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I hear you. I love this etude. It is the first one I learned and reason being someone or some people said it was the easiest Chopin etude to learn... what!? not even close.



first of all, the outer melodic parts of the etude are hard in the fact you have to voice it correctly . you cant just play the notes. it doesnt work. I remember for a long time I couldnt figure out why my playing of that part never sounded like in the recordings i heard. ( i was thinking, is the one I learned a simplified version>?) i found later through my friend (piano teacher a s well) told me I was not voicing anything. (this was years ago).

second, that middle section one needs ton of technique. it is harder than the whole of other etudes I feel. I still cannot get it right mine sound like a train wreck too. and that is after properly learning how to go about it.

so my point is, kudos to you for learning this etude. and being honest about it. Tons of people here and other forums say how easy it is. very dishonest. ok let me hear you then. you know what i mean?

I've been playing Beethoven's Sonata in G Op.49, No.2 the first 3 pages.
Possibly one of the easiest of his to learn.
At the end of the first 3 pages there is a repeat sign, so back to the beginning.
So for now I can play it ad infinitum if I so wish, until I tackle the remaining 10 pages.

Played Pathetique Sonata Movement 1 today. Was definitely out of practice but did OK. It took a long time for me to learn it as it is 7 or so pages. The passages with the eighth note octaves in the left hand and crazy right hand (2nd page on most sheets) require the metronome to get right. I was baffled at how to play it at full speed until I started really slow with the metronome and gradually worked my way up to full speed. It took a long time to get (almost) right, but totally worth it.

2, 3 & 4 August

Just playing and studying the Sonatas of Haydn, so nice.....

Best regards,
Johan B

You know something, I think the older take, take 2, is better. The breathing spaces have to be calculated in Bach, and are there because of the placement of the upbeats. In this movement, a lot of the up-beats are the last three semi-quavers before a downbeat. Think about it from that point of view and see what happens. Go back to very slow practice. In my experience, practising incredibly slowly is one of the most efficient ways to increase tempo, but use very small hand movements, minimum amount of movement necessary, and practise it pianissimo, feeling the balance of each key, and in very small sections.

I'm quoting another member, Joe80, who was responding to a recording of the Caprice from Bach's Partita #2, a very difficult piece. The section about slow practice is very revealing. This from a very fine pianist!! bolding mine.

The last few days, going through a lot of Carl Czerny exercises.

8, 9 & 10 September

Playing Haydn Sonatas........and a lot of organ literature, Bach, Händel, Böhm, Zipoli, Lefébure and others........preparing for my annual performance during 'Open monumentendag', 12 September, every year one day opening of monumental churches in the Netherlands.

Open monumentendag 12 September 2015
H.Sint Willibrorduskerk, Kloosterburen-The Netherlands

Best regards,
Johan B