Piano Forum

Piano Street Magazine:
Watch the Chopin Competition 2025 with us!

Great news for everyone who loves Chopin’s music: Piano Street’s unique Chopin Competition tool is now complete. With all 1,870 recorded performances from the Preliminary Round to the Final, you can conveniently sort, explore, and watch both videos and piano scores at your fingertips. Read more

Topic: Arpeggios in Debussy Reflets dans l'eau  (Read 2360 times)

Offline haydnseeker

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 70
Arpeggios in Debussy Reflets dans l'eau
on: January 21, 2015, 11:07:23 PM
I've been working on this piece recently but some of the fast arpeggios are defeating me, especially bars 24-29 and 57.

What is a good technique for shifting the hand from one octave to the next, and how can it best be practised?   I've had conflicting advice from different teachers:

(a) Move the hand in a block to the new octave without changing the relative finger positions - practise shifting the hand and hitting a full chord in the new position.

(b) Bunch the fingers as they play - e.g. in 57 RH ascending, after 1 has played G move it so it's above B flat when 2 plays, then 1 & 2 are above E flat when 4 plays - then shoot 1 to the next G and open the hand out again to play in the new octave.

Advice from any teacher who's had a student master this piece would be especially helpful.

Maybe I ought to do some general work on arpeggios before going back to the piece.  When I first studied the piano (a long time ago now) I only learnt the "thumb-under" method which clearly is inadequate here.  Suggestions please!


Beethoven Sonata Op. 31/2
Schumann ABEGG Variations
Debussy Images I (all 3)
Messiaen Le baiser de l'Enfant Jésus