Problem with Burgmüller - Arabesque

[mauzenberger]

Hello everyone,

I'm sure you're all familiar with the short piece Arabesque by Friedrich Burgmüller.

I find myself struggling to play it faster than approx. 100 bpm. At higher speeds the 16th notes get real uneven and I don't feel like I'm really in control of what my hands are doing anymore. It's like I'm running into a speed barrier.

Same problem with a five finger patterns like C D E F G. When I play these notes up and down I get uncomfortable at around 100 bpm (16th notes).

How should I practice to achieve really crisp and clean 16th notes?

I've been playing for a couple of years already and can play much more complex pieces but Arabesque is my nemesis.

I want to solve this speed problem in "fixed hand positions" once and for all.

[lelle]

Generic answer is that there is most likely tension and lack of coordination in your playing. But it's hard to give you a generic answer on how you fix that without seeing you play. It's not something you solve by forcing control, but rather by relaxing, learning to release all unnecessary tension from your hands and arms. You might also be using movements that work against you. Ideally you'd work on it in person with a teacher who knows how to teach technique since it is hard to give technical advice in written form without risking misunderstandings.