Does anyone else have problems with the quicks on your thumbs getting really sore. I think this is being caused by when I play one of my pieces.

If anyone does have this problem, do you have a remedy that heals quickly? They are so sore now it is making practise very difficult.

Also to top things up I have my exam in under 2 weeks and my teacher has now decided that I need to play Air differently. She has spoken to a couple of teachers that have put pupils in for this piece and they have said that it has been commented that the left hand should be like a march and slightly detached. Up until now my teacher has had me play it quite smoothly as she said although there are no legato signs it was written for a harpischord.

I have to say that I prefer it smooth, I am getting there, but it is really difficult when I thought I had it sussed to make a change this late in the game.

ET

Don't play for a couple of days. You can read the music instead.
Put a good hand cream on so they don't go dry and crack.
Should be a lot better in 2 days.
Bev

Have you tried putting plasters (elastoplast or similar) round your thumbs? Works for Brendel.

Best of luck with your exam. I agree it's a bit late to be making changes, but your teacher obviously believes you can do it.

Take a rest, ET. Massage your thumbs, and refrain from typing SMSes on the mobile phone using your thumbs.

I found one YouTuber's video. Is this the piece?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeiZTbsVz6Q...feature=related

I think your teacher is pretty nice to go find out about the best way to interpret this piece. Yes it is pretty late, but I am sure you can do it! Try your best to work on the LH. My best wishes!

Does your teacher have the teaching guide/notes from ABRSM? I loaned it out to a friend. If I get it back soon enough, I could send you the notes for that piece.

That is the piece I played in my Grade 4 last year and got 28/30. I played it more slowly - and gently, less "typewriter-like" - than is shown in the video and detached the notes in the LH (not true staccato, but detached) with a very gentle touch, which the examiner appreciated as being 'elegant' (as he wrote in the remarks). At no point must it be hurried because it is not a march at all. On the contrary, it should sound like anything but a march, which is not easy given its 2/4 rhythm but all the first section ranges between p and mp and in spite of the hint at mf in the second, it returns to p and mp in b. 32, which speaks for the quiet character of the piece. It should sound like a gentle and smooth dance and I usually conjured up courtly images when I played it. The metronome indication semiminim = 60 says it all about the "leisurely" pace of the piece and its character.
Hope these tips help.

Also, I forgot, the ornament in b. 15 gave me lots of trouble so I read in the teaching notes that it could be played as 2 triplets (so, C# B C# / B C# B / A) rather than 8 notes and the Teaching Notes say this, so I stuck to that and it sounded really smooth. The resolution to the chord C#-E-A after the ornament has to be practised in isolation as the 'jump' should be smooth and gentle, here, too.

Sounds like an interesting piece ... Would really like to listen to you all play it!

This little girl plays it nicely too: http://www.8notes.com/show_video.asp?video_id=154873

Now I am tempted to try it out!

I don't think 'nice' comes into it - that is a teachers job, to help you interpret a piece to the best of your ability.

As for the thumbs, try using the micro tape that they use to apply bandages to cover it, it is thinner and less bulky than a plaster - I agree with the avoiding texting suggestion, I had a similar problem with a Debussy duet I was doing that had a couple of fairly awkward glissandi in, and every time we practiced it ended up bleeding, I found I couldn't play with plasters on but a little tape over it was fine, then when you've finished practicing take it off the air needs to get to the fingers to heal it!

Good luck with the job