Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner I need to learn (and perform) 2 difficult etudes in 1 month.

My piano teacher told me a few days ago, that there is an exam coming somewhere in the end of march, where we have to play at least a 5 minute piece (or more then one piece, if they're less than 5 mins) that we learn by our own, with no help from our teachers.

well, since i was told that the pieces could be from any time period, i told them i'd really want to play Kapustin's concert etudes op. 40 no. 3 and 6 - "toccatina" and "pastorale", two 2,5 minute pieces.

but it turned out, that the exam is in fact on the 25th of february, which leaves me with less than a month to learn both of them. there's no turning back now, and even if there was, i would still really want to learn these pieces. but how can i do it with so little time? i also have to spend some time with the other repertoire i currently have, chopin's "revolutionary etude" and beethoven's "turkish march".

i need advice, thanks in advance

You can do it, but it will take discipline in your practice method. That is, try to eliminate all wasted time from your practice.

I suggest using the 1x4 method. Divide the piece into sections, and for each section, if you play it perfectly the first time, move on to the next section. If you don't play it perfectly, play it three more times. Make the sections small at first, then make them larger. When you practice, start with the section at the end of the piece, then move towards the front.

When you get through it, take some kind of break to clear your mind, then start again.


This guy has some interesting ideas, too.

The Kapustins are both much ore difficult than the two other pieces you're learning...I'd suggest you find some easier pieces. Good luck!

Why is there no turning back? Did you already send in a registration form with titles of pieces? Do they have a rule that you are not allowed ever to change the pieces once forms are in? Most places are quite flexible if you ask nicely (and just ask nicely, no need to tell a long story about why you want the change.)

I often give this advice to people and I don't want to sound like a downer, but: run don't walk to something you can easily play. A month is a good amount of time to polish something you learned a while ago. It is a horrible amount of time to learn and perform new pieces that you find difficult.

Since the requirement is a piece you learn without a teacher -- if you don't have something already that you learned independently, you will need to choose more wisely. Think about all the help your teacher gives you, and think about the timeframe you usually spend on a working piece with the teacher. Now think about not having that help, and having only a 1-month timeframe. Choose a piece that fits those parameters. (i.e. substantially easier for you than pieces you would work on with your teacher for over a month.) You are already playing some difficult concert-level repertoire so don't worry about trying to impress and dazzle with technical difficulty of the learn-on-your-own piece. Pick something that shows another side of your playing, that you can play with confidence.

Think about the results you want here. Do you want to give a successful performance, enjoy the process and score well on the exam? or do you want to take on something very hard, beat your head against it for the next month, stumble through the exam and then only be glad it's over?

Sounds like those Kapustin pieces are music you're excited about and would be a big step up. Learning music like that is a fantastic challenge and yes you should definitely take it on and grow in the process.... but doing it in 1 month for an exam just sounds miserable. Play them when you can be happy and relaxed about the learning process, and give a successful performance in your own time!

i decided to leave the kapustin etudes for next year

i found a great piano suite by Leopold Godowsky, the "java suite" and i'm going to learn the no. 10 "In the Kraton" it's a slow piece with not too many technical difficulties, and the culmination in the middle should be no problem.

It seems that somebody doesn't plan ahead or read the rules! How could a planned date of the "end of March" become the "25th of February"?

What is the purpose of this exam? I know of no examination that limits preparation time and requires the student to learn something without the help of any teacher, other than what are called "quick study" tests.

To do well in such a short time, you have to play something you know well. I don't think it makes any sense to start something new with less than a month to bring it to performance level.

The whole idea is somewhat puzzling, unless you haven't told us everything.

Regards,

I wouldn't like to even think about having to perform those Kapustin etudes from scratch within this limited time, what an idea.

My god. i seriously underestimated this piece... I've successfully screwed myself, now i have to learn 15 pages of complex, jumbled up polyrythm and polymeter in 22 days.

i seriously don't know what to do now. it seems like i'll have to quit school for the next two weeks so i would have time to practice this piece 6 hours a day and memorize it....

What you need to do is reassess your abilities and choose pieces that you can do in the time that you have to do them. It sounds like you are panicking, which is only going to make things worse. You need to calm down.

It seems like the purpose of the exam is not to show off your technical performing prowess; it is to demonstrate that you can learn a piece and play it well within a time frame. So you have to find something that you can learn quickly and well. It need not be a showy piece.

So go back and find something that is well within the cutting edge of your abilities, and learn that.

Find something simple you know you can play. Better to play something simple and well, than to play something complex, poorly.

Also, this post literally made me laugh out loud.

I'm going to play the 1st movement of the moonlight sonata. i've been practicing it, and the third movement on my own for a long time, heck, i could probably even get the whole sonata ready in a week

also, i wonder what was so funny about my post that it made you literally laugh out loud?

If the assignment was to pick out and learn a new piece in a certain time period, the Moonlight Sonata would be one that I would assume that would have been known beforehand, and I would not give as high a grade as something less well known.

Good luck.

I laughed from the authentic emotion that was revealed, from unconcealed ambition, to the full-hearted attempt, to the surprise panic. Having been in similar situations, I can relate.

If the 3rd movement is already in hand, go for it! if it's too much then stick with the first. As long as you did learn it on your own I see no reason why judges would penalize you for choosing a frequently-played piece.

In my case it wasn't laughter; it was surprise. Someone skilled enough to consider entering a competition on short notice finds a score that is "a slow piece with not too many technical difficulties, and the culmination in the middle should be no problem" turns out to be "15 pages of complex, jumbled up polyrythm and polymeter."

I am surprised that, studying the score or hearing the score (whichever it was), there was such a misjudgment of the complexities involved.

Regards,

Sometimes that happens. It seems easy enough, but somehow it just doesn't come into your fingers, even when you practice it for many hours.