How can I study Chopin's "Waterfall", Etude op 10 no 1 without getting hurt?

[faa2010]

I have started to play this Etude, this will be my second one, the first one has been Chopin's Etude op 10 no 3, "Tristesse", one of my favourite pieces of the whole world, and one which I will remember with love.

I also have liked the no 12, or the 2, and maybe the 4, but for some reason, my mind wants to go with one of the most challenging one: op 10, no 1 "Waterfall".

Like I said, I started it, and I feel it is very easy because of the keys, the memory, reminds me Bach's Prelude in C major and Debussy's Gradus ad Parnassum, but my teacher is warning me about it, that she preferred another one, but now that I have started it, I shall go on with it, but if I feel some pain, I should quit it.

I suppose she said it because I have an issue as a pianist: I tense my hands when I start to play faster. So what would you recommend me?, which exercises or piano pieces can I learn and play which can help me in getting my hands relax and play with more flow?

Thanks for your advice and recommendations.

[brogers70]

I'm just an amateur and I cannot play that etude up to performance tempo, so take all this with a grain of salt. I think a really enjoyable thing about that etude is this - when you get the movement right you suddenly have the illusion that your hands are huge, and it is very comfortable and enjoyable to play. So I think the thing is to make sure that you do not leave your right hand in an open, spread out position. Instead, when you have say the first arpeggio group fingered 1245, as soon as you play 2, your thumb should begin moving towards 5, so that by the time 5 plays its note, your hand is in a very relaxed, position, not spread out at all. You can check that by stopping on every 1 or every 5 finger to make sure your hand feels relaxed. And don't go for high speed at all, at least not until the motion feels very comfortable.

[faa2010]

Thanks for your advice. That's what's happening, I am moving quickly the thumb once he does his job, now the thing is with the pinky once I return. Thanks.

[lelle]

If you tense your hands playing faster, your teacher should help you fix that. There's no exercises that will remove all the tension from your hands for you, you need to learn how to control that yourself. Does your teacher help you?

[nook508]

I am also one who tenses my wrists and fingers a lot. I think what helps me is focusing on movement of the wrist/forearm and not holding on to the notes for two long (I think 1.5 notes at a time, like one down while lifting up bottom note and playing top note). Eventually muscle memory makes it a lot easier to not tense as it feels quite natural, and it will help a lot with playing wide arpeggios.

[ialaban]

Like I said, I started it, and I feel it is very easy because of the keys, the memory, reminds me Bach's Prelude in C major and Debussy's Gradus ad Parnassum, but my teacher is warning me about it, that she preferred another one, but now that I have started it, I shall go on with it, but if I feel some pain, I should quit it.

Easy? This is considered one of the hardest pieces in the piano repertoire! The arpeggios span 10th, even up to 11ths and have to be played at a breakneck speed of 176 bpm! That shouldn't discourage you though, Op 10 No. 1 would be a great piece to apply good technique. I'd strongly suggest asking your teacher the right technique to play the arpeggios or you could go to youtube and look at the technique to play it well.