Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1

[pussydestroyer]

Are there any tips for playing bar 3-4 and 74? I can play the entire piece except these passages. They are complicated. Brain couldn't comprehend.

[schwartzer]

Just try to fit the 11 notes against the 6 in the same compass. Try to start with notes 1-1 and finish with notes 11-6. The 22 against 11 is a bit more simple, since every two notes in the right hand means one note in the left. It really isn't all that complicated. Just practice it slowly and work your speed;

[pussydestroyer]

Oh yes, I just realised the 22-11. I thought it was some tricky polyrhythms. However, bar 74 is still bothering me, the 20-6. Sorry if I asked too much.

[schwartzer]

Yeah, that was the hardest part of the piece for me when I learnt it too. It's quite hard since you have to play it a bit faster than the previous ornaments. I'd say practice slowly first. Try to fit all the notes in the compass. Gradually increase in speed. Depending on how well you can play, it shouldn't take long. Just play it daily and I'm sure you'll be playing it flawlessly in no time.

[iansinclair]

And don't be a fanatic about it.  It is much much more important to keep an even left hand going, and let the ornament -- for that is what it is -- flow gracefully over it in the right than it is to get a precisely even grouping of the 11 notes, which isn't going to happen anyway.  It is important, though, that the group of 11 (or 22 as the case may be) have no accents within it.  Just a nice even flow.

You will need to practice it moderately slowly to make sure your fingering works for you -- but the only way to get it to flow is practicing up to tempo.

[quantum]

Establish a few alignment points: at these places the hands coincide.  The melodic contour will give you an idea of where to place these alignment points.  Look for melodic fragments that tend to semi-cadence.  At all other places, the notes just fit it the space allowed.  Notes don't have to be evenly spaced on either side of the alignment points.  Don't try to divide everything mathematically.