Double glissandi

[tomclear]

Hi!
I'm stilling plugging away at ALBORADO DEL GRACIOSO.
Does anyone have wisdom about the double glissandi, first in 4ths, then in 3rds?
I simply can't use the fingering indicated : 4 and 2 in the right hand!
Thanks in advance.

[aki]

Yeah, I never knew how to do those. I remember there's a double glissando in 5th near the end of the 1st mvt of the Waldstein, and I had no clue how to play it without hurting my fingers.

[jeff]

i heard a funny story about rudolph serkin playing the waldstein in a concert - when he was coming up to the octave glissandi, he licked all his fingers

[teresa_b]

You know, I SAW a pianist (I am forgetting who) lick his fingers in this glissando!  I was amazed he could do it, and keep everything smoothly in rhythm.  I can't play double glissandi--It hurts my fingers, too.  

Teresa

[johnnypiano]

HI!

You must have had a nasty time trying to use fingers 2 and 4 for your glissandi.  It doesn’t work because the fingers are too vertical, and attempting it this way is very painful.  Whoever suggested this fingering should be shot.

The correct fingers are 4 and 1 for the fourths and 3 and 1 for the thirds.

In both the ascending and the descending scale make the angle between the fingers and the keys as small as possible.   

In the descending scale the thumb plays on the nail and the fourth and third fingers play on the pad of the finger.  This can be uncomfortable for these two fingers but, if you concentrate on the thumb leading the way, it will stop you digging in on the other two fingers and getting stuck.  The operation, after practice, can be quite painless.  Best of luck with it - and any questions you have please let me know.

The important thing in glissando playing is to keep moving; as though something/someone is dragging you along.  The hardest thing, but don’t bother with this at first, is to stop in exactly the right place.

I find the repeated notes I nthis piece much, much harder than the glissandi.  Have you any hints on these?  I use my own fingering of 31313131  rather than the usual 432432432, but find it to difficult get speed and evenness. 

This is an amazingly colourful piece.  Do you agree?

Best wishes  John

[DarkWind]

This is an amazingly colourful piece.  Do you agree?

It's Ravel, so I agree fully! I never found those glissandi very difficult. No glissandi at all I have found so difficult, actually. Must be all the calcium I drink . I use a Russian piano whose keys are harder than most normal pianos, so it's even harder to do glissando on it. Yet I manage.

[Ludwig Van Rachabji]

i heard a funny story about rudolph serkin playing the waldstein in a concert - when he was coming up to the octave glissandi, he licked all his fingers
 

I love that! 

[cziffra777]

i heard a funny story about rudolph serkin playing the waldstein in a concert - when he was coming up to the octave glissandi, he licked all his fingers
 

This must be a common practice because there was a pianist in a Yahoo! group who said he licked his fingers before playing that passage.

[johnnypiano]

PIANO FORUM
Further letter re. Glissandi 21oct04

I’m glad there’s someone else who doesn’t find glissandi difficult.  It’s a matter of good position and great confidence!  I even do one for fun at the end of the Black Key study (octaves on the black keys; Right Hand only, of course!) 

Years ago, I read a story in which a pianist paid back a rival by insisting it was possible to do a glissando in BOTH HANDS, at the end of the Black Keys study.  The rival pianist practised for months skinning the little finger and thumb of his left hand . He couldn’t sleep or eat and was on the verge of a breakdown.   Eventually he was successful.  But he was scoffed at by his rival who changed his story and said (without hearing him play ) that it wasn’t possible, and that he had only been lying to get him to practise and injure himself.  The 'successful’ pianist had a real breakdown and was never able to play again.   

[stefano]

 I know what you mean, it is very awkward.  you should try curving the front joint of your thumb inward while doing the double glisando and dragging the other finger behind.  the nail should be sliding on the keyboard. This sounds strange, but try it. 

[lostinidlewonder]

I think when things start compounding themselves in complexity it is always good to go back one step then add what goes on top. With double note gliss always take the leading note which is going up or down and play that seperatly. The addition of the next finger has to not disrupt the clarity of the first finger, and that first finger has to sound clear and perfect as if it was by itself. With that constant you pratice to add the other note. That is what I've seen work with my students who find double gliss hard. Worse is octave gliss. I think there should be a pause to give us time to tie bits of cloth to our fingers. lol.

[dlu]

You know, I SAW a pianist (I am forgetting who) lick his fingers in this glissando!  I was amazed he could do it, and keep everything smoothly in rhythm.  I can't play double glissandi--It hurts my fingers, too.  

Teresa

I think it would be more uhum..sanitary to dip your fingers in a dish/cup of water right before the glissandi, and more attractive (more so than sticking your fingers in your mouth) also. Would this be practical for you tomclear? Try it, and let us know how it works.

[m]

I play double glissandi in Alborada the way it's written--with 2-4. If you do it right I don't see how double glissandi in 3rds, 6ths, or even octaves are more difficult than single ones. There are two important points. First, find coordination, when your first joint is absolutely relaxed, and others little more stiff, but as much, as just to keep the shape steady. Of course your arms and your body should be completely relaxed. Second, you should find right angle, when both your finger nails "face" the key' edges. To get this angle, you should help with your arm. Start practicing very light. When you get used to it, add little more sound. And don't worry about it too much--hopefully, that's the last problem in the piece.

[abe]

I wasnt aware there was even a glissando in the waldstein (you are talking about the Beethoven sonata, right?). In fact I just looked trhough the music and I didn't find any. Where exactly is the glissando?