In this month’s Practice Clinic, Graham Fitch answers questions on trills in Paderewski’s Minuet in G, developing speed, retaining a crisp staccato in Schumann’s Hasche-Mann, balancing the hands in a Schubert Impromptu and fingering for several bars of Binge’s Elizabethan Serenade.
Practice clinic questions
Ronald Binge Elizabethan Serenade – I’m reviving this piece and have several questions on fingering e.g. Bars 1,2, 5 & 12 – 14.
Paderewski Minuet in G Major, Op. 14 No. 1 – I’d like your opinion on the number of trills to play per note or per bar, starting with Bar 65 of this work. I’d also like to know how to practise and coordinate the left hand’s 4 notes on beats 2 and 3 of Bar 66, etc. with the right hand trill.
Schumann Hasche-Mann from Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 3 – My edition has this marked very fast (crotchet = 138). 1) I practice finger-staccato and flexible wrist but I am making only slow progress with speed (90). How do I get the piece up to speed without losing a very crisp staccato? This seems to be a touch I simply do not (yet) have in my fingers. 2) What do you think of the fingering by Godowsky (on IMSLP) in bar 4?
Schubert Impromptu in B-Flat Major, Op. 142 No. 3 – I find the opening of Variation 3 in this work very difficult to control. My left hand sounds clunky and it drowns out the right hand, made harder because of the piano dynamic. Would you please suggest some practice ideas?
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Further information on how our practice clinics work is available here or please click here to find out more about the Online Academy.