How to have fast fingers?(with video)

[piatadin]

So I have no ideé how to play fast! At one part of fur elise there is a really quick part. Here is the video where I try to explain the problem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtv-kyAoZpE . I would be thankful if someone helped me with this technique! I was sick/having a cold that day, sorry for the sniffing!

[Gill the Piano]

Just play very slowly, one hand at a time, then put hands together SLOWLY and gradually speed up. Sometimes practising using a dotted rhythm helps.

[Colin Nicholson]

Hi there,
I see the problem you are having with Fur Elise.
After the rising triads in A minor (like small arpeggios), you then have to start a descending chromatic scale - this includes all the white & black keys, moving downwards by a semitone. This is the bit you are having trouble with.

The main problem you are having is your fingering - it is all wrong!! (sorry)
You will never be able to play it with just one finger "up to speed"

Here is what to do....
Every time you go down from a white key to a black key (eg A - Aflat), use your thumb on the white key, and then cross over your 3rd (middle) finger onto the black key - always use your 3rd finger on every black key, no matter what.

Practise an exercise first, starting on any B (using the 3 black notes first)
So play (downwards) - B - Bflat - A - Aflat - G - Gflat (stop on Gflat for now), and use fingers 1-3-1-3. - remember to cross your 3rd finger OVER your thumb each time.

Now,,,, whenever you get to "two white notes together" - (eg F - E, or C - B), use your 2nd finger on F/C, then your thumb on E/B.

The descending chromatic scale should be 'legato' (smooth) and evenly played as triplets.

To help you further with these exercises, the chromatic scale starting on D is introduced into the ABRSM Grade 2 scales, arpeggios & broken chords book (blue cover) - I would recommend you bought this first, and check out the fingers for each note.

When you play an ascending chromatic scale, use fingers 1 - 3 from white to black, and 1 - 2 from white to white. Practise SLOWLY though!!

Hope that helps. Are you having piano lessons, or are you self-taught?

(Just for anyone's info - this is just for the right hand only in this piece, the left hand is resting)
Cheers

Colin

[piatadin]

I didn't understand much of what you said .
So I looked descending chromatic scale on youtube! I got this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iAHo2GZP8Q

Do you mean like that?

I'm self tought, Fur Elise is like my fourth song I play on piano, I've been working on it for like 7 months. Finaly I may be able to complete it with your help!

[Colin Nicholson]

Yes, thats the one!
Watch his 3rd finger cross over his thumb - it is exactly as how I explained it.

Fur Elise starts with a series of other notes first before the chromatic scale, as it turns around at the top, the 4th finger is sometimes used. If the finger numbers are on the music, follow them carefully. Sometimes though, the odd finger number may be missing - this is when the next finger is due -

Fur Elise is about Grade 4-5 standard, so my advise is for you to book a few piano lessons & maybe start with something simpler.

What part of buying the ABRSM scale book Grade 2 did you not understand?

Go on, book a few lessons. Many of my pupils enter into so many bad habits, that its difficult for them to 'undo' their mistakes. Correcting fingers is more difficult than correcting notes & rhythm.

[Colin Nicholson]

Hi Piatadin

Here is some general advice - free of charge!

You should try and have a few piano lessons so that they can sort out your technique, fingering, legato. Being self-taught can be OK for some music, but in cases like Beethoven's music, it needs a methodical & careful approach.

I have an 8 year old pupil who plays this piece perfectly - because he has learnt the correct technique from the start - he started from Grade 1, worked through all the scales/ pieces etc, and got a massive distinction; just dropping only 6 marks in the whole exam. He is gifted though, but would never have been able to play it without my guidance.

This piece (as I said before), it around Grade 4 standard - and the approach you are doing is wrong - by trying to copy a pianist's fingers on Youtube?
This piece usually takes around 3-4 weeks to learn, with having classical training. The piece is in 3/8 time, but I also have a transcribed edition I did myself in 3/4 time. Most 'beginners' like to play the opening few bars in A minor, but then it changes key & melody to F major - everyone stops there!!

Obviously 7 months is way-too long to learn this piece, and I suspect you are trying to learn music ahead of your standard? A Grade 5 pupil started lessons with me once - and she attempted Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata in C minor (Op 13) - 2nd movement in A flat major (slow); its about Grade 7 standard - and she played it terrible!!!! Her pedalling was atrocious, the upper melody couldn't be heard and was droned out by heaving underlying semiquaver passages - and basically, she ruined the music..... I told her 'straight' - she didn't like it, and left.

Lots of people come to me for lessons "thinking" they can play the piano properly - but they can't - far from it, so my kind advise to you is to get a good teacher, go back a couple of grades & learn the piano properly, with fewer bad habits.

I wish you luck, but regrettably - I don't teach like you want me to, and nor do I teach sea lions to jump through hoops!! I can offer general advise, but I can't teach you over a PC!! - absurd....