too hard??

[Sekoul]

well ive been learning the campanella for a few months now along with other pieces... so on and off... and ive got the first 2 min down pretty well... but it depends what you mean by well... my teacher says she is very surprised i can play this and that i should deffinitely finish the piece and perform it at recitals... but i just don't feel confident at all when im playing it.
i have days when i can get through the 2min at normal speed and make only 5-6 mistakes (the higher octave note mainly), but on some days i feel as if im only hitting 5-6 GOOD notes lol
Should i keep practicing this piece or just give up and say its too hard?

[xvimbi]

Well, if your teacher thinks it's going well, then keep on going! However, I think your tempo is too high.

Here is what works for me:

1. Work out fingering and the correct motions of the entire piece at tempo
2. Work predominantly on the most difficult passages to get them mastered at faster than tempo.
3. When playing the entire piece (at the end of a practice session), stay at a tempo where the entire piece can be handled, i.e. every note can be played accurately and precisely (i.e. perfectly), no matter how slow it is and using the above motions.
4. I want to automatically go faster, therefore I have to pace myself, so that I don't play inaccurately and start ingraining bad habits.

Maybe that will help you.

Keep on going!

[musicsdarkangel]

I am working on mastering the piece as we speak, and it is quite difficult.

However, don't worry, just keep at it.  The payoff is well worth it.

I'm starting the Mephisto Waltz, and because la Campanella was so difficult (and because it was my first truly virtuostic Liszt piece), I believe that Mephisto give me an easier time.

[will]

Should i keep practicing this piece or just give up and say its too hard?

If you really want to learn it you should. Like xvimbi said make sure you pace yourself otherwise bad habits may become ingrained. These bad habits may not occur only when you play this piece but creep into your general playing technique.

I went through a period where I learned a lot of pieces that were very hard for me to play and found that my jaw started to hurt...I guess I was unconciously tensing while playing. My playing also became less fluent so I went back to playing easier pieces and just kept one hard piece. I made sure to pace myself when learning the hard piece and now everything is good as gold.

So yes keep playing the work but be careful and don't overdo your practice of hard pieces.

[mysKat]

What about looking at Busoni or Friedman's transcriptions? They tend to be less taxing in certain ways.

[Skeptopotamus]

the Mephisto waltz is MUCH more difficult just so you know.  Don't go rushing into it because you can play La Campanella.  Yes, you definitely should continue playing this piece, as it will more likely than not be required at a competition at some point or another.  it is standard repertoire.

[Brian Healey]

A practice suggestion for La Campanella:

Split the piece into short segments, and then find a speed where you can play hands seperately with absolutely no mistakes, no matter how slow it has to be. Then, practice the piece hands seperately by moving the metronome up one notch at a time until you get to a speed where you begin making mistakes and are not completely relaxed. The next day, start a few notches down from where you ended previously, and do the same thing. Each day, your tempo threshold will increase. One day, you'll peak at at 72, and the next day it might be 76 or 80 for a particular segment. I find that using a sticky note is great for keeping track of your tempos for each segment, because you can stick it right onto the sheet music.

Once you get your hands seperate practice up to about 1.5 times the normal tempo, then go into practicing hands together in the same way until you get to the goal tempo. I think you'll find playing hands together a good deal easier at this point. Rather than diving in with both hands simultaneously, I've found this way to be the fastest and most efficient route to learning a difficult piece, and with La Campanella, I think this is the best way to really be able to nail those RH leaps consistantly. Good luck.

Peace,
Bri

[musicsdarkangel]

the Mephisto waltz is MUCH more difficult just so you know.  Don't go rushing into it because you can play La Campanella.  Yes, you definitely should continue playing this piece, as it will more likely than not be required at a competition at some point or another.  it is standard repertoire.

I actually saw this reply coming, and I understand what you are saying.  However, I believe that the difficulty on learning the pieces vs mastering is a totally new ballpark.  Mastering la Campanella I have heard from several is more difficult than mastering Mephisto.  Of course I haven't learned Mephisto yet, so I am not at liberty to say.  However, I can relate to what you're saying, and the reason that I believe it will coming easier is because La Campanella was my first difficult Liszt piece and this is my second.  I think that I have improved very much since I started La Campanella and hopefully it will help me out with Mephisto Waltz.  Before I hurt my hand, I was able to learn the first three pages quite solidly with out much dedication.

Do you have any advice for Mephisto Waltz?

[Skeptopotamus]

No way.  Mephisto Waltz is harder than La Campanella to master also.  Here's proof:

https://www.piano-e-competition.com/

La Campanella and Mehpisto Waltz get played many many times, and Mephisto Waltz is completely bombed almost every time, and these are professional pianists.

[steinwayguy]

No way. Mephisto Waltz is harder than La Campanella to master also. Here's proof:

https://www.piano-e-competition.com/

La Campanella and Mehpisto Waltz get played many many times, and Mephisto Waltz is completely bombed almost every time, and these are professional pianists.

I completely agree. Who nails all of those octave skips in recital? Kissin, maybe? This piece is tremendously difficult, but if one gives a convincing reading of it, he is a truly great pianist and musician. Most important thing in Liszt, in my opinion, everything is music, one must not always focus on the notes!

To the original question: I have a nice proverb: "One can not play something because it is too hard- one can not play something because one does not have the right coordination"

In that, I agree with xvimbi, it's all about arm coordination, not fingers. I hope to God you're not trying to play this piece with just fingers!

[Sekoul]

In that, I agree with xvimbi, it's all about arm coordination, not fingers. I hope to God you're not trying to play this piece with just fingers!

can you elaborate on the finger vs arm playing?? obviously it's my arm position and not my hand position changes that let me reach different notes... is this what you're referring to?

[steinwayguy]

I don't think I could explain without any visuals, but if you're really interested, I highly recommend Abbey Whiteside's "Indispensables of Piano Playing". It's a very controversial book, but if you take into consideration her suggestions for physical ease, you will be much better off "technically". That book along with Heinrich Neuhaus' "The Art of Piano Playing" revolutionized my "technique" and my music-making.