I know there's a recent topic on octaves but I am asking a specific question. During the octave part in the third variation is it acceptable to use a pedal or will I just be skipping over the proper techinique? I've been trying to play it crossing over my outer fingers (3,4,5) for the upper notes and the thumb only for the lower ones but my fingers are getting abit strained and it's not sounding great.

any suggestions?

Sorry, I don't have advice on this, but I cannot play that bit fast enough in octaves! I cheat and just play single notes hehe!!

cheating? that ain't cool

SOME pedal is acceptable for the stylistic performance, but remember, NOT TOO MUCH

It ain't cool but everyone does it. If the person listening doesn't know the score, they don't know how the music should sound.

Sorry, going slightly off-topic aren't I?

I'm only playing it for fun by myself, to myself. Not to an audience, Geez

I always pedal this passage. My tempo here is slow enough to allow an easy legato change on each semiquaver. You can get away with a change on each quaver, if the room in which you are playing is not very resonant.

I think trying to get a pure finger legato will not work for many - the thumb is going to be detached anyway and you would need considerable expertise to create the quality of sound on the top notes that would provide the right effect.

You could also play around with articulation. How qbout playing each group of 6 semis with the first 2 legato and the last for staccato?

Steve

Technically it doesn't say we cant pedal does it? I mostly pedal, but on a good day i can play it ok without...

There's no rule to say you can't, but you might get a thumping for not playing in an appropriate style! A little bit of pedal to help with legato doesn't seem to be a crime.

I use pedal too as my hands cannot comfortably stretch an octave using my thumb and middle finger.

I played this again today! I can do the first octave bit a bit bumpily but without pedal, more practise should halp that but the last octave bit (quavers) sounds impossible!