Need some advice

[sroka]

Hi all!

Long story short,

I have been playing piano for 2 years.  I started junior year with a piano teacher and right now I am a freshmen in college without a teacher sadly.  The thing is, when I was learning with my teacher, i rushed through the basics and now i want to go back and work on the basics.

I am able to play:

Polonaise 40 by Chopin
Nocturne 9 no 2 -Chopin
Waltz 64 no 2 -Chopin
Waltz 69 69 no 2-Chopin
Mazurka 7 no 1.-Chopin

Working on:
Preludium II- Bach


I compose a lot and I want to further expand my technique abilities and study a new composer.

What etudes could I practice?  I can't play Chopin Etudes because they are hard to play without a proper teacher.

But if someone could recommend some pieces that I could play, maybe something by Mozart or anyone you recommend that help me learn:
1. Technique
2. Fingering (Intesive/Mild)
3. Basic Fundamentals that will help me to the fullest extent.

I love studying Chopin but I feel that I lack a lot to play the pieces I dream of like Ballade 1 and some of his etudes like Etude 10 no 1,3,4.

I'm new to this forum and if you think i should get an upgraded membership, I will.

Thanks in advanced!

-Sylvester

[keypeg]

If you are missing basics then you need to know which basics you are missing and go after them.  Etudes and pieces won't do it in and of themselves.

[onwan]

I have the same problem like you. You can see, that I have played very same pieces like you have. And I'm missing the basics , too.
I have a teacher, and I'm playing some czerny etudes op.299. They aren't much hard but I think that you can learn a lot from them.
good luck

[evitaevita]

What etudes could I practice?  I can't play Chopin Etudes because they are hard to play without a proper teacher.

Hello,

I'm not sure about your level. It seems you

First of all, many pianists practice scales and arpeggios, because they believe that this is a great way to improve their technique (speed, finger strenth, etc.). Also, many pianists use them in order to warm up. On the other hand, others don't like studying scales and arpeggios at all. Personally, I believe that it depends on each pianist's needs and preferences.

Here are some sets with etudes:

Carl Czerny
https://imslp.org/wiki/110_Progressive_Excercises,_Op.453_(Czerny,_Carl)
https://imslp.org/wiki/30_Etudes_de_M%C3%A9canisme,_Op.849_(Czerny,_Carl)
https://imslp.org/wiki/100_Progressive_Studies,_Op.139_(Czerny,_Carl)
https://imslp.org/wiki/25_Fortschreitende_%C3%9Cbungen_f%C3%BCr_kleine_H%C3%A4nde,_Op.748_(Czerny,_Carl)
https://imslp.org/wiki/125_Exercises_in_Passage-playing,_Op.261_(Czerny,_Carl)
https://imslp.org/wiki/The_School_of_Velocity,_Op.299_(Czerny,_Carl)

Friedrich Burgmuller
https://imslp.org/wiki/25_%C3%89tudes_faciles_et_progressives,_Op.100_(Burgm%C3%BCller,_Friedrich)

Heller
https://imslp.org/wiki/30_Etudes_Progressives,_Op.46_(Heller,_Stephen)

Henri Bertini
https://imslp.org/wiki/25_Etudes_faciles_et_progressives,_Op.100_(Bertini,_Henri)
https://imslp.org/wiki/25_Etudes,_Op.137_(Bertini,_Henri)
https://imslp.org/wiki/24_Etudes,_Op.32_(Bertini,_Henri)

Philipp
https://imslp.org/wiki/Quelques_exercices_faciles,_Op.53_(Philipp,_Isidor)

Henry Lemoine
https://imslp.org/wiki/%C3%89tudes_enfantines,_Op.37_(Lemoine,_Henry)

Hermann Berens
https://imslp.org/wiki/20_Etudes_enfantines,_Op.79_(Berens,_Hermann)

But if someone could recommend some pieces that I could play, maybe something by Mozart or anyone you recommend that help me learn:
1. Technique
2. Fingering (Intesive/Mild)
3. Basic Fundamentals that will help me to the fullest extent.

Mozart

Piano Sonatas:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 16 (the easiest one)

Variations:
7 Variations on "Willem van Nassau" K 25
12 Variations on "Twinkle, twinkle" (Ah, vous dirai-je, maman), K 265
12 Variations on a minuet by J C Fischer, K 179
6 Variations on "Mio caro Adone", K 180
8 Variations on the March "Mariages Samnites", K 352

Clementi
Sonatinas Op.36, Op.37, Op.38

Diabelli
Sonatinas Op.151

Mozart's pieces, as well as Clementi's and Diabelli's sonatinas, can help you with the fingering and your technique's improvement. The sonatinas are much easier than Mozart's sonatas, so you can start with them.

Hope I've some help to you.

Best regards,
Evitaevita

[quantum]

Playing Bach will help a lot with teaching yourself to find fingering solutions. 

Check out the Bach Inventions and Sinfonias.  If you want more, you could explore the Well Tempered Clavier. 

[sroka]

Thank you everyone!

and Many thanks to @evitaevita for putting so much effort in replying.


Also, is there a thread on this website that talks about the italian words and their definitions?  I need to work on memorizing those!

[j_menz]

Also, is there a thread on this website that talks about the italian words and their definitions?  I need to work on memorizing those!

There is the dictionary, but if you want to memorise them, there's a list on wikipedia. If you manage to memorise all that you'll probably never need to us the dictionary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_terminology

[mikemiester]

I have been playing piano for 2 years.  I started junior year with a piano teacher and right now I am a freshmen in college without a teacher sadly.  The thing is, when I was learning with my teacher, i rushed through the basics and now i want to go back and work on the basics.

If I were you I'd work on a few Mozart sonatas. Just pick 1-2 easier ones to start. They'll teach you more than you think they could about all aspects of music. You have lots of Scalar and Arpeggiated patterns which will help with those basic forms, and the you have lots of fingering etc. associated with that.

Don't waste your time banging out mindless exercises, instead find pieces of music that you like and enjoy playing, and prefferably pieces that fill the basic technique you desire.

Don't listen to the people linking Czerny, Hanon, Berens, etc. Especially without a good piano teacher as a guide. Those are merely templates for various technical scenarios, and the lessons taught in those books can be learned alongside great music instead, by absorbing them directly from the music you love.