How to play Chopin op 27 no 2

[chopinonions]

Hi! I'm looking for some general advice to play this piece, as well as some help in making progress. I feel like I keep slowing down drastically at measures 13-16, and its preventing me from being confident enough to keep going. How should I practice these polyrhythms? Any other advice pertaining to the piece would be great to hear too.

[winsto7]

What I found helpful when I played this piece a while back was breaking the poly rhythms into smaller segments. For example, measure 13 is just a 3:2 poly rhythm, though it looks a lot more complicated. The 6:4 poly rhythm in measure 14, I simplified into a 3:2 (it helps me focus better and they are just the same thing). Measure 15 is just a bunch of 3:2 polyrhythms and so is the last half of measure 16. For the 5:4 poly rhythm in 16, I struggled through and through. I think the easiest way to help me was thinking that it didn't have to be exact, but rather just be able to get all the notes within the timeframe. I sort of cheated myself, but it worked okay. Honestly the best thing when doing any polyrhythm is to take it undertempo and build up until you have it where it needs to be. It's tedious, but it works. Fingering is also crucial in this piece as it will be a nightmare without it. Though, remember if the fingering written is uncomfortable for you and you can come up with a better alternative that works for you personally, then go with that, as it will help you get through the piece and you can also feel comfortable with it.