Group 3
Let Your Fingers Fly with Claire Huangci!
First step, scales, second step, arpeggios! As a young student, I found myself struggling to deal with arpeggios due to the flexibility needed in so many parts of the body, fingers, wrists, arms and even shoulders. Playing piano suddenly became a much more physical activity! However, after finding the right way to ‘lock in’ to each key, and letting your motoric memory take over, I found arpeggios one of the most enjoyable technical aspects of piano playing! Dazzle yourself with the rolling waves under your fingers!
Improve your Arpeggios in Two Weeks with Claire Huangci!
- Sign-Up Period: August 11 - 14
- Course Period: August 15 - 26
- Class Size: 4 Groups á 10 Participants
- Optional check-In via Zoom: August 18, 10am PST
Assignments
Submit a video containing the following assignments:
1. Try out the pattern of arpeggios going up, contrary, up, down, contrary, down in all the major and minor keys and take a video of the keys that caused the most difficulties. And ask any fingering questions you might have!
2. In the Joseffy exercises, it’s a very extensive collection of various arpeggio exercises. Try to read through and transpose some of them during your practice session. And then pick one specific pattern which you found the most effective and record it for us to have an open dialog where we exchange ideas and comments.
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Important message from Claire:
I was very happy to have had the chance to briefly meet you and discuss practicing arpeggios!
I would like to first off thank you for the enthusiasm which is inspiring, and secondly, apologize for my delays in responding within the forum your personal questions or videos that you had uploaded.
I unexpectedly gave early birth to a baby girl on Sunday evening and have been in the hospital and will remain here until Friday. This was a bit out of schedule of course, but one never knows in such a case.. and all has been well so far!
I would like to offer one further zoom session, like the one from last time, where I answer questions more personally, from whoever would like to ask. In this session, I might not be able to demonstrate so well:), but I will do my best!
This zoom should take place within the week of August 29th, so we will be in touch to schedule the exact time very soon. I look forward to meeting you all again and working together!
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What wonderful news!! Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. Best wishes to you and your family
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Congratulations Claire! My thoughts and prayers are with you as you take care of yourself and your new little baby girl. Take your time. You and your daughter are the most important right now.
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Dear friends, the assignment video should now play back correctly!
arpeggio group 3
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Hi Claire, I’m Hazel from Scotland. I haven’t practised arpeggios in a long time so looking forward to your course. I have quite small hands too. I have a question already! I’m finding it hard to copy the last exercise that you demonstrate as it’s quite fast. Could you describe the number of octaves and where it changes direction in more detail or better still post a copy of the exercise written down?
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Hazel Hi Hazel!
I just posted a link that has me playing the arpeggio pattern at a MUCH slower tempo than Claire does!! It is the first link in my reply asking Claire some questions.
I think of it as playing a two octave arpeggio going up, then I stop on the tonic note and play a two octave contrary motion arpeggio both out and back in. THEN I continue another upward two octave arpeggio. I turn around a do a two octave descending arpeggio, but when I reach tonic I then switch to a two octave contrary motion arpeggio both out and back in. Finally, I do another two octave descending arpeggio.
I hope that makes sense, that is the way that I think of it. :) Cheers from Flagstaff, AZ in the US.
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Georgia M Sears Hi Georgia, many thanks for your help. I think I’ve got it now. I couldn’t actually open your links but it may be something wrong with my OneDrive account, however your explanation was clear enough for me to follow. All the best with your practise too!
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Hi Claire! I am so excited to be working on this project with you.
As I play the arpeggio pattern that your teacher had you do back when you were just 10, I am reminded of the grand scale pattern that I did, however, I never had a teacher emphasize arpeggios to the degree that they emphasized scales.
I feel good on the all white key arpeggios, but when I start doing the BWB like Ab major - and I like the thumb on the white key as you demonstrate. I find that I slip off the black keys a lot.
Finally, on the BBB patterns, I have similar slipping issues where I don't quite hit the key securely resulting in some off notes.
As I went through the Joseffy exercises, the ones that cause me the most tension are the holding exercises on pages 18 and first half of 19. It is most difficult at line two of page 19 when the outer octave is held. I'm trying to use a lot of arm weight for the octave, and a little rotation for the inner notes, but... it's so much more difficult with those holding notes. It reminds me of the Chopin octave etude.
I have smaller hands, and sometimes my LH can't quite decide between 3's and 4's. It was a relief to hear you say to play the fingerings that are most comfortable.
Thank you so much for doing this! I made a couple of videos that basically ask the same questions, but with examples of how I am currently moving.
Thank you!!!
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Dear friends, here is the link for Claire's Zoom Check-In. Please note that the meeting is 1h earlier at 10am PST!
Zoom-Meeting beitreten
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82951000522Meeting-ID: 829 5100 0522
arpeggio group 4
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Hello everyone, I am Karen Monroe and I'm from Washington State in the Pacific NW of the United States. I'm an advanced player and thought this intensive would be informative but not too hard (my first one I've taken part in so there is a learning curve here). I'm in awe cause there is so much here to learn than I ever expected. I'm challenged with both with my schedule and the arpeggios given on the handout. Over the last 10 years seem to have injured my RH especially between fingers 4 and 5. I'm still playing the piano but being careful how much advanced music I play at a time, including these arpeggios. I will keep trying. I feel the suggestions Claire gave to not try to play all the notes legato will help me a great deal. Thank you very much!
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Karen Monroe hi Karen! I agree, so far the non-legato playing has helped me the most too.
Yesterday in the zoom meeting Claire mentioned that she hasn’t ever had an injury probably because the moment she feels any discomfort she stops playing. I hope that your injury doesn’t give you too much trouble.
nice to hear from you!
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In yesterdays Zoom, there was a question about the fingering on Joseffy pg 19, line 4’s exercise.
I just wanted to mention that I find it helpful to track where my 1’s and 5’s move, and the rest falls into place. I’m attaching a photo of my copy with the 1’s and 5’s written in.
hope it helps! -
Claire, congratulations!!! I’m not sure if this is your first or not, but regardless, take good care and all the time you need.
Everything you’ve already provided and offered has been so helpful and been very inspiring. I feel completely happy with the intensive and what I’ve gleaned even if you don’t have the time or energy to do anything else!!
