getting cramps playing Chopin studies

[kjk]

I am getting cramps in my lower left arm playing Chopin studies (and am sure with others as well) opus 10 no 9, and 25 no 1, (op 10 no 3 'bravura' part), usually after playing one and a half page, even if I play it slowly. I have average hand size.
This is very frustrating as I am simply not able to play them through the end. Any advice?

[p2u_]

Any advice?

Ask yourself why you should have cramps while millions of other pianists (now and in the past) don't/didn't. You are doing something wrong, wasting energy in the wrong direction, probably mistakenly thinking you need to have very strong and very fast fingers to manage. You have a choice:
1) not play them; you may not be ready yet
2) play them slo-o-o-wly and softly with minimum effort
3) play them with separate hands and practise until you can do more than the required tempo to combine the hands afterwards, again very slo-o-o-wly and softly
4) ask a teacher or someone you know who is knowledgeable about piano playing how you should move in such a piece with your particular hands. You may be stretching too much or trying to press into the keybed as if you want to reach for the floor.

Paul

[johnmar78]

Kj, you are getting cramps,,,
 ,

rule no.1, try not to play the tempo the professional did or listening to the cd played by the first class pianist. As a result, you get a muscle cramp or tension.... These people they do 4 plus hour  a day for there life time started very young.

rule no2: Ask youself, how many years have you been playing and trained to be a pianist?Are you advaced and develped(muslce development) enough to chanllenge these studies.

rule no3, this will work 100%, try playing the speed that you can do the first page without any sign of fatiqness in your LH or RH, either. If its too much, try first 10 bars. If you still can not achieve the "controlled" tempo , you need to slow down further. And please dnt forget to practice-play P-soft rather fortimisso.

These three things I often asked myself before trying any of difficullt paino works.

I hope these three tips help you in your playing.
Spend more time on expression and soft rather loud.  Cheers

[jmanpno]

I think it's a matter of learning proper technique.  These pieces are great for technique while paradoxically not really teaching you a damn thing about it at the same time! 

[kjk]

I am working on Czerny opus 740 no 15 as well and has similar difficulties for both hands. Slow practice and see when I can speed it up without feeling the strain. Despite the loose wrist I manage to strain some musscles somewhere. Same goes for Chopin's opus 28 no 24 prelude (but that one is for later).

[danhuyle]

Etude 25/1 and 10/3? Don't see how that's possible.

Etude Op10 No9 is an interesting one. In the first 16 bars, before the shift to Eb minor, if you're getting cramps there, then you've done something wrong. When I first played 10/9, I got cramps in my left hand too. What I did was use finger 3 on C, and making the stretch from c-ab, then c-Bb, then from c-c, c-db. You have to alternate between fingers 3 and 4 otherwise feel the strain.

It's kinda like doing the triplet variation in La Campanella, using fingers 115. That's a strain on the arm right there.


A bit off topic, I get cramps in my left hand playing Scriabin Etude Op8 No3 after the 1st climax subsides and moves to D major. If I'm getting those cramps, then I'm either not using the right technique or playing too quick, or both.

If you get cramps, stop playing the music. Then you have to look at what you're doing wrong and find a technique that suits you.