Piano Forum



The Complete Piano Works of 16 Composers
Piano Street’s digital sheet music library is constantly growing. With the additions made during the past months, we now offer the complete solo piano works by sixteen of the most famous Classical, Romantic and Impressionist composers in the web’s most pianist friendly user interface. Read more >>

Topic: Supplemental Musical Sampling  (Read 989 times)

Offline bwl_13

  • PS Silver Member
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 239
Supplemental Musical Sampling
on: June 09, 2022, 10:02:53 PM
I had a lesson with my teacher today and she pitched a cool idea for a summer project/challenge to help overhaul my technique (in addition to the repertoire I'm working on). We’ll be working through the opening phrases of every Chopin etude (not including Nouvelle). Just the first 4-10 measures but I found this concept to be intriguing since she mentioned a professor she studied with insisting all his first year students learn the first page to every Chopin nocturne throughout the year. This sort of “sampling” approach is new to me but seems extremely beneficial in learning new music and getting a small taste for what a piece is like.

Has anyone tried something like this? How did it go for you?
Second Year Undergrad:
Bach BWV 914
Beethoven Op. 58
Reger Op. 24 No. 5
Rachmaninoff Op. 39 No. 3 & No. 5

Offline lelle

  • PS Gold Member
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2346
Re: Supplemental Musical Sampling
Reply #1 on: June 09, 2022, 10:59:31 PM
Intriguing idea! I have been slogging away at my own Chopin etudes on and off for years, and there is definitely a lot to be learned from them. I could see how that gives you a window into important foundational technique, especially if you are guided by your teacher.

I have been working on them mostly on my own and in hindsight I would not recommend that  ;D

Offline bwl_13

  • PS Silver Member
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 239
Re: Supplemental Musical Sampling
Reply #2 on: June 10, 2022, 05:00:01 AM
Intriguing idea! I have been slogging away at my own Chopin etudes on and off for years, and there is definitely a lot to be learned from them. I could see how that gives you a window into important foundational technique, especially if you are guided by your teacher.

I have been working on them mostly on my own and in hindsight I would not recommend that  ;D
I've been thinking about it, since I'm starting studies a university in the fall there's a lot of technical switches to be done. We're also going through all the scales, octaves, chords and arpeggios, but there's less work to do with those since the movements are fairly simple while the etudes require mixing and matching.

The cool thing about the Chopin etudes especially is how nearly all the etudes throw you head first into the skill(s) that they train. Not necessarily the peak in difficulty but they get down to business very quickly. I've already noticed in reading through a few of them different motions that my teacher has shown me that I can apply.
Second Year Undergrad:
Bach BWV 914
Beethoven Op. 58
Reger Op. 24 No. 5
Rachmaninoff Op. 39 No. 3 & No. 5

Online brogers70

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1688
Re: Supplemental Musical Sampling
Reply #3 on: June 10, 2022, 11:28:21 AM
I hate and love that idea. I hate it because it drives me nuts not to finish something I've started, but I love it, because it does seem true that for the Chopin Etudes I've learned, an awful lot of the technical problems are right there in the first few lines and that if you've figured out how to play those comfortably you've gotten 80-90% of the way to the technique you need for the whole thing.

Offline ranjit

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1444
Re: Supplemental Musical Sampling
Reply #4 on: June 10, 2022, 02:49:00 PM
Has anyone tried something like this? How did it go for you?
Well, not quite in those terms, but I think it can be valuable. This is essentially like using the pieces as short exercises for developing technique.

Another thing I have attempted in the past is trying to remember the first 30 seconds of multiple Beethoven sonatas (only the sound memory). I didn't get through the whole set, but I think it certainly helped my understanding of them.
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert