Are there any composers that wrote for piano but didn’t play piano themselves? I’d imagine they ended up adding a bunch of those tougher techniques without realizing how hard they are
Well, I usually feel a good example is Dvorak, who played the viola. His piano music, chamber music with piano and his piano concerto are gorgeous, but the piano writing is many times rather uncomfortable.
Although he did play a bit, ravel certainly wasn't a virtuoso pianist. He certainly couldn't play something like gasperd de la nuit Also, Schubert wasn't particularly good. Apparently he couldn't even play his wanderer fantasy which certainly isn't an easy piece but it's certainly not the hardest thing that existed, even at the time
@@bernardosantos6213 Dvorák was in fact a very competent pianist. He even took on piano students at some point in his life. These awkward bits of piano writing likely indicate no more than just a level-headed uncompromising focus on the music rather than accomodating the performer in an ergonomic sense. Beethoven was the greatest piano virtuoso of his age and some of his piano works are notoriously difficult. Schumann never got to that point but was good enough that Friedrich Wieck considered him a potential concert pianist despite Schumann being in his early 20s at the time. He had a profound knowledge of piano technique even though his own career was cut short by a finger injury. But, even the most technically able pianist will look at the score in sheer terror when learning the Symfonische Etüden or the Toccata for the first time.
Anyone (remotely human) familiar with Schubert's Erlkönig knows exactly why repeating octaves are, rather aptly, in the death category 🥲 Also, very comforting to know that even for a professional some stuff falls into those higher categories. Some struggles are universal! 😅
"You'll never make anyone happy" - Inspirational quote by Ryan Anyone else ever played something correctly, had someone tell you you were doing it wrong, and you had to patiently listen to them 'demonstrate' the "right" way, even though you KNOW you did it right, just to not hurt their feelings?
Great video! i'm about 4 months into relearning piano and i'm learning liebestraum no1, the double trills were way too brutal so i left out one of the notes
@@moy9022 I didn't do moving octaves, but I probably should have. Yeah, hand size makes such a big difference. Often the smaller hands don't mind scales as much, so there are positives too.
Have you ever encountered 10ths? I have very very large hands and I can reach tenths (though no further) comfortably, but many people seem to have issues with them.
Portato I think of like pedalling....but with the fingers. Use your ear, and if it sounds about right, it's about right. But a portato will never sound the same from different locations relative to the piano. Portato needs a bit of extra pulse, almost like hairpins . There's not just an articulation, but an _emphasis_ implied.
Some techniques you missed: Regular octaves (legato/staccato), fast chords, leaps, tremolos, double notes (varying intervals), polyrhythms. Otherwise a great list
Polyrhythms aren't a technique. They're a musical complexity that messes with your brain but there's nothing inherently physically demanding about them. In fact, the passages involved may even be really easy if played in isolation.
I'd put 4-5 trills in death, for sure. Getting them to the same speed as, say, a 1-3 trill just doesn't seem possible for my hands. Almost as difficult in some cases are 1-2 trills where you play notes an octave (or more) above the trill, such as in Liszt's Galop in A minor or Beethoven's Waldstein sonata. They're very uncomfortable, even for hands on the bigger side.
@@olliemartinelli4034 if you haven't you should give the rotation trill a shot. Sometimes it really helps smooth things out and not tense up. Try learning it on thumb-middle finger like I did in the video.
What about tremolo ? In the ending of Tchaikovsky "Pas d'Action" 4 hands version for example. Surely easier than repeated octaves but I think it's the same kind of suffering ? I don't know if there is a way to relax hands and arms And thanks, I've never heard of octave glissando I will try tomorrow aha
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Are there any composers that wrote for piano but didn’t play piano themselves? I’d imagine they ended up adding a bunch of those tougher techniques without realizing how hard they are
Well, I usually feel a good example is Dvorak, who played the viola. His piano music, chamber music with piano and his piano concerto are gorgeous, but the piano writing is many times rather uncomfortable.
Although he did play a bit, ravel certainly wasn't a virtuoso pianist. He certainly couldn't play something like gasperd de la nuit
Also, Schubert wasn't particularly good. Apparently he couldn't even play his wanderer fantasy which certainly isn't an easy piece but it's certainly not the hardest thing that existed, even at the time
@@bernardosantos6213 Dvorák was in fact a very competent pianist. He even took on piano students at some point in his life. These awkward bits of piano writing likely indicate no more than just a level-headed uncompromising focus on the music rather than accomodating the performer in an ergonomic sense.
Beethoven was the greatest piano virtuoso of his age and some of his piano works are notoriously difficult. Schumann never got to that point but was good enough that Friedrich Wieck considered him a potential concert pianist despite Schumann being in his early 20s at the time. He had a profound knowledge of piano technique even though his own career was cut short by a finger injury. But, even the most technically able pianist will look at the score in sheer terror when learning the Symfonische Etüden or the Toccata for the first time.
Im an aspiring young composer still learning piano and I have to admit there are many pieces of mine I can't play
Ravel played piano but apparently couldn’t even attempt gaspard de la nuit
Trilling with 45 is diabolical
@@majornewb haha, I know. And it's so on purpose by the composer too
The 5-3 trillion in beethoven 32 is a literal lifesaver for me
That’s why 53 trills exist
You have to use 45 in moonlighsonata
Anyone (remotely human) familiar with Schubert's Erlkönig knows exactly why repeating octaves are, rather aptly, in the death category 🥲
Also, very comforting to know that even for a professional some stuff falls into those higher categories. Some struggles are universal! 😅
"You'll never make anyone happy" - Inspirational quote by Ryan
Anyone else ever played something correctly, had someone tell you you were doing it wrong, and you had to patiently listen to them 'demonstrate' the "right" way, even though you KNOW you did it right, just to not hurt their feelings?
Controlling dynamics is hard too, specially if the same hand must do different ones
Idk about that one
Thanks!
Your lesson is helpful.☕ thanks again.
@@moy9022 thanks a bunch for your support! Really appreciate it
@@moy9022 oh yeah, I was drinking some coffee right after reading this 👍
great video!
@@robertzsizsnyovski8657 thanks for checking it out!
Entertaining and informative as always! Thanks!
Great video! i'm about 4 months into relearning piano and i'm learning liebestraum no1, the double trills were way too brutal so i left out one of the notes
Thanks Ryan for introducing all the piano techniques. I have small hands, playing octaves is challenging for me.😢
@@moy9022 I didn't do moving octaves, but I probably should have. Yeah, hand size makes such a big difference. Often the smaller hands don't mind scales as much, so there are positives too.
@@ryanabshier I have no problem doing scales. Looking forward for your next posting.
Have you ever encountered 10ths? I have very very large hands and I can reach tenths (though no further) comfortably, but many people seem to have issues with them.
@@MusicalElle good luck to you with piano .
Dude idky why but i LOLed so hard at 14:17 with you moving your hands so fast 😂😂😂
@@astrosandorbits5532 🤣🤣🤣 magic hands.
lol i have small hands and tbh repeted octaves arent that bad but trilling with 45 is the death of me lol also 3 trilling is hard for me
As a struggling beginner, it's all hard.
Except Jazz. I make a mistake in my piano lesson? It's Jazz.
No chromatic glissandos 😢
Portato I think of like pedalling....but with the fingers. Use your ear, and if it sounds about right, it's about right. But a portato will never sound the same from different locations relative to the piano. Portato needs a bit of extra pulse, almost like hairpins . There's not just an articulation, but an _emphasis_ implied.
Some techniques you missed: Regular octaves (legato/staccato), fast chords, leaps, tremolos, double notes (varying intervals), polyrhythms. Otherwise a great list
Polyrhythms aren't a technique. They're a musical complexity that messes with your brain but there's nothing inherently physically demanding about them. In fact, the passages involved may even be really easy if played in isolation.
Are double thirds a fingers only thing or is there wrist/forearm movement involved?
9:01 reminds me of Chopin Etude Op.25 no.6
Shout out to Liszt and his 10th glissando
Where
I'd put 4-5 trills in death, for sure. Getting them to the same speed as, say, a 1-3 trill just doesn't seem possible for my hands. Almost as difficult in some cases are 1-2 trills where you play notes an octave (or more) above the trill, such as in Liszt's Galop in A minor or Beethoven's Waldstein sonata. They're very uncomfortable, even for hands on the bigger side.
You didn't have to clarify that you don't know any gang signs. I know. Lol😅
@@Hollycb12 🤣 as is probably obvious from EVERYTHING about me...
Rotation is surprisingly difficult in pieces like beethoven Waldstein sonata, which is the prime reason why it's way harder than it looks
Chopin etude op 10 no 5?
I have been piano since the age of six and still can't trill properly lol, my fingers just don't let me
@@olliemartinelli4034 if you haven't you should give the rotation trill a shot. Sometimes it really helps smooth things out and not tense up. Try learning it on thumb-middle finger like I did in the video.
@@ryanabshier yeah I commented before it'd seen the rotation technique and my mind was blown haha. Thank you!
What about tremolo ? In the ending of Tchaikovsky "Pas d'Action" 4 hands version for example. Surely easier than repeated octaves but I think it's the same kind of suffering ? I don't know if there is a way to relax hands and arms
And thanks, I've never heard of octave glissando I will try tomorrow aha
Bro.. repeated octaves are the easiest technique ever, repeated notes and straight octaves clear it easy, and I know cause I’m learning the HR6
I have small hands for Someone my age, i can play a tenth
And octave gliss is not difficult imo