In this piece in bars like 140, and 141 and continusously after that in a pattern of every 4 bars or so, i can reach the notes of the chord. I just wanted an outside opinion on whether the piece would sound ok if i arppegiated the chords that i cant reach. Would it sound a bit strange, as this is the only way i can think of to reach all the given notes.

Personally I don't think that you should spread the chords. The thing I love about this passage is that it's so beautiful and yet so simple, and I think if you spread the chords you'll be taking away from that simplicity... When I play it, I only play the bottom two notes of the chords I can't reach, as these are notes 1 and 5 of the chord and I thought they were probably the most important ones to play out of the three. I did actually ask my teacher about this a while ago and she thought the same, but it's only an opinion so if you think they sound nice as spread chords then go for it!

This is the approach I take - if the spreading is going to sound out of place, I just try and get the harmonically important notes. You need to try both and see what fits the character of the piece.
Is there any scope for taking a note with the other hand? (sorry, don't know the piece).

Not played it , but just had a look.
I think I would spread the chords, they all seem to be at a point where the melody is not moving so this would not get in the way. Also missing out some of the top notes you lose the third of the chord and this is not always present in the melody to make up for it.

Can't take the note in the other hand... it's still a 10th!

I would be stuck before there... no way i could do bars 83 to 86!!

My piano teacher could probably easily reach that but he hates Einaudi....I don't like missing out any notes but it does seem a bit out of place especially in the last section with arpeggiated right hand and simple left hand, i didnt want to complicate it more...still dont know what to do though...

He hates Einaudi?!?!!?

Tut tut!!

I'll have a look at the piece later and see what I do, I've not played it in ages and can't remember!

I know...unbelievable! His first reaction when i told him i had bought the book was 'urgh, why did you buy that ? Its horrible' <grrr...feels insulted>

oh yeah...is it felix? did he really say that? that's pretty harsh!!! but he likes joe hisaishi and that's sooooort of like einaudi... i like i giorni too!!!! but i can't reach the notes either so I just play the top 2!!

I tried playing the top two and it sounds terrible, the bottom two sounds ok, but i still dont like missing out the notes...yup i was talking about Felix....He only likes Hisaishi because he likes the films and was going to do a thing on him for his uni thing ages ago, and you have to admit that Hisaishi's work is a bit more varied than Einaudi, its a different style altogether, not surprising seeing as they're from opposite sides of the world!

Hi everybody

In the spirit of trying to help, and bearing in mind that I do not actually know this piece:

* A composer who writes chords in piano pieces that cannot be played as written expects them to be spread (and if he doesn't, then he should )
* Experiment with the way in which you spred the chord. Try it slowly, quickly and all points in between. A spread that works quickly might not work slowly etc
* Where you have to leave out notes, then these general rules are a help: rh - you cannot leave out the top notes (cos they are the melody) so leave out the bottom; lh - leave out the top as leaving out the bass changes the inversion of the chord and make a huge difference to the sound.

Hope this helps

Steve

Thanks Steve! I tried to spread the notes slowly so that they were in line with the chords made by the melody, still sounds 'interuppted' though, because now the structure isnt as regular as before, where the left hand was all chords...hmmm I think i'll just leave out the top note from now on...