@Anastasia I have the Cortot French edition of the Scherzos. I paid to have a French teacher translate Cortot’s notes into English for Scherzo #2 in b-flat minor. This cost me me quite a bit of money. I am making a copy of this available to anyone who would like a copy for a minimal fee. Please let me know if you’re interested. I found it very helpful when I was studying this 2nd Scherzo.
I'm not practicing the Chopin etudes yet, but these ProPractice videos give great insight into the types of thoughts one should consider while practicing. Thank you, Josh.
Just discovered your videos. They are very good and intelligent, because you have a keen eye for specific advice on how to practice and even fingerings.
Awesome video, Josh. I might start learning this etude now, since I just finished the revolutionary and the waterfall. This seems like a good next step.
Josh you are ridiculously talented. I want to take my piano skills to the next level. I don't think I can ever be as good as you but how long do think it will take me to at least play some of the material you play?
Daniel Anguaino Hi Daniel - that's very kind of you. I owe it to my amazing teachers for all of their help and advice. If you find a great teacher, it should help you tremendously. Everyone learns at different speeds. If you're looking to play Chopin Etudes well, and you've only played for a short time, it could be awhile. However, each step of the process should be intriguing and enjoyable, even though frustrations should arise. I've seen students take piano for 3 years and then tackle a Chopin Etude, and other take a decade or more. So, it's all over the map, but just enjoy the journey getting there!
If you (as most do) think of "good" as "fast", then reconsider. The drive and love for music can take you far and a good teacher may be hard to find, but then watch the easier, beginner videos from Josh (and some other pianists on TH-cam) :)
All beginning students seem to want to jump to the mountain top. I can assure you that you can only get to the mountaintop with Josh by finding an excellent teacher and working very hard mastering each individual step on the way to the top of the mountain.
I wonder if Chopin would object to me changing some fingering to simplify some parts? Or would that defeat the purpose of this etude? In bar 25 on beat three I would use fingers 4 5 3 1 - that makes the movement to the A octave so much easier. I am still searching for a way to make borrow 26 easier. Any suggestions?
He would not object. Composers very rarely wrote fingerings, it is usually added by the publisher. If you check another edition it may suggest the fingering you are using. Of course there are thing that we should not mess with, like using 5-2-1-2-3-2-1-2-5 in the runs of the revolutionary etüde, because that will make it almost impossible to get up to speed. Same with winter wind. If there is an etüde Chopin might have wrote fingering it will be op 10 no 3 :D All in all, you are free to use that fingering, it works, i checked it, it won't slow you down, won't mess with your voicing.
@Misterio Re - Thank you so much for responding and for your sound well thought out advice and for going so far as to try out my suggested fingering. In the next measure what do you think of turning the thumb under for the A-sharp so that the hand can simply slide very quickly onto the B octave.?
Yes, Jeffrey, I agree. I discovered this in college while learning the third movement of the Mendelssohn g minor piano concerto. There is absolutely no way that you can keep your eyes on the printed music and master that section. So even from earlier slow tempo my professor had me memorize ithat section. For the Chopin Etude 10/4 I would take it in very small sections - for instance bars one through eight, and I would memorize that section no matter how slowly I was practicing it. The end result is that you end up with a memorized piece even before you master it. Thank you for the good advice.
Josh, what pieces would to recommend for someone who wants to play Chopin etudes like this one, revolutionary etude, wind-wind, ocean etc... Are there relatively easy Chopin etudes to start with?
Dluu22 I really like Op.25 No.2 and Op.10 No.9 to start. Lots of teachers give Op.25 No.1 as the first etude, and I feel that is one of the harder pieces so far as coordination to start with. I've given it to students so many times in the past and I usually end up regretting it haha. I also really like Op.10 No.5 if the student has pretty good technique, Op.10 No.12, and Op.25 No.12. I hope that helps!
Thank you very much for your insight into this piece. I found it very helpful in my playing! I do have a question. It seems that there are several ways of playing this piece. You commented that the music should not “bark” and Chopin made the same comment himself. However, I wonder what that means. If you take a look at Richter’s playing, it is extremely loud and accented and he was taught by Heinrich Neuhaus himself. Do you think Sergei Babayan’s interpretation is valid? He does come from the same school as Richter, but his understanding of this piece is surprisingly different from what most people consider to be the Russian school of pedagogy.
Josh, I wanna start learning Chopin exudes. I'm wondering which one would you recommend for start? I mean the relatively easy piece? Looking forward to your response:) have a nice day!
Tong Qi Hi Tong - I just left this response for another user...I hope it helps you as well!I really like Op.25 No.2 and Op.10 No.9 to start. Lots of teachers give Op.25 No.1 as the first etude, and I feel that is one of the harder pieces so far as coordination to start with. I've given it to students so many times in the past and I usually end up regretting it haha. I also really like Op.10 No.5 if the student has pretty good technique, Op.10 No.12, and Op.25 No.12.
1. Get an excellent teacher. 2. Get an excellent teacher.3. Get an excellent teacher. Ask Josh how far he would’ve gotten without great teachers? Bad habits are very difficult to break. Good teachers keep bad habits from developing.
A tremendous help. Quick question though: my admittedly old edition has in the arpeggio bars (3/7/11 etc) the second notes as a held quaver, as though the accent was to be on this second note (g#/F#/E/D#). I’ve got much more than this to worry about in the piece, but am interested anyway if this point has ever come up for you. Many thanks.
I don't think those notes are to be held as it is almost impossible to do so amidst this whole craziness going on in those bars, also, accents in Chopin don't always mean poking of the note but rather something else. I know I'm not Josh but I hope that helps a tiny bit :)
Thanks for the reply. Yup it was purely an academic point, but strange that Chopin bothered to put that detail in for such a fast piece. Maybe it's aimed at people like me that are still playing it at a snail's pace....
Chris Burvill haha, we should also consider the fact that it's an Etude so accents and things might serve a tiny bit as "practice" ways like in the Op. 10 No. 12. But who knows ... :)
@Abc Def Would you like a practice suggestion for making your left hand stronger? I discovered this many years ago. I realized that my left hand was weaker because it never had to do with the right hand was doing so I came up with a plan I started practicing with the left-hand doing exactly what the right hand is doing in mirror image start with your scales if you’re going to practice C major you’re right hand thumb in on C to theft if 2 black keys. Place your LH thumb on the next lower E to the right of 2 black keys. Then practice your scale. Practice all of your scales, chromatic scale, broken chords and arpeggios and difficult passages of music in mirror image. Can you imagine what you would accomplish with your left hand if you practiced the Chopin fantasy impromptu in C-sharp minor with the left-hand playing the mirror image of what the right hand is doing. This is why I like Hanon. He demands that the left hand practice just as hard as the right hand. You may also want to look into the Persichetti Reflective Studies. They are very beneficial. I promise you this will really give you a very strong and dexterous left-hand. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?
"no perfect" better than i'll ever play this piece (if i ever)
Same
You make classical music more exciting to play with your teaching
Jimmy Figueras Thanks so much Jimmy. That's always refreshing to hear :)
Your Chopin Etude videos are fantastic! Would love to see a video on Chopin's Scherzo No 2 in the future :)
@Anastasia
I have the Cortot French edition of the Scherzos.
I paid to have a French teacher translate Cortot’s notes into English for Scherzo #2 in b-flat minor.
This cost me me quite a bit of money. I am making a copy of this available to anyone who would like a copy for a minimal fee.
Please let me know if you’re interested.
I found it very helpful when I was studying this 2nd Scherzo.
@@JD-qd5zp Hey. Do you still have that?
Shut Up And Take My Money! Josh you are source of inspiration and motivation! This is an awesome ProPractice tutorial!
Denis Di Marco Haha thanks so much for your support Denis. I'm glad you are enjoying the series
I'm not practicing the Chopin etudes yet, but these ProPractice videos give great insight into the types of thoughts one should consider while practicing. Thank you, Josh.
Just discovered your videos. They are very good and intelligent, because you have a keen eye for specific advice on how to practice and even fingerings.
You are a great teacher. Thank you for your videos!
Awesome video, Josh. I might start learning this etude now, since I just finished the revolutionary and the waterfall. This seems like a good next step.
TheKlutchsletsplays Congratulations! Those are all wonderful pieces. Best of luck in your studies
I love the downward spiral at the end.
murray perahia is a legend! his mozart is one of a kind as well
Love your videos Josh! I would love it if you can do a ProPractice video on Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 9 :D
Great tips as always. Thank you
***** Thanks so much for watching. Have a nice day!
I’m staying @ home and learning from this video 😁
thanks for the video and your channel!!
Josh you are ridiculously talented. I want to take my piano skills to the next level. I don't think I can ever be as good as you but how long do think it will take me to at least play some of the material you play?
Daniel Anguaino Hi Daniel - that's very kind of you. I owe it to my amazing teachers for all of their help and advice. If you find a great teacher, it should help you tremendously. Everyone learns at different speeds. If you're looking to play Chopin Etudes well, and you've only played for a short time, it could be awhile. However, each step of the process should be intriguing and enjoyable, even though frustrations should arise. I've seen students take piano for 3 years and then tackle a Chopin Etude, and other take a decade or more. So, it's all over the map, but just enjoy the journey getting there!
+Josh Wright How old were you when you when you learned this Etude ?
If you (as most do) think of "good" as "fast", then reconsider. The drive and love for music can take you far and a good teacher may be hard to find, but then watch the easier, beginner videos from Josh (and some other pianists on TH-cam) :)
Josh Wright can you do a pro practice video for the 3rd movement if appasionata
All beginning students seem to want to jump to the mountain top. I can assure you that you can only get to the mountaintop with Josh by finding an excellent teacher and working very hard mastering each individual step on the way to the top of the mountain.
very cool Josh, thanks
Yoan MBOUSSOU Thank you Yoan for your support!
Your hands are enormous. Those 4 chord arpeggio things are jumps for me
Great video, im having difficulty with how to make rlly playing of this piece have a great sound rather than a robotic play. :) thank you
非常棒！老师认识您很幸福！非常感谢🙏
Your video helps me a lot
"Just to jog your memory here"
aka show you I'm capable of playing well
COULD YOU PLAY THE SONATA IN B MINOR OF LISZT? I'm studying it, I'd be glad to listen to your advice, especially for the first "movement"!
boss! helped me a lot
I wonder if Chopin would object to me changing some fingering to simplify some parts? Or would that defeat the purpose of this etude?
In bar 25 on beat three I would use fingers 4 5 3 1 - that makes the movement to the A octave so much easier. I am still searching for a way to make borrow 26 easier. Any suggestions?
He would not object. Composers very rarely wrote fingerings, it is usually added by the publisher. If you check another edition it may suggest the fingering you are using.
Of course there are thing that we should not mess with, like using 5-2-1-2-3-2-1-2-5 in the runs of the revolutionary etüde, because that will make it almost impossible to get up to speed. Same with winter wind.
If there is an etüde Chopin might have wrote fingering it will be op 10 no 3 :D
All in all, you are free to use that fingering, it works, i checked it, it won't slow you down, won't mess with your voicing.
@Misterio Re - Thank you so much for responding and for your sound well thought out advice and for going so far as to try out my suggested fingering. In the next measure what do you think of turning the thumb under for the A-sharp so that the hand can simply slide very quickly onto the B octave.?
Hi Josh, used to have a more recent video on this etude. Did you take it out of your channel? I would like to watch it again. Thanks.
To play this piece very well you have to know it without the music sheet
Yes, Jeffrey, I agree. I discovered this in college while learning the third movement of the Mendelssohn g minor piano concerto. There is absolutely no way that you can keep your eyes on the printed music and master that section. So even from earlier slow tempo my professor had me memorize ithat section.
For the Chopin Etude 10/4 I would take it in very small sections - for instance bars one through eight, and I would memorize that section no matter how slowly I was practicing it. The end result is that you end up with a memorized piece even before you master it. Thank you for the good advice.
JD yeah, I do that too
fabulous
Josh, what pieces would to recommend for someone who wants to play Chopin etudes like this one, revolutionary etude, wind-wind, ocean etc... Are there relatively easy Chopin etudes to start with?
Dluu22 I really like Op.25 No.2 and Op.10 No.9 to start. Lots of teachers give Op.25 No.1 as the first etude, and I feel that is one of the harder pieces so far as coordination to start with. I've given it to students so many times in the past and I usually end up regretting it haha. I also really like Op.10 No.5 if the student has pretty good technique, Op.10 No.12, and Op.25 No.12. I hope that helps!
Josh Wright Wow thanks! Appreciate the recommendations.
What kind of piano is your grand?
I believe it's a steinway
Is it ok to change fingering in these pieces? Didn’t Chopin himself notate the proper fingerings making them the ones you should learn the piece with?
No, he didn’t. Chopin would probably adjust the fingering according to what each student could do. He left very few fingerings behind.
Instant sub
good job
Thank you very much for your insight into this piece. I found it very helpful in my playing!
I do have a question. It seems that there are several ways of playing this piece. You commented that the music should not “bark” and Chopin made the same comment himself. However, I wonder what that means. If you take a look at Richter’s playing, it is extremely loud and accented and he was taught by Heinrich Neuhaus himself.
Do you think Sergei Babayan’s interpretation is valid? He does come from the same school as Richter, but his understanding of this piece is surprisingly different from what most people consider to be the Russian school of pedagogy.
Josh, I wanna start learning Chopin exudes. I'm wondering which one would you recommend for start? I mean the relatively easy piece? Looking forward to your response:) have a nice day!
Tong Qi Hi Tong - I just left this response for another user...I hope it helps you as well!I really like Op.25 No.2 and Op.10 No.9 to start. Lots of teachers give
Op.25 No.1 as the first etude, and I feel that is one of the harder
pieces so far as coordination to start with. I've given it to students
so many times in the past and I usually end up regretting it haha. I
also really like Op.10 No.5 if the student has pretty good technique,
Op.10 No.12, and Op.25 No.12.
Thank you very much, Josh, you are always helpful! Heard you will attend the Chopin Competition, good luck!!
1. Get an excellent teacher.
2. Get an excellent teacher.3. Get an excellent teacher.
Ask Josh how far he would’ve gotten without great teachers?
Bad habits are very difficult to break. Good teachers keep bad habits from developing.
Just for fun, in order of speed:
1) 1:37 - Richter
2) 1:48 - Trifanov
Cziffra
3) 1:58. Argerich
4) 2:01 Perahia
5) 2:03. Horrowitz
Pollini
Wright
6) 2.08 Ashkenazy
A tremendous help. Quick question though: my admittedly old edition has in the arpeggio bars (3/7/11 etc) the second notes as a held quaver, as though the accent was to be on this second note (g#/F#/E/D#). I’ve got much more than this to worry about in the piece, but am interested anyway if this point has ever come up for you. Many thanks.
I don't think those notes are to be held as it is almost impossible to do so amidst this whole craziness going on in those bars, also, accents in Chopin don't always mean poking of the note but rather something else.
I know I'm not Josh but I hope that helps a tiny bit :)
Thanks for the reply. Yup it was purely an academic point, but strange that Chopin bothered to put that detail in for such a fast piece. Maybe it's aimed at people like me that are still playing it at a snail's pace....
Chris Burvill haha, we should also consider the fact that it's an Etude so accents and things might serve a tiny bit as "practice" ways like in the Op. 10 No. 12.
But who knows ... :)
Ok I've got it now. It's purely to remind us to pivot on the second finger isn't it? (as Josh says, 'rotate') Nice touch from Mr C
Chris Burvill yeah it might be
the right hand is ok actually, but my left hand is too weak for this 🙄
Same :(
@Abc Def
Would you like a practice suggestion for making your left hand stronger? I discovered this many years ago. I realized that my left hand was weaker because it never had to do with the right hand was doing so I came up with a plan I started practicing with the left-hand doing exactly what the right hand is doing in mirror image start with your scales if you’re going to practice C major you’re right hand thumb in on C to theft if 2 black keys. Place your LH thumb on the next lower E to the right of 2 black keys. Then practice your scale.
Practice all of your scales, chromatic scale, broken chords and arpeggios and difficult passages of music in mirror image. Can you imagine what you would accomplish with your left hand if you practiced the Chopin fantasy impromptu in C-sharp minor with the left-hand playing the mirror image of what the right hand is doing. This is why I like Hanon. He demands that the left hand practice just as hard as the right hand. You may also want to look into the Persichetti Reflective Studies. They are very beneficial. I promise you this will really give you a very strong and dexterous left-hand. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?
Why not do tutorials with the Op.365 from Czerny ???? This book is more difficult than Chopin's 27 studies
@Czeyner
All Czerny should be stacked in a pile and burned. He never wrote music. Chopin wrote music.
👍👍
💯✌️👍👍
Kristina Miller.... some inspiration...