Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Tempo fluctuation in Chopin etude op 25 no 2

Hi, I have an issue with this etude. I play the first part of the etude at 95 bpm and then when the main theme starts again my speed moves to 96 bpm. Is this normal?. This happens of course when Im not practicing with the metronome, but I checked a recording of me and checked it with a metronome and my speed fluctuates between 1 bpm and 2 bpm between the first and the second part. How can I correct this?, is this an important variation?

Imperceptible difference. Don't let it worry you.

That amount of variation is better than zero variation.

But how can it be better than zero variation?

Zero variation is boring.

Zero variation (or zero error) is identical to the output of a midi file, so unless you prefer midi output over human performance, some amount of variation is better.

Nobody would ever, ever notice, unless they're a living metronome. I also wouldn't want to correct it; playing the piece at a constant BPM would make it sound wooden and boring. It may be an Etude, but this isn't Czerny we're talking about.

If you want to clean that up, the first question to ask is whether you can hear it while you are playing. If you can't hear it, you won't be able to fix it, but once you are able to hear the difference, fixing it will be doable.

I think anybody who does that should be shot!


Like people are saying, don't worry about it.
Maybe unless it goes to 97.

Yes, it is very important and you should correct it.

Have you had your HEARING checked recently?
This might be a symptom of HEARING LOSS?

For a steady tempo your fingers must be relaxed.
Are you doing any kind of HEAVY SPORTS that might make your fingers stiff?
(edit: I was especially warned against WEIGHTLIFTING and TENNIS.)

I think you must immediately see a physician whether any of the above problems are causing this.

Edit: If you also play another instrument which has different positions for each hand in contrary of piano (GUITAR, VIOLIN etc.) that can cause this. Because you can have incoordination problems adapting to piano playing.

Therefore you should IMMEDIATELY STOP playing these kind of string instruments.

Are you playing ANY KIND of NON-CLASSICAL music (pop, etc.)?
If so that can be the cause too.
You should IMMEDIATELT REFRAIN from playing non-classical music.

But a difference of 1 bpm or even 2 in the metronome I think is impossible to the ear to distinguish, anyone else agree?. I don't think the ear is able to distinguish the firrence between 97 bpm and 96 bpm, it is a ver imperceptible difference

No, one can distinguish much better than that if there is NO HEARING LOSS.

It is normal to distinguish between 96.1 and 96.2 easily. 97 is a HUGE difference.

As I said see your doctor for HEARING LOSS.

edit: Were you in the past subjected to sound level more than 60-65 DECIBEL while playing. That might have caused serious hearing loss.

Remember the old LPs? They were to be played at exactly 33-1/3 speed. You see it must be that accurate.

Yes -- there were many cases of people whose turntables sometimes fluctuated between 33 1/3 and maybe 33 1/4, and they fainted and died.

A grave issue, most certainly!

Very grave.

If I didn't like the pitch at which the music was being played (e.g. when an orchestra was playing at A=440, but I preferred A=440.5), I changed the rotation speed slightly.

My ears are extraordinarily sensitive to pitch, but unfortunately, the music doesn't seem to go any faster. With some performances (and even some music), I prefer the music to finish earlier......