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Mac knows more than you guys give him credit for (except for Kreisler).

I hope he enjoyed his fishing trip.

Seriously. Fishing is a wonderful way to relax...............and catch fish!

"His" ideas DO warrant attention. Do not dismiss them because of his combative style.

The problem is, or perhaps was as mac777 has seemingly vanished, is that he was not really expressing his ideas. Rather, he was mainly being derogatory about others and then throwing a few snippets of information out. He then concluded this limited range of postings with some remarkably silly remarks about how we could benefit from his expertise for $500 an hour.

He does not seem to have grasped the purpose of a public forum.

He may have some good ideas, or at least be capable of repeating the ideas of those who taught him, but his method of expressing them is so abrasive that any gems that he may have to impart are largely obscured by the rather childish invective.

Vanish? He just went fishing...

And has not returned. We must send out a search party.

Maybe in the meantime the ideas touted could be explored?

....or the ideas trouted?
lol I shouldn't be allowed such opportunities for PUNishment.......

Not to carp on about it do you think mac777 would take his payment COD? Maybe he only gives lessons at his plaice. I must say I am beginning to feel like a fish out of water in this thread, so maybe it is time to tuna up my guitar and crab a beer.

Okay you win, hands down.

WOW! This is my first visit to this forum. Is this how it always goes?

When I saw that the tread was in reference to the "Pathetique", I opened it immediately as I am currently pulling this sonata out of mothballs.

I was reading Kreisler's suggestions with interest and then wham. Not good - not good.

I am still wondering if anyone has any further, and civilized suggestions on practicing the tremolo passages. For the most part, keeping relaxed and practicing in rhythms seems to be the most effective for me, but I welcome all suggestions.

Haven't we all decided on the proper bench height long ago?

Since I'm not a fisherman and don't drive a Harley, I might as well hang around here in hopes that this was an aberration.

This movement of the piece is all about total relaxation. Slow and steady rehearsal is the key. Shoulders need to be relaxed and wrist resting comfortably on the keyboard. Think relaxation. Think floating along. Remember your Left hand is free to ' float ' at all time arround the bass end of you piano.
Try to think of both hands working as one cohesive unit. Remember the metronome. Most important in rehearsing a piece of this nature. Remember to make much of the dynamics in this piece - this also gives you a chance to slow up a little. Remembeer that this piece ( like all pieces ) is the composers expression of his thoughts and feelings. You must adopt this approach when you are playing at all times.. Each movement of this work brings its own challenges. Just as the first movement presents the challenge of the left hand so the third movement presents a challenge of a different nature for the left hand throwing regularly to the right. The second movement has the challenge of the right hand as balanced against the left hand in sound.

Just relax and above all think of the music effect you are stricing to create. Lots of rotary exercises will help you to limber up before you start to play the first movement. Some scale to ready your fingers.

Enjoy the piece. I am doing a revision of this piece after some 20 years. I selected an Associated Board edition ( for editorial markings and clarity of print and a fine illustration of ornaments used in this piece ).

This was definitely an aberration, and I plan to clean up the post pretty soon.

Welcome to the forums!

Mario - what exactly do you mean by "rotary exercises"?

Hi Maurice,

Thank you for your insights and suggestions.

I am not familiar with Associated Board editions. Can you provide any further info. I see that you are from Australia and wonder if these are available in the US. I would love to check out their editions.

Thanks,

You (or anyone else for that matter) will never be able to play the first movement using rotation techniques with as much speed, fluency, and control as a someone who keeps their hand still and lets the fingers do the work.
However, to achieve this level of technique takes many many hours at the piano.

If you do not practice 2000 hours a year (i.e. you have a day job) then using rotation will probably work just fine.

Good luck with this difficult sonata. Please post recordings of your progress!

This was why I asked the question above really. If it what I understand by rotation, then I would not have thought it the best way forward.

What happens if you start piano after 30? I guess you must be really done by that time S

"TECHNIQUE is not understood by many ... in fact MOST college / uni famous professors haven't got a clue .... TECHNIQUE is taught to YOUNG people .... it should all be in place by age 12 or so ... improved for the next couple of years ... then it's all done ... "

Who said that?

Mac777 said that at the beginning of the thread if you take a look on the bottom of page 1.

However, if a pianist began piano after the age of 12, or did not acquire perfect technique before then, that is no reason to despair! We learn better and faster as children. But we can still learn effectively as adults.

To make statements that most college professors have not got a clue seems a bit wild as it is unlikely that anyone will have checked out more than a few. It is a bit like saying that most apples have maggots in them ....on the basis that one has bitten into the occasional imperfect apple. Such generalizations often dilute otherwise interesting arguments.

Mac777 is a laid back Queenslander from Australia Relaxation techniques must be a natural thing for him

Sorry, but your statement that you have to have technique in place by the time you are 12 is simply ridiculous. I started piano when I was 16 and am doing just fine at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. I hope nobody takes you seriously, you might ruin a lifetime of enjoyment for someone.

And I'll trust my teacher's advice over yours anyday when it comes to technique. I don't think YOU won the Naumburg International Piano Competition.

I am certainly open and receptive to what you have to say, but can you at least avoid dissing people who are experienced, competent musicians (like Kriesler and "all the college professors" out there)?

On a side note, I just got assigned the Pathetique. Will be interesting to see how it goes with the infamous tremolo's. It doesn't look that bad but I haven't played through it yet.