tips for chopin op 48 no 1 and op 10 no 4?

[koakova]

I'm playing Chopin Nocturne Op 48 No 1 and Chopin Etude Op 10 No 4, both of which I've heard are not very easy.

I'm 14, and have been playing piano since I was 7. I've played several of Chopin's Nocturnes and Etudes in the past. None of the Nocturnes have been particularly hard (pieces like Op 9 No 1). As for Etudes, the most recent one I've played was Black Keys a few months back which I was told I performed pretty well. However, I still considered it challenging and it took me several months to master.

To be honest, I don't think I'm that ready for either, so I wanted to ask for advice on either piece. Any advice is accepted. Thanks

[lakeviewsteve]

In my opinion the Etudes will always be will be a tremendous help to you for many years as you study and learn Chopin and other composers.   They are also beautiful works.   Chopin's use of counterpoint is amazing and you will be a better pianist while you master the etudes.

Steve
Bösendorfer 170

[visitor]

if you don't feel ready to handle them. choose just one and focus your time/energy attention on one, then move on to the next. 


if after 1-2 months you are not making much in the way of progress, the put it away and come back to in in 6 months to a year. you'll certainly not be a 'worse' pianist because you wrestled with a difficult work.  I come back to pieces all the time that i didn't have the abililty, or time to complete. no big deal

[jinfiesto]

Eh, if you can play Black Keys, you can probably play 10 4. It's harder, but not as if it's in a totally different world of difficulty. The voicing at the end of that nocturne is quite hard. I'd suggest practicing it by playing the melody while playing the inner voices on top of the keys without sounding the inner voices.