you can handle so you can choose one you like. I personally believe we should all have at least one "dessert piece" at a time (My next one is Ravel's Valses Nobles, YAY!) to motivate us to achieve more than we would normally. However, this piece should not frustrate and defeat us, and your teacher is the only one in a position to determine whether or not a piece will do that to you.

[giannalinda]

I learned fur elise at 9 years old...So id say u r ready for it. Talk to your teacher. He/she would tell you.

[hadamada]

yes of course you can mee i learned it at grade 3

[kaii]

Haha, nice video.

 

I agree with what most people are saying about how it's just being 'hacked'.

Sure, it's a beautiful piece, and although not the most technically challenging one, it shouldn't just be handed down to anyone just for the sake of playing 'Beethoven' ... so I think I can understand where your teacher's coming from.

But I think we should all have the right to give pieces a try, so in the end, if you think that you still want to have a go, tell her that you'd just like to have a go at it...even if it's just to get an idea of what it's like...

[hanlat]

It is a grade 7 piece.  I am learning it right now (I am in grade 7).  The first part isn't hard, and it is pretty repetitive.  I must warn you though, the second part is a lot faster and trickier.  You could try learning it by yourself over summer vacation, or when you have free time.  See how it goes and try showing your teacher your progress.  You could also try and find a simplified version.  My sister played a simplified version when she was in grade 1.

[mackenzie]

You'd have to put in an awful lot of effort to master that piece at the grade you're at and if you're gonna put in that much effort into a piece, I would choose a less overplayed one.

[xxcookziexx]

Have you checked with your friends which Fur Elise they are playing, because usually you can get a simplified version of that piece? If they have learnt the simplified version, then maybe learn it too. If you feel like that's too easy then learn the harder version. You're teacher might not think you're quite ready, because it is quite difficult to help teach a person of your grade certain techniques that other songs of your grade don't have, therefore if I were you either learn it in you're own time or wait until you have progressed a bit more.

[braintist]

The starting portion of fur elise imo is around grade 2, The middle portion is suitable for grade 5. Don't be detered by difficulty, play because you like it.

[johnlewisgrant]

the big p. trying to show us a "different" conception of this music.   Somewhat metronomic....

Fabulously gifted pianist....


Lousy interpretation....

S... happens.

JG

[roseamelia]

Fur Elise is kind of a level 4,5 or 6 but I'd say it's level 5. I'm in level 4 right now.

[pianowolfi]

the big p. trying to show us a "different" conception of this music.   Somewhat metronomic....

Fabulously gifted pianist....


Lousy interpretation....

S... happens.

JG

I don't get that post at all. Who is the "big p."? 

[austinarg]

Please, don't. You'll learn it, master it, play it a couple of times, and then throw it away because it is way overplayed (just what happened to me).

[pianowolfi]

Please, don't. You'll learn it, master it, play it a couple of times, and then throw it away because it is way overplayed (just what happened to me).

Yeah it seems that it is overplayed. But is it really? Can anybody of those people who "overplay it" play it really well? I doubt it. We are fed up with it, not because it is overplayed, but because everybody and their dog stumbles clumsily around in the first few bars of it.

[austinarg]

Yeah it seems that it is overplayed. But is it really? Can anybody of those people who "overplay it" play it really well? I doubt it. We are fed up with it, not because it is overplayed, but because everybody and their dog stumbles clumsily around in the first few bars of it.

Well, I listened to some excellent performances of this piece and nevertheless ditched them, perhaps my ears have a biased opinion on this piece?  

[roseamelia]

I don't get that post at all. Who is the "big p."? 

Big piano? just guessing.

[keypeg]

Please, don't. You'll learn it, master it, play it a couple of times, and then throw it away because it is way overplayed (just what happened to me).

Why would how often someone plays a piece have anything to do with what other people do?  I like chocolate pudding.  The fact that millions of people eat chocolate pudding doesn't make me want to never eat it again.  I learned it when I was young because it happened to be part of the music somebody passed on to me.  Anything that didn't have lots of sharps or flats was fair game.  It sounded nice.  I had no idea that lots of peopled played it until I came to forums.  If I had, it would not have mattered.  I played it on for a few years.  When I lost the piano and my parents got me a guitar, I played it on classical guitar --- on and off for decades.

[wolflett]

I got myself a piano last spring and after 'Mary had a little lamb' Für Elise was the first thing I learned . It took me some weeks, and I only learned the 'simple' first part. I might not be perfect at it (definitely not) but I really enjoy playing it and when I start playing I often can't stop (I love the fact that you can just loop the first part).

So I think if you want to play it because you like it and you would like playing it, you could give it a try.
However, although I have a friend who just loves listening to me play it (so I might not be horribly terrible at it), my piano teacher later pointed out to me that when I play difficult pieces like that, my fingers and all are way to tense. She therefore advises me to focus on the simple pieces in my beginner book where I can focus on my technique instead of hampering my playing by playing to advanced pieces.
Maybe your teacher is advising you to wait for a similar kind of reason.

[austinarg]

Why would how often someone plays a piece have anything to do with what other people do?  I like chocolate pudding.  The fact that millions of people eat chocolate pudding doesn't make me want to never eat it again.  I learned it when I was young because it happened to be part of the music somebody passed on to me.  Anything that didn't have lots of sharps or flats was fair game.  It sounded nice.  I had no idea that lots of peopled played it until I came to forums.  If I had, it would not have mattered.  I played it on for a few years.  When I lost the piano and my parents got me a guitar, I played it on classical guitar --- on and off for decades.

Suppose you have chocolate pudding for desert every day of every month of every year. After, let's say one year, would you still like to eat chocolate pudding? You would surely stop liking it, because you have eaten it every day of the last year. The same happens with this piece. At first you like it, until you start listening to it everywhere and begin to hate it.

[starstruck5]

Just because a piece of music is played a lot doesn't mean it isn't worth learning -if you will get pleasure from playing it -

I don't know if you are ready or not technically -but there is only one way to find out!

[wolflett]

Suppose you have chocolate pudding for desert every day of every month of every year. After, let's say one year, would you still like to eat chocolate pudding? You would surely stop liking it, because you have eaten it every day of the last year. The same happens with this piece. At first you like it, until you start listening to it everywhere and begin to hate it.

Your chocolate pudding every day of the year makes some sense. Although I've been eating the same sandwiches for lunch for years and years and still not bored with it, and as a kid we would have the same dessert on most weekdays, with a little variation. But it makes some sense.

However, can you explain why someone would come to hate chocolate pudding if other people start to eat it every day? I don't necessarily need to watch them eat it.


I've been playing for almost a year now, maybe that's to short to start hating a piece, and although I play it less now, I still love to play around with the first part of für elise.

[austinarg]

Your chocolate pudding every day of the year makes some sense. Although I've been eating the same sandwiches for lunch for years and years and still not bored with it, and as a kid we would have the same dessert on most weekdays, with a little variation. But it makes some sense.

However, can you explain why someone would come to hate chocolate pudding if other people start to eat it every day? I don't necessarily need to watch them eat it.


I've been playing for almost a year now, maybe that's to short to start hating a piece, and although I play it less now, I still love to play around with the first part of für elise.

I think you didn't understand me, or perhaps it was me who didn't explain correctly. I don't care what other people play, it's just that hearing it so many times made me dislike it. The same happened with Mozart K545, my mother loves it, and because I played it for her so many times, I don't like it anymore.

[jmhoran]

I am twelve and i dont even take lessons and I learned the whole thing by myself... so it depends how dedicated you are. Good Luck!

[littlepolaritons]

I started learning this piece when I started grade 2 almost a year ago. Now I am in grade 3 and am still working on it.

I think the first section is manageable. If you can play the first section, you basically have learned about 70% of the piece already. The 2nd section is quite challenging especially the scales at the end where you have to play it really fast. The 3rd section is also difficult, there is a lot of dynamics for both hands. You have to be able to control the 'touch' and volume of left hand.

I remember a very useful advice from my supervisor in school (although not about piano). I wanted to work on a research, but that research requires a lot of knowledge in a topic which I was not familiar about, so I ask my supervisor if I should try to acquire the necessary knowledge first by taking a course before doing the research. My supervisor told me that the learning process is like climbing a mountain, I have to start climbing somehow. It works both way, I can learn during my research and the knowledge I gained from research could actually help me in that subject that I'll be taking in the future.

So what i'm trying to say is that every piece is a 'teacher' to your technique and skills, so you should start trying, at least try the first section. In the meantime you can also sharpen your techniques by practicing other pieces. Also practice scales that will help in 2nd section and arpeggios (esp. A major) that will help in the 3rd section. If you find it too difficult, just take it slowly, put less focus on this piece, but you can have it as one of your 'work in progress'. In fact, it's been my 'work of progress' for almost a year now. I think I can play it quite well now, well at least I think I can play it well for a grade 3 student XD.

[pianoyutube]

What I want to ask is... My friends who study in different place with me already played it when they're grade 1 or 2. But when I asked to my teacher can she teach me to play that, she said that I'm not ready for it, I better work on my currently learning pieces right now.

As It is not easy for me to know whether you are prepared or not, I recommend you to follow your teacher's advice.
That piece could be a bit hard for you.
But well, you can always try by yourself!