I am an intermediate pianist who has stumbled upon this piece which is far beyond anything I've ever come to want to play, even more so than the clair de lune which I have just conquered. I am very thankful for your "how to" video because it was quite daunting to try and imagine where i would even start with a piece like this.
lol the difference between claire de lune and this piece is like the difference between a pool and the Pacific Ocean, no joke. Especially the last 2 pages. Good luck!
@@mr.d1796jeux d’eau aint that easy but it’s not « the ultimate » piece, even in Ravel’s music, for example alborada del gracioso, left hand concerto, ondine and especially Scarbo which is one of the hardest pieces ever created for the piano
This is an incredible video, thank you! I fell in love with this piece over 10 years ago, having started piano practise not long before. I used to spend hours figuring out all the crazy accidentals, and where each hemi-demi-semiquaver went. Nowadays I'm still trying to stitch it together I'll definitely try some of these exercises. Even if it takes a lifetime of practice, this piece sure is worth it!
I started piano late (I'm in my forties) and when my teacher asked me my ultimate goal for taking lessons I told him I will be happy if when I look at Jeux d'eau's sheet music, I will no longer be intimidated. I still have a long way to go but I'm absolutely not as intimidated as I used to be.
Just started this piece. I'm unable to read sheet music very well and these techniques are ridiculous. This looks very promising. Hopefully my small hands won't be too much of a problem.
At the beginning small hands might be a problem but most of the piece lies within an octave so if your hands are big enough to play the first two pages, they should be fine with the rest. There are plenty of other difficulties though.
@@pianomosaic I completed the first passage. In have to wave around my right hand alot to break up the chords but they're never played all at once so with practise it should be possible. If I make it to the end I'll let you know :p
My span is an octave from the edge. It's possible. You have to rotate your wrist, even raise your elbows a little sometimes. But you need to develop flexibility and agility.
Dear Mr. Hoffmann, With such an immensely creative, succent and humble approach, laced with your hidden sense of humor, I've never enjoyed suffering so much learning a delightful piece if music!. Thank you!
I’ve just started learning this piece and your video is going to be really helpful. It’s so thorough, thanks so much for all the hard work you’ve put into making it!
I don't play that piece, but I love this vid. It describes so well on how you approach different difficulties. These techniques can be applied to other pieces as well. Great stuff!
Few additional tips that really helped me: 1. For the part at 1:22, play both bottom C#s in the first beat of the upper staff with the LH, so the LH plays C#G#(52)-C#(1)-C#G#(52)-C#(1) and the RH plays rest-G#(1)-C#G#(25)-G#(1) 2. For the part at 1:35, play the first and last note of each 7 note arpeggio group with the LH 3. For the part at 3:40 and also when the same thing returns in a different key later on, switch the hands so they no longer cross at all 4. For the part at 7:53, switch the RH and LH so that the upper staff plays [RH] B(5)-G#(3)-E(2)-C#(1)- [LH] B(1)-G#(2)-E(3)-C#(4)-B(5) and the lower staff plays [LH] C# octave - [RH] D# octave - [LH] G# octave - [RH] B
This is one of the best video tutorials on piano playing ever! A little fast moving, but very methodical, and a great way to learn how to practice effectively. Highly recommend it!
I made an attempt at learning this piece as an undergraduate 30 years ago. Your video has really helped me pick it back up and give it another shot. Awesome technical tips. Thank you!
I just bought a keyboard and i'm already totally fascinated by this piece after watching Argerich and Richter's performance. When taking a look at the score - Holy cosmos! How monstrous it is for an absolute beginner😅! But then I discovered this vid, now I'm feeling blessed already. I'll play it within years or however long it takes. Thanks a gazillion for your help! Bravo!
I hope this helps but if you're a beginner you'll probably have a lot of issues that aren't covered here. There are a few other pieces you could try first that have similar difficulties and style without being as extreme.
This is so useful it's not even funny. That part that climaxes into that black key glissando has made me struggle so much but I can't wait to try these techniques out. Thank you!
Your breakdown of the piece's individual challenges gives us non-concert pianist music lovers deep insights into the work's underlying mysteries. A wonderful way to gain so much more appreciation for what we already know is stunningly beautiful music.
Thanks Jeff. I learned recently from another commenter that even people who have no intention in learning to play this piece can get something from such a video. Very interesting.
@@pianomosaic The thanks is all mine. Wish I were able to hear you play these pieces in person. I'm another who'll never manage either Jeux d'eau or Ondine. I can limp through La vallé des cloches and the Sonatine's 2nd movement, but only just. Okay, and Pavane. Just love Ravel to distraction!
I quit then started again several times now and it's still a joy. This song is magic I never get sick of it. The hardest part for me is bar 27 because the g chord is on white keys. The last part I can play pretty well because I pretend my hand is a squid or jellyfish from super Mario bros 3. I'm finally starting to realize that the pedal needs work.
Haven't decided when I'll play Jeux d'eau, but the practice tricks revealed here helped me get out of a few tricky holes in Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 10 and Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto - Absolutely subscribing to your channel and hope to see more repertoire videos on the road - Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
I love these practice videos, really makes me want to learn Jeux d'eau. very interesting hand sharing patterns, feels good after you internalize a complicated passage
@@pianomosaic I recently started working on this piece, and I wanted to let you know that viewing your tutorial a few times really helped me with my initial approach, play-through, and practice of the piece. Thank you for taking the time to share your practice tips and thoughts on Jeux d'eau.
I'm astonished by your level of playing and teaching. I'm still nowhere near the level of playing this piece, but I've decided to take the piano seriously and I aspire to play this piece in the future. I hope you will keep uploading these quality videos, cheers
oh, merci i vraiment, milles merci... cette vidéo m'a ENORMEMENT aidé, cela faisait longtemps que cherchais des doigtés pour les arpèges très serrés du début et vous m'avez éclairci la voie sur beaucoup d'autres endroits ou j'avais des difficultés, bref merci encore !
Wow this is amazing!! Playing this currently and am working on the intracacies currently, I loved the details you provided!! Many of my problems were described effectively here :)
I performed this last Fall, and will again two weeks. This tutorial is just what I needed to take the technique to a higher level. 3rd page LH last system is a problem.
@@aarnemark I see I didn't cover that in this video. Probably practicing it in chords would help and for a very crazy idea: try practicing it hands crossed. Meaning, each hand plays what it's supposed to but in a different octave.
I'm afraid not but I might start doing that for future things like this. Especially if there are a lot of little exercises.. For now, you could screenshot them from the video.
@@wasumyon6147 Actually I'm considering doing Gaspard next. I'll have to see how I can do that on a digital piano. It'll certainly take some time though. Hey and thanks for subscribing!
I would be interested how devide the rythm in the left hand in the end when the left hand starts having to play two voices at once. When the system is getting an extra stave
I keep the melody of the left hand on beat and play chords that I can't reach at the same time a little before the beat. You can hear that in the performance video.
No but I can tell you here. In general still very pleased. But I did have to have the sensors replaced two weeks ago. Two notes had gotten a velocity curve that was a vertical line at some random point. It was under warranty but it was still quite a hassle to bring it to the repair shop as it's heavy. Assuming that sensor problem isn't recurring I'm not letting that colour my impression of the piano though.
Hi. I haven't looked into that much yet. Perhaps start with just some of the notes. I Presume you can do a normal octave tremolo? Then start adding notes.
Hey! Very nice tips and great video! I started practicing this piece some weeks ago, and I was wondering, maybe a newbie question, but: isn't the D in the last of the 4 "awkward arpeggios" at bar nr4 (0:29 to 0:31 in the video) supposed to be D# ? I mean, I see in the score that it is still supposed to be natural as under the influence of the previous D, but all the 3 first arpeggios are built on the sum of an augmented 4th and two major 3rds (in accordance with the whole piece written in a whole tone scale). And then, suddenly, the last one would be different? Do you think it could be a mistake in the official score edition? Thanks!
That's a good question (definitely not newbie). You're right, D# would be more consistent. I'll have to dig out my edition which is very good about that sort of thing and see what it says. As far as I can remember, I've never heard anyone play D# there nor have I seen it in any edition. So it might be intentional, or a mistake. It wouldn't be the first.
@@patrayce Ok I took a look at my edition which discusses the discrepancies between various source material. In particular the autograph of 1901, the first published edition of 1902, Ravel's corrected edition and Perlemuter's scores (he studied many of Ravel's works with the composer). There's no mention of any such mistake in any of the primary or secondary sources. So it seems to be intended. I also tried to look for digitized sources on the internet but couldn't find anything of this piece.
It's only for practice, not (necessarily) for performance. The idea is to give you confidence in your ability to find the precise hand position even if you didn't start where you normally would. It's a bit like finding your way in the dark by knowing the environment so well that you don't need to be "tapping in the dark".
It's a practice technique. I'm not suggesting to perform that way. In this situation it helps build security and accuracy in striking the right notes. It can also help loosen up because people often become too finger focused and just hold their arms still or even tight. There can be other reasons too though depending on the context.
Is there any use trying to start figuring this out if I'm new to piano (started 7, am now 14) ? Its obvious that it's very very difficult and I feel a bit stupid asking this question as the answer is probably 'of course not'
Hey it's not a stupid question at all. If you've been playing for 7 years then you're not really new to the piano. It's never completely useless to take a look and explore a piece. But if you are a beginner, then you should be realistic about your expectations from it. So, without knowing more about your current level, I'd suggest, by all means, take a look at it but not to spend much time trying to master it (that time might be better spent building skills that will make it easier to learn in the future).
@@pianomosaic I admire that you're as confortable on a digital mechanism than on a real grand ! I find that some pieces just can't be played on digital for lack of response.
@@Zdrange03 I'm lucky this is digital has a very good action. The key shape is sometimes more of an issue. You're right though - on most digitals I doubt I'd be able to play this piece properly.
I love piano but it takes so long to learn a piece like this that no one will hear ( unless you have a gig) and only last two or 3 minutes - I lean more to short pieces that don’t take 6 months to a year at 3 hours a day to learn. I wish I had a young brain.
Me: Practiced Jeaux Deaux all summer and finally got 8 pages in. The Video: "So the last two pages are the hardest" Seriously, I fail to see how you can learn this and get all the phrasing properly without developing carpal tunnel
Yeah it's extremely challenging. I think what helps with tension though is that this piece keeps changing in terms of what type of motion you use. So when practicing you can think of it as lots of different little pieces. You'll still have to put them together at some point but you can treat that as a separate task.
@@pianomosaic I've been out of classical piano for too long, I need to think about the general motion that my wrists are forming a lot more if I wanna nail these passages cuz right now my hands just become insanely sore after I get to the part with the G major arps in the RH and Eb chord in the LH... which isn't even that far in
@@danielliu3879 Yeah that woudl be a problem if your wrists tense up. There are some quite simple exercises that you can do to undo that habit. But keep in mind it's not always clear if tension is the cause of problems or a symptom (or both).
As I continue studying this piece I find myself cursing Ravel under my breath. He must have enjoyed torturing pianists! Yet he did throw in a few easy passages - however briefly (!)
Yes Ravel REALLY knew hot to make things difficult. And often it's some little detail that makes it much worse but hardly makes a difference in the sound. And he really knew a lot about piano technique so you're not the only pianist who suspects malice.
I tried to sell my soul to play this piece, but the Devil said he doesn't do Ravel.
🤣 Excellent!
I dont care if it takes 40 years, I just hope I can play this piece properly one day
39 years more to go! How're you doing?
me too.. i can only play the first 2 bars
I know, me too...
This is my most favorite piece of all time.
it's so unique!
I can see you have wonderful musical taste.
This is my favourite piece from Ravel, and my 6th favourite piece in general.
Can't blame you
Really? Interesting. Yea, it's nice. Really not THAT hard either.
@@MikeN275 It was certainly hard for me back when I first learned it at 15. I'm sure it would be somewhat easy for me now.
Wow, there’s actually a method to the madness. Thank you
0:13 bar 3
0:20 end of bar 4
1:03 end of 6
1:14 bar 11
1:37 bar 14
2:08 end of 18
2:37 bar 19
3:03 bar 27
3:45 bar 29
3:54 bars 34-35
4:31 end of 37
5:07 bar 38
6:04 bar bar 68
6:42 bar 72
7:03 bar 78
Now that's devotion!
Bar 27 is hardest for me.
It’s not that difficult actually it just looks difficult
@@cher2266 I agree, bar 27 is relatively manageable.
I am an intermediate pianist who has stumbled upon this piece which is far beyond anything I've ever come to want to play, even more so than the clair de lune which I have just conquered. I am very thankful for your "how to" video because it was quite daunting to try and imagine where i would even start with a piece like this.
I am in the exact same situation, done with Clair de Lune and discovering Ravel
lol the difference between claire de lune and this piece is like the difference between a pool and the Pacific Ocean, no joke. Especially the last 2 pages. Good luck!
@@mr.d1796jeux d’eau aint that easy but it’s not « the ultimate » piece, even in Ravel’s music, for example alborada del gracioso, left hand concerto, ondine and especially Scarbo which is one of the hardest pieces ever created for the piano
This is an incredible video, thank you!
I fell in love with this piece over 10 years ago, having started piano practise not long before. I used to spend hours figuring out all the crazy accidentals, and where each hemi-demi-semiquaver went. Nowadays I'm still trying to stitch it together
I'll definitely try some of these exercises. Even if it takes a lifetime of practice, this piece sure is worth it!
Thx I can so relate to wanting to learn something like this while new to the piano.
Seeing you shivering your hands made me feel normal, I´m not the only one
Yeah I get that quite often. Though I don't remember having it when making this. Sometimes it's also just a caffeine OD.
Hey Adrian (fellow name companion😃)could you do a video like that on ondine too? I loved your interpretation so much, it would be of amazing help!!
Or a video regarding Une barque sur l’océan would also be very much appreciated :) thanks in advance and best regards!
@@adriankornblum1874 Hi Adrian :)
Thanks for the kind words. Yes I'm working on that next.
@@pianomosaic Thanks a lot! looking forward to it :)
Can't believe I didn't find this earlier! Very well presented.
Thank you I appreciate that!
I started piano late (I'm in my forties) and when my teacher asked me my ultimate goal for taking lessons I told him I will be happy if when I look at Jeux d'eau's sheet music, I will no longer be intimidated. I still have a long way to go but I'm absolutely not as intimidated as I used to be.
Keep going there’s no such thing as late
Just started this piece. I'm unable to read sheet music very well and these techniques are ridiculous. This looks very promising. Hopefully my small hands won't be too much of a problem.
At the beginning small hands might be a problem but most of the piece lies within an octave so if your hands are big enough to play the first two pages, they should be fine with the rest. There are plenty of other difficulties though.
@@pianomosaic I completed the first passage. In have to wave around my right hand alot to break up the chords but they're never played all at once so with practise it should be possible. If I make it to the end I'll let you know :p
@@EpreTroll did you make it to the end?
@@butterflysoup7699 I think it's too early for that.
My span is an octave from the edge. It's possible. You have to rotate your wrist, even raise your elbows a little sometimes. But you need to develop flexibility and agility.
This piece is a great reason why you should practice arpeggios everyday lol
Dear Mr. Hoffmann,
With such an immensely creative, succent and humble approach, laced with your hidden sense of humor, I've never enjoyed suffering so much learning a delightful piece if music!. Thank you!
Hey thanks that's a great comment!
I’ve just started learning this piece and your video is going to be really helpful. It’s so thorough, thanks so much for all the hard work you’ve put into making it!
You're welcome.
And thx for subscribing!
I don't play that piece, but I love this vid. It describes so well on how you approach different difficulties. These techniques can be applied to other pieces as well. Great stuff!
Thanks.
That's right, lot's of this works elsewhere too. But I have a video on general problems in the works too.
I can sloppily play up to page 4. This is a beast of a song to learn
Few additional tips that really helped me:
1. For the part at 1:22, play both bottom C#s in the first beat of the upper staff with the LH, so the LH plays C#G#(52)-C#(1)-C#G#(52)-C#(1) and the RH plays rest-G#(1)-C#G#(25)-G#(1)
2. For the part at 1:35, play the first and last note of each 7 note arpeggio group with the LH
3. For the part at 3:40 and also when the same thing returns in a different key later on, switch the hands so they no longer cross at all
4. For the part at 7:53, switch the RH and LH so that the upper staff plays [RH] B(5)-G#(3)-E(2)-C#(1)- [LH] B(1)-G#(2)-E(3)-C#(4)-B(5) and the lower staff plays [LH] C# octave - [RH] D# octave - [LH] G# octave - [RH] B
There are some very good tricks there. Thanks!
This is one of the best video tutorials on piano playing ever! A little fast moving, but very methodical, and a great way to learn how to practice effectively. Highly recommend it!
Hey thanks Thomas. Yes it did move a bit too fast. Perhaps playing it at 0.75 speed is better.
I made an attempt at learning this piece as an undergraduate 30 years ago. Your video has really helped me pick it back up and give it another shot. Awesome technical tips. Thank you!
Thanks. I also first tried it as an undergraduate back in the day. It's a great piece.
I just bought a keyboard and i'm already totally fascinated by this piece after watching Argerich and Richter's performance. When taking a look at the score - Holy cosmos! How monstrous it is for an absolute beginner😅! But then I discovered this vid, now I'm feeling blessed already. I'll play it within years or however long it takes. Thanks a gazillion for your help! Bravo!
I hope this helps but if you're a beginner you'll probably have a lot of issues that aren't covered here. There are a few other pieces you could try first that have similar difficulties and style without being as extreme.
Wish I had seen this 5 years ago, I would not have given up on the piece!!
Watch all the pianists come out of quarantine playing Ravel thanks to this.
Thanks! May I ask how you found this video? Because the last two days it suddenly got a ton of views (by my standards).
Adrian Hoffmann It must be the grace of UA-cam’s recommendation algorithm!
@@brendoncasarez6777 Grace and the UA-cam algorithm. Two words I never expected to read in the same sentence. I better not anger it now...
Adrian Hoffmann I guess Ravel always turns out to be unexpected in the most unexpected of ways.
This is so useful it's not even funny. That part that climaxes into that black key glissando has made me struggle so much but I can't wait to try these techniques out. Thank you!
I always thought it was just me who struggles with that so much.
I'll be interested to see how the exercises work. Thx.
Your breakdown of the piece's individual challenges gives us non-concert pianist music lovers deep insights into the work's underlying mysteries. A wonderful way to gain so much more appreciation for what we already know is stunningly beautiful music.
Thanks Jeff.
I learned recently from another commenter that even people who have no intention in learning to play this piece can get something from such a video. Very interesting.
@@pianomosaic The thanks is all mine. Wish I were able to hear you play these pieces in person. I'm another who'll never manage either Jeux d'eau or Ondine. I can limp through La vallé des cloches and the Sonatine's 2nd movement, but only just. Okay, and Pavane. Just love Ravel to distraction!
I quit then started again several times now and it's still a joy. This song is magic I never get sick of it. The hardest part for me is bar 27 because the g chord is on white keys. The last part I can play pretty well because I pretend my hand is a squid or jellyfish from super Mario bros 3. I'm finally starting to realize that the pedal needs work.
Saving this so I can come back to it in 10 years
that intro was incredible
This piece was really difficult to learn by myself... Your video helps a LOT. Thank you so much!
Very welcome!
Haven't decided when I'll play Jeux d'eau, but the practice tricks revealed here helped me get out of a few tricky holes in Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 10 and Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto - Absolutely subscribing to your channel and hope to see more repertoire videos on the road - Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Hey thanks Ted. Yes more is on the way.
very helpful ideas
So helpful. Thank you for your generous advice. Beautifully performed!
Thanks Scott!
I love these practice videos, really makes me want to learn Jeux d'eau. very interesting hand sharing patterns, feels good after you internalize a complicated passage
Thanks Tobi. I appreciate the feedback.
I practice this song with your video. It's really been a great help! thank you
You're welcome. Nice that these things work :)
This is an excellent tutorial. Thank you!
Thanks Scott! I appreciate that very much.
@@pianomosaic I recently started working on this piece, and I wanted to let you know that viewing your tutorial a few times really helped me with my initial approach, play-through, and practice of the piece. Thank you for taking the time to share your practice tips and thoughts on Jeux d'eau.
@@scottderrick8166 Hi Scott, thanks that's very nice to hear. Good luck! Such a cool piece.
I would probably need 40 years only to decipher the right notes with all the signs used all over the place😳
There seems to be a "Learn Jeux d'eau in 40 Years" challenge materializing in the comments.
I can play Chopin's Etudes and even play Ravel's Barque Sur L'Ocean but this piece is on another level.
I can't decide if this or Une Barque is more difficult. I find them both extreme. And Ondine is harder than either of them. Sigh.
OK, so did anyone notice his hand's size?
I'm astonished by your level of playing and teaching. I'm still nowhere near the level of playing this piece, but I've decided to take the piano seriously and I aspire to play this piece in the future. I hope you will keep uploading these quality videos, cheers
Thanks Tsi,
yes I'm definitely planning on making more videos.
oh, merci i vraiment, milles merci... cette vidéo m'a ENORMEMENT aidé, cela faisait longtemps que cherchais des doigtés pour les arpèges très serrés du début et vous m'avez éclairci la voie sur beaucoup d'autres endroits ou j'avais des difficultés, bref merci encore !
Merci boucoup !
You are so great. I love your depicts of Ravel's works.
Hey thanks :)
I can feel my fingers elongating as I practice this piece...
So helpful... I’ve been looking for such video. Though very hard, I’ll try to complete.
From Japan 🐋
proud to say i have learned the first page! 😄
only 12 to go
hey! how are u going with it? 😮
@@txyy9102 yo i'm still going! extremely slow progress but i can play 3 pages!
This piece is bloody difficult!
Woow never thought i could find a video about this piece
your voice is calming. also great video!
Thanks :)
I play the last C#7 runs across the hands and play the octaves across the hands as well!! It makes it way easier to play but it stays clean still!
Yes that's an option. I used to do that and might go back to it actually.
1:27 you only need to play three notes and the left hand can cover the chord first and then play the rh’s note
Wow this is amazing!! Playing this currently and am working on the intracacies currently, I loved the details you provided!! Many of my problems were described effectively here :)
Thanks I'm glad it's useful!
Teach me o lord of ravel
I performed this last Fall, and will again two weeks. This tutorial is just what I needed to take the technique to a higher level. 3rd page LH last system is a problem.
hi Aarne,
which bar/measure numbers are we talking about?
Adrian Hoffmann thank you for your reply. Mm 24-25 is where the LH gets tongue tied.
@@aarnemark I see I didn't cover that in this video. Probably practicing it in chords would help and for a very crazy idea: try practicing it hands crossed. Meaning, each hand plays what it's supposed to but in a different octave.
Thank you so much for the inspiration, Im just getting into practising and this video gave me new ideas :)
1:06 first chord of serenata grotesque
Thanks for the amazingly practical tutorial!
Thanks I'm glad you like it.
Amazingly helpful stuff! Do you perhaps have those little exercises compiled into a downloadable pdf?
I'm afraid not but I might start doing that for future things like this. Especially if there are a lot of little exercises.. For now, you could screenshot them from the video.
Thank you!!! Can you do
une barque sur l'ocean next??
It's on my list of things to do but I don't know yet when I'll get around to it.
@@pianomosaic I will be looking forward to it when you do! Or Ondine! Keep up the great work, subscribed!
@@wasumyon6147 Actually I'm considering doing Gaspard next. I'll have to see how I can do that on a digital piano. It'll certainly take some time though.
Hey and thanks for subscribing!
I'm not learning anything as hard as this 😂 but I do think that some of these techniques will be very useful in my own piano studies!
Yes definitely. Depending on the difficulties you might have to adjust it but, as long as you don't hurt yourself, it should be fine.
Thank you very much!
Excellent tutorials, Is there a tutorial on Reflets dans l'eau by Debussy ???
Hey thanks!
Not yet but I have considered it.
This is better than learning Cerny, thank you!!
Thanks. Though I wouldn't say it's a substitute for Czerny.
Thank you sooooo much it really helps me AAA lot
This is really, really helpful - thank you!
My teacher said this piece is actually more difficult than some of the Prokofiev compositions
Non-pianist here watching out of pure curiosity. My hands and wrists hurt just watching this😳
Thank you!
You're welcome!
I also shared it to facebook! Very happy that I found it before my concert... Thanks again! 😊💐🎼
I was wondering if you click on my youtube profile, will you recognise the piece behind my face? ☺️
@@kipyme Hey thanks :)
When's your concert?
Adrian Hoffmann One this Friday, March 29th in London and then next day in Exeter 😳
I would be interested how devide the rythm in the left hand in the end when the left hand starts having to play two voices at once. When the system is getting an extra stave
I keep the melody of the left hand on beat and play chords that I can't reach at the same time a little before the beat. You can hear that in the performance video.
Thank you so much,very useful!
Hi Adrian.
Did you ever get around to any plans of putting out more information or reviews about your ES-8 now that you've had it for a while?
No but I can tell you here. In general still very pleased. But I did have to have the sensors replaced two weeks ago. Two notes had gotten a velocity curve that was a vertical line at some random point.
It was under warranty but it was still quite a hassle to bring it to the repair shop as it's heavy.
Assuming that sensor problem isn't recurring I'm not letting that colour my impression of the piano though.
Thank you a lot! I started to study yesterday!
Welcome. And thanks for subscribing!
Hello, Adrian! How do you practice a tremolo at the end of the third page?
Hi. I haven't looked into that much yet. Perhaps start with just some of the notes. I Presume you can do a normal octave tremolo? Then start adding notes.
Hey! Very nice tips and great video!
I started practicing this piece some weeks ago, and I was wondering, maybe a newbie question, but: isn't the D in the last of the 4 "awkward arpeggios" at bar nr4 (0:29 to 0:31 in the video) supposed to be D# ? I mean, I see in the score that it is still supposed to be natural as under the influence of the previous D, but all the 3 first arpeggios are built on the sum of an augmented 4th and two major 3rds (in accordance with the whole piece written in a whole tone scale). And then, suddenly, the last one would be different?
Do you think it could be a mistake in the official score edition?
Thanks!
That's a good question (definitely not newbie). You're right, D# would be more consistent. I'll have to dig out my edition which is very good about that sort of thing and see what it says. As far as I can remember, I've never heard anyone play D# there nor have I seen it in any edition. So it might be intentional, or a mistake. It wouldn't be the first.
@@pianomosaic thanks for this answer ! If we ever discover a further hint, let's bring it here, then :)
@@patrayce Ok I took a look at my edition which discusses the discrepancies between various source material. In particular the autograph of 1901, the first published edition of 1902, Ravel's corrected edition and Perlemuter's scores (he studied many of Ravel's works with the composer). There's no mention of any such mistake in any of the primary or secondary sources. So it seems to be intended. I also tried to look for digitized sources on the internet but couldn't find anything of this piece.
OMFG THANK YOU SOO MUCH
Why lift the arm while playing?
It's only for practice, not (necessarily) for performance. The idea is to give you confidence in your ability to find the precise hand position even if you didn't start where you normally would. It's a bit like finding your way in the dark by knowing the environment so well that you don't need to be "tapping in the dark".
It can create a lighter feel
@@avivdor1454 Yes that's another benefit. Thx for adding.
Thank you so much for this.
What is the function of lift arms high? My teacher told me to do that too in a different song, but she didn't tell me the effect of it
It's a practice technique. I'm not suggesting to perform that way. In this situation it helps build security and accuracy in striking the right notes. It can also help loosen up because people often become too finger focused and just hold their arms still or even tight. There can be other reasons too though depending on the context.
Geezus christ, Ravel must've practiced a lot of Franz Liszt and Chopin études
I know he studies Liszt's music and I think this piece is even inspired by Liszts Jeux d'eau a la villa d'este.
But why don‘t help with the left hand in 1:14 ? I know he wrote it in another way but maybe he wrote it in that way just because he was to lazy
I love your hands
thanks so much for this..very well done..
i like this song
Very helpful; thanks.
You're welcome!
Is there any use trying to start figuring this out if I'm new to piano (started 7, am now 14) ? Its obvious that it's very very difficult and I feel a bit stupid asking this question as the answer is probably 'of course not'
Hey it's not a stupid question at all. If you've been playing for 7 years then you're not really new to the piano.
It's never completely useless to take a look and explore a piece. But if you are a beginner, then you should be realistic about your expectations from it. So, without knowing more about your current level, I'd suggest, by all means, take a look at it but not to spend much time trying to master it (that time might be better spent building skills that will make it easier to learn in the future).
Thanks a lot!
Thanks !!! 👍👍👍
So cool, Adrian!
Thanks :)
Very helpful, grazie mille!
You're welcome and thanks for subscribing!
By the way, who is the pianist playing in your intro and outtro?
Those are snippets from my own playing.
As someone who doesn't play piano but spent 1 month learning how to play a linking park song.....fuck.
Wat piano are you using?
That's the Kawai ES 8 with VST
How long did it take for you to learn this piece?
That's hard to say. I learned it twice. First time many years ago and for the video on my channel again for a few months.
Are you playing on an electric keyboard or an actual piano in this video?
It's a digital. My old grand only has 85 keys.
@@pianomosaic I admire that you're as confortable on a digital mechanism than on a real grand ! I find that some pieces just can't be played on digital for lack of response.
@@Zdrange03 I'm lucky this is digital has a very good action. The key shape is sometimes more of an issue. You're right though - on most digitals I doubt I'd be able to play this piece properly.
Ravel é assombroso e fascinante em excesso, mas tentar ser explicado, através de uma tela fria de um computador. No, mínimo, um Bösendorfer .
Excellent video!
Hey thanks!
I love piano but it takes so long to learn a piece like this that no one will hear ( unless you have a gig) and only last two or 3 minutes - I lean more to short pieces that don’t take 6 months to a year at 3 hours a day to learn. I wish I had a young brain.
That's a valid point I think most of us wrestle with when choosing repertoire.
Me: Practiced Jeaux Deaux all summer and finally got 8 pages in.
The Video: "So the last two pages are the hardest"
Seriously, I fail to see how you can learn this and get all the phrasing properly without developing carpal tunnel
Yeah it's extremely challenging. I think what helps with tension though is that this piece keeps changing in terms of what type of motion you use. So when practicing you can think of it as lots of different little pieces. You'll still have to put them together at some point but you can treat that as a separate task.
@@pianomosaic I've been out of classical piano for too long, I need to think about the general motion that my wrists are forming a lot more if I wanna nail these passages cuz right now my hands just become insanely sore after I get to the part with the G major arps in the RH and Eb chord in the LH... which isn't even that far in
@@danielliu3879 Yeah that woudl be a problem if your wrists tense up. There are some quite simple exercises that you can do to undo that habit. But keep in mind it's not always clear if tension is the cause of problems or a symptom (or both).
As I continue studying this piece I find myself cursing Ravel under my breath. He must have enjoyed torturing pianists! Yet he did throw in a few easy passages - however briefly (!)
Yes Ravel REALLY knew hot to make things difficult. And often it's some little detail that makes it much worse but hardly makes a difference in the sound.
And he really knew a lot about piano technique so you're not the only pianist who suspects malice.
@@pianomosaic 😅 I was joking, of course!
@@scottweaverphotovideo Of course 😉
i love how he suddenly stops speaking
Thank you for the lovers of Ravel !
Thank you!