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Topic: Good pieces to build skill? (Read 2547 times)

deltoro

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So I made another thread about playing the Revolutionary Etude and got slaughtered LOL. Can you suggest pieces that are good to play to build skill? What are some typical pieces you play to get to the Revolutionary Etude level of playing?

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brogers70

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Posts: 1755

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #1 on: May 23, 2022, 10:17:14 PM

You could try some of the Schubert Impromptus. The Eb Impromptu is fun with some fast scalar passages and, in the middle section, dramatic chords. The Ab Impromptu from Opus 142 will give you practice in voicing a melody on top of right hand chords (as you'll need to do often in the Revolutionary Etude). The first movement of Mozart's A minor Sonata is very dramatic and will give you practice at playing fast scalar bits in the LH under chords in the RH. Even the Bach 2 part inventions in F major or d minor will give you practice in fast left hand parts that you need to play while also doing something similarly difficult in the RH.

The main thing is to find good pieces of music that you can master in a month or two that are interesting enough that you'll be motivated to work on voicing and phrasing and musical expression while learning them.

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lelle

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Posts: 2506

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #2 on: May 24, 2022, 09:45:18 PM

Bach Inventions, or Preludes & Fugues if you can manage it!

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bwl_13

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Posts: 239

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #3 on: May 26, 2022, 03:38:42 AM

I know this was in your other thread, but yes injury is common. I've done it from overpracticing (many sections with wide stretches as you can see in my rep) just a few weeks ago and I'm only now able to resume with my most difficult pieces. I experienced a nerve compression and it was hell. It was hard to even get a diagnosis but I'm happy to have gotten the experience. I was reading a book about musical injuries while recovering and learned that a really high percentage of professional musicians experience some sort of musical injuries. Overpracticing is no joke, as is playing repertoire beyond your technical capabilities or with unpolished technique.

Anyway, Preludes and Fugues from Bach, Beethoven early sonatas (check out Op. 13 for that exciting minor Beethoven!), Schubert impromptus are all good next steps for you. Chopin nocturnes are great for phrasing, balance and rubato.

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Second Year Undergrad:
Bach BWV 914
Beethoven Op. 58
Reger Op. 24 No. 5
Rachmaninoff Op. 39 No. 3 & No. 5

deltoro

PS Silver Member
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Posts: 7

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #4 on: May 31, 2022, 08:51:09 PM

Thank you. I looked up the Bach inventions and tried some of them, but if I'm honest they were a bit boring lol. Also they're quite hard but don't sound very impressive. I liked the Schubert improptmus you suggested, if I found the right ones. It is also quite hard though :/ Somehow Clair de Lune is easier. It's not easy but it feels natural somehow if you know what I'm saying? I will try Chopin nocturnes, there were two that didn't seem to hard though it seems like you need a giant left hand LOL. Do you have more suggestions?

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goethefan69420

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Posts: 19

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #5 on: May 31, 2022, 09:25:29 PM

Quote from: deltoro on May 31, 2022, 08:51:09 PM

Thank you. I looked up the Bach inventions and tried some of them, but if I'm honest they were a bit boring lol. Also they're quite hard but don't sound very impressive. I liked the Schubert improptmus you suggested, if I found the right ones. It is also quite hard though :/ Somehow Clair de Lune is easier. It's not easy but it feels natural somehow if you know what I'm saying? I will try Chopin nocturnes, there were two that didn't seem to hard though it seems like you need a giant left hand LOL. Do you have more suggestions?

Listen to gould or great players play the inventions. Penny johnson on youtube has a strong spirit to their playing of them. The inventions are not boring, you just probably don't bring out the musicality in them. Remember, bach didn't write any dynamics, and you can feel free to use rubato or whatever rhyhtms it just has to be tasteful or at good climatic moments.

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bwl_13

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Posts: 239

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #6 on: June 02, 2022, 07:59:20 PM

Quote from: deltoro on May 31, 2022, 08:51:09 PM

Thank you. I looked up the Bach inventions and tried some of them, but if I'm honest they were a bit boring lol. Also they're quite hard but don't sound very impressive. I liked the Schubert improptmus you suggested, if I found the right ones. It is also quite hard though :/ Somehow Clair de Lune is easier. It's not easy but it feels natural somehow if you know what I'm saying? I will try Chopin nocturnes, there were two that didn't seem to hard though it seems like you need a giant left hand LOL. Do you have more suggestions?

The inventions are harder than they appear but invaluable. Bach is a difficult composer to pull off in my opinion. There are loads of small details that go a long way.

The Schubert impromptus can also be more challenging than they appear, musically especially. The one I'm working on has some diminuendos that I wouldn't have placed and though they're beautiful, they're also extremely challenging to play.

A few more suggestions... perhaps a Chopin Waltz in the Op. 64 set. Debussy flaxen hair, first arabesque are great. Ravel has some slightly easier pieces. The minuet from the sonatine is awesome.

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Second Year Undergrad:
Bach BWV 914
Beethoven Op. 58
Reger Op. 24 No. 5
Rachmaninoff Op. 39 No. 3 & No. 5

stringoverstrung

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 293

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #7 on: June 12, 2022, 09:06:06 PM

of course you will learn always something from every piece. However I do recommend to include some Scarlatti in your practice. It will be great for your finger dexterity, musical feeling and in general play in a subtle way especially if you practice them well and very slowly from time to time (or e.g. with staccato for the finger action).

There are over 500 of them: plenty of choice with a huge variety. They were written while Scarlatti was the teacher of the princess of Spain and contain sounds from all over Spain. No less than Farinelli took some of the manuscripts (or copies) back to Italy.
For example:
repeated notes: D minor K141
https://youtu.be/BF7pmimzjBs?t=2302

expression: Csharp minor Kk 247
https://youtu.be/1P95QYiJxw0list=PLEhQ5Ooc2lLoVutDzQn7nX8NoPKmRTYb5

Some other ones from great performers:

https://youtu.be/3FiZc7kbrWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0TRy41Fxg

to get you going.

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geopianoincanada

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Posts: 125

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #8 on: June 14, 2022, 03:56:41 PM

I don’t claim very much experience nor do I know what your skill level is presently at.

It’s taken me a lot of hard work to achieve any modest measure of skill on piano, this much I can attest to.

Books which have been enormously helpful to me have been the Faber line of study books and now the RCM line of Etudes.

I could never have even started to approach these books on my own. My good and wonderful teacher guided me through them all.

I can’t highlight this enough, whatever study material you find in your area to help you improve in this glorious work I hope you have your own good and wonderful teacher by your side to guide you.

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bernadette60614

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Posts: 541

Re: Good pieces to build skill?

Reply #9 on: June 28, 2022, 11:38:20 PM

Do they have to be pieces? Revolutionary Etude requires speed and dexterity, and for that I've found Czerny School of Velocity really hits the mark. They aren't big dramatic pieces of music, but even though they are exercises, they can be very dramatic depending upon how you play them.

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