Can you give me tips on how to play this arpeggio?
January 10, 2025 2:03 PM Subscribe
You Tube video of Chopin Waltz #14 in e minor, Op. Posth. I'm learning this piece. Having a lot of trouble with the final arpeggio, at 2:56. I've watched all tutorials I can find.
Any tips about fingering, hand position, etc.?
BONUS question: I'd also like tips on how to play the first 7-8 measures of the piece.
Thanks!
I'll just mention that there is nothing at all stopping you from taking that final arpeggio two-handed. The low E is held in the pedal and you are going to be holding the pedal for the entire arpeggio, so there is no reason to keep the left hand down there holding it as well. It is literally doing nothing if the pedal is being continuously held down.
I don't know how common it is for pianists to take the arpeggio two handed. But I can tell you that the end result in the sound is always the top priority. If your RH-only arpeggio is weak or insecure or uneven or unreliable at all it would be far better to just play it two-handed and absolutely nail it every time.
Two handed the arpeggio should be very easy to play reliably.
(Arpeggios are such a standard technique that most performing pianists can nail a simple 5-octave e minor arpeggio in their sleep 100 times out of 100. So that is why you might not see many performances online or on stage play the arpeggio two-handed. It is just perfectly secure for them to play it one-handed so they never even considered alternatives. But if YOU can't nail a one-handed version of this arpeggio 100 times out of 100, but can, or can get a lot closer to that standard, by playing it two-handed then there is your solution.)
posted by flug at 6:02 PM on January 10 [3 favorites]
I don't know how common it is for pianists to take the arpeggio two handed. But I can tell you that the end result in the sound is always the top priority. If your RH-only arpeggio is weak or insecure or uneven or unreliable at all it would be far better to just play it two-handed and absolutely nail it every time.
Two handed the arpeggio should be very easy to play reliably.
(Arpeggios are such a standard technique that most performing pianists can nail a simple 5-octave e minor arpeggio in their sleep 100 times out of 100. So that is why you might not see many performances online or on stage play the arpeggio two-handed. It is just perfectly secure for them to play it one-handed so they never even considered alternatives. But if YOU can't nail a one-handed version of this arpeggio 100 times out of 100, but can, or can get a lot closer to that standard, by playing it two-handed then there is your solution.)
posted by flug at 6:02 PM on January 10 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: foxjacket: thank you! I'm learning from those videos. I am already very familiar with the Greg N. one ---
flug: Oh. My. God. TWO hands, TWO!!!!
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:33 AM on January 11
flug: Oh. My. God. TWO hands, TWO!!!!
posted by DMelanogaster at 10:33 AM on January 11
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For the first 7 bars, this video gives a good breakdown.
Greg Niemczuk has a great tutorial about the musicality and history of the piece.
Hope that helps!
posted by foxjacket at 2:37 PM on January 10