Help on Mordents!

[amee]

I'm currently learning Chopin's Impromptu in Ab major, and there are many places where mordents appear.  Somehow whenever I play them the notes stick together and it ends up as either a blurred mess or nothing at all.  

Is there any way to play mordents?
I'd appreciate any help on this topic.

[frederic]

What fingers are you using on those mordent, amee?
Mordent, trills and such was never a problem to me. But we are all different. My weakness is my 4th and 5th finger (most people are like that aren't they?) so i want to know which fingers you use.

[amee]

I'm using 2-3-2 on the mordent.  Usually I can play them fine, but in this case they must be played piano and also quite fast.  I just can't get my index finger to get off the first key fast enough.

[rachfan]

Hi amee,

Try this: practice the mordents (along with two or three notes just preceeding and a few following each figure in order to tie the mordents into their phrases).  Do it in rhythm but at a slower tempo with stiff, rigid, steely fingers.  (Yes, you heard right!)  Do this without pedal and also louder than in performance.  Practice each one a number of times until you can articulate it flawlessly before moving on to the next one.  (Make an exercise of each.)  After the drill, go back up to tempo and relax the hand (although the fingers always need some degree of tautness to function correctly), and play the mordents now in a musical rather than the mechanical way you just employed in the practice exercise.  I think you'll be amazed at the new found fluidity and clarity with which you can now execute the mordents.  Remember too that the mordent is merely a tiny ornament and has to blend in perfectly to the total melodic line.  It cannot be detached, sound like a clumsy bump, or call attention to itself.  If after performing them well they start to get sloppy or lazy again, revert to the practice routine described to polish them up.  Always remember that the number of times you can perform anything really well is in a proportion to the number of times practiced.  The practice iterations always exceed the performances.  It's no different with those stubborn mordents.  

[tempest-Sonata]

Hey before anything tell me what mordent is. i have never incountered such a word in piano in my life. are mordent and trills desame?? okok amee.
i have seen  your picture. ohh i am surprized to see you like that. okok could you give me another pic. the pic thats shows the best you in your best smile.
that pic was nice   but i want more. okok so\
i havnt log in  here for quite a while. internet problems.
im sorry bout that.

[amee]

A mordent is sort of like short trill, but with only three notes.  In the case of this piece, the mordent goes Eb-F-Eb most of the time.