Learning Chopin's etudes slowly?

[ferron123]

Hey everyone, thanks in advance for answering my question.

I'm nowhere close to be able to play any of Chopin's études at the right tempo, and I find other etudes to be pretty... boring.

Would it be a waste of time to learn Chopin's études at a very slow tempo ? For example, Would I ''gain technique'' (I don't know if the word is good) by playing Chopin's Op.10 No12 at half the original tempo?

Or maybe should I stick to easier stuff?

Thank you !

[michael_sayers]

Hey everyone, thanks in advance for answering my question.

I'm nowhere close to be able to play any of Chopin's études at the right tempo, and I find other etudes to be pretty... boring.

Would it be a waste of time to learn Chopin's études at a very slow tempo ? For example, Would I ''gain technique'' (I don't know if the word is good) by playing Chopin's Op.10 No12 at half the original tempo?

Or maybe should I stick to easier stuff?

Thank you !

Hi ferron123,

I think there are lots of benefits to technique with slow practice of the Chopin Etudes.  Tempo will arrive and develop on its own over time.


Mvh,
Michael

[diomedes]

You'll learn from it regardless and when you're ready to play them as intended that's when you'll play them properly. As is, for now your task is to be learning so go for it.

[bronnestam]

They are very nice to play and to hear even in slow tempos. That is the magical thing about Chopin's Etudes. After all, "the faster the better" isn't ALWAYS true, even if some Chopin interpreters seem to think so ...

[faulty_damper]

No, you cannot acquire the necessary "technique" from learning that study using slow movements.  Playing at tempo requires very specific movements that cannot be learned through slow practice... unless you already know the what those movements are.  Since you are a beginner, you'll not have that knowledge, ability, or skill.  More than likely, you'll use inappropriate movements to learn the study, then try to play faster by forcing these movements, and ultimately become frustrated by your lack of progress.  Even if you somehow figure out better movements that don't cause strain, you'll probably not be satisfied by the amount of necessary practice to keep the study in your fingers.  This is the common phenomenon where you've learned it, but in order to keep it you must constantly practice it, or else it turns to mush.  If you ever experience this, then know that you never learned it in the first place.

[j_menz]

Playing at tempo requires very specific movements that cannot be learned through slow practice... unless you already know the what those movements are.  Since you are a beginner, you'll not have that knowledge, ability, or skill.  More than likely, you'll use inappropriate movements to learn the study, then try to play faster by forcing these movements, and ultimately become frustrated by your lack of progress. 

Quite correct.

@OP - You'd be much better spending your time on pieces that are just a littler above your current level and which you can actually learn to do properly. You'll develop better "technique" that way, and much faster.

[ferron123]

Thanks for replying everyone !

I think I have to point out that I'm not a complete beginner hahaha, even though I'm not super good. 
I'm currently learning Mozart's K545 and Bach Inventions, its not advanced but not for the complete beginner.

I played through the first pages of Op.10 No12 and I was quite surprised at how well it went. I didn't have major problems beside speed.

I'll try to practice it for a little while and I'll see if its worth it or not !

Thanks everyone !
 


 

[kawai_cs]

I agree 100% with faulty_damper and j_menz. That is exactly how it is with fast pieces above your current level.
I actually have a similar situation here myself
I used to played op 10 no 12 years ago, before I stopped playing the piano for many years.
I recently came back and am obsessed with Rach's op 16 no 4. Obviously, somehow I did not grow out from fast, laud and difficult pieces haha.
So I have been practicing this piece for three months now - takes a lot of time at slow speed - the piece is several pages and very note-dense. I can play it great ... at a fraction of actual tempo.
And I actually cannot even imagine myself playing some parts of it (long leaps, some not comfy chords) up to tempo
So I decided to leave it and concentrate on more accessible stuff. But I was thinking to myself - what should be the best way to do it. Since I know the notes perfectly now - maybe play through it every couple days just as not to forget the notes. Or maybe should I give it more time. Now practising it is not such pain in the neck since I memorized the whole piece. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
Sorry, for writing this in your thread however if anyone responds it might be a good advice for you too, if you decide to learn Revolutionary etude despite their advice.

[landru]

One benefit of "learning" the etudes slowly is in learning the fingering and other musical characteristics of the piece (dynamics etc.) And then if your technique can't support playing at performance tempos - then let it go until it can, don't try to force a speed that is way beyond your capabilities.

I have come back after several years to a couple of Chopin's mazurkas. The first time I got the fingering correct, but that was about all as I had a very limited technique and I imagine they sounded execrable. During the years my technique broadened in many areas and I revisited the mazurkas. While my fingering was still in my hands, my improved technique jumped in automatically and I could play the mazurkas at a musical level way beyond I could before - it was actually a dance now!

Just off the top of my head, the technique improvements were: a much improved right hand/left hand independence (before they struck the keys very similarly and now the left can play staccato while the right legato), a greater sense of controlling dynamics (crucial in Chopin), a mature sense of an alive but not so metrical rhythm, a greater sense of the overall musical line and phrasing, pedalling that is much more specific rather than just held for measures at a time, etc. These are all things that take time. At the time I first learned the mazurkas, I bet I thought that I was almost there - but at the time I had no inkling at what I didn't have, because I just couldn't hear it. Sure my fingers were going to the right places...but that's only the first step to making music!