Piece Suggestions

[emily95]

Hello! I'm looking for some pieces to work on. I'm almost 16 and have been taking piano lessons as a hobby on and off for several years. I am currently without a teacher but would still like to keep progressing. I was about halfway through Bach's two-part inventions when I had to quit taking lessons, but I have finished them on my own. I have been working on Debussy's Reverie, and although I am able to play the notes, it doesn't sound great. I know Reverie is probably a lot more demanding artistically than the inventions, and I most likely wasn't ready for it. I also tried Chopin Etude No. 1. I didn't realize at the time that it was supposed to be played so fast. I can play the notes, but it would take me years to get it to the required speed. I can read notes well, but I'm not very good at getting pieces up to tempo.

I just have no idea what pieces I should be working on as a student to help me progress. I want to challenge myself, but I don't want to try to play something that's so difficult that my technique suffers. I know that I'm very behind most pianists my age, but I would like to work towards the level at which I should be.

I would really appreciate any suggestions you guys might have about pieces that would help me progress.

Thanks in advance!
Emily

[emilye]

Hello! I'm looking for some pieces to work on. I'm almost 16 and have been taking piano lessons as a hobby on and off for several years. I am currently without a teacher but would still like to keep progressing. I was about halfway through Bach's two-part inventions when I had to quit taking lessons, but I have finished them on my own. I have been working on Debussy's Reverie, and although I am able to play the notes, it doesn't sound great. I know Reverie is probably a lot more demanding artistically than the inventions, and I most likely wasn't ready for it. I also tried Chopin Etude No. 1. I didn't realize at the time that it was supposed to be played so fast. I can play the notes, but it would take me years to get it to the required speed. I can read notes well, but I'm not very good at getting pieces up to tempo.

I just have no idea what pieces I should be working on as a student to help me progress. I want to challenge myself, but I don't want to try to play something that's so difficult that my technique suffers. I know that I'm very behind most pianists my age, but I would like to work towards the level at which I should be.

I would really appreciate any suggestions you guys might have about pieces that would help me progress.

Thanks in advance!
Emily

hehe etude no. 1 by Chopin is really difficult and I can say... the most difficult. Try: op. 10/3, op.10/6, op.10/7, op.10/9, op.10/12, op.25/1

maybe try some of preludes by Debussy or Rachmaninov's preludes - e.g. op. 32/12

Liszt - small etudes - 1 (not transcendental etudes)

Preludes by Scriabin

Beethoven's sonatas - op. 2/1, op. 14/1 maybe pathetique sonata? maybe Mozart's sonata?

[nataliethepianist]

Hello. What period do you like the most? Are you looking for a classical, romantics piece? Maybe a prelude and fugue? I'll just give you some pieces different periods!

Baroque: Scarlatti sonata k. 141, Back Prelude and Fugue in F, Bb is always a pleaser

Classical: Beethoven Sonata No. 10 G major, Mozart Sonata in D K.284

Romantic: Chopin etude Op. 10 No. 3, Op. 25 No. 1, Liszt Liebestraum

Impressionist: Debussy Preludes Book I - No.10, Ravel Sonatine

Modern: Prokofiev Visions Fugitives

Good luck with your studies.

- Natalie

[avguste]

To answer your tempo issue, I would suggest you start using the metronome.
Start at 40/quarter and go up by 5 each time you are able to play at the previous tempo.

[emily95]

Thank you very much! These should keep me busy for quite awhile. I'm going to start with Beethoven's sonata no. 10 in G major and Debussy book 1 preludes. I think I'll hold off on the Chopin Etudes for awhile. Thanks for providing pieces from each of the periods! Since I don't have much experience with playing modern music, I'm looking forward to giving that a try.

Oh! And yes, I'm going to start practicing with the metronome as you suggested, Avguste. My violin teacher always has me use the method you described to speed up my pieces. I don't know why I didn't think of applying it to my piano practice. Thanks!

Emily

[nanabush]

Don't shy away from Etudes!  Moszkowski has a TON of very good etudes.  Czerny also has loads of etudes.

Chopin Waltzes, Nocturnes are (generally) not scary like some of the etudes; they have some fast passage work, but don't necessarily revolve around that.  Those might be worth looking at if you were keen on playing some Chopin stuff.

Bach also has some good pieces; 2 and 3 part inventions, and possibly the Prelude and Fugue in C minor or D major from book 1. 

Schubert has some beautiful pieces that have some pretty technical bits.  His Impromptus and Moments Musicaux are excellent (and many of them would be right at your level)

If you think you are a bit behind people your age, don't let it get to you.  It would be a bad idea to pick a monster of a piece, and spend a year getting no where with it.

I realized after typing this, you have already picked some stuff.... anyways, if you needed more suggestions, there you go! 

[emily95]

Thanks, nanabush! I will definitely have a look at these. Even though I have already picked a few pieces already, I'm still open to more suggestions. I will probably be referring back to this post often throughout the year whenever I need new material. If anyone thinks of any other music near my level, I'd be happy to hear about it.

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

@emily95, let us know what you decide on! What you have already sounds nice (:

I vote for a Bach French suite, Bach's french suites really made me fall in love with his music. I especially like no 2 and no 5. They are absolutely beautiful and charming, the allemandes are personally my favourites. If you haven't already, I suggest you listen to them.

As for a more modern piece, I really recommend Humoresque, by Shchedrin. It is so much fun to play!

PS: There's no level you "should" be at, and everyone learns at their own pace! There's people your age who just started learning piano... I'm around your age, and I haven't touched a single Chopin etude!! A piece isn't necessarily more interesting/ enjoyable because it's more difficult, so you can still have lots of fun with the "easier" pieces. I know I do!

[emily95]

Oh! I just listened to the Bach French suites as you suggested, thinkgreenlovepiano. I really love them. They are just beautiful! I definitely want to start learning these.

PS: There's no level you "should" be at, and everyone learns at their own pace! There's people your age who just started learning piano... I'm around your age, and I haven't touched a single Chopin etude!! A piece isn't necessarily more interesting/ enjoyable because it's more difficult, so you can still have lots of fun with the "easier" pieces. I know I do!

Thanks for the encouraging words!  Yeah, I guess there isn't a specific level that I should be at. I just get frustrated sometimes because it seems like the pieces that I find challenging are considered painfully easy to most people.

Thanks again!
Emily