Week 2: Status Update and one NEW improvement!
Hello and welcome to the WEEK TWO Main Thread for this challenge! 
Alright everyone - this is the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Twice a week between August 7th - 14th I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Let us know what status your "Unfinished Business" piece is at!
2. No matter what, let's focus this week on ONE NEW improvement for your piece!
3. Optional: post a video of your update, and work!
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Here's a bit of my Week 2 Practice session. Using ideas from Henry Kramer's wonderful class on Chopin Etudes, plus the exercises from Alfred Cortot. Doing LOTS of hands apart and starting to memorize. Aline Valade is also learning this one!
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Michelle R
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Gail Starr what a fabulous practice video! Very instructive and a model of systematically conquering a piece. (I myself have many memories - some good, many painful - of hours spent with those infernal Cortot exercises as a youngster...) You often complain about your small hands, so I find it especially impressive how much flexibility you have developed in playing a piece such as this! People are now saying that Chopin's hands really weren't all that small but rather average size, but still, I imagine that his own playing must have looked similar to yours when it inspired Stephen Heller (other sources say that it was Hiller or Huneker) to say that "his hands would suddenly expand and cover a third of the keyboard. It was like the opening of the mouth of a serpent about to swallow a rabbit whole."
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Alexander Weymann What an amazing story about Chopin's hands. You are a walking encyclopedia of pianistic information! You add SO much to the Tonebase community. We are so lucky you're here!
And thank you for the flexibility compliment. If I couldn't jump around the keyboard, I'd be stuck playing Bach inventions all day, LOL. When I started playing around age 9-10, my hands were pretty big...but they (and I) never grew much after that, so I have to create workarounds.
I would love to find a teacher with small hands to learn more tricks.
In the meantime, I'm going to jump into all the Taubman info here...
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Michelle R We ALL should probably get out more,
. Although, it feels like 105 down here in FL, so I'm happy to stay inside and practice. -
Gail Starr fellow small hands here :) Personally, the approaches of Taubman and Roskell really did change how I am playing now for the better. I came back to piano again after 20+ years hiatus and, after a couple of years, decided to take many steps back and revamp my technique due to tension issues. So far it has been a self-learning journey though I would love to have face-to-face lessons with a TA instructor one day.
I learnt Op25/2 a few years ago (before the revamp) and came across this little bit of Chopin's life story around the time he composed it ... https://youtu.be/AYfjL6x1CKs?t=367
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Gail Starr I love this, Gail, thank you so much for showing these techniques! I played this many years ago, and you are inspiring me to pick it up again! It's a gorgeous piece even thought it's an etude... That's Chopin!
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Priya Viseskul Thank you for the Paul Barton link. I just love that guy. His re-working of the Goldberg fingerings is a true gem.
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Gail Starr This is beautiful! Love the insights into your practice. And what a great piece. I have not done this one. I will have to learn it. Thank you.
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Jennifer Mehta I'm having a tough time getting it up to tempo now, though. I feel like I sound too rushed when i go faster....and my RH gets tense after 2 pages. uh oh.
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Gail Starr it sounds good as it is. My last teacher always told me to play what is appropriate for me. And to focus on the musicality. Push for faster, yes, if I can do it, but not at the expense of musicality. To me it sounds really good at this tempo. As you continue to play it & “ live with it”, gradually the tempo will increase. Great job!
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Jennifer Mehta Excellent points! I'm going to take a break from it now, and let it "marinate" a bit. That might help?
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Gail Starr It helps me. I have some things I play, that are just fun. When I get bogged down, I take a break from the heavy practicing, and go to my fun pieces. The gives both a physical and mental break. When I return to serious practicing, it usually, usually goes much better.
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Jennifer Mehta Such a great system!
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Chopin Nocturne Op48 No1 week 2 update on the doppio movimento section .
My practice strategy is mostly slow practice and in small chunks at a time ... and much struggle with the stretchy RH esp in the middle of the section ... though overall I think the section has improved over the week. I really do feel my endurance is draining pretty fast when playing at higher tempo - hopefully I can build it up over time.
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Priya Viseskul that sounds amazing already. For me, that has to be one of the best passages of piano music ever written! I don't think you need to play much faster than that as there are so many voices and harmonies to bring out, it gives them slightly more time to breathe at your tempo.
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Derek McConville thank you
I will definitely be polishing the rough edges and concentrate on better tone and dynamics in the coming week ... hope to be able to share a run through without major hiccups then 
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Priya Viseskul This sounds great, Priya! Nice work.
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Priya Viseskul Great playing! Everything is so clear. Can’t wait to hear your full performance!
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Priya Viseskul Wow! Great!
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Priya Viseskul Incredible music! You play it really well!
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Sindre Skarelven Thank you!
Hope to share the run through in week 3 soon! -
Priya Viseskul I love it! You do a great job of bringing out the melody above the lush (and potentially heavy) LH.
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Priya Viseskul this nocturne is so full of passion and so difficult to play! It sounds amazing! Very sensitive touch, which is so important with Chopin. I very much look forward to hear you play the whole piece
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Priya Viseskul Very nice! You do a great job with this difficult piece.
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Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the comments from last week! I have pulled back the tempo a little bit and tried to focus on letting the left hand control the piece a little more. I still have to get some grasp on the two of the most tricky parts of the waltz (right after where this clip ends and the finale) and that will be my focus for the next week...
All the best
