Public Space: Improve your Chopin Etudes with Henry Kramer!
Unlocking A deeper Understanding of Chopin's Music!
Together we will work on four etudes which can transform your approach to Chopinās music as well as expand your concept of piano playing! In the first Etude from Op. 10 I will give exercises for tackling the right hand arpeggios, which will develop your ability to hear sonorities build upon one another across the entire keyboard. Through a discussion of Chopinās use of the pedal and exploitation of the pianoās natural overtones, you will learn to pace yourself through this famously difficult work and achieve unity of sound within one harmony.
I will then focus on the Second Etude of Op. 25 where the lens will zoom in on Chopinās use of polyrhythm and how this is integral to the fundamental āproblemā of this Etude.
The discussion of the third Etude of Op. 25 will talk about the use of the thumb versus fingers 2-5 and how to achieve lightness and speed in this charming work.
Finally, we will revisit my lesson on Op. 10 No. 2 and dive even deeper into the secrets to being able to play this famously difficult work!
Improve your Chopin Etudes in Two Weeks with Henry Kramer!
- Course Period: September 19 - 30
- Livestream: September 20th, 11am PST
FIRST TASK: SAY HELLO TO EVERYBODY!
Assignments:
Watch Henry's first of four assignment videos!
Download Cortotās edition of Chopin etudes at:
- Choose 3-5 arpeggios in this Etude (eg c major, augmented 6th, a major etc)
- For each arpeggio show at least two octaves of playing each note of the arpeggio where you bring the thumb to the first finger joint of fingers 2-5 immediately after striking the key. For the thumb notes you should just play staccato
- Choose 2 of the Cortot exercises on pages 4 and 5 and apply them to your 3-5 arpeggio choices
- Share a video of you performing these exercices!
Assignment 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGNY6MIuHXc&feature=emb_title
Assignment 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xSKvsdI-fI&feature=emb_title
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Thank you! Iām excited to dig in this morning!
If anyone needs the Cortot editions in the English translation, there is a public domain edition that Iāll link here.
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I am trying this out with few questions https://youtube.com/shorts/l0MbrlI-gRo?feature=share
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Maggie Yun zhang Hello - you sound great! I feel that on the more uncomfortable harmonies, it looks like you are pulling toward your second finger or the third note in the descending group of 16th notes before you've fully felt that you went from 5 to 3 or 5 to 4. I would try accenting and stoping on the second note of each 16th note group (aka finger 3 or 4 depending on the harmony) and observing what happens as you approach that note. You may notice that you're hand is prematurely preparing for finger 2 or 1
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Also, just want to thank you as hands feel very comfortable to pay attention to the thumb
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The thumb focusing is most helpful. Thanks
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I'm practicing with the slo-motion video on my camera. Never thought of doing this before. Very enlightening! I've been taught to keep my fingers flat when playing this etude and I'm actually hyperextending my fingers in the video. I am wrestling with this exercise.
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I don't see any videos after the first one. Can someone help me find them?
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Henry kramer martin Thank you so much for the first video. Would it be possible to also share the other assignment videos?
