I am taking ATCL by June of next year. This piece is to replace the scales.

I am practising it as the speed is really fast (here is an example of the piece). Any suggestions on how can I play until that speed which really sounds impossible to me?...any advices are also welcomed.

And, anyone doing this piece too? Is it a bad choice for exam?

Interesting that Chopin Op.10 no.4 Etude was selected in place on scales... Hmmm. This is one of my favourite etudes , and yes, you are right, it does go at a fast tempo... Obviously, you must find very good fingering to suit you to play this, learn very slowly etc,etc, which I am sure that you are doing already. Practise using different rhythms to achieve neat semiquavers. Unless you have this piece technically "under your hands", it may deter you from playing convincingly in musical epressive way.

I am a little surprised that this piece is on ATCL list... I think it is technically quite challenging for the first diploma!

Best of Luck!
hero

Hi! I, too, am just learning this piece! I love it...
I would say to do a lot of slow practicing... honestly, slow practicing really aids in fast work!
Good luck!
*Sarice*

Yes, there's no great trick really - practice slowly hands separately, put it together even slower, play in rhythms, use a metronome to equalise tempo and to stop you cheating on the rhythm practice.

Just out of interest, how long is it since you did grade 8?

The instruction at the end of Op 10. no. 3 is "attacca . . .", which seems to me to mean they should be played as a pair (like a prelude and fugue). When you put them together in that manner, no.3 really does make a very good prelude to no. 4. Of course by the end you need a fire extinguisher for your forearms . . .

It's one hell of a prelude...Kudos to anyone that can play that...!

You are right, the fingerings are quite important. For some part (like right hand part of bar 3), my teacher tells me to use "sea-saw" action as my hands are too small to reach the notes and it helps, really.




Thanks for the advices. I ever found that the semiquavers are struggling when I play it in a fast tempo. But why I never thought of using the metronome beating different rhythms? Your advices are like lighting up a bulb in my head. Thanks!



I did my grade 8 with merit (too bad, no distinction) in 2005. Last year I took the Performer Certificate from Trinity and got 78%.

I am learning this etude too, but at the moment just getting it right at a medium tempo...i know what Robodoc is referring to about the forearms aching, these pieces are not that long, but phew, can they take it out of you !

I agree! I did the study option instead of scales (two Czerny studies) for ALCM, but I don't think either was as demanding as this. One was 'clarity in velocity', or something like that, but all the velocity was almost all in the right hand. This Etude is very demanding for both hands, and with a lot of leaps into the bargain.

Is it a bad choice? I don't know! Certainly I'd rather put months into this than weeks into scales! And the study option is a known quantity. You aren't sitting wondering what's coming next, which can be nerve-wracking if you're inclined to be nervous to begin with. If you can pull this one off well, I'd say they'll be on your side from the word 'Go'!

Actually, I ever thought of taking scale instead of this one. If I cannot play this one perfectly by next year, I think I will take scales instead of this one. But...I still think it is a good thing to challenge myself. Anyway, practises make perfect...I asked my tutor before decide to try this etude and she says it is OK so I just go on. So......everything depends on how I tackle this piece!

Or you could take ATCL recital, rather than performance and have do play neither the scales nor that piece ; instead you could select something that suits you better .

But my tutor did not recommend me to take that...mayb that's too hard for me...after all, i m only 16 and letting me taking ATCL performance seems to be a challenge to her already (my brain work slower, haha). Nevermind, I enjoy challenging this piece