Help with Rachmaninoff's G Major Prelude (Op. 32 No. 5)

[rocky99]

My piano professor assigned me Rachmaninoff's G Major prelude to learn on my own over the summer. The notes are quite easy, but I am having a very difficult time wrapping my head around the polyrhythms when I try putting my hands together. Does anyone have any tips for practicing this piece?

[lelle]

My piano professor assigned me Rachmaninoff's G Major prelude to learn on my own over the summer. The notes are quite easy, but I am having a very difficult time wrapping my head around the polyrhythms when I try putting my hands together. Does anyone have any tips for practicing this piece?

Generally for these types of polyrhythms you practise so that you focus on the beat until you really feel it confidently. Then if the different hands have different rhythms, you focus on the beats and let the off-beat notes just kind of fit into place. You solve it through feeling the pulse and developing confidence rather than thinking about it, essentially, in my experience.

[dogperson]

Here’s a tutorial which may be useful

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3V_25cR5MAw