Ginastera - Danza del Gaucho Matrero / tension issue

[monita1]

Hello everyone -
I'm new here, but not at playing piano.
I've never had any technique issue until recently. I find that whenever I play high-energy pieces where there's practically no "calmer" parts, I tense up to a point where it hurts and I can't even keep on going. It starts in the forearms but eventually makes its way all the way up to my shoulders.

One of the pieces I am working on at the moment is Ginastera's Danza del Gaucho Matrero. I am currently playing it quite slow to clean up certain parts, but whenever I try to go faster (very gradually, with metronome most of the time), I get stuck because my arms are so tense. I know the notes, I know how it goes, but my body is disagreeing with me.

Now I know I should just "relax" and free up the tension, but that's easier said than done. Anyone has any exercises, or things I should do to help with this? Since this problem has never happened to me before, I'm stumped as to how to quickly fix this - I have to perform this in a recital this semester. I am having a lesson in two weeks, but I'm hoping to be proactive on this before then.

Help??

[georgey]

Disclosure:  I am not qualified to answer this, but this will be my last post until summer, so why not?

Would it help if you did 80% - 90% of your practice session at no louder than mezzo piano (or maybe mf), then finish the last 10%-20% at regular volume?

[siveron]

Disclosure:  I am not qualified to answer this, but this will be my last post until summer, so why not?

Would it help if you did 80% - 90% of your practice session at no louder than mezzo piano (or maybe mf), then finish the last 10%-20% at regular volume?

I don't think this will work tho

[anamnesis]

Hello everyone -
I'm new here, but not at playing piano.
I've never had any technique issue until recently. I find that whenever I play high-energy pieces where there's practically no "calmer" parts, I tense up to a point where it hurts and I can't even keep on going. It starts in the forearms but eventually makes its way all the way up to my shoulders.

One of the pieces I am working on at the moment is Ginastera's Danza del Gaucho Matrero. I am currently playing it quite slow to clean up certain parts, but whenever I try to go faster (very gradually, with metronome most of the time), I get stuck because my arms are so tense. I know the notes, I know how it goes, but my body is disagreeing with me.

Now I know I should just "relax" and free up the tension, but that's easier said than done. Anyone has any exercises, or things I should do to help with this? Since this problem has never happened to me before, I'm stumped as to how to quickly fix this - I have to perform this in a recital this semester. I am having a lesson in two weeks, but I'm hoping to be proactive on this before then.

Help??

How are you handling the metric and "tonal" structure of the piece? 

Fast pieces usually require you to treat things in hyper measure, which influences your impulse control and even choreography. 

It doesn't matter that there are no calmer parts.  You always need to coordinate everything to the "slow" underneath the fast.  The individual articulation of notes should not disturb this slow rhythm.  What's more important is the rhythmic action between the production of tones.

Articulation should be the tag-a-long result of this rhythm. 

Articulation itself should not produce the rhythm, but unfortunately this is exactly how many people practice.

Try listening to the piece until you can actually dance the slower rhythmic structure underneath the fast superficial torrent of notes.   

You can then try outlining the piece using the a line of chromaticism to create a long rhythmic line.

[briansaddleback]

I recommend learning to performance level of Chopin 10-4.  It is an exemplary work which is musically tense but you must play it in a relaxed manner.  Yes. I know. All pieces must be played relaxed. 

[andrewcorrea]

Hi monita1!

 I will assume that you are interested in latin american contemporany music and that you understand a little bit about the context of ginastera and music history in argentina.
Well, first of all, congrats for working on this piece! It's very challenging and I'm pretty sure that it should be played more around the world. For the record, im working to achieve some understanding of Sonata Nº 1 - OP 22, so i've been through in those waters..
Like the sonata, the danza argetina you are learning is very rhythmic and syncopated, reminding tango and even maybe in some point brasilian choro. My first advice to you is to hear and watch some of it. You will note that the players gets very much involved in the music physically speaking and in matters of expression. They move a lot! Like dancing! Picture lang lang playing and you may understand what Im saying!LOL
 The deal is that here we have a lot of rhythmic music and the body movement really helps a lot. Like really really help from Up the sky! Well, you may know this already, so my tip to you is to move your elbows in circular movements when you are playing, in the music rhythm of course. you can also contract your shouldes up and below once in a while(Like jazz players), so you will relax more and more. be free to move and try to feel conected to the piece, this will help more than a thousands words anyone can write here. To conclude, after feeling ok with the piece, you can decrease the movements of yours elbows and shoulders if you dont like it, this is up to you then. I think personally that a lot of pianist (and i include myself in this) despises techniques from jazz, choro, tango and others, and don't realize that this could contribute a lot to then knowledge and experience as an artist. Because after all, we are not just classical piano players, but artists that search for personal understanding and achievements. So if tango can help, tango it is! 

--
Hope this whole crap I just wrote can be usefull to you! Any further, talk to your teacher or a close pianist to watch you playing, this may help either!

brgds