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  4. Is Clair de Lune too hard for me?

Is Clair de Lune too hard for me?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Off Key - General Discussion
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  • C
    C
    CHAS
    wrote on last edited by
    #4

    I don't know the answer.
    I do know I want to hear you play all three of them. So get crackn' 🙂

    "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

    • Twyla Tharp
    1 Reply Last reply
    ♥
    • AndyDA AndyD

      Trust your teachers.

      What grade have you passed & how long ago?

      I'd add, the bars are quite repetitive regarding fingering...
      And the fingering on the free music I limked on the other thread works well

      ShiroKuroS
      ShiroKuroS
      ShiroKuro
      wrote on last edited by
      #5

      thanks for the comments everyone!

      @AndyD said:

      What grade have you passed & how long ago?

      I have never taken any grade exams, so I don't have a sense of my level. I've been playing for over 25 years, but I started as an adult.

      Although, one piece I'm close to finishing is apparently an ABRSM grade 6, and that piece is easy for me. The internet AI says CdL is grade 8, so that should be do-able in theory...

      @Bernard said:

      Clair de Lune is not much harder (if any) than Arabesque No. 1, some might even find Clair de Lune easier. I think Reverie is harder than either of them.

      this is interesting because just looking at the score, CdL looks harder to me...

      re fingering

      @Bernard said:

      They can always be worked out and your teacher should be able to contribute to that.

      Yes, but I don't want to spend my whole lesson working out fingers for the whole thing, if it's a piece within my level, I ought to be able to do the bulk of it myself.

      OTOH, learning this would probably push me forward...

      Anyway, I'll see how I do during tonight's practice.

      1 Reply Last reply
      • AndyDA
        AndyDA
        AndyD
        wrote on last edited by AndyD
        #6

        Re fingering, I spent an hour at the dining table adding numbers to various notes (on the third(?) day of practising it) copying from the free music link; then another hour playing it & pausing to add more.
        Worth the effort.

        Ventosa viri restabit

        ShiroKuroS 1 Reply Last reply
        • AndyDA AndyD

          Re fingering, I spent an hour at the dining table adding numbers to various notes (on the third(?) day of practising it) copying from the free music link; then another hour playing it & pausing to add more.
          Worth the effort.

          ShiroKuroS
          ShiroKuroS
          ShiroKuro
          wrote on last edited by
          #7

          @AndyD said:

          I spent an hour at the dining table adding numbers to various notes

          Wow! I can't do that kind of thing away from the keyboard!

          And one of my concerns with CdL is that it won't just be a matter of figuring out the fingering, because I won't know what fingering to choose...

          Anyway, as I said, I'll look at it this evening and see what I think.

          1 Reply Last reply
          • M
            M
            Mark
            wrote on last edited by
            #8

            You are more than capable of learning it.

            I have never played it. But, I'm pretty sure I could learn it. I have been so focused on Chopin over the past year that I feel like I should move on to a different composer.

            ShiroKuroS AndyDA 2 Replies Last reply
            👍
            • M Mark

              You are more than capable of learning it.

              I have never played it. But, I'm pretty sure I could learn it. I have been so focused on Chopin over the past year that I feel like I should move on to a different composer.

              ShiroKuroS
              ShiroKuroS
              ShiroKuro
              wrote on last edited by
              #9

              @Mark thank you for the vote of confidence!

              I just finished a session on another piece, so now I'm heading over to CdL...

              1 Reply Last reply
              • AndyDA AndyD

                Trust your teachers.

                What grade have you passed & how long ago?

                I'd add, the bars are quite repetitive regarding fingering...
                And the fingering on the free music I limked on the other thread works well

                ShiroKuroS
                ShiroKuroS
                ShiroKuro
                wrote on last edited by ShiroKuro
                #10

                @AndyD said:

                And the fingering on the free music I limked on the other thread works well

                This one, right?

                https://vmirror.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5a/IMSLP664379-PMLP2397-SheetMusic_29267.pdf

                I wish it were bigger, but it’s very helpful!

                I think I’ll use my Henle score and use this one tonight in some fingering away from the keyboard.

                Also I just realized it suddenly seems much easier if I turn my iPad sideways, bc the score is larger and easier to see 😅

                1 Reply Last reply
                😊
                • AndyDA
                  AndyDA
                  AndyD
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #11

                  Yes.
                  I'd be surprised if the linked music and the Henle have many differences in fingering. There's usually an accepted best way for fingers.

                  (e.g. no matter how big your left hand, arpeggios will need a certain finger next over your thumb in preparation for the continued run.
                  Although the lowest note may be played with 5 or 4 if hands are big and it helps flow.

                  And in the right hand for thirds, where all hand sizes will find a run easiest with the same fingering depending on how black notes fall, and what's to be played next)

                  Ventosa viri restabit

                  ShiroKuroS 1 Reply Last reply
                  👍
                  • M Mark

                    You are more than capable of learning it.

                    I have never played it. But, I'm pretty sure I could learn it. I have been so focused on Chopin over the past year that I feel like I should move on to a different composer.

                    AndyDA
                    AndyDA
                    AndyD
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #12

                    @Mark said:

                    You are more than capable of learning it.

                    I have never played it. But, I'm pretty sure I could learn it. I have been so focused on Chopin over the past year that I feel like I should move on to a different composer.

                    What Chopin are you playing?

                    Ventosa viri restabit

                    M 1 Reply Last reply
                    • AndyDA AndyD

                      Yes.
                      I'd be surprised if the linked music and the Henle have many differences in fingering. There's usually an accepted best way for fingers.

                      (e.g. no matter how big your left hand, arpeggios will need a certain finger next over your thumb in preparation for the continued run.
                      Although the lowest note may be played with 5 or 4 if hands are big and it helps flow.

                      And in the right hand for thirds, where all hand sizes will find a run easiest with the same fingering depending on how black notes fall, and what's to be played next)

                      ShiroKuroS
                      ShiroKuroS
                      ShiroKuro
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #13

                      @AndyD said:

                      Yes.
                      I'd be surprised if the linked music and the Henle have many differences in fingering. There's usually an accepted best way for fingers.

                      I’m going to sit down (at a table, not at the piano) and compare the two scores. It might be that the one you linked just has more fingering written in.

                      Anyway, practice went much better last night. I just focused on the first 15 measures. Oh, and as I wrote about, I turned my iPad sideways so that the score was much bigger. That might seem silly but I feel like the Henle score I have is rather cramped and it just made it feel hard to read.

                      As soon as I could see it better, it became much easier to read-play and that made a huge difference in subjective feeling of “difficulty.”

                      I also decided not to work in the part that starts in measure 27 (where the LH from chords to 16th notes). I’ll work on that with my teacher. Or maybe I’ll work on it this weekend, turning the iPad sideways makes everything feel easier 😄

                      Anyway, thank you again everyone for encouraging me. I may yet decide this is too hard and put it away, but I’ve done that with a lot of pieces, and then when I come back to them, they are much easier the second time around. CdL is only 72 measures. If nothing else, I will aim to get through the end of it before putting it aside.

                      B 1 Reply Last reply
                      • ShiroKuroS ShiroKuro

                        @AndyD said:

                        Yes.
                        I'd be surprised if the linked music and the Henle have many differences in fingering. There's usually an accepted best way for fingers.

                        I’m going to sit down (at a table, not at the piano) and compare the two scores. It might be that the one you linked just has more fingering written in.

                        Anyway, practice went much better last night. I just focused on the first 15 measures. Oh, and as I wrote about, I turned my iPad sideways so that the score was much bigger. That might seem silly but I feel like the Henle score I have is rather cramped and it just made it feel hard to read.

                        As soon as I could see it better, it became much easier to read-play and that made a huge difference in subjective feeling of “difficulty.”

                        I also decided not to work in the part that starts in measure 27 (where the LH from chords to 16th notes). I’ll work on that with my teacher. Or maybe I’ll work on it this weekend, turning the iPad sideways makes everything feel easier 😄

                        Anyway, thank you again everyone for encouraging me. I may yet decide this is too hard and put it away, but I’ve done that with a lot of pieces, and then when I come back to them, they are much easier the second time around. CdL is only 72 measures. If nothing else, I will aim to get through the end of it before putting it aside.

                        B
                        B
                        Bernard
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #14

                        @ShiroKuro said:

                        As soon as I could see it better, it became much easier to read-play and that made a huge difference in subjective feeling of “difficulty.”

                        I also decided not to work in the part that starts in measure 27 (where the LH from chords to 16th notes).

                        As I have become less young I've noticed that having good light and a good manuscript is more important than ever.

                        The nice thing about the chords at measure 27 is that they are easily recognizable.

                        The industrial revolution cheapened everything.

                        ShiroKuroS 2 Replies Last reply
                        👍
                        • B Bernard

                          @ShiroKuro said:

                          As soon as I could see it better, it became much easier to read-play and that made a huge difference in subjective feeling of “difficulty.”

                          I also decided not to work in the part that starts in measure 27 (where the LH from chords to 16th notes).

                          As I have become less young I've noticed that having good light and a good manuscript is more important than ever.

                          The nice thing about the chords at measure 27 is that they are easily recognizable.

                          ShiroKuroS
                          ShiroKuroS
                          ShiroKuro
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #15

                          @Bernard said:

                          As I have become less young I've noticed that having good light and a good manuscript is more important than ever.

                          I may actually be in need of a new glasses prescription. But I also think it has a lot to do with the layout of the score I have, and the harmonic density of the notes.

                          So anything that makes it easier to read, and makes it feel easier to learn, is all to the good!

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • B Bernard

                            @ShiroKuro said:

                            As soon as I could see it better, it became much easier to read-play and that made a huge difference in subjective feeling of “difficulty.”

                            I also decided not to work in the part that starts in measure 27 (where the LH from chords to 16th notes).

                            As I have become less young I've noticed that having good light and a good manuscript is more important than ever.

                            The nice thing about the chords at measure 27 is that they are easily recognizable.

                            ShiroKuroS
                            ShiroKuroS
                            ShiroKuro
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #16

                            @Bernard said:

                            The nice thing about the chords at measure 27 is that they are easily recognizable.

                            We shall see! 😄

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • C
                              C
                              CHAS
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #17

                              Hay SK, This should get you going.

                              Link to video
                              Thought I had seen Hugh Sung was doing something like this.

                              "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

                              • Twyla Tharp
                              ShiroKuroS 1 Reply Last reply
                              • Big_AlB
                                Big_AlB
                                Big_Al
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #18

                                I remember meeting Hugh Sung at a piano party hosted by Rich Galassini at Cunningham Piano a number of years ago. I saw he was playing a Cunningham piano in the video.

                                Big Al

                                Money seems to buy the most happiness when you give it away.

                                Why does everything have to be so complicated, all in the name of convenience. -ShiroKuro

                                A lifetime of experience will change a person. If it doesn't, then you're already dead inside. -MarkJ

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • C CHAS

                                  Hay SK, This should get you going.

                                  Link to video
                                  Thought I had seen Hugh Sung was doing something like this.

                                  ShiroKuroS
                                  ShiroKuroS
                                  ShiroKuro
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #19

                                  @CHAS Oh nice, thanks for the link! I've seen other Huge Sung videos, he's quite at explaining things!

                                  @bernard I think he is or was a partner or employee with Cunningham? Maybe someone else here remembers...

                                  Ok, I was mostly right, I checked Wiki, it says:

                                  Sung became the Director of Institutional Solutions at Cunningham Piano Company in 2016, and then became its Vice President in 2018.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • ShiroKuroS
                                    ShiroKuroS
                                    ShiroKuro
                                    wrote on last edited by ShiroKuro
                                    #20

                                    Here's the second video:

                                    Link to video

                                    The video is something of a trip back in time. 😄 There are at least three in this series, maybe more?

                                    I wonder if these videos were made back when there were more time limits on what you could upload to YT...

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • ShiroKuroS
                                      ShiroKuroS
                                      ShiroKuro
                                      wrote on last edited by ShiroKuro
                                      #21

                                      Holy cow, it looks like there's one video for each measure?? Wow.

                                      Also, watching him work in whatever program he's using is kind of nostalgic (I wonder if this is the precursor to Newzik, the app that he promotes)

                                      Anyway, @andyd Andy, his approach to the LH part for measure 27 is interesting, instead of only taking the top two notes with the RH, he takes the top 3 with RH, which means the LH only plays octaves. Interesting... Probably not what I'll do though...

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • ShiroKuroS
                                        ShiroKuroS
                                        ShiroKuro
                                        wrote on last edited by ShiroKuro
                                        #22

                                        oops, here's the video, measure 27 part 1

                                        Link to video

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • ShiroKuroS
                                          ShiroKuroS
                                          ShiroKuro
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #23

                                          I haven't watched this one yet, but I'll post it here so it's easy to find.

                                          Piano Lesson with French pianist, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet on How to Play 'Clair de lune'

                                          Link to video

                                          B 1 Reply Last reply
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