Clair de lune questions

[teenagepiano]

I'm learning Clair de Lune, and I'm a bit stuck on measures 25 & 26 as well as general questions.

I'm a relative beginner at music, so I'll start with the time signature: 9/8, I understand this means that there are 9 beats per measure, and that one beat is a quaver, so does that mean a crotchet is 2 beats, a minim 4, etc?

Secondly, if you have a flat in the key signature and before the note, is that a double flat? So is it a whole step down?

Thirdly I don't think my hand is big enough, to play all of the notes, so should I drop a note?

Thanks.

[vsrinivasa]

I'm learning Clair de Lune, and I'm a bit stuck on measures 25 & 26 as well as general questions.

I'm a relative beginner at music, so I'll start with the time signature: 9/8, I understand this means that there are 9 beats per measure, and that one beat is a quaver, so does that mean a crotchet is 2 beats, a minim 4, etc?

Secondly, if you have a flat in the key signature and before the note, is that a double flat? So is it a whole step down?

Thirdly I don't think my hand is big enough, to play all of the notes, so should I drop a note?

Thanks.

9/8  in my opinion is better understood as three groups of 3 quavers. In general, you will get things like dotted crotchet, dotted minim, etc. in place of crotchet, minim, etc. One thing you will see is crotchet-quaver. And yes, what you are saying about a crotchet being 2 beats is technically correct, but 9/8 is better thought of as 3/4 with triplet subdivision. When you have quavers connected with a 2, think of them as normal quavers as opposed to the triplets.

If there is a flat both in the key signature and by the note, it is NOT a double flat. The notation is intended to clarify that the note actually is flat. Maybe the last time you played the note, it was a natural.

If your hand is too small, maybe drop a note or two, but don't drop too many, as then the chord will seem empty. If you absolutely have to, roll the chord. It is not ideal, but if you have to, you can.

That's all I can offer. Sorry to not be able to help you any more, having last played Clair de Lune five years ago.

शुभकामनाएं,
V