Macdowell Polonaise

[rlevin9999]

I continue to struggle playing the right-hand octave trills in this piece.  My hand just fatigues when trying to play up to tempo. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[bonesquirrel]

I've never played this specific piece. But if your hand if getting fatigued from playing it could mean 1 (or a combination) of 3 things, the first 2 are the most probable.

1 - You have not developed enough strength in your right hand. Solution: Practice your Scales and do hand strengthening exercises while in the meantime continue attempting this part in the piece where your hand gets fatigued.

2 - Your are trying to play with far too much power and relying on your wrist to greatly to maintain the speed. Solution: Try using the delicate touch of the fingers alone, then if you feel more power is required, add a little wrist but don't over do it. Its important to relax your hands when playing quickly, this applies for any piece

3 (And less likely) - You are using the wrong fingering or technique that this piece was designed. Solution: Find a score that shows fingering or perhaps look at a tutorial video if possible. This only applies if you are unable to find appropriate fingering yourself, but this is a possibility depending on your experience and the difficulty of the piece.

Hope I helped

[j_menz]

I've never played this specific piece.

Nor it seems have you bothered to look at the score.

The trill signs, it seems to me, mean that the tremolos are (fast) free tremolos (not semiquaver ones), so bottom chord top note. Not easy, by any means, since the "trill" tends to be a 4-5 one with the added complication of the bottom "note" being a full chord.

If you are using an element of wrist rotation, keep the thumb lower (closer to the keys - preferably maintaining (or nearly) contact).

[bonesquirrel]

Nor it seems have you bothered to look at the score.

Yeah do you know why I didn't look at the score??? Because I cant read music, that was the first thing I told you about myself very clearly. All I know if which note matches what key on the piano, that's my limit.

I learn by ear or threw MIDI files.