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Topic: Pieces to improve piano technique  (Read 3605 times)

Offline winqurin

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Pieces to improve piano technique
on: April 03, 2020, 03:03:56 PM
Hi everyone,
I'm a self-taught piano player (i believe i can categorise myself as intermediate because it's been 3 years) trying to improve my piano technique. From the day that i started playing the piano, i just have mainly focused on pieces' musical maturity and their melody (in short if i liked them) but after sometime i started to see that selecting pieces according these priorities caused me to have a lack of technique. Think it as trying to build a skyscraper to marshland, and this resulted in having not enough background to learn the pieces i like. Currently, i have the pieces listed below in my repertoire (fulfilled the technical requirements for these pieces and able to play all them):
Frederic Chopin - Prelude Op. 28 No. 4
Frederic Chopin - Waltz in A minor, Op. post., B150
Claude Debussy - Two Arabesques No. 1
Frederic Chopin - Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op. post.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Sonata No. 11 Rondo Alla Turca
Franz Schubert - Ständchen (arr. Liszt)
Frederic Chopin - Waltz Op 64 No:1 (About to be over)
-Musical theory field-
I can play all of natural scales both major and minor including melodic and harmonic ones too, but that is the only theoretical knowledge i have.

What I need help about is that which composers' pieces that have some musical impression and emotion added to it so that i will not get bored at least and specifically to improve the techniques that you find extremely important for someone to proudly call themselves an intermediate piano player. Shortly, can you give me advice and pieces?
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Offline j_tour

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Re: Pieces to improve piano technique
Reply #1 on: April 03, 2020, 05:59:25 PM
Beethoven, piano sonata Op. 27 no. 1.

I'm still not sure how Beethoven got from his Op. 26 piano sonata to there (which also, I'd consider at least reading through as a foundational piece).

But, yes, the Op. 27/1 has about every trick in the book, every theoretical trick as far as diatonic harmony goes.

From there?  Well, that'd be up to you.  I certainly would not advise you to skip this bit of music, though.

Moszkowski's arrangements from Wagner's Tristan?  Yeah, I find that challenging these days, but I would stick with Beethoven and Bach.  And Haydn and Mozart for "free reading" periods in your studies.
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Offline siiben

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Re: Pieces to improve piano technique
Reply #2 on: September 15, 2020, 08:36:45 AM
Mozart - Sonata No. 8 is a good'n for an intermediate and so much fun. It has some short but relatively demanding passages that are bound to improve your left hand. Especially if you get it up to tempo.
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Offline mjames

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Re: Pieces to improve piano technique
Reply #3 on: September 17, 2020, 11:46:01 PM
Anything you haven't encountered and/or uncomfortable with will improve your technique. Struggle with poly-rhythms? Play some Debussy or some other piece with poly-rhythms. Can't do double third runs? Pick pieces with double third runs.


If you want a challenging suggestion, go through the entirety of either Chopin's or Scriabin's op. 28 and op. 11 respectively. With Chopin's set especially, there's a great deal of variety in style and texture with a wide range in difficulty. The really hard etude-like ones are so short you won't spend much time with them even if you struggle. If you go through all 24 you'll no doubt be a better pianist by the end of it.
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