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Thanks to the inspiring efforts of many here on AB forum[1], I have finally joined the 21st century and figured out how to post videos on YouTube. Here's the two Einaudi pieces I've put up so far:

I due Fiumi

Nuvole Bianche

In both cases, the video track comes from the Flip and the audio track is from my Zoom, laboriously and crudely spliced onto the video using Windows Movie Maker.

I heard in another thread that Zoom is going to come out with a combined audio/video recorder this summer. I'm going to start saving up for it even though I just bought the Flip because this editing stuff is making me pull my hair out.

[1]Among others, Anthony for being a good role model and posting his Einaudi recordings on YouTube; Lisztener for encouraging me to YouTube myself; Agilita for introducing me to the Flip Mino; and AnotherSchmoe for posting the sample Flip videos that convinced me to spring for it.

Bravo!!

Wow!!!! I really enjoyed those. I also watched your performance of "Watching their Flocks".. I only hope that someday I'll be able to play as well....Thank you and keep them comming.....

Very nice Monica. Both pieces were great and I noticed your memorization of them. The Mason really sounds great too.

You have motivated me to attempt a recording but it will have to be with a digital camera as the zoom has no video....yet!.

Hi Monica,

Congrats on your successes with these YouTube videos! It's very nice seeing you again, and even nicer to watch you play these Einaudi pieces. I can see why "Nuvole Bianche" is one of your favorites. It's such a beautiful piece. Well done!

Key Notes

Something funny happened the other night. I was working late on a book I'm editing, and I was emailing the production editor with some questions. He emailed right back, and when I responded, I said "we are both working WAAAAY too late." He then wrote back that he got more done after hours and, besides, he was enjoying just kicking back and listening to "Divenire" by Einaudi while working. The funny thing is that he had no idea of the piano- and Einaudi-part of my life... I publish as "Harris" (my maiden name) and that's who he thought I was. I naturally informed him straightaway that I was Einaudi's #1 fan and sent him my YouTube links and talked about the concert and everything. So now he probably thinks I'm rather strange, but it was still pretty neat to discover that Einaudi's fan base in the U.S. is spreading.

I'm really starting to think that hand size matters after all.
I have childish hands (male) and on bar 78 I can't hold the high B while playing B-C notes with thumb and index.

I'd like to see someone with small hands making videos to show you can play anything even if your hands are small, till then I'm ready to believe it makes a huge difference and playing piano harder.

Bar 78 of what piece, Motorama? Sometimes I have to rearrange chords in certain Einaudi pieces or pick up a note with the other hand. If it's a piece I've played I can look to see how I handled that measure.

Sorry, bar 78 of Nefeli.

I don't think hand size is really an issue here.

I've not played this piece but what I'm pretty sure will help is the sustain pedal. I know it's not usually printed on Einaudi scores but it should generally be used. The only time they usually will add pedal notation is when you need to be holding down pedal for different lengths of time for certain measures.

I hope you have fun learning Nefeli.

That section of Nefeli only calls for octave stretches, though it can be a little uncomfortable or awkward because you're holding down the top key while doing the alternating eighth notes with your thumb and index finger. With practice that stretch should become easier.

Also, the more you play piano, the more your ligaments etc. will stretch, and you will actually find yourself being able to reach more than you could before.

You may also want to experiment with using the sustain pedal, as Anthony suggested, so that you only have to hit that top note once and then you can concentrate on the other notes.

These are pics of my hands



As you can see from the first pic when the thumb and index are in the right position the fifth finger doesn't reach the high B


In this second picture I show where the index would naturally place if the fifth finger is in the right playing position. As you can see the index is on F so to reach C it should be moved 4 notes below. When I move it below automatically the fifth finger gets displaced and ends up with the tip on A rather than B.

Besides, seconds pic shows how far my thumb can go, it's its maximum.

What you think?

Motorama,

I would suggest you're making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself. If you look closely at how the passage in question is actually played:

• The sustain pedal is depressed
• The octave is played, thumb and 5th finger
• The alternating eighth notes are played
• The sustain pedal is released, you move to the next octave and repeat the sequence.

In other words, since you don't release the sustain pedal after hitting the octave, the note you play with your little finger continues to sound. When playing this passage, focus on playing the octave clearly (which your hand can span) then completely removing your pinkie from the key and playing the alternating eighth notes.

Although I can span an 11th and can play the section in question with my thumb and pinkie in place, it's much easier this way. Try it!

Edited to add: One thing that sounds kind of nice and is also a good way to practice this is to play the note with your pinkie slightly louder than the one with your thumb when playing the octave. It makes the melody line more apparent and is helps to practice the press and release.

Monica, since Le Onde is (was? I think you've conquered it) your Waterloo, can you answer a question for me on it? How do you handle measures 17 / 18?

My teacher does a recital in June, and I am determined to play Le Onde in it. (If I fail, I can always fall back on I Due Fiumi...)

I'm not Monica (although I aspire to be, one day ) but could you elaborate a bit more on what you want to know about measures 17/18?

Fair enough. In 17 and 18 (and 19, and others like it), do you go 54321 w/ the left hand?

OK, now I understand your question. No, I don't play them 54321 with the left hand. They are both played 52132. In measure 17, the left hand is gdgab. You play the gdg 521, pivot on your thumb (1) and play the ab with your middle and second finger (32).

Practice the left hand alone moving your hand and arm until you get a nice flowing motion up the keyboard. Much easier and more accurate than 54321!

Hope this helps!

p.s. Perhaps we should add a whole new category of answer for all questions on the forum - WWMD. What Would Monica Do?

LOL!! Actually, the WWMD for all things "Le Onde" is swear and gnash my teeth a lot! And I wouldn't say "conquer" is the right verb... maybe "satisficing" instead. Or perhaps "surrendering."

Greg's fingering for 17 and 18 is what I use, too, AWTPP.

Good luck with your recital! "Le Onde" is such a beautiful piece, but so is "I due fiumi," so you'd be set with either one.

difference being that I can actually play IDF. On the other hand, it seems very few people have heard any of his music, so in amongst the typical recital stand-byes (Bach Two Part Inventions, things from method books, and what have you) the music is going to stand out enough as it is.

Gonna head straight over to the piano now and give this a try. Thanks everyone for your help.

For those of us who have not wanted to shell out over $300 for a used copy of "The Best of Ludovico Einaudi," I just discovered that it is expected to be back in stock at Amazon.com on March 17, for $26.56 including free shipping! I ordered a copy.