Clair de Lune

[keyboard kitty]

I've been learning Clair de Lune on and off for a bit of time now and have only managed to get to about 8 bars through the arpeggio part. I have been playing piano for almost 3 years and really want to be able to learn this piece nicely. Does anyone have any tips on how to learn it? Like what fingering to use, and do I just stress the 1st beats and a bit of the 2nd and 3rd? 
Thank you!

[c4rem]

what exactly is ur problem wiith the clair de lune? try to be more detailed as possible. perhaps i could help u out?

[scottmcc]

search for a post by Bob on this topic, he explains a useful fingering for the passage you describe.

what would be helpful to you is to separate the melody from the accompaniment.  make a copy of your score and then use 2 different colored highlighters to mark each.  the right and left hand share the accompaniment, but the melody is exclusively within the right hand.  you can then practice both separately until you get the feel for what that line is supposed to sound like, then combine the two.  please note that this is different from standard "hands separate" practice, in that you're separating voices, not hands.

make sense?

[keyboard kitty]

C4rem: When it gets to the arpeggios I lose the melody and it all sounds really forced and robotic and I use too much pedal. I play on a keyboard and noticed that if I used the same pedalling I use on the piano it's just too much- especially on the rubato bit.

Scottmcc: That's great! I will try that, thank you

[aslanov]

You should also try praciticing VERY slowly in the following manner: Hold the melodic notes in the right hand, while playing the arpeggios staccato. Do so at a very slow tempo, and until you have control of the volume of the arpeggios as well, then move onto a more moderate practice tempo and see if you can play the melody and have the arpeggios at the proper volume (without staccato this time).

[c4rem]

ok..here is my suggestion for u...instead of trying to work it slowly...ur problem (i think), does not lie in ur technique....

now...when u play the first groups of notes in the arpegio part, how do u hear them?....do u hear them as individuaal notes?...or do u group them into their respective chords?...try to use ur WILL to mentally bring the sounds up....rmb....u must FIRST use ur imagination to carry ur sounds over according to the harmonic progression....AKA LONG LINE. ..if u still hv questions, u can pm me and we can see what else can be done

[giannalinda]

I learned clair de lune about a year ago. My teacher let me do bad fingerings and when i came to my new teacher he made me FORGET ABOUT IT!!! so just be careful and let your teacher finger the music. NOt you unless you aren't like me....

[c4rem]

just what is wrong with forgetting the fingering when all that should be in ur head should be the sounds?

[giannalinda]

but the bad fingerings were a habit....I learned it two yrs ago...and about a year ago he told me to forget it....still haven't....he probly should give up....and just tell me i can do the fingerings i want...thats what i would want....but...doesn't mean itll happen

[c4rem]

how can it happen if u urself are unwilling to want to forget that fingering? u keep giving urself so many emotional excuses like...'its a bad habit, its 2 yrs, he probably should give up, BUT DOESN MEAN IT WIL HAPPEN' LOOK at what ur typing?

ur typing exactly what ur emotions is portraying

how can u forget when u INSIDE URSELF, have so many baggaes my friend?

[chopianist123]

Practice makes perfect.

This is one of my Grade 10 Piano Exam pieces in 2 weeks...and it's the only piece i've yet to memorize !!!

[mlbbaseball]

Just a random thought in this old post, but has anyone in Canada or anywhere else heard the Lexus RX hybrid commercial which features Clair de Lune? Personally, I don't think they play it well.

[mcdiddy1]

The key to playing clair de lune is first isolate the hardest passages and figure out solid fingerings for the d-flat arpeggios in the left hand. Avoid having the thumb on a black keys but unless it can serve as a music purpose. With the arpeggios you want to have a ring at the top like the playing of a harp so use very strong fingertips and hold the top not with pinky...holding over into the next arpeggio.

Rhythmical think in terms of big beats that is generally divided in threes but occasionaly has duple (divisions of 2) subdivisions. you can practice the duple subdivisions one after the other and then place it back in context.

Stylisticly remebering that this is an impressionistic work it is important to keep in mind the piece is to played with different tonal colors so you want to avoid playing too concrete. Use a lot of damper pedal but do not rely on it...you should be capable of playing it legato with out it first. Keep in mind it is all generally all at a piano level so keeping is soft is an important concept to grasp. As far as accenting beats realize that impressionism is not about having strong accents and strong structures...however there are melodic lines and it would be a good idea to make a decision where you feel the peak of phrases are.

[erichimawan]

Hi! I'm a new member! I am also learning Claire de Lune. The 9th bar to the end is not so difficult if you have a constant training.  The secret is, I use 2 hands for the left hand.  Actually, when you ignore the left hand, there are very few to play.  So, I use two hands.  But let me tell you, 1the hardest part of the song is the 16th bar.  It confuses me a lot.  FYI, I have been studying this song 4 years.  Still struggling in the 16th bar.  OK, good luck!

[Bob]

search for a post by Bob on this topic, he explains a useful fingering for the passage you describe.


make sense?

This must not be me.  The posters must mean "Pi Bob"  Bob 3.something.  I've never played it, but was thinking about it. 

[tommypeters]

It is massively cheating but I transposed it down a semi-tone into a far more accessible key - sorry for that

I have also remixed it into various modern styles as well - for my many sins!!

https://www.remixdj.co.uk/remixes/clair-de-lune/

[wonzo]

I performed this during my sophomore year of high school (2010-2011) so it's still pretty fresh in my mind. Make sure the melody in the right hand sticks out more than the arpeggios. The arpeggios are there as an underlying body. They are stylistically supposed to form an impression of sound. Also, there are a lot of different fingerings available than what is written. Use whatever is most comfortable without sacrificing musicality. Good luck!

-W