To my opinion this is THE absolute rule of learning without mistakes, together with practising without pedal, at first place. But the major effort so as to achieve this is to put aside our narcissicm, and also to ignore the neighbours or those who live with you, i.e. not to think that they might get bored to listen to you or, even worse, that they might believe you do this because you can't play properly :)
I tried 1/2 and 1/4 speeds on a Bach gavotte, really trying to get the tempo right, putting in a lot of effort. Then I put it aside thinking what next? Suddenly the black key etude comes to mind with my fingers eager to tackle it. I've never had such a confident feeling in my fingers before. I play the etude. Wow! This is a breakthrough! Thank you, Mr. Fitch.
My instructor is always telling me to SLOW DOWN when I'm learning a new piece. I have a tendency to wanna play normal tempo too soon. And she says every time I make mistake in ingraining those mistakes. Whereas going slow is ingraining the correct notes consistently (hands to brain and brain to hands).
I always try to go slow but after some time I always try to go faster without thinking, which pretty much messes me up 9 times out of 10 so you're not alone
Yeah slow practice is essential when starting out because it builds that foundation that you can speed up with. Even with etudes where you end up using different muscles when you play fast vs. slow, it's still best to play slow for a while since it helps your hand know where they need to be when you do eventually speed up. But you shouldn't spend most of your time practicing slow once it gets boring and repetitive, at that point most of your effort should go into speeding up, but you should end with slow practice.
Thanks for that. I find when I manage to slow down, that I notice more about the subtlety of the music, and even manage to understand something of what the composer intended when he wrote the piece.
Brilliant! Eloquent, persuasive pianist educator! Have applied a few practice methods with immediate measurable improvement! One has to acquire the music similar to foreign language acquistion. Maestro Fitch shares many enlightening and practical methods. He obviously loves both music and piano especially! Thank you so much! ❤💐🙏🕊️
See my problem is this... I ALWAYS assumed that, when a person was experienced enough, a "master pianist" if you will, that they didn't need to practice. That they were just naturally able to play it by reading that music. I didn't stop to think that even masters have to practice every piece that they learn. However, I have, over the past few months, started to concentrate on tricky parts, playing them slowly. And it has improved my performance a lot. So it's not longer frustrating. Having now understood that even really good pianists need to practice.. I feel a lot better... When it comes to the metronome.. I couldn't agree more.. I just end up getting lost because I'm listening to it too much even though I don't want to.
Ive been playing for about 40 years and read a lot about practice methods and find that playing slowly when learning a new piece is crucial. Sometimes i use a metronome, other times i count or tap my foot. Once i have the piece more or less in my muscles i like to practice everything at different speeds. Varying tempos help me to feel more confident about "owning" that piece of. I become the master instead of the slave. For example the piu mosso section of chopins C# minor waltz required me to train my right hand very VERY slowly at first . Once i had it i would occasionally practice it ridiculously faster than i wanted it and then take it back down very slowly. This enabled me to eventually master it at a nice speed that is under my complete control. Smart practice methods require a variety of approaches. Its death to practice a piece the same way every time from a technical standpoint
What impressed me first was how much better hthe Pathetique sounded at a faster tempo. Then, I noticed the gold bands of your shirt cuffs and how well they coordinate with your tan jacket. A nice sheen suggested it's a silk shirt and the cut of the jacket collar and lapels is exquisite. I concluded here is a well dressed man and he plays the piano.
After going through so many videos, 1st time this concept has been introduced, well I must tell you , I started my music journey with Indian percussion playing for nearly more than 40 years, and now started learning piano, and I do the same thing what you said, that is how we rhythm players do it. Mixing single double,triplet,4,5,6,7 notes . But thanks for wonderful advices.
+Bharat Gosher wow, and it is the opposite for me , ive been playing western classical/jazz piano for 20 years and started hindustani classical ( on the piano ) 2 years ago and the slow practice works !!!
Absolutely with the metronome and at an extremely slow speed in the manner and motion of Tia Chi or Pantomime. When using the metronome, starting at an extremely slow tempo, practicing 10 or more times each phrase, increasing only by one degree. For example, 30 to the quarter note going to 32 to the quarter note and so on.
Love you play wonderfully at either slow or fast tempo. I talked to my friend that I see different color in one piece when I play it fast versus slow. I more prefer the slow tempo, but my teacher won't allow me to play everything slow. Ha ha.
Actually I find trying to play a piece slowly on purpose after learning it to play at tempo is actually quite difficult, at least for me anyways. Great video as always.
I'm great at super slow playing, my problem is getting up to tempo! I'm trying little bits fast but then putting it all together is so hard. Being an adult beginner I guess my brain is just not fast enough (yet?).
I have same issue. I can play no mistakes at slow, when teacher asked me to speed up, I get nervous, the notes go mixed up. It seems my fingers are not responding as fast as my brain.
Cortot told his students (of whom my own teacher was one) to practice either very slowly, or up to tempo, but never the gradations in between. I think everybody has to figure that out for himself or herself
Thanks for the tutorial. I read the article and one thing that throws me is the "miming". Seems my fingers get frozen with those attempts. Take a bit of work I imagine.
Over 35 here, my memorisation isn't great. Well, my struggle is pieces with lots of chords. There's something about chords that my brain struggles with.
I do agree with slow practice, but how do you get to the "slow"? Not everyone is great at sight reading, and they don't have to. I also don't agree that you shoudn't use the metronome. The metronome is the most important tool we have to play correctly. Your video is very vague. Not real explanations are given to someone who is looking to improve their practice.
waaaat metronome sucks unless youre just starting out. You cant do any rubato with it. Also most pieces dont specify exact metronome speed. Counting out loud is way better esp keeping in mind the strong and weak beats.
@@buckylove6918 you don't need rubato with all music first of all,second of all I think I helps with rubato as it helps to understand the tempo and pulse more
Of course it takes discipline, because you take more time to do that and for some pieces you're getting away from the musicality whereas you still have to practice mindfully
I believe in slow practice also, but I have my own personal way of doing it. I have nothing personal against this fellow but I must admit that I really didn't learn anything from this video. Sorry.
I believe in slow practice also, but I have my own personal way of doing it. I have nothing personal against this fellow but I must admit that I really didn't learn anything from this video. Sorry.
“Quarter speed does take a bit of discipline” meanwhile that’s as fast as I can play it lmao
To my opinion this is THE absolute rule of learning without mistakes, together with practising without pedal, at first place. But the major effort so as to achieve this is to put aside our narcissicm, and also to ignore the neighbours or those who live with you, i.e. not to think that they might get bored to listen to you or, even worse, that they might believe you do this because you can't play properly :)
I tried 1/2 and 1/4 speeds on a Bach gavotte, really trying to get the tempo right,
putting in a lot of effort. Then I put it aside thinking what next? Suddenly the black key
etude comes to mind with my fingers eager to tackle it. I've never had such a confident
feeling in my fingers before. I play the etude. Wow! This is a breakthrough! Thank you, Mr. Fitch.
wuuuuuut
My instructor is always telling me to SLOW DOWN when I'm learning a new piece. I have a tendency to wanna play normal tempo too soon.
And she says every time I make mistake in ingraining those mistakes. Whereas going slow is ingraining the correct notes consistently (hands to brain and brain to hands).
I have this problem, and most people have.
That's me too
I always try to go slow but after some time I always try to go faster without thinking, which pretty much messes me up 9 times out of 10 so you're not alone
True! Playing slow also improves accuracy. Ironically you will learn music faster learning it slower.
Yeah slow practice is essential when starting out because it builds that foundation that you can speed up with. Even with etudes where you end up using different muscles when you play fast vs. slow, it's still best to play slow for a while since it helps your hand know where they need to be when you do eventually speed up. But you shouldn't spend most of your time practicing slow once it gets boring and repetitive, at that point most of your effort should go into speeding up, but you should end with slow practice.
Thanks for that. I find when I manage to slow down, that I notice more about the subtlety of the music, and even manage to understand something of what the composer intended when he wrote the piece.
Brilliant! Eloquent, persuasive pianist educator! Have applied a few practice methods with immediate measurable improvement! One has to acquire the music similar to foreign language acquistion. Maestro Fitch shares many enlightening and practical methods. He obviously loves both music and piano especially! Thank you so much! ❤💐🙏🕊️
Wow! speeding up a slow piece to gain rhythmic / melodic clarity... first time I've ever heard this.
See my problem is this... I ALWAYS assumed that, when a person was experienced enough, a "master pianist" if you will, that they didn't need to practice. That they were just naturally able to play it by reading that music. I didn't stop to think that even masters have to practice every piece that they learn. However, I have, over the past few months, started to concentrate on tricky parts, playing them slowly. And it has improved my performance a lot. So it's not longer frustrating. Having now understood that even really good pianists need to practice.. I feel a lot better... When it comes to the metronome.. I couldn't agree more.. I just end up getting lost because I'm listening to it too much even though I don't want to.
Research actually shows that the top pros always practice the hardest passages, almost maniacally, and rarely lose time playing what they can already
I watched this yesterday, and then put it into practice on Paganini-Liszt Etude No. 6... and it really does work! Thank you for this video.
Ive been playing for about 40 years and read a lot about practice methods and find that playing slowly when learning a new piece is crucial. Sometimes i use a metronome, other times i count or tap my foot. Once i have the piece more or less in my muscles i like to practice everything at different speeds. Varying tempos help me to feel more confident about "owning" that piece of. I become the master instead of the slave. For example the piu mosso section of chopins C# minor waltz required me to train my right hand very VERY slowly at first . Once i had it i would occasionally practice it ridiculously faster than i wanted it and then take it back down very slowly. This enabled me to eventually master it at a nice speed that is under my complete control. Smart practice methods require a variety of approaches. Its death to practice a piece the same way every time from a technical standpoint
this is why i suck, always making mistakes, i've never played something slowly. Thanks for the class master!
Yes, and I don´t have much patience to play the same piece over and over a day. Usually, when I play 3 times, I get sick.
Thanks for sharing your valuable advice
What impressed me first was how much better hthe Pathetique sounded at a faster tempo. Then, I noticed the gold bands of your shirt cuffs and how well they coordinate with your tan jacket. A nice sheen suggested it's a silk shirt and the cut of the jacket collar and lapels is exquisite. I concluded here is a well dressed man and he plays the piano.
After going through so many videos, 1st time this concept has been introduced, well I must tell you , I started my music journey with Indian percussion playing for nearly more than 40 years, and now started learning piano, and I do the same thing what you said, that is how we rhythm players do it. Mixing single double,triplet,4,5,6,7 notes . But thanks for wonderful advices.
+Bharat Gosher wow, and it is the opposite for me , ive been playing western classical/jazz piano for 20 years and started hindustani classical ( on the piano ) 2 years ago and the slow practice works !!!
Absolutely with the metronome and at an extremely slow speed in the manner and motion of Tia Chi or Pantomime. When using the metronome, starting at an extremely slow tempo, practicing 10 or more times each phrase, increasing only by one degree. For example, 30 to the quarter note going to 32 to the quarter note and so on.
I like how you increase the speed in slower music. Never thought of that. To better hear the rhythm and practice more intelligently.
Probably the most important advice for the mastery stage, not just the learning stage.
it actually sounds nice at slow speed
everything stands out
really really.... Thank You Very Much....
Brilliant, thank you!
Thanks million
Thank you for your tips.
crucial!
Thanks for the comment on the metronome. I've found your comments to be true, but thought perhaps I'm just "rhythmically" challenged.
I agree not using matronome..tqvm..i like to play like you..but not sure i can.
That's great! ;) I am playing fast pieces slower for practice, but I'dd never find useful to play it faster! Nice, I'll try it ;)
Love you play wonderfully at either slow or fast tempo. I talked to my friend that I see different color in one piece when I play it fast versus slow. I more prefer the slow tempo, but my teacher won't allow me to play everything slow. Ha ha.
Actually I find trying to play a piece slowly on purpose after learning it to play at tempo is actually quite difficult, at least for me anyways. Great video as always.
I'm great at super slow playing, my problem is getting up to tempo! I'm trying little bits fast but then putting it all together is so hard. Being an adult beginner I guess my brain is just not fast enough (yet?).
I have same issue. I can play no mistakes at slow, when teacher asked me to speed up, I get nervous, the notes go mixed up. It seems my fingers are not responding as fast as my brain.
How about SILENT PRACTICE???
great
Great jacket.
Cortot told his students (of whom my own teacher was one) to practice either very slowly, or up to tempo, but never the gradations in between. I think everybody has to figure that out for himself or herself
I'd like to know where Graham buys his coats and shirts. He looks very stylish and cool. That jacket is smokin'
Definitely not Walmart.
Very interesting as usual but I think that in another video you strongly advised not to practice slowly fast pieces once speed has been reached.
Can you please do a tutorial on the fast section in Mozart's Fantasy K397. The measures with the 16th notes in the left hand.
Thanks for the tutorial. I read the article and one thing that throws me is the "miming". Seems my fingers get frozen with those attempts. Take a bit of work I imagine.
What if you get used to playing it slow and can’t play it fast?
Can anyone tell me what piece is being played during this video's intro? I find it quite nice!
Ravel: Sonatine, 2nd movement
hi please can someone borrow me his finger i want to be a professional pianist
What is the music in the introduction?
Menuet from Ravel's Sonatine.
@@pianoplaynight Thank you very much :)
what's the name of the second piece
the pathetique sonata by beethoven
+Hanin N N (the 1st movement)
What is the opening theme? Sounds lovely
Hi Daan, it's the Minuet from Ravel’s Sonatine.
@@PianistMagazine thanks a lot!
Very nicely played as well, most versions I hear are too fast in my opinion...
Lol I think everything I play is slow speed
That's good
playing insanely slow is much more difficult than playing insanely fast
JungJung wONG absolutely
Ever tried playing La Campanella?
More like TerryWrong lol.
Anyone over 35 and studying? I thought I’d be as good as when I was 16. nope. It’s my memorization that sucks. Any suggestions?
Develop ear memory away from piano. Check out my book primacy. Don’t buy without glancing at libraryopy
Over 35 here, my memorisation isn't great. Well, my struggle is pieces with lots of chords. There's something about chords that my brain struggles with.
So this is more like “masterclass on fast practice for slow pieces!” 😜
#pocketpoise
I do agree with slow practice, but how do you get to the "slow"? Not everyone is great at sight reading, and they don't have to. I also don't agree that you shoudn't use the metronome. The metronome is the most important tool we have to play correctly. Your video is very vague. Not real explanations are
given to someone who is looking to improve their practice.
waaaat metronome sucks unless youre just starting out. You cant do any rubato with it. Also most pieces dont specify exact metronome speed. Counting out loud is way better esp keeping in mind the strong and weak beats.
@@buckylove6918 you don't need rubato with all music first of all,second of all I think I helps with rubato as it helps to understand the tempo and pulse more
4:12.....😉🤪
The slower, the better.
02:38 not at all
Of course it takes discipline, because you take more time to do that and for some pieces you're getting away from the musicality whereas you still have to practice mindfully
I dint like when he was doing the Pathetic fast
That steinway (like most modern pianos) sounds like a cement mixer with long broken glass in it and sand.
Please God, send me a cement mixer for my birthday!!
I'll be glad to take one of those cement mixers off your hands.
It’s the recording, not the cement mixer, you should hear it live
i recommend playing that pathetic sonata at 16 X the speed
ββ
LMAO
Evidently you don't know how to listen. Technique wise, turn your wrists in a bit more to get more finger on the key surface.
I believe in slow practice also, but I have my own personal way of doing it. I have nothing personal against this fellow but I must admit that I really didn't learn anything from this video. Sorry.
Atmur Stokes Then why take the time to post?
to much talking this guy
I prefer it than no talking at all
way two much
I believe in slow practice also, but I have my own personal way of doing it. I have nothing personal against this fellow but I must admit that I really didn't learn anything from this video. Sorry.
Atmur Stokes Then why take the time to post?
Atmur Stokes .You actually LEARNED of another professional source ( that you may cite ) that reinforces your PRACTICE principle.
I do agree with you Atmur. This person can be a good pianist, but not a teacher.