White key chords

[cabbynum]

So I need a way t make four fingered white key chords faster and easier, give me some exercises!
Any chord with a black key in it is easy as pie for me. But all white key chords are a killer

[awesom_o]

Once you know your ABC's you'll be good to go.

How are you doing with them, anyway?

[cabbynum]

A is going great, I've got that!
B is making my brain hurt haha
C is not as terrible as B

[awesom_o]

Wundebar! There are no nerve cells in the brain to the best of my knowledge but what you describe is a sure sign of progress!

C major is the most difficult key! White key chords are trickier because all of the white keys are of equal length.... but all of our fingers are NOT of equal length!

Play 4 note C major chords hands together, going up two octaves and back (root, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion root, etc).

Make the overall tempo of the exercise very slow, but make the jumps themselves at LIGHTNING speed, making sure you land on the correct notes WITHOUT playing. Play the chords AFTER you land, FROM the surface of the keys!!

Capiche?

[onwan]

Once you know your ABC's you'll be good to go.

What does it mean ABC?

[awesom_o]

They are a set of secret esoteric exercises for developing the coordination between the brain and the hands.

[noambenhamou]

They are a set of secret esoteric exercises for developing the coordination between the brain and the hands.

What bologne! hahaha!

I think you are not getting a serious answer because you are not providing enough detail and it does not seem like a serious question.

Can you give us an example of fast white key only chords in a musical piece?
Are you missing the notes? Or not hitting them all at the same time?

Get us more info and I think we may actually be able to help you.
Ciao

[awesom_o]

The answer was serious. I'm usually pretty serious about the piano. 

[noambenhamou]

The answer was serious. I'm usually pretty serious about the piano. 

touché

So this ABC thing is real? I don't want to be naive, but if it is, post some links. Some of us including myself can get all the help we can get!

[awesom_o]

Then they wouldn't be secret and esoteric 

[cabbynum]

They are real and surprisingly helpful, I was confused at first but I have seen a pretty big improvement and I still have not even mastered them.

Fast white key chords, not exactly fast but not slow either. Appassionata the f major chords. I've got the whole first movement down pretty much. A few interpretation all points I wanna tweak and some polishing time needs to set in. But that section is not at the tempo I want. I'm fudging a few notes when I do it and sometimes just get frustrated. Chords and octaves are usually my strong suit, but not white key chords, or honestly all white key octaves.

[awesom_o]

pianistaw is going to make a video demonstrating proper knowledge of the ABC's soon. 

Merry Christmas all!

[pianistaw]

pianistaw is going to make a video demonstrating proper knowledge of the ABC's soon. 

Merry Christmas all!

Thanks for spoiling the surprise...

[awesom_o]

You're welcome

A good video of these online would be of great benefit to the community. The camera angle would need to be well-selected (probably from slightly below the level of the keys would be best) and the shot would need to be very close-up.

I'd love for Clarke (cabbynum) to make one as well. Perhaps I will even make one myself.

[cabbynum]

I'll see what I can do! It would be nice for people who want to learn it to have multiple choices. Because if I explain and think I've covered everything and think I put it clearly, someone could still not get it and be very confused, but if someone else like, Carlisle, also had a video up, he might explain it in a way that works for that particular person

[awesom_o]

Either way, they are just super tricky and confusing!

I remember giving these in high school to a friend of mine who had already played almost half of the Chopin Etudes, and had practiced for 10 hours a day in Korea before she moved to Canada. She was absolutely flummoxed by them.

[gore234]

Do these abc exercises exist or are you guys trolling?  Are they like Hanon exercises?

[cabbynum]

Do these abc exercises exist or are you guys trolling?  Are they like Hanon exercises?

They are very legit, I can see why youd think we are trolling though. Whenever someone posts a video of it youll see. They also seem so much easier than they are. My fingers started doing the opposite of what i was telling them to do. Very strange!

Also I have dropped the apassionata for college auditions, many reasons for this.

[awesom_o]

Do these abc exercises exist or are you guys trolling?  Are they like Hanon exercises?

I'm actually an avid troll-hunting enthusiast, and no, they are not like Hanon exercises.

Hanon exercises blow chunks.

[cabbynum]

I'm actually an avid troll-hunting enthusiast, and no, they are not like Hanon exercises.

Hanon exercises blow chunks.

He has a certificate and everything!

[awesom_o]

Seriously, though..... all-white-key stuff is bloody tricky.

The C major scale is the hardest scale to play well!

Octave passages in C major are treacherous. Try playing the octave glissando from the 3rd movement of the Waldstein Sonata the way Horowitz played it... as actual articulated octaves instead of a glissando.

Real virtuoso stuff!

[danny_pianist]

And I had always thought that the C major scale/chords was the easiest ones because it has all white keys. 

Now that i see your perspective, your comments make sense, maybe C major isn't as easy as it seems. But I think it depends on the individual. Well for me Gb major is the hardest one because the chords and arpeggios are all on black keys 

[awesom_o]

And I had always thought that the C major scale/chords was the easiest ones because it has all white keys. 

The difficulty is that all of the white keys are of equal length, but all of our five fingers are NOT of equal length!

Other scales, such as Gb major, allow the long fingers (2,3,4,) to play the short black notes, so the entire scale fits under the hand smoothly.

[cabbynum]

Octave passages in C major are treacherous. Try playing the octave glissando from the 3rd movement of the Waldstein Sonata the way Horowitz played it... as actual articulated octaves instead of a glissando.

Real virtuoso stuff!

I learned that section of the waldstien, as you know my octaves are my strongest tool in my piano till belt. I got it at full tempo with articulated octaves instead of glissando. And it like it better, there is more control and voicing available to you. So whenever I learn the full sonata I'll post it! But I don't plan on learning it for a while.

I agree c major and a minor are quite hard. I am a big fan of Ab major and F minor.


Also on the topic of fast octaves, the prestissimo section of the liszt sonata should be taken at the same prestissimo as the waldstien? I hardly ever hear them played at the same tempo. I wouldn't expect them to be exact but I mean atleast close... I was bored last night and found fun octave passages to try out, I tried to make it the same tempo as what I played the Beethoven but I had a very hard time doing this. As you can imagine.
But now it's back to serious practice, I take Sunday and Friday as mostly fun days on piano.

[awesom_o]

Also on the topic of fast octaves, the prestissimo section of the liszt sonata should be taken at the same prestissimo as the waldstien?

I don't play the Liszt Sonata. It is often played much too quickly.

Liszt was not known for fast tempos. He was known for playing things in moderate tempos with terrifying discipline, awe-inspiring control of the pulse, extreme depth of expression and beauty of tone.