Help with Moszkowski - Etude in F Major

[chopinaninoff]

So my teacher assigned this etude a long with 2 other etudes...I have been looking at it for nearly a week now and I have not gone further than the 2nd page...I mean I don't know what the problem is...My hands also get very tired after practicing it. I move my right hand a lot to make sure its relaxed..but I am not sure if that is a good idea since there is very little space in this etude..I would appreciate any feedback on this etude..Is it a nightmare to perform in public? Is this etude worth all the trouble..will it give me a good increase in technique? Is there any way I can practice is specifically? And yeah, I know the given, practice slow...What I do now is play one line 10 times with left, then right, then both...but this will take me forever to get through the entire piece...its like 6 bloody pages.

[bachbrahmsschubert]

So my teacher assigned this etude a long with 2 other etudes...I have been looking at it for nearly a week now and I have not gone further than the 2nd page...I mean I don't know what the problem is...My hands also get very tired after practicing it. I move my right hand a lot to make sure its relaxed..but I am not sure if that is a good idea since there is very little space in this etude..I would appreciate any feedback on this etude..Is it a nightmare to perform in public? Is this etude worth all the trouble..will it give me a good increase in technique? Is there any way I can practice is specifically? And yeah, I know the given, practice slow...What I do now is play one line 10 times with left, then right, then both...but this will take me forever to get through the entire piece...its like 6 bloody pages.

The etude repeats often, so when practicing don't bother playing sections that repeat. You need to break it down into smaller sections. Even if that section is one measure or two notes, don't move on until you've mastered that small section. It's better to have a solid two lines of music that you are comfortable playing than 2 pages of music that demoralize you and make you want to quit. Don't worry about the time it is taking for you to learn something. That is not important. Take the time to learn it correctly the first time, and you won't have to go back to work on fixing mistakes. DON'T RUSH.

As far as relaxation is concerned, there is a common misconception. Just because you're moving your arm or wrist does not mean you're relaxed. The tell is in the sound you are creating. There is a very distinct difference between a tense, percussive sound and a warm, relaxed sound. Your teacher should be able to help you with this. Just make sure you explain to him or her exactly where on your body you're becoming tense and during which parts of the music.

Just like any piece of music, it solely will not increase your technique. What increases technique is taking what you learned from this etude and applying it to the next piece of music you learn. With each different piece of music you learn something new, as every piece of music is different you will find different difficulties. Something you can't find in technique books, but that's neither here nor there.

With the proper practice habits, you will quickly learn that etude is not as difficult as it looks or sounds. Be patient and try and enjoy your work. Again, it's very important that you do not concern yourself with how long it is taking you. That is a sure-fire way to develop bad habits and injuries.

Best wishes,