Octaves in Heroic Polonaise

[rohansahai]

Hi everyone!
I'm working on this piece and would like some tips in tackling the octaves in E in the left hand. I practice the motif continuously for about 5 mins everyday, decreasing the speed if I find any tension and then increasing again. Any further help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[larse]

In Norway, we have different...'labels'.. on the pieces than other parts of the world, so I was wondering which polonaise the heroic polonaise is. is it the one in Ab?

[rohansahai]

Yes, it  is the one in Ab, op. 53

[donjuan]

You need to learn to have a free hand at all times, and active fingertips to propel the keys downward. - Play the chord and forget about it, you are no longer responsible for it, dont think about it any longer, dont hold it down, but rest your hand on the keys while you are sounding the chord.  Start slow, and you will be able to evade exhaustion.  Do what I do- yell out "RELAX" between octaves, and dont play the next one until you feel no tension in your wrist or fingers- the fingers not involved in the octave should try to remain relaxed and not outstretched because you will tire quickly and lose control.

If you dont find a way to have free hands, I see some pain in your future.

donjuan

[ted]

Fond as I am of putting accents in peculiar places, I give the first of each group of four a push in that section. I also agree with Donjuan and use a sort of fingertip (3rd, 4th and 5th fingers) gripping motion with rapid octaves - provided they're reasonably close together. The jumping ones in Mazeppa I cannot easily do this way though, they're a bit too far apart. Exactly the same trick is useful in ragtime and stride for those little groups of consecutive left hand octaves or tenths which form counter melodies. It somehow gives a more fluid effect than just raising the arm or wrist each time, and you can do it for ages without getting tired.

[mh88]

stay loose, don't tense up...and try to imagine your forearm going in a circular motion as you go down...a good piece that would help you practice this might be funerailles by liszt...has the same pattern as the heroic...only it starts with just 1 single note...then the pattern continues with the 5th on the down beats...then finally you get the full octaves as you build toward the climax, i played funerailles first and had no problems with heroic after

[allchopin]

I find that it is not necessarily the speed at which you go, but the intensity with which you play.  As I get louder, I feel my arm tense up.  Thus, practice quietly, keeping the octaves light (leggiero) and staccato.  In between octaves (for a split second) relax again - only bring your hand to a state of readiness for the octave and then go back to normal.  Be very careful when the passage crescendoes to forte - you will want to tense up a lot there.  I guess it's a good thing the forte section doesn't last too long .

[westman]

Its all in the wrist action. Use your wrist more and your arm less. It is less tiring and gives you greater control. I achieved immediate results when I got my wrist more involved. Keep it loose, but don't let it get too "floppy".