Building up technique

[chopinator1]

I want to begin one of Chopin's major works soon (ballade, scherzo, the other miscellaneous ones), but before I do I want to improve my technical proficiency. What etudes would you guys recommend for building up my technique specific to the challenges presented in these works.

Thanks

[j_menz]

Chopin's own.

[alistaircrane4]

Op.10 No.1
Op.10 No.3
Op.10 No.10
Op.10 No.12
Op.25 No.1
Op.25 No.6
Op.25 No.9
Op.25 No.12

All of these etudes represent different technical and interpretive aspects that are present in the larger works of Chopin's which you have mentioned. I would suggest these or at least parts of them.

[chopinator1]

If I am choosing between Chopin's 2nd Ballade and his Barcarolle what specific etudes should I be looking at doing right away.

[j_menz]

The ones that cover the bits you aren't good at.

[chopinator1]

Is op 10.7 a good one to build up proficiency of double notes for the coda of the 2nd Ballade? And should I be looking at thirds and sixths for the Barcarolle?

[j_menz]

Get the score for each. Look through it. Look through it while listening to a performance of it. Sit at the piano and dabble your way through it.

For each piece you will be able to identify sections which:

a) look perfectly manageable. You know how to do them.

b) look like a pain. You've done something like them before, but aren't comfortable. You know how to go about learning them.

c) Use a technique you've never done before. You aren't sure what's involved.

When you've done that, look through the etudes and see what ones deal with anything (c) - you should do them. Any that deal with (b) you may do, or you could simply learn them in the piece. Up to you.  Anything (a) is probably a waste of your time at this point - though you may find them beneficial generally.

Yes, I know I haven't answered the question you asked. I answered the one you should have.

[chopinator1]

Thank you so much. I figure I might just work them out as I go along. DO you guys have any preferences between Chopin's 2nd Ballade and his Barcarolle?

[chopinlover01]

I prefer the Ballade, personally, but they're both great pieces of piano literature.
As J said, work on the Chopin etudes that involve techniques you aren't good at. 25/4 might be another one if you aren't used to big leaps that sometimes come up in the coda of the second ballade. I don't think they're as large as the ones in the Etude, but it's a great basis for that particular technique.

[visitor]

Learn this.  All of it.

[chopinator1]

i have already learned many of the preludes and I love them. Are there any other studies besides chopin's that i should be looking at? And how much harder is Scherzo 4 and the grande polonaise brillante than the other 2 I have mentioned?