Weird Flex and One Finger Octave Practice

[mrcreosote]

Octaves first:

I was watching a LL master class regarding some Beethoven Sonata I believe and there was this run he was trying to show the student.  So he leans over and rips the run with one finger!!

So it occurred to me when trying to find that arm, wrist, hand, finger motion that is capable of great speed - "up" instead of "down" was best advice so far - DO NOT detract speed focus by also playing octaves.  Practice the speed with a single note, maybe a 1,2 or 1,2,3 finger grouping  (If you can't play fast single notes, forget the octaves!)

And now Weird Flex

I've been trying to come up with a word to describe the "bad acting" (I'm being generous here) that many virtuosos are investing heavily in.  (LL is probably the most criticized.)

It then occurred to me that "Weird Flex" is the perfect description.

Watching a string quartet or even an orchestra is starting to look like the final round of Mr. Universe when all the contestants are on stage trying to out-flex each other!  While it is entertaining in the body building universe, it is downright pathetic and embarrassing in the "classical' music world. 

But then acting like a loon on a game show is OK.  And it is show business...  So maybe I'm being over critical.  (But I think I'm right about the single note exercise.)

[ranjit]

On a serious note, it's possible to play octaves faster than you can play notes in a scale with one finger, the thumb or the pinky/ring finger. Due to the bounce while playing an octave, and keeping your hand in position, the thumb for example can take the "lead", and the other finger follows automatically. However, after a while, the other finger "takes over", so it's kind of like a swinging pendulum or something, they kinda balance each other out, making it possible to play faster than you can play single notes with one finger.

[mrcreosote]

On a serious note, it's possible to play octaves faster than you can play notes in a scale with one finger, the thumb or the pinky/ring finger. Due to the bounce while playing an octave, and keeping your hand in position, the thumb for example can take the "lead", and the other finger follows automatically. However, after a while, the other finger "takes over", so it's kind of like a swinging pendulum or something, they kinda balance each other out, making it possible to play faster than you can play single notes with one finger.

Interesting explanation of thumb/pinky "duty cycle."  About what is the frequency of the "pendulum swing?"  Example:  Erlkonig:  3 thumbs, 3 pinks, 3 thumbs...

My problem may be mental.  I can do a single crossover on any scale very fast, but when I try to rip to the 2nd crossover, I can't think fast enough to "reset" for the next one.  I think Emma is right about you have to think fast to play fast. 

I like to rip octave sales only to the 7th and back (it's a classic jazz run) and can do them very fast, but that 2nd octave is another matter.  Perhaps thousands of reps @ 2 octaves slowly may let me grow some better brain network.