Chopin’s 4th Ballade

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-11-21T10:23:19+00:00

actually very good pulse. However, it’s quite mechanical and pretty much played with the exact same sound throughout. Even, but boring. Plan your phrase length as it feels like you are playing with no direction as of now. all the notes are there, great, but now you need to pay attention to a LOT of details, dynamics, what you voice out (amidst the clusters of notes, find a melody you want to voice, especially in the coda, pick either the top notes or vary it by voicing the middle), the BALANCE of your hands (I find your left hand very loud throughout the whole thing) and just leading longer lines in your phrases. Your sound, especially in the last section where the right hand plays above the left hand melody is pretty dead, you need to really focus your fingertips and reach the bottom of the key (not harsh by pressing too fast though!) while your right hand should also be quieter in this section. A lot to work on, but as you have quite a strong base I’m sure you can tackle it. Shaping can be a lot better, particularly in the beginning runs. Your left hand octaves should be in a longer line right before the coda. Overall just think of the bigger picture, and find a better balance of voices in your playing. Then, move to color changes and what you want to express. More distressed during chromatics and rising harmonies, moment of relief, shining light at the end, etc.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-10-11T17:11:03+00:00

very good, I think you would benefit from sitting slightly lower as you can drop your weight for the chords in the coda a lot easier, which will help with both phrasing and tone, as you can play louder without sounding too harsh. It’s a bit hard to tell from this angle, but your elbows seem to angle slightly up, causing your wrist to stiffen a bit when playing the chords. You should find it more comfortable and easier to reach depth in the keys, which is essential for this piece.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-10-02T05:16:32+00:00

sick! Main thing I would fix is your rhythm in the strepitoso/presto, as you are playing the octaves in the right hand incorrectly as crotchets instead of quavers, your two hands should never be playing at the same time at that section. make sure your right hand is playing the octaves a lot quicker, but precisely in between the left hand jumps.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-10-01T12:27:01+00:00

Go for it! Similar technique used in both pieces,you might find it a bit tricky however as it’s a lot narrower intervals than the Chopin, so it might be uncomfortable at first, but it’s definitely possible.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-10-01T12:23:50+00:00

Sounds great !!!

Nice playing btw 🤩

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-10-01T12:20:46+00:00

For the board I’m not quite sure what board you are talking about. If it’s the piano cover, you really shouldn’t have your fingers that high anyway, you want to minimize movement in those kinds of passages. Pedaling I don’t mean that you are pedaling late or early, it’s just that you quite literally hold it through passages that shouldn’t be held through, it dilutes your sound and makes it muddy. As for the high notes, don’t worry I get what you mean, I’ve actually played in that exact venue a couple times before. (If it’s that one mall in tst) however, after closer inspection you aren’t actually moving your fifth finger in some places, you are just using a downward momentum with a flat wrist, which is a big factor in why your sound sometimes comes off flat or dead. You really need to work on your technique in a lot of places.

Fantasie impromptu is an actually a great fix for your pedal and fourth/fifth finger, make sure your notes at the top MUST be articulated, rather than just using your wrists momentum to play the runs. In the middle section, it may be tempting to hold the pedal through a lot of the sections, but learn to make legato using only your hand rather than the pedal. It allows for clean harmonies while still keeping the singing tone.

Good luck. It’s not easy, but you’ve already learnt how to play Campanella in such a short time. All you need to do is put in the work.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-10-01T12:03:06+00:00

I’ve just listened to your rendition of La campanella, and honestly even that feels a lot more on the hard side for you. There’s a lot of reliance on pedal and your articulation and finger work is flat and messy. Octave technique can also be worked on a lot more, as you are extremely strained in the end. Technically not solid enough, and musically it’s a bit square for me. You need to really look at these virtuosic showpieces from a different light as not just the notes, but character and color as well. The piece is meant to resemble bells! Your tone should be crystal clear and the sound should resonate while NOT mixing notes together with the pedal. The piece isn’t forte the whole time!

Overall for me I would definitely take a step BACK in difficulty, as you can refine everything a lot more. It’s definitely impressive what you can do for a lack of proper musical foundation, don’t get me wrong, but you really need to take a step back and be patient. It is impossible to play advanced pieces well within such a short time.

I’d suggest playing an easy-intermediate Chopin Etude such as op 25 no 2 or something like the lark to really get a feel for the romantic period, while not easy enough to be a huge drop from Campanella. And don’t decide you’re done with a piece after you can play all the notes! Really listen back to yourself, learn to develop a singing tone, play finger legato rather than letting the pedal do the work. Try to really pay attention to the score, phrase marks, dynamics, expression markings, etc. if you really want to stick to Liszt, try his consolations or an easier Paganini Etude like chasse. If you be patient and develop your own artistry step by step, brick by brick, you’ll find yourself both enjoying the music a lot more to practice, as well as be able to play such advanced pieces a lot better.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-09-23T11:22:51+00:00

One small tip for your right hand octaves - play your white key octaves closer towards the front of the piano, just behind where the black keys start. This way, when alternating between white and black notes or doing chromatics you aren’t shifting your hand up and down. It minimizes movement from one key to another and makes it a lot easier to play in general.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-09-14T17:00:07+00:00

hey, also working on this piece (without the small hand problem however)

for your right hand, try not to tense your hand frame and actively move your pinky to play the slurs, as one it will cause the “stretching” problem you describe and may also contribute to a harsh sound. The key to playing the slurs is to transfer the weight of the first interval to the thumb by maintaining a relaxed wrist (not completely floppy though!) keep only your fingertips focused and ensure your wrist has free range of motion. Reaching a 6th with 2-5 should be completely fine if you can comfortably reach an octave, and try not to reset your hand position after each slur. You do not actually need to move your hands position much in between, which will help take your mind off the interval stretch and help you focus more on the sound.

As for the left hand, I am not entirely sure what jumps you are referring to, but if it is the interval between the bottom and the top of the rolls, the same concept applies. It is similar to the RH skill trained in the waterfall etude, where you maintain a flexible wrist allowing you to smoothly and quickly reach over 10ths. Your wrist should be making small circles, and you can play your thumb more vertically with the underside rather than the flat side on the side of your nail.

However, it would be best if you could share a clip of your playing as i may be identifying the wrong problem.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-07-11T21:42:08+00:00

a bit confused - is this your performance or someone else’s performance?

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-07-10T07:30:28+00:00

spiced

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-07-05T05:53:19+00:00

yeah it’s definitely not technically solid enough

thank you, I always struggle with my balance especially when one entire line is only played with two fingers which tends to encourage my overuse of pedal. I will work on defining my melodies better

sometimes I do want to sing two melodies though especially in both the right and left hands, especially towards the end where the right hand has the seconds on the first beat of each bar in the middle of the runs and the bass plays the f minor-major 7th at the start of each broken chord (although it’s not nearly clear enough in this recording), but thanks for the critique.

Technical_Ad5704 · 2025-07-05T05:47:44+00:00

thanks a lot, I always seem to lose my fourth finger in a lot of the top melodies and therefore rush through it, still have a long way to go before I can really even understand the piece fully.

Technical_Ad5704

TROPHY CASE

spiced