etude op.10 no.12, Chopin

[xpletus]

I am having a lot of difficulty playing the fourth page, the part with triplets on the right hand and 16th notes on the left. Does anyone have any tips, particularly in getting it up to speed? Thanks in advance

[JTownley]

:-/  Are there triplets in the Revolutionary Etude??
https://www.JoeTownley.com  "Revolutionary" Videos!

[rachfan]

Hi Xpletus,

Yes, there certainly are triplets there starting with measure 50.  Measure 52 is more interesting, since there the 3rd and 4th beats are both triplets.  The triplet  on the 4th beat is a little uncommon, because the last note of it is subdivided into a 16th rest followed by its partnered 16th note--but a triplet nonetheless.

What you might try on these is to work with the metronome for awhile, just the RH alone.  What throws you off there is the G octave, with the C and E flat being tied as inner notes (hold them!) from the earlier A flat chord.  Because the G is resolving from the A flat, it is natural to taper it off, almost as if it were the end of a short phrase--which is indeed correct execution, even though in 4/4 time, beat 3 is considered the principal subbeat and sometimes deserves a little emphasis.  Not here though.  Still, mentally you have to count that G octave as the start of the first triplet there.  Play the following B natural octave at slightly higher volume spending the short crescendo as indicated in the score as you go all the way through the 4th beat.  

Notice too, that you have here the classic "three (RH) against four (LH)" in the first triplet.  Practice those rhythms hands alone before integrating them.  Even though you might be tempted to align the notes of the second triplet with the notes of the LH, forget it!  Don't be misled and deceived by that 16th rest embedded inside the triplet making it appear at quick glance to be four 16ths, three being notes and one a rest, therefore making it fully aligned with the LH.  Not true!  The RH rhythm is totally governed by the fact that the figure is a triplet and must be treated as such--period.  Thus, the first notes of the three group in the RH and the four group of the LH will be played simultaneously, but that's all.  The rest fit  between and among one another.  

Once you get the RH and LH rhythms synchronized, you can take a little liberty and play that last 16th with a bit more snap for dramatic effect.  Paderewski used to do that.  I've done it too.  But don't exaggerate it.  Also in any piece, never take any liberty until you fully understand the exact notation and execution first, so that you can retain control of your playing within the bounds of good taste.  On the matter of velocity, as you continue to work with the metronome, ramp it up to tempo until you are comfortable with articulating at that speed.  

Incidentally, on those octave passages in measures 52 and 60, if your hand is large enough, finger the tops of the octaves  4-5-4-5-4-4, as it will give you a better legato effect.   On most of the octaves and chords throughout the piece, you'll be voicing the tops with the 5th and 4th fingers.  Yes, the etude is about all that hum and buzz in the left hand, but you still have a melody to shape in the RH, which, like any melody, is predominent in the piece.  

I hope this helps you.