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I need some help. I've been working on this piece for a while, it's definately the hardest piece I've worked on thus far and it's giving me headaches.

I have the entire piece memorized and under my fingers really well, the only problem I'm having is speed. At about half speed I can play the piece note perfect often. But speeding the piece up to any reasonable tempo just totally destroys it. I don't know how else to practice!

Theres no particular place I'm really having problems, It's just physically I can't seem to play it that fast. Any ideas?

Relax, play it at the speed that you can play it accurately once or twice every day. Then go on to something else. Don't try to rush it. The speed will come when it comes.

It's an accomplishment already that you have gotten so you can play it accurately. Enjoy that; become comfortable with what you have done so far. Everything else will come with time.

Set yourself a speed on the metronome. Then play it one time. Speed it up one or two notches at a time. If you're not satisfied with yourself, play it two or three or four times or till you get it right, then move on to the next notch. It worked for me.

Try practicing thirds... Try chopin no. 6, op. 25 etude! Try to master that etude so that you can easily play the piece so that it will sound effortless! Try to play the octaves lightly but the sound is big!

Hope that helps! That piece is very difficult!

I played that piece like 2 years ago. The hardest thing is to find the right technique of execution. In this case, it's all about having fingers like steel but wrist and arm as loose as possible. Work on the attacks, they must be precise, sharp but always comfortable and non-stiff.

Those parts with thirds and theme on the right hand: I used 12 12 12 12 12 12 on all the thirds, discriminated to bring more the "melody" that i do with almost pure 5 with some 4 theres... With this fingering i was sure to have a stable hand and so i had to worry only about the attack and of course not to miss the notes.

Also it's important to save F, FF, and FFFs to the climax so that the whole doesn't sound like a bang only.

If you need help you can ask, i'll see what i can tell you.

I did op.25 n.6. doesn't help at all LOL, those are other "thirds"