Tremelo and different number of notes on left/right hand

[derschoenebahnhof]

I am currently learning "Autumn moon over the calm lake". I reached almost half the piece so far, not a full speed yet.

One passage has the right hand playing a tremelo over a quarter note duration, with 64th notes (so that's a tremolo containing 16 notes) while the left hand plays six notes during that time.

What's the best way to synchronize both hands? If you do the math, the right hand has to play over the duration of approximately 2.6 notes while the left one plays one, then the left hand plays a second note, and after the right hand has played another 2.6 notes (5.2 since the beginning), the left hand plays the third one, etc. When the right hand plays the 9th note, the left hand plays the fourth note.

I guess playing it over very slow (having to think ahead that the left hand plays the second note shortly after the right hand plays the third, and the left hand plays the third note after the right hand plays the sixth) and gradually increasing the speed would help get up to speed and get good synchronization. However this is tricky and at least it seems my brain is better suited to integer divisions than fractional ones...

Another way, but I am sure some purists would say I am disrespecting the composer's original intentions, would be to play 18 notes instead of 16, that way the left hand plays one note while the right hand plays 3. Easy to synchronize, and at the speed the 64th notes are played, one wouldn't notice much difference, right?

What gives?

Thanks,
Christian

[ilychy]

This may not be the answer you are looking for, but I learned this piece last summer, and I never thought about calculating the tremolos. I simply play them as fast as I can, like trills, and the effect is achieved. In any case, it's a beautiful piece. Good luck, and let me know how you end up solving this problem.

[derschoenebahnhof]

Hi ilychy,

Good answer, makes me feel better about not having to be too perfectionist :-)

I thought about not calculating the tremolos but in this particular beat it helps me get the timing right.

I ended up playing 18 notes with the right hand while the left plays 6 and it connects nicely with what follows the tremolo.

Gorgeous piece indeed, but not easy to play it fast with all the black notes. I now have to learn the second half (the hardest part). Sa Chen plays it beautifully.

Cheers,
Christian

[birba]

I should be loathe to display my ignorance, but here goes:  what is this piece and who wrote it?

[derschoenebahnhof]

Wikipedia has the answer for you: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_Moon_Over_Calm_Lake

There is a beautiful rendering of this piece by Sa Chen (and others, but I like hers best) on YouTube.

The sheet music can be found in the volume "30 famous Chinese Piano Compositions".

Christian

[john11inc]

You might want to take questions like these into the student area.