Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 1, yes or no?

EB5AGV

After following the Chopin competition, I am now hooked even more than before with Chopin 😍

And I have a fixation on Op. 10 No. 1. And I know it is lots, and I really mean lots, over my current playing level 😥 (playing for a tad more than three and a half years and average learner)

So… should I try to work on it, or is it better to completely forget it until my level improves? 🤔

Jose

QuasiUnaFantasia

I voted "go for it", not because I think you should take it seriously at this point, but because it may give you a more precise feel for what "really difficult" actually means in piano playing. Henle rates this etude as level 9, which is their highest level overall. I currently work on level 6 pieces, and for me that etude is years away. Probably four, or more years, in fact.

EB5AGV

QuasiUnaFantasia Good point!. I guess I will completely crash with this attempt, but a reality check is always positive 👍🏻

CyberGene

I vote “it depends” 😉

Anyway, I follow this channel and I find it very helpful. She recently posted this:

https://youtu.be/5eUm0LwkUck

EB5AGV

CyberGene yes, I also follow her channel and had seen that video. It was one of the triggers for me to try 😅

vagfilm

Anything that keeps you motivated is a good thing. What is bad is to think that hitting all the notes is the only important thing, but I know that you will not fall into that trap...
You may also combine the challenge of a "fast" Chopin like Op10.1 with the challenge of an "artful" Chopin, like one of the Ballades 😀

EB5AGV

vagfilm Anything that keeps you motivated is a good thing. What is bad is to think that hitting all the notes is the only important thing, but I know that you will not fall into that trap...

Don't worry, I am always trying to play with my soul and, now than anyone reads… I have a tendency to get emotional while playing and even throw some tear from time to time. For me music is like poetry, it has no sense just reading words without expression, on a monotone way

Pianissimo

go for it, slow or fast, is going to be a massive learning on how to stretch the hand. And don't injure yourself!

David B

I say go for it. If if proves to be an enjoyable experience, you'll continue, and if not, you'll stop. You have to try to find out.

God Bless,
David

Gyro

Better to start with more serious works,
like the etudes, mazurkas, concertos,
etc. These will challenge you technically,
and then you can go back to the nocturnes
and waltzes later, you'll find that you'll
play them much more impressively and
skillfully. There is more musical meaning
in the Etudes than any of his nocturnes,
anyway.

EB5AGV

Gyro Please, cast your vote in the poll, so it keeps significant.

Well, I received yesterday (*) the Cortot version of the Chopin Etudes Op.10 and began to assess what incredibly high mountain I had in front of me 🤯

I had found previously some interesting YT videos on Op.10 No.1, and the ones which seem more promising to be able to do something are these ones:

Paul Barton Chopin Etude Op.10 No.1 Tutorial Part 1

Paul Barton Chopin Etude Op.10 No.1 Tutorial Part 2

Please, take a look and let me know what you think on that approach.

Thanks! 🙏🏻

Jose

(*) Amazon used but like new, at just 7,76€ 🥳

Pianissimo

Tutorials will never tell you what you need to practice, they don't know your weak spots. You can understand what you need to focus on only when you try it yourself. A better trick is to watch the tutorials only when you know the notes by heart and can keeep a good average speed. then you can start watching tutorials for curiousity. In the end, it's pure gymnastic, and it's not impossible. It all depends how far do you want to push yourself, and always ask yourself if it's worth spending so much time on that kind of speed, because speed it's not a priority in music. And probably even Chopin was not playing as fast as they do now. The good thing is that no matter how fast you go, Chpin will sound always amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-MLno6UlQE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1A-kHo8qMA

EB5AGV

Pianissimo But the good thing on these tutorials (which I guess you have not seen in detail) is that there are proposed exercises aimed to learn the needed building blocks of the piece. Even the exercises have their own downloadable music sheets. I find that approach really interesting, at least at my current level.

Jose

Picotin

Pianissimo A better trick is to watch the tutorials only when you know the notes by heart and can keeep a good average speed.

My teacher also insisted on this point and eventually I had to agree with him. Personally, I learn far more reading the score without trying to emulate somebody else performance.

Furthermore, I believe one is in position to evaluate and eventually be inspired by other's people interpretation, just after had had properly grasped the piece by the score.

Anyway Chopin op. 10 no. 1 is so much far away from my current level that I can't even consider daring trying it.

Pianissimo

EB5AGV sure, do whatever motivates you.