Flight of the bumblebee

[pianoguy2009]

Hi, I am a pianist that passed grade 6 ABRSM and I wanted more challenge, so I started learning flight of the bumblebee, I’m getting on really well with the piece however, although I can play hands separately almost perfectly, I’m struggling to put them together, especially locating the chords on the left hand, and some other parts as well, so do you guys have any tips on how to practice flight of the bumblebee effectively?

[lelle]

Not sure if there is any magic trick here, if you have trouble locating the chords, practice those parts, perhaps only the hand playing the chords so you can focus, until you can instantly identify all the positions and know it in your sleep.

[joycefoster]

Hi, I am a pianist that passed grade 6 ABRSM and I wanted more challenge, so I started learning flight of the bumblebee, I’m getting on really well with the piece however, although I can play hands separately almost perfectly, I’m struggling to put them together, especially locating the chords on the left hand, and some other parts as well, so do you guys have any tips on how to practice flight of the bumblebee effectively?

Hello, I am a new learner. To practice flight of the bumblebee, I often practice each hand individually to further strengthen their muscle memory and accuracy. Focus on the challenging sections of the left hand, such as the chord progressions, until I feel comfortable. Moreover, I often break the piece into smaller sections and practice hands together. You can try these methods because I think they are fairly effective

[pascalxus]

I think the combining hands part should just come with a bit of practice.  Not to hard there.


From my experience with playing super fast pieces like this, I've noticed that the real difficulty doesn't present itself until you've combined the hands and begin to increase the speed little by little.  At that point, it seems to take exponential amounts of practice to make incremental speed gains.  Does anyone else have the same feeling or is it just me?

[ego0720]

Not sure if there is any magic trick here... until you can instantly identify all the positions and know it in your sleep.

Is the technique narrow wrist rotations? Or finger stamina? Some combination thereof?How does one sustain the constant trills without inducing the nerve factor?  How can the pressure remain? That song is cool but gives me nervous breakdown upon listening.

[ranjit]

I think the combining hands part should just come with a bit of practice.  Not to hard there.


From my experience with playing super fast pieces like this, I've noticed that the real difficulty doesn't present itself until you've combined the hands and begin to increase the speed little by little.  At that point, it seems to take exponential amounts of practice to make incremental speed gains.  Does anyone else have the same feeling or is it just me?

Interesting. I find that for practiced, predictable patterns, 90% of the work is hands separate. For something like flight of the bumblebee,  I might practice each hand without looking -- that might be the most difficult part, and what might hold back progress.