I am so happy to hear this! As an adult learner in other areas myself I try to incorporate this into my teaching because so many people return to the piano. And glad to see you are studying Chopin!
This is an amazing tutorial.. exactly the parts a beginner like me finds hard. Came here looking for what a Stretto is and found solutions for the rest of my problems:)
Thank you for subscribing and for taking the time to comment. I am glad you found it helpful. More tutorials like this coming soon......Best wishes with your piano studies!
Thank you so much. As a lyricist, it is extremely important to understand the notes and dynamics intended by the composer. I was having trouble with measure sixteen; I kept hearing five notes instead of four... changing the line from "with every little dream" to "every little dream" And for this enlightenment, I am eternally grateful. If I may, I would like to leave a few interesting facts for your audience that may have been contributing factors in the creation of this enchanting masterpiece - "Prelude in E minor". 1. Like most prodigies, as a child, Chopin dreamt of a normal and carefree childhood, but with his constant piano studies, along with severe breathing problems: respiratory tract infections, hemoptysis, and, in his later years, tuberculosis, his dream of a normal childhood was never realized. He died at the tender age of 39. 2. Chopin requested that his heart be removed from his body at the time of his death and sent back to his native land of Poland. His sister honored his request. And although his body is buried in Paris, France, his heart was smuggled past Russian authorities and is currently located in a crypt at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, Poland where it receives the same respect as a holy relic. 3. The phrase "Goodnight; sleep tight" dates from Chopin's days when mattresses were supported by ropes that needed to be pulled tight to provide a well-sprung bed for a good night's rest. 4. The Frederic Chopin Monument in Warsaw, Poland shows Chopin sitting beneath what appears to be the grand old Bartek tree. 5. The Bartek Tree is one of the oldest oak trees in Poland. Children during Chopin's lifetime must have dreamt of playing underneath this large, old, shady tree. 6. Chopin contemplated suicide and it is possible that "Prelude in E minor" may have been a type of musical suicide note, but we will probably never know. What we do know... is that Chopin requested "Prelude in E minor" be played at his funeral. The only question remaining... is why? Note: If "Prelude in E minor" was Chopin's musical suicide note, perhaps his last words might have been written with the same simplicity. "Beneath The Grand Old Bartek Tree" by David Sanz Goodnight, love; goodnight sleep well; sleep tight The time has come; it’s late… goodnight, love Dear, if you wonder where I’ll be so free… my heart sings beneath the grand old Bartek tree Far… away my heart will lay, my love; every little dream dreamt of childish ways, lost childhood days now, here to stay… goodnight, love, goodnight… here, I’ll be beneath the grand old, old... Bartek tree Copyright 2022 rioxperience@aol.com
Thank you so much for watching--glad this video was helpful. I love knowing all of the extra information about this piece and hope my viewers will appreciate also--thanks for taking the time to share and all the best to you.
I was thrilled to find this whole tutorial today just as I’m starting to learn this hauntingly piece and searched for the meaning of ‘Stretto’. Thanks very much for posting it.
Measures 16 - 18 are definitely the challenge. I did work out how the gruppetto/turn was supposed to go on my own but this is a brilliant resource for that three measure section. 5 days in and hoping to have something proficient (if not elegant) to show to my instructor in ten days. I only have about 270 hours in my hands so far but I'd love to put this piece next to Gnossienne #1 as my second conquering.
thank you a lot for this!! my and my teacher were trying to figure what a stretto was in this song and we came across this video. the way you broke down the timing for this really helped me, and also explains the turn and not doing the G. i love how you provided different ways for fingering for people who have smaller hands, so thank you very much for that! i also really like how two gave two methods for the 3 against 2 because it gave me a better understanding of how to do it. im doing this piece for competition so all this explaining, breaking it down, and fingering will really help!! thank you so much for making this video ! im definitely subscribing because the way you actually break it down and teach is great and easily understandable!! ❤
Thank you for taking the time to let me know this helped you! I love this piece. I'm working on some more Chopin videos so maybe you will play those pieces as well--best wishes and please keep me posted!
@@OlympiaPiano HELLO AGAIN! so for the first time i played this for competition i got a high gold on it, but the second time i played this song for competition i got platinum and first overall in the age category! (though i think it’s kind of unfair because the instrumentalist and vocalist are put together but those are kinda of different), but anyway, thank you !! this was regionals, so when nationals come in summer i’m going to probably submit this again since i’m a lot better than my first submission of this
@@roseishere_1 that is amazing! Congratulations! Competitions can be tricky but as long as you know you are improving that is the main goal and of course having fun PLAYING piano. Keep me posted on the next round!
Thank you for taking the time to comment, and I am glad you are finding the videos helpful. I am working on more Chopin videos in the next weeks. Please feel free to reach out any time with questions!
Wow. Thank you. This is awesome information. I played a “simplified” version of this piece a while back but I have come back to it a bit further along in my adult piano journey taking on the full arrangement. It is so beautiful and your guidance will really help. Absolutely a subscriber and follower now!
Thank you Jim--both for watching and taking the time to comment- it really helps my channel grow and help more people like you . More videos coming soon, including one on tips on how to play the left hand of this piece. Best wishes with your piano playing and please keep me posted.
Thank you so much for this video! I was stuck at the turn. I understand the concepts separately, and understand which notes to play, but I didn't understand what the double sharp was double sharping and why until you showed the notes on paper.
So glad you found the video helpful! And thank you for taking the time to write me and also to subscribe! Best wishes with your piano studies and feel free to reach out with your progress and any other questions/concerns!
Came here for help with the turn, stretto, and fingering for measures 15 - 16. Thanks a ton! Now I'm off to the C Major Etude, that should be easy right? Because it's in C lol.
So glad that it helped! I am actually teaching the C major etude to one of my students right now and found this amazing resource--Cortot who was a very prominent French pianist had impeccable practice notes and fingerings in his editions. Check this out and try some of the exercises, they are 100% amazing and helpful waltercosand.com/CosandScores/Composers%20A-D/Cortot,%20Alfred/Chopin-Cortot_Etudes_Op.10(Engl).pdf
Thank you for your tutorial, ive never taken any piano lessons (just self taught, picked it up as a pandemic hobby) and sometimes i get scared of all the notation and the this and that and the technique, and sometimes my hands are not big enough to play properly (i can stretch to an octave, but its hard for me to play keys inbetween the octave at the same time bc my fingers arent long enough to curve, like LH measure 17 for example) but i really like this song and i will continue to do my best to play it even if its not exactly how chopin imagined or i have to use different fingerings.
Thank you for letting me know about your journey playing the piano--absolutely--find the fingering that works best for you--our hands are not "one size fits all" so I hope that you can take some of these tips and they will help you. Best wishes!
Thank you for letting me know. I am very glad this helped you out and I hope you are able to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already, going to be adding some more Chopin tutorials! Best wishes with your piano playing!
I am so happy to hear this. Thanks for watching my channel and please subscribe if you haven't--I am working on some more Chopin videos this summer. All the best with your piano practice!
Thank you Jennifer as always for your amazing videos. Just bought your Jazz Nocturnes as a support to the channel. BTW, what's the book that you recommend with this piece along with a decent fingering? Thanks
Thank you so much for your support both of my channel and of me as a composer! Wow--so grateful (I just finished the recordings of the Jazz Nocturnes which will be on streaming services soon). With regards to editions, I would suggest investing in something good--either Henle, Paderewski, or the recent Chopin National Edition edited by Jan Ekier and Pawel Kaminski (which my friends tell me are great). As you know by now I always suggest that you try several fingerings to see which works for your hand, and still makes all of the articulation markings possible. Best wishes and thanks again-Jennifer
@@OlympiaPiano Thanks. How about this one: Complete Preludes, Nocturnes & Waltzes: 26 Preludes, 21 Nocturnes, 19 Waltzes for Piano (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics)
@@OlympiaPiano surprisingly the book doesn't have pedaling on nocturne c major nor prelude e minor. What's your favorite recording of this piece Jennifer? There are so many on TH-cam.
@@HusadMarak-ho3hn I am not sure of my favorite but there are lots of great recordings by famous artists and artists that may not be that well-known. With regards to pedaling that is such a hot topic that many editors prefer to leave it out. I suggest pedaling as the harmonies change but make sure you don't lift off your Right Hand
The way that your music has measure 16 written is not the way that my music has measure 16 written. I am using the Bastien version from piano literature Volume 4. Seems to me that there should be "1 e & e" written directly above each of the eighth notes. The second beat of "2 e & e" does not start until after the turn.
Thank you for watching--there may be slight differences in the versions of the piece. I do not have the Bastein in my library so am not able to compare. To clarify, I am subdividing each quarter note into 1e&a, and making the notes of the turn itself into "measured" 32nd notes coming directly on the & of beat 2--so 4 RH notes go with 1 LH chord. That said, the timing of the turn itself is flexible. I like doing it measured but there is lots of room for interpretation and exploration (this is not the only way to do the timing). Hope this helps, any other questions don't hesitate to reach out!
@@OlympiaPiano This is very misleading for the new player.There are two beats in this measure and a total of 8 8th notes. Each beat is counted 1 e & e to cover 4 1/8th notes. The really is no other way to do this if you are going to follow ordinary piano rhythmic counting. Just saying.
I am thinking your version must look much different than mine. If you would like to send me a screenshot of measure 16 in your version I am happy to clarify for you. olympiapiano1685@gmail.com
@@OlympiaPiano HI! I think I may have an explanation for this. If I am correct here, Chopin wrote it in cut time, but often that time signature is replaced by 4/4. Please check on that, if you would not mind. My version is in cut time. 4/4 time would make your tempo marks valid for 4/4 time. Might be worth mentioning if this is the case for your version. Thank you a lot for this discussion. It has been illuminating.
Yes! You are correct. I see the confusion now. The piece is in cut time and so technically there are two beats for the measure, each beat a half note, which divides into 4 8th notes, which would be counted 1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a. However, this counting leaves no more words to subdivide for the smaller notes and so I used 4/4 counting for this video to have more precision as to where the 16th notes and turn fit into the larger scheme of things. Once the small timings are mastered, then we approach the bigger, more overall feel of two. I am truly sorry this caused confusion for you, it was not my intent. I have taught this piece for so many years and this is how I has always done it, and it has worked well for my students. But as I approach future videos I will endeavor to make sure to explain if I am doing something different from the time signature and why. I hope this helps you with your goal of playing this piece and best wishes.
Thank you for watching. To be honest, I like to pedal Beat 1 only. Release the pedal after the F# eighth note on beat one and then make sure the RH is finger legato. I think it is rather nice to have a solo line here without pedal and then return to pedal in m. 13
Hi! I noticed that my left-hand feels heavy when I play the chords, and sometimes my left thumb feels stiff and collapsing. It feels like I'm gripping the left-hand chords. Any tips to lighten up and relax the left hand? I'm a new subscriber btw and thanks for putting up this tutorial! It's very precise and detailed. :)
Thanks for watching--I have another video on the LH. th-cam.com/video/Y0HPRdyg0SM/w-d-xo.html. Although I don't think I address your exact question about the thumb gripping. Know that you can just play the thumb kind of on the side, sometimes it doesn't need to play on the finger pad like the other fingers. Watch the LH video and see if you have any other questions after watching it. Thank you for subscribing!
@@OlympiaPiano Yes, I've watched it and it was very helpful also! I'll try to apply the "down, touch, reset" technique next time I practice this piece. It makes sense to allow the left hand to gradually become lighter after dropping the wrist down to play the chord to avoid tension. I was actually unaware that you have another video about Chopin's prelude in em that focuses on the left hand by the time I made my previous comment. Thanks again for making these videos! I'm glad I've found your channel. :)
@@OlympiaPiano thanks. Yes it is going great I think, and I am proud of it since it's the first Chopin piece I'm learning. I'm in position of playing the whole piece from start to end without note mistakes (those jumps with strange chords had been a nightmare that took me about a week to get used to). Now, I am currently trying to fix a good pedal-less legato for my left hand and so become fully conscious of how deep my hand dives into the keys or is raised.
I hope to do a video on negotiating the LH in this piece in the very near future. One tip I like to give my students is to only "show" us the harmony switches one time. And on the repeated chords play the rest a little lighter. So you might have a group of 4 chords, the first would be the loudest the rest would be filling in the harmony and the wrist would gently roll up during the repeats. At any rate, this is on my list for soon in the new year and hope it helps you. I'm doing a live stream tomorrow with chat at 1:00 Pacific Time. If you can make it I can take this as one of my questions and show you!
Thank you for this very helpful video! Can you explain the notation of the turn to me? Why is it written the way it is here? On my sheet (Schirmer), the X sits on hi-E and the turn symbol's above it; I reasonably interpreted this to mean that hi-E was somehow the "main" note of the turn. On the sheet in this video, the X sits on hi-G and the turn symbol's above it, which I'd have taken to mean that hi-G was the "main" note. But in fact the "main" note is the A-sharp we're already on. What's all that about? I can infer that the turn is based on whatever the previous note was, but why is the turn written as and where it is? If A-sharp is the main note, why aren't the turn symbols sitting near the A-sharp line? Why doesn't it matter how high on the staff the symbols sit, and why are _two_ symbols (the X and the sideways S) needed if they only mean one thing: "turn based on the previous note"?
Thanks for your question---I looked and I don't have Schirmer edition of this piece but hopefully I can answer your question. This can be confusing for sure! The sideways S refers to the turn itself (so note above, main note, note below, main note--B-A#,Gx,A#--by the way sometimes turns have 4 notes and sometimes they have 5--I interpret this turn as a 4 note turn because we have already had so many A# in a row). The X refers to the fact that Chopin wanted the note underneath to be a G-double sharp, or a half step lower than the main note--sometimes the lower note is open to interpretation, and you have freedom of choice whether this is a whole or half step (needs to be some sort of letter name below), but in this case he wants it to be a half step lower which is a G double sharp (feels like A). With regards to where the turn symbol is located, I am not sure I have a clear answer for you---if the turn was on top of the A# that would indicate the turn either ON that A# or before. Chopin wanted the turn in between the low A# and the High G so in my edition that I used for the video the turn symbol is placed in between those two notes. I realize I am depending on just knowing the tradition of this measure and how it should be played so would gladly welcome if you ever find any further clarification on this!
I am very sorry I am not exactly sure what you mean--I looked at the video again, just before the turn I play an A# (in the treble clef) which may look like C# in the bass clef--perhaps this is the confusion? Please give me an exact time stamp so I can respond accordingly
Your instruction is great. This really helps out an older person who played as a kid and recently started up again 52 years later.
I am so happy to hear this! As an adult learner in other areas myself I try to incorporate this into my teaching because so many people return to the piano. And glad to see you are studying Chopin!
This is an amazing tutorial.. exactly the parts a beginner like me finds hard. Came here looking for what a Stretto is and found solutions for the rest of my problems:)
Thank you for subscribing and for taking the time to comment. I am glad you found it helpful. More tutorials like this coming soon......Best wishes with your piano studies!
Easily the best tutorial I have seen on this piece - crystal clear, unfussy and encouraging. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Glad this was helpful and I would love to know how this piece goes for you. Best wishes
Thank you so much. As a lyricist, it is extremely important to understand the notes and dynamics intended by the composer. I was having trouble with measure sixteen; I kept hearing five notes instead of four... changing the line from "with every little dream" to "every little dream" And for this enlightenment, I am eternally grateful.
If I may, I would like to leave a few interesting facts for your audience that may have been contributing factors in the creation of this enchanting masterpiece - "Prelude in E minor".
1. Like most prodigies, as a child, Chopin dreamt of a normal and carefree childhood, but with his constant piano studies, along with severe breathing problems: respiratory tract infections, hemoptysis, and, in his later years, tuberculosis, his dream of a normal childhood was never realized. He died at the tender age of 39.
2. Chopin requested that his heart be removed from his body at the time of his death and sent back to his native land of Poland. His sister honored his request. And although his body is buried in Paris, France, his heart was smuggled past Russian authorities and is currently located in a crypt at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, Poland where it receives the same respect as a holy relic.
3. The phrase "Goodnight; sleep tight" dates from Chopin's days when mattresses were supported by ropes that needed to be pulled tight to provide a well-sprung bed for a good night's rest.
4. The Frederic Chopin Monument in Warsaw, Poland shows Chopin sitting beneath what appears to be the grand old Bartek tree.
5. The Bartek Tree is one of the oldest oak trees in Poland. Children during Chopin's lifetime must have dreamt of playing underneath this large, old, shady tree.
6. Chopin contemplated suicide and it is possible that "Prelude in E minor" may have been a type of musical suicide note, but we will probably never know. What we do know... is that Chopin requested "Prelude in E minor" be played at his funeral. The only question remaining... is why?
Note: If "Prelude in E minor" was Chopin's musical suicide note, perhaps his last words might have been written with the same simplicity.
"Beneath The Grand Old Bartek Tree"
by David Sanz
Goodnight, love; goodnight
sleep well; sleep tight
The time has come; it’s late…
goodnight, love
Dear, if you wonder where I’ll be
so free… my heart sings
beneath the grand old Bartek tree
Far… away
my heart will lay, my love; every little dream
dreamt of childish ways, lost childhood days
now, here to stay… goodnight, love,
goodnight… here, I’ll be
beneath the grand old, old... Bartek tree
Copyright 2022
rioxperience@aol.com
Thank you so much for watching--glad this video was helpful. I love knowing all of the extra information about this piece and hope my viewers will appreciate also--thanks for taking the time to share and all the best to you.
@@OlympiaPiano Thank you for your kind words. Eternally grateful, your friend and admirer. - DS
Wow ! How I have struggled with some of those measures ...brilliant tutorial ..thank you 🎉
I am very grateful to hear this and thank you for watching! Best wishes and let me know how it goes.
I was thrilled to find this whole tutorial today just as I’m starting to learn this hauntingly piece and searched for the meaning of ‘Stretto’. Thanks very much for posting it.
Very happy to hear you found it helpful. I love the stretto part of this piece and it is worth digging in to get it right!
Measures 16 - 18 are definitely the challenge. I did work out how the gruppetto/turn was supposed to go on my own but this is a brilliant resource for that three measure section. 5 days in and hoping to have something proficient (if not elegant) to show to my instructor in ten days. I only have about 270 hours in my hands so far but I'd love to put this piece next to Gnossienne #1 as my second conquering.
Wow you have worked hard with your 270 hours. I love the Gnossienne as well. Let me know how it goes!
The information you presented here is priceless really. Thank you for putting it out there ❤️
Glad it was helpful! More Chopin (prelude in B minor) on the way! Thank you again for watching.
I wouldn't be able to learn this piece without your video. Thank you so much!
Thank you for watching and very happy that it is helping you!
Thank you!
I am so glad you found it helpful. Thank you for taking the time to watch my channel and to comment! Best wishes with this piece!
A wonderful tutorial that really explains how to play the difficult parts, and I learned what stretto means.
So glad you found it useful--keep me posted!
thank you a lot for this!! my and my teacher were trying to figure what a stretto was in this song and we came across this video. the way you broke down the timing for this really helped me, and also explains the turn and not doing the G. i love how you provided different ways for fingering for people who have smaller hands, so thank you very much for that! i also really like how two gave two methods for the 3 against 2 because it gave me a better understanding of how to do it.
im doing this piece for competition so all this explaining, breaking it down, and fingering will really help!!
thank you so much for making this video !
im definitely subscribing because the way you actually break it down and teach is great and easily understandable!! ❤
Thank you for taking the time to let me know this helped you! I love this piece. I'm working on some more Chopin videos so maybe you will play those pieces as well--best wishes and please keep me posted!
@@OlympiaPiano ah alrighty!!
@@OlympiaPiano
HELLO AGAIN!
so for the first time i played this for competition i got a high gold on it, but the second time i played this song for competition i got platinum and first overall in the age category! (though i think it’s kind of unfair because the instrumentalist and vocalist are put together but those are kinda of different), but anyway, thank you !! this was regionals, so when nationals come in summer i’m going to probably submit this again since i’m a lot better than my first submission of this
@@roseishere_1 that is amazing! Congratulations! Competitions can be tricky but as long as you know you are improving that is the main goal and of course having fun PLAYING piano. Keep me posted on the next round!
FANTASTIC breakdown!!!
Thank you for taking the time to comment and glad this helped!
This lesson is very helpful for me. Nobody can compare with her this Prelude teaching in piano.
I am so glad you found this helpful. Thank you for letting me know and best wishes
You explained and demonstrated this part very well. The video is very helpful. Thank you for demonstrating this.
I am very happy this was helpful for you and I hope you are enjoying learning this piece. Best wishes to you!
Thank you SO much. The stretto part definitely threw me. Excellent teacher. Subscribing. Just amazing.
Thank you for your kind comments. Glad this video could help you enjoy and play this beautiful piece! Keep me posted on your progress!
wonderfully detailed tempo articulation
Very happy that you watched and took the time to comment! Keep me posted
Thank you so much for this!! I was a bit lost in M16 before watching. Really well explained!
Very happy to hear! Thank you for taking the time to write. Best wishes with this piece!
Amazing!
Thanks! Hope it helps you with this beautiful piece!
You are so helpful with all the hard parts
Thank you for taking the time to comment, and I am glad you are finding the videos helpful. I am working on more Chopin videos in the next weeks. Please feel free to reach out any time with questions!
Wow. Thank you. This is awesome information. I played a “simplified” version of this piece a while back but I have come back to it a bit further along in my adult piano journey taking on the full arrangement. It is so beautiful and your guidance will really help. Absolutely a subscriber and follower now!
Thank you Jim--both for watching and taking the time to comment- it really helps my channel grow and help more people like you . More videos coming soon, including one on tips on how to play the left hand of this piece. Best wishes with your piano playing and please keep me posted.
Thank you so much for this video! I was stuck at the turn. I understand the concepts separately, and understand which notes to play, but I didn't understand what the double sharp was double sharping and why until you showed the notes on paper.
So glad you found the video helpful! And thank you for taking the time to write me and also to subscribe! Best wishes with your piano studies and feel free to reach out with your progress and any other questions/concerns!
Came here for help with the turn, stretto, and fingering for measures 15 - 16. Thanks a ton! Now I'm off to the C Major Etude, that should be easy right? Because it's in C lol.
So glad that it helped! I am actually teaching the C major etude to one of my students right now and found this amazing resource--Cortot who was a very prominent French pianist had impeccable practice notes and fingerings in his editions. Check this out and try some of the exercises, they are 100% amazing and helpful waltercosand.com/CosandScores/Composers%20A-D/Cortot,%20Alfred/Chopin-Cortot_Etudes_Op.10(Engl).pdf
Great tutorial, answered all the questions I had in this piece !
Thank you for watching my channel and I'm glad this helped out. I love this piece so much! Best wishes
Exactly what I needed. Thanks
Thank you for writing and very happy this helped you! Best wishes
Thank you so much! I got confused on the stretto part and this really helped me a lot.
Thank you for taking the time to watch. Stretto can be tricky and confusing so I am glad this helped you!
Thank you for your tutorial, ive never taken any piano lessons (just self taught, picked it up as a pandemic hobby) and sometimes i get scared of all the notation and the this and that and the technique, and sometimes my hands are not big enough to play properly (i can stretch to an octave, but its hard for me to play keys inbetween the octave at the same time bc my fingers arent long enough to curve, like LH measure 17 for example) but i really like this song and i will continue to do my best to play it even if its not exactly how chopin imagined or i have to use different fingerings.
Thank you for letting me know about your journey playing the piano--absolutely--find the fingering that works best for you--our hands are not "one size fits all" so I hope that you can take some of these tips and they will help you. Best wishes!
extremely helpful. thank you so much
Thank you for letting me know. I am very glad this helped you out and I hope you are able to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already, going to be adding some more Chopin tutorials! Best wishes with your piano playing!
Super helpful!! Thank you
I am glad this helped you. Thank you for writing and best wishes!
Great tutorial, thank you!
I am so glad you found it helpful--this is one of my favorite pieces. Thanks for watching!
Great tips, thanks 💎
I am very happy that you found this helpful and really appreciate you watching. Best wishes with your piano playing and please keep me posted!
Super-helpful, thank you!
Very glad this helped and thank you for taking the time to comment--it really helps grow my channel! Best wishes with this piece!
Thank you so very much. Lifesaving video.
I am so happy to hear this. Thanks for watching my channel and please subscribe if you haven't--I am working on some more Chopin videos this summer. All the best with your piano practice!
Thank you Jennifer as always for your amazing videos. Just bought your Jazz Nocturnes as a support to the channel. BTW, what's the book that you recommend with this piece along with a decent fingering? Thanks
Thank you so much for your support both of my channel and of me as a composer! Wow--so grateful (I just finished the recordings of the Jazz Nocturnes which will be on streaming services soon).
With regards to editions, I would suggest investing in something good--either Henle, Paderewski, or the recent Chopin National Edition edited by Jan Ekier and Pawel Kaminski (which my friends tell me are great).
As you know by now I always suggest that you try several fingerings to see which works for your hand, and still makes all of the articulation markings possible.
Best wishes and thanks again-Jennifer
@@OlympiaPiano Thanks. How about this one: Complete Preludes, Nocturnes & Waltzes: 26 Preludes, 21 Nocturnes, 19 Waltzes for Piano (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics)
Schirmer is also great as well-- and it sounds like this book has many pieces which is even better!
@@OlympiaPiano surprisingly the book doesn't have pedaling on nocturne c major nor prelude e minor. What's your favorite recording of this piece Jennifer? There are so many on TH-cam.
@@HusadMarak-ho3hn I am not sure of my favorite but there are lots of great recordings by famous artists and artists that may not be that well-known. With regards to pedaling that is such a hot topic that many editors prefer to leave it out. I suggest pedaling as the harmonies change but make sure you don't lift off your Right Hand
Thanks so much!
Very happy that you were able to watch--thank you for taking time to comment!
The way that your music has measure 16 written is not the way that my music has measure 16 written. I am using the Bastien version from piano literature Volume 4. Seems to me that there should be "1 e & e" written directly above each of the eighth notes. The second beat of "2 e & e" does not start until after the turn.
Thank you for watching--there may be slight differences in the versions of the piece. I do not have the Bastein in my library so am not able to compare. To clarify, I am subdividing each quarter note into 1e&a, and making the notes of the turn itself into "measured" 32nd notes coming directly on the & of beat 2--so 4 RH notes go with 1 LH chord. That said, the timing of the turn itself is flexible. I like doing it measured but there is lots of room for interpretation and exploration (this is not the only way to do the timing). Hope this helps, any other questions don't hesitate to reach out!
@@OlympiaPiano This is very misleading for the new player.There are two beats in this measure and a total of 8 8th notes. Each beat is counted 1 e & e to cover 4 1/8th notes. The really is no other way to do this if you are going to follow ordinary piano rhythmic counting. Just saying.
I am thinking your version must look much different than mine. If you would like to send me a screenshot of measure 16 in your version I am happy to clarify for you. olympiapiano1685@gmail.com
@@OlympiaPiano HI! I think I may have an explanation for this. If I am correct here, Chopin wrote it in cut time, but often that time signature is replaced by 4/4. Please check on that, if you would not mind. My version is in cut time. 4/4 time would make your tempo marks valid for 4/4 time. Might be worth mentioning if this is the case for your version. Thank you a lot for this discussion. It has been illuminating.
Yes! You are correct. I see the confusion now. The piece is in cut time and so technically there are two beats for the measure, each beat a half note, which divides into 4 8th notes, which would be counted 1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a. However, this counting leaves no more words to subdivide for the smaller notes and so I used 4/4 counting for this video to have more precision as to where the 16th notes and turn fit into the larger scheme of things. Once the small timings are mastered, then we approach the bigger, more overall feel of two. I am truly sorry this caused confusion for you, it was not my intent. I have taught this piece for so many years and this is how I has always done it, and it has worked well for my students. But as I approach future videos I will endeavor to make sure to explain if I am doing something different from the time signature and why. I hope this helps you with your goal of playing this piece and best wishes.
Hi Olympia, thanks for doing these! How do you pedal measure 12?
Thank you for watching. To be honest, I like to pedal Beat 1 only. Release the pedal after the F# eighth note on beat one and then make sure the RH is finger legato. I think it is rather nice to have a solo line here without pedal and then return to pedal in m. 13
Hi! I noticed that my left-hand feels heavy when I play the chords, and sometimes my left thumb feels stiff and collapsing. It feels like I'm gripping the left-hand chords. Any tips to lighten up and relax the left hand? I'm a new subscriber btw and thanks for putting up this tutorial! It's very precise and detailed. :)
Thanks for watching--I have another video on the LH. th-cam.com/video/Y0HPRdyg0SM/w-d-xo.html. Although I don't think I address your exact question about the thumb gripping. Know that you can just play the thumb kind of on the side, sometimes it doesn't need to play on the finger pad like the other fingers. Watch the LH video and see if you have any other questions after watching it. Thank you for subscribing!
@@OlympiaPiano Yes, I've watched it and it was very helpful also! I'll try to apply the "down, touch, reset" technique next time I practice this piece. It makes sense to allow the left hand to gradually become lighter after dropping the wrist down to play the chord to avoid tension. I was actually unaware that you have another video about Chopin's prelude in em that focuses on the left hand by the time I made my previous comment. Thanks again for making these videos! I'm glad I've found your channel. :)
Glad they have helped you--repeated chords can be tricky but once you get the hang of them then you can find the release.
Hey, thanks for this nice video and explanation :D I'm still playing the piece without the Stretto and it sounds very flat...
Thank you for watching and thank you for taking the time to comment. Please keep me posted on your piano playing!
@@OlympiaPiano thanks. Yes it is going great I think, and I am proud of it since it's the first Chopin piece I'm learning. I'm in position of playing the whole piece from start to end without note mistakes (those jumps with strange chords had been a nightmare that took me about a week to get used to). Now, I am currently trying to fix a good pedal-less legato for my left hand and so become fully conscious of how deep my hand dives into the keys or is raised.
I hope to do a video on negotiating the LH in this piece in the very near future. One tip I like to give my students is to only "show" us the harmony switches one time. And on the repeated chords play the rest a little lighter. So you might have a group of 4 chords, the first would be the loudest the rest would be filling in the harmony and the wrist would gently roll up during the repeats. At any rate, this is on my list for soon in the new year and hope it helps you. I'm doing a live stream tomorrow with chat at 1:00 Pacific Time. If you can make it I can take this as one of my questions and show you!
@@OlympiaPiano hi, I am sorry, those days I haven't been able to be actively online. Hopefully i'll manage next time.
Thank you for this very helpful video! Can you explain the notation of the turn to me? Why is it written the way it is here? On my sheet (Schirmer), the X sits on hi-E and the turn symbol's above it; I reasonably interpreted this to mean that hi-E was somehow the "main" note of the turn. On the sheet in this video, the X sits on hi-G and the turn symbol's above it, which I'd have taken to mean that hi-G was the "main" note. But in fact the "main" note is the A-sharp we're already on. What's all that about? I can infer that the turn is based on whatever the previous note was, but why is the turn written as and where it is? If A-sharp is the main note, why aren't the turn symbols sitting near the A-sharp line? Why doesn't it matter how high on the staff the symbols sit, and why are _two_ symbols (the X and the sideways S) needed if they only mean one thing: "turn based on the previous note"?
Thanks for your question---I looked and I don't have Schirmer edition of this piece but hopefully I can answer your question. This can be confusing for sure! The sideways S refers to the turn itself (so note above, main note, note below, main note--B-A#,Gx,A#--by the way sometimes turns have 4 notes and sometimes they have 5--I interpret this turn as a 4 note turn because we have already had so many A# in a row). The X refers to the fact that Chopin wanted the note underneath to be a G-double sharp, or a half step lower than the main note--sometimes the lower note is open to interpretation, and you have freedom of choice whether this is a whole or half step (needs to be some sort of letter name below), but in this case he wants it to be a half step lower which is a G double sharp (feels like A). With regards to where the turn symbol is located, I am not sure I have a clear answer for you---if the turn was on top of the A# that would indicate the turn either ON that A# or before. Chopin wanted the turn in between the low A# and the High G so in my edition that I used for the video the turn symbol is placed in between those two notes. I realize I am depending on just knowing the tradition of this measure and how it should be played so would gladly welcome if you ever find any further clarification on this!
@@OlympiaPiano Thank you!
Why are you playing C# just before the turn? This has got me so confused, unless it was just a simple mistake.
I am very sorry I am not exactly sure what you mean--I looked at the video again, just before the turn I play an A# (in the treble clef) which may look like C# in the bass clef--perhaps this is the confusion? Please give me an exact time stamp so I can respond accordingly
@@OlympiaPiano 7:15
@@originaljunglist93 I see--I am starting on beat 4 of the first measure you see (the measure before the turn), which is a quarter note C#
Thanks for watching--I am almost done with the LH tutorial for this piece hope to have it up this week.
Thank you!
Thank you for watching--any questions be sure to reach out and best wishes!
Thank you!
Thank you for watching--enjoy working on this piece!
@@OlympiaPiano I am! It's a super cool sounding piece!