Here is another useful tip: Having a small accent on the 1st note of every group of triplet helps significantly, and when you play up to tempo you can remove the accent and you will play it very natrually.
This is how I finally got it! Practice the triplets while saying triplet out loud and accent the beginning of every note. Then SLOWLY adding the left hand in. Started off at 35 bpm to get the rhythm and it just came naturally after about two days of practice.
Due to Covid, I can’t go to my piano lessons and this is the first time that I try to learn a piece only by myself. I was really having issues with this part but, thanks to you, I can finally play it. Thank you very much!
Yes, in the Chopin piece it's very useful to practice an incorrect but easier rhythm in the left hand (recommend Da di di Da di di) until fluent, and then when you increase the speed the four against three should work itself out automatically.
This is a great tutorial to get you to properly synch both hands without sounding like a robot. I was doing it wrong for years and now I can finally play it correctly. I had resigned myself to not being able to figure out 3 vs 2 and figured you either can or can't - like curling your tongue. I would add that once you sync both hands, it still won't sound completely right. Both hands need to be practiced independently, the left needs to stay piano and become automatic so that you can play it without even thinking about it. The right needs to be practiced to sounds melodic without improperly accenting the triplets. If you try to figure it out mathematically it just won't sound right, both hands need to play completely independently. The left should be practiced until it can be played subconsciously, then you can add the right and focus 100% on the melody. This is true for the rest of the piece, almost everywhere the main melody is played by the right hand. I would also highly recommend listening to Inga Fiolia playing Arabesque #1 - her interpretation of this piece is exquisite and is a great example of how each hand is played independently. Thank you Piano Insights for finally helping me to play this correctly. I would also be nice of you to include a clip in this video of how it should sound.
My goodness this gentleman is a good teacher. I'm a self taught pianist and so I know very little and I am trying to learn a piece which is way above my ability. He knew the problems and how to overcome them before I even recognized there would be any.
A very didactic and instructive video. Congratulations. I find what the video is proposing very interesting: concentrating on getting the right tempo instead of starting by getting the right rhythm. I myself have experienced this same problem. Despite the fact that I managed to play the polyrhythms (3 vs 2) correctly from the beginning, it is true that it was difficult for me to gain speed (and I am still stuck in that phase). Anyway, I have a criticism of this video (always from the constructive point of view). The point is that I think that in the video a lot of time is spent on what should not be done (the syncopated rhythms and 3 vs 2 from the begining) and little time on what should be done (that “short short long” that is mentioned). I don't know if I'm the only one who gets overwhelmed by so many syncopated rhythms and in the end no longer knows which is the correct form (or rather incorrect but which will allow us to reach perfection later). I think that this "short short long" rhythm with which you should start practicing is diluted in that succession of incorrect rhythms and I think that generates confusion. My proposal is that the author of this video make another one in which the rhythm with which he intends to start playing this piece is shown more profusely. Starting very slowly and gradually gaining speed until the rhythm is smoothed out. Thanks for everything and greetings. Raül
wowy ive been teaching myself piano for the past year, and this is actually the more intuitive and natural way ive approached learning songs! its very reassuring to hear you speak it out-loud from the teachers perspective.
Thanks so much this method has made it so easy to learn this part. After practicing like this for about 2 days I got it to a fluent level and after just trying to smooth out the right hand it just came out naturally.
YES! Thank you so much. I had initially learned the polyrhythm very slowly and just couldn't speed up, until I switched to practicing your drill at high speed. Got it after 2 hours and a good night's rest! I never would have thought of trying this. You saved me a lot of time and frustration.
my problem is the right hand,my left hand is easy because i have been familiar with broken chords and jazz chord inversions on piano,the beginners who haven't played instrument especially classical music don't usually analyze the rythms well,the up melody must satisfy the tempo signature as well as the the top line would have some note that logically aligns with the bottom line although the repertoire is unaligned and tricks people.The right hand is easy if i play it separately,but when combine with both hand it requires right fingering and speed control,sometimes i can play it very fast,sometimes i need to slow down for making things 100% precise from hitting wrong note.
Put the hands together in the right tempo is very simple, also at high speed. The real difficulty is put the right accents to make the melody harmonious...
Thank you a lot! I can now play your version without a problem and I'm confident that I'll be able to play the original version correctly soon. Best wishes from Germany
If you have the three against two fixed, the speed should come, though it is actually not all that fast. Try using the metronome, starting slow and clicking it up one notch whenever you are comfortable with the newest tempo. Don't try play at full tempo immediately, you need to ease into it.
Thank you for at least eventually explaining the proper rhythm. Most tutorials I have seen show the 'fluent but incorrect' way you recommend initially and then stop there (not explaining how the 'and and uh' portion of the rhythm is clustered together). Still can't get it for the life of me. I taught myself the correct way to play the rhythm in slow motion and it still feels off. The triplets are supposed to be played in an -almost- 12-12-12 (or la la--la la--la la) emphasis and I'm stuck in a sort of 123-123 (la la la--la la la) emphasis, if that makes sense. Probably time to take a few lessons again.
I'm not sure I understand your problem Michael, from your la-la formations. Think of 3 against 2, as (hands)TOGETHER right left RIGHT TOGETHER, or T r l R T r l R T etc., with lower case double the speed of upper case (or upper case =quarter note and lower case= eighth note). Hope this helps!
I had the same problem as you, improperly accenting each set of triplets instead of actually emphasizing the melody in the right hand. The technique from Piano Insights is really good to master the 3 vs 2 and sync everything together, and the faster you play it this way it will all of a sudden all comes together. To fix the accent problem, I listened to Inga Fiolia playing Arabesque #1 several dozen times to really appreciate how the melody flows in the right hand. Both hands need to practiced separately, keeping the left hand very piano and only as an accompaniment. Practice playing the right hand only without accenting the triplets - to make it sound like it's supposed to. Once you master the left hand and your left hand becomes completely autonomous (and plays without even thinking about it) add the right hand and only listen to yourself playing the right hand. It will eventually work. I played it incorrectly for years by trying to be mathematical about it. It you try to combine both hands to work together it just won't sound right, each hand needs to do it's thing independently, trying to understand how both hands interact just doesn't work. Once your left hand can play by itself, then you can solely focus on the right and it will sound beautiful.
You still haven’t explained the way to match these rhythms precisely ? Why not just explain how to do it correctly the first time against the metronome?
The whole point of the practice method I suggest here is to avoid the 3vs2 coordination, but rather to opt for fluency first with an incorrect rhythm and smooth it out when up to tempo. This has worked very well with my students, and more efficiently than having them struggle with 3vs2. Understanding how 3vs2 and 2vs3 is also important but mostly necessary in slower music.
What we have learnt is wrong (together right left right) but i didn't understand how To do it ! I dont like piano teacher. They are bad pedagogue and we understand nothing.
