DEVOLUCIÓN O CANCELACIÓN DE LA GARANTÍA DEFINITIVA

You should learn Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu, Op. 66 because: (1) everyone likes this composition and respects anyone who can play it, (2) without the efficient learning methods it is very difficult to learn, (3) the exhilaration of suddenly being able to play it, is unmatched,

(4) the challenges of the piece are ideal for experiencing the effectiveness of efficient practice methods; it can be very educational,

(5) this is the kind of piece that you will be working on all your life in order to do "incredible things", so you might as well start now! And,

(6) it teaches hand independence, a new skill for playing polyrhythms, and some magical things you can do with polyrhythms, such as playing three times faster than your maximum speed.

Many students have difficulty with this piece because they can't get started and this makes them doubt their ability to learn it. After about two years of piano lessons (or even sooner for some), you should be able to tackle this piece using the learning tricks of this book. Even if you can't quite get to the speeds you want, you will learn many valuable lessons about how to practice difficult material.

Figure out the key first. Hint: after the G# "announcement", it starts with C# in bar 3 and the composition ends with C#. The Largo starts with Db (same note as C#!). But is each in a major or minor key? The large number of sharps and flats worries beginners because they are more familiar with the white keys. However, the black keys are easier to play once you know the flat finger and Thumb Over methods, because they stick out, reducing the chances of hitting adjacent notes and making legato easier by using the front pads of the fingers. Chopin may have chosen these "far out" keys for this reason, because the scale does not matter in the Equal Temperament [(77) Circle of Fifths, Temperaments]

that his tuner probably used. We know who Chopin's tuner was, but don't know the temperament that he tuned; however, the best tuning for far out keys is Equal

Temperament which makes it the most likely tuning. With the Well Temperaments used up to Beethoven's time, some Chopin pieces can produce annoying dissonances.

Therefore, students should be informed that Chopin chose black keys because they are easier to play and taught B major scale (maximum number of black keys) to beginners instead of C major.

HS, LH: Although the last page is the most difficult, we shall break the rule about

starting with the difficult parts and start with the simpler beginning because of the need to learn how to play polyrhythms. Speed should not be a limiting factor for the LH, because it is not very fast. The suggested LH fingering for bar 5 is 532124542123. Start by

practicing bar 5 by cycling it continually. Practice without the pedal.

Practice in small segments and memorize them. Suggested segments are: bars 1-4, 5-6, 1st half of 7, 2nd half of 7, then 8, 10 (skip 9 which is the same as 5), 11, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20, 21-22, 30-32, 33-34, then 2 chords in 35. If you cannot reach the 2nd chord, play it as a very fast ascending broken chord, with emphasis on the top note. For the wide LH stretch in the second half of bar 14 (starting with E2), the fingering is 532124 if you can reach it comfortably. If not, use 521214.

One difficulty in bar 7 is that the 4th _{finger must be lifted quickly so as to be able to}

play the ensuing 5 and 3 without the 4 inadvertently hitting a note. With finger 4, do not try to lift it because that is a slow motion that will cause stress; instead, flick it out straight into the flat finger position, a faster motion. If other fingers flick out with the 4, that is OK. Many pianists (including famous ones like Horowitz) developed a bad habit of completely curling fingers 4 and/or 5 to prevent them from hitting keys inadvertently. It is better to cultivate the habit of stretching them out into the flat finger position. Once you develop the curling habit, it will be impossible to get rid of it.

After each segment is memorized and satisfactory, connect them in pairs. Then play the whole LH from memory. Increase the speed by cycling and don't forget to practice mental play. In Chopin's music, the pinky and thumb notes are most important, so

practice playing these two fingers with authority, especially for the RH (below).

Now add the cartwheel motion to the cycling. Cycle the first 6 (or 12) LH notes of bar 5 (where the RH first joins in). Cartwheeling is useful for small hands because it expands the reach and makes it easier to relax because there is less need to keep the fingers spread widely apart. Use flat finger position and add a small amount of glissando motion.

HS, RH: The RH is the bigger challenge, but all you have to do is apply the

methods already discussed. Practice the fast runs using parallel sets. For the rising arpeggio in bar 7, use the thumb over method; it is too fast for thumb under. The fingering should be such that both hands tend to play the pinky or thumb at the same time; this makes it easier to play HT. This is why it is not a good idea to fool around with

the fingerings of the LH -- use the fingerings as marked on the score.

HT, Polyrhythm: To understand this piece, we must analyze the mathematical

basis of the 3 versus 4 polyrhythm. The RH plays very fast, say 8 notes per second

(actually, a little slower). At the same time, the LH is playing at a slower rate, 6 notes per second. If all the notes are played accurately, the audience hears a note frequency

equivalent to 24 notes per second, because this frequency corresponds to the smallest time interval between notes. That is, if your RH is playing as fast as it can, then by adding a slower play with the LH, Chopin succeeded in accelerating this piece to 3 times your maximum speed!

But wait, not all of the 12 notes are present; there are only 7, so 5 notes are missing. These missing notes create an additional "pattern". This pattern creates a wavelike effect within each measure and Chopin reinforced it by using a LH arpeggio that rises and falls like a wave in synchrony with this pattern. The acceleration of a factor of 3 and the extra pattern are mysterious effects that the audience can feel but they have no idea what created them, or that they even exist. Mechanisms that affect the audience without their knowledge (such as magic tricks) produce more dramatic effects than ones that are easily understood (such as loud, legato, or rubato). The great composers have invented an incredible number of these hidden mechanisms. Musicians are actually just magicians, but can claim to have special talents because of widespread historical beliefs.

Start practicing the polyrhythm with either the first or second half of bar 5 where the RH comes in for the first time. We use the second half because of the smaller stretch of the LH and there is no timing problem with the missing first note in the RH for the first half. The easiest way to learn the 3,4 timing is to do it at speed from the beginning. Don't try to slow down and figure out where each note should go, because that will introduce an unevenness that will become impossible to correct later on. First, cycle the six notes of the LH continually, then switch hands and do the same for the eight notes of the RH, at the same tempo as you did for the LH. A metronome may be useful for this step. Next cycle only the LH several times, and then let the RH join in. Initially, you only need to match the first notes of each cycle accurately; don't worry if the others aren't quite right. In a few tries, you should be able to play HT fairly well. If not, stop and start all over again, cycling LH, HS and then adding the RH. Since almost the whole composition is made up of things like the segment you just practiced, it pays to practice this well, until you are very comfortable and accurate. To accomplish this, change the speed. Go very fast, then very slowly. As you slow down, you will be able to take note of where all the notes fit with respect to each other. Fast is not necessarily difficult, and slower is not always easier. You will be practicing this composition HS for years after you initially complete the piece because it is so much fun to experiment with this fascinating

composition, and HS is the only way to correct any unevenness in the LH that develops from playing HT too much.

fits, is a necessary skill that every pianist must learn. If you learn it by slowing it down, you will have to go through the same time-consuming procedure with every different polyrhythm and every change of fingering. Once you learn to do it at speed, every

polyrhythm becomes simple — you will play any new polyrhythm almost instantly. This is a form of finger independence that has many other uses.

Outlining can be helpful; simplify the six notes of each LH arpeggio (e.g.,

C#3G#3C#4E4C#4G#3) to two notes (C#3E4, played with 51). There should be no need to simplify the RH. This ensures all notes, from the two hands that fall on the same beat, to be played accurately together. Also, for students having difficulty with the 3-4 timing, this simplification will allow play at any speed with the difficulty removed. By first increasing the speed in this way, it will be easier to pick up the polyrhythm. Then gradually add the missing notes.

If you are learning this piece for the first time, the 3X polyrhythm frequency may not be audible initially because of lack of accuracy. When you finally "get it", the music will all of a sudden sound "busy". Thus the piece can be made to sound faster by slowing down and increasing the accuracy. Although the RH carries the melody, the LH must be clearly heard; otherwise, both the 3X effect and the extra pattern will disappear.

This composition begins with the loud octave G# fanfare that introduces the rhythm, played by the LH. The missing note in bar 5 gives the impression that the rhythmic unit is one bar. The missing note is then restored in bar 11, thus doubling the "pattern" repeat rate, giving the impression of a sudden acceleration. In the second theme (bar 13), the flowing melody of the RH is replaced by a new melody consisting of four notes per bar, giving the impression of quadrupling the rhythm. This "rhythmic acceleration"

culminates in the climactic forte of bars 19-20. This Allegro section is based on the illusion of hyper speed, without actually playing faster, using polyrhythm and rhythmic acceleration.

The audience is then treated to a breather by a "softening" of the rhythm created by the delayed RH melodic (pinky) note and the gradual fading, accomplished by the

diminuendo and ritenuto down to PP. The whole cycle is then repeated, this time with added elements that heighten the climax until it ends in the crashing descending broken chords. For practicing this part, cycle each broken chord as parallel sets.

Most Chopin pieces can be played within a wide range of speeds. However, if you play faster than Allegro, the 3x4 multiplication effect disappears. This is because the 3X speed becomes too fast for the ear to follow. Above about 20 Hz, repetitions begin to take on the properties of sound to the human ear. Therefore above 20 Hz we hear a new "low frequency sound". Thus 20 Hz is a "sound threshold". This is why the lowest note of the piano is an A at about 27 Hz. Here is the big surprise: there is evidence that Chopin heard this sound threshold! Note that the first part is labeled Allegro agitato. On the metronome, Allegro corresponds to a 3X speed of 10 to 20 Hz, the right frequency to hear the

clearly so that the 3X frequency is audible. When this fast section returns after the Moderato section, it is labeled Presto, corresponding to 30 to 40 Hz -- he wanted us to play it below and above the sound threshold! Therefore, there is mathematical evidence suggesting that Chopin knew about this threshold. Was Chopin's accuracy so high that he could produce the "low frequency sound"?!! What is certain is that the multiplication effect disappears, and there is little doubt that Chopin heard that. Many pianists play the first section too fast, above the sound threshold, which we now know is a mistake because that is not what Chopin intended. It is doubtful if anyone has the accuracy to produce the "low frequency sound". It would be an interesting experiment to program a computer to play this piece with sufficient accuracy produce both the 3X and "low frequency sound" effects.

The Moderato section is the same thing repeated four times with increasing

complexity. Therefore, learn the first repetition first because it is the easiest, which makes it easier to learn the other three. Then learn the 4th repetition because it is the most

difficult and will require the most practice time. As with many Chopin pieces,

memorizing the LH well is the quickest way to build a firm foundation for memorizing because the LH usually has a simpler structure that is easier to analyze, memorize and play. Moreover, Chopin often created different versions of the RH for each repetition while using essentially the same notes in the LH as he did in this case; therefore, if you learn the first repetition, you already know most of the LH parts for all the repetitions.

Notice that the 4,3 polyrhythm is now replaced by a 2,3 polyrhythm played much more slowly. It is used for a different effect, to soften the music and to enable a freer, tempo rubato. Now, you can play very slowly, yet the music is filled with sound! As with the 3,4 polyrhythm, practice HT at speed instead of working out where each finger goes at slow speed. The trill in the 1st bar of the 4th repetition, combined with the 2,3 timing, makes the 2nd half of this bar difficult. Since there are 4 repetitions, you might play it without the trill in the first repetition, then an inverted mordent the 2nd, a short trill the 3rd, and a longer trill the last time around.

The Presto part is similar to the first except that it is played faster, resulting in a totally different effect, and the ending (from bar 46) is different. This ending is difficult for small hands and may require extra RH cycling work. Here, the RH pinky carries the melody, but the answering melancholic, thumb octave note is what enriches the melodic line. Be sure to observe the P in order to make the FF more effective. The piece ends with a nostalgic restatement of the slow movement theme in the LH. Let's reiterate that, for Chopin, the thumb and pinky play the most important notes.

Distinguish the top note of the LH melody (G# - bar 7 from the end) clearly from the same note played by the RH by playing it louder, holding it longer, and then

sustaining it with the pedal. The G# is the most important note in this piece. Thus the beginning sf G# octave is not only a fanfare introducing the piece, but a clever way for Chopin to implant the G# into the listeners' minds. Therefore, don't rush this fanfare; take

your time and let the G# sink in. If you look throughout this piece, you will see that the G# occupies all the important positions. In the slow section, the G# is an Ab, which is the same note. This G# is another one of those devices in which a great composer is

repeatedly "hitting the audience on the head with a two-by-four (G#)", but the audience has no idea what hit them. For the pianist, knowledge about the G# helps interpret and memorize the piece. Thus the emotional climax of this piece comes at the end when both hands play the same G# (bars 8 and 7 from the end). Therefore, this LH-RH G# must be executed with the utmost care, and clearly heard (quite difficult), while maintaining the fading RH G# octave.

When you are satisfied with all technical aspects, insert the pedal; it should be cut with every chord change which occurs either once per bar or twice per bar. The pedal is a rapid up and down ("cutting the sound") motion at the first beat, but you can lift the pedal earlier for special effects. No pedal for bars 11, 9, 8, 6, 5 from the end.

One cautionary note: even after you can play the piece satisfactorily, it is important to practice HS so that you do not develop bad habits in the LH. Bad habits in the RH are audible and are therefore not problematic; you can easily detect and correct it. However, inaccuracies in the LH are not easily audible, and any error will cause the 3X

multiplication to disappear.

(49) Beethoven's Moonlight: First, Third, Movements

Moonlight Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2, First Movement

Beethoven's compositions are probably the best music with which to study and illustrate musical principles because he used everything and almost never wasted

anything; all the principles appear and apply everywhere, in their clearest extremes. Thus his music contains the densest examples of these principles/structures and has the lowest risk of giving us misleading clues because they are extreme. Thus when he applies a principle, you can't miss it if you know what to look for. For the casual listener who is not analyzing his music, these principles are invisible, which amplifies their effectiveness because they mysteriously control the audience without their knowledge. Part of deep music is the use of principles that control the audience without their knowledge, the magic in music.

Beethoven often "broke the rules" to produce glorious music. Why did "breaking the rules" produce better music? Simply because those rules were wrong! Without a proper understanding of music, it is too easy to deduce "musical laws" that are incorrect. Thus Beethoven teaches us not only what is right, but also what is wrong.

The most important controversy concerning this movement is the pedaling. The "conventional pedaling" frequently used ignores the instructions by Beethoven ("senza sordini" – don't lift the pedal for the entire piece!), and applies conventional pedaling rules, as amply described elsewhere (Wikipedia, Chapman, Brian, [click on "Moonlight print version"]). This produces music with clear harmony. But the pianist has two options

for playing this piece; either take Beethoven's indication literally, or use conventional pedaling as too many pianists have done historically – obviously, the two methods will result in totally different music.