Octave technique

[gylfih]

I'm trying to learn Liszt's version of Schubert's Der Erlkonig, and playing octaves really quietly, and in chromatics, and doing alternating LH/RH ones is really hard. I've found this trying to do Liszt's 6th Hungarian Rhapsody as well. I'm trying to do octaves by keeping my wrist as loose as possible, and playing them as a sort of 'hand-bouncing' type of thing, with my wrist as the pivot, but I can't play them quickly, or with as much accuracy as I'd like.

Anyone got any tips?

[alauth]

Have you tried watching on Youtube ? Sometimes, it can help about fingering and stuff like that.

Since I don't know this sheet, I can't help you more...

[gylfih]

Well, it's not specific to these pieces. It's a general technique that I'm not very good at. So just general advice on playing in octaves would be useful, it doesn't have to be piece-specific.

[P-dur]

I don't know if I understand you correctly, but a well working fingering for octave runs is using the thumb on the low key and the fourth on the high key if it's a black, and the fifth if it is a white key.

[gylfih]

I don't know if I understand you correctly, but a well working fingering for octave runs is using the thumb on the low key and the fourth on the high key if it's a black, and the fifth if it is a white key.

That's all fine, but it's playing them quickly that's the problem.

[P-dur]

Ah. Well, when I learned the ragtime part from the dance of eternity, I had a problem with the octaves-part. I asked my teacher about it, and he suggested I played first one interval quickly, and then rested a bit, and played the next quickly and so on. It worked fine for me, at least. So, i.e. play (in octaves) from G to G# fast, and rest on the G#, before playing the G# to A fast.

[Narek]

Definitely the ragtime solo in TDOE is a great octave technique builder. What JR does for octaves is alternating fingers 1, 5 and 1,4 for the octaves. At first it's tricky but then you'll get the hang of it.

Oh and like with any speed/accuracy issue... METRONOME! Start slow and then build up. Good luck! :smile:

[MyoJo]

Come to think of, Richard Clayderman mentioned that in his TV program.
It's rather old, but was helpful for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AntyY1IlxmE

Watch this after 4:10, Richard shows his basic exercises for octave.
He says it's fun to play.

[mlunapiena01]

the idea about taking rests in btwn. is good - will build relaxation into your technique.

Otherwise, it's all about doing it with a metronome and getting slightly faster & faster. Also, I'd advise practicing it as loudly as you healthily can. This will build up your muscles faster, and so you'll have more dexterity (this is also the advantage to playing with weighted keys).

[Bigs]

the idea about taking rests in btwn. is good - will build relaxation into your technique.

Otherwise, it's all about doing it with a metronome and getting slightly faster & faster. Also, I'd advise practicing it as loudly as you healthily can. This will build up your muscles faster, and so you'll have more dexterity (this is also the advantage to playing with weighted keys).

I think practicing them loud first is a good idea, as it will be easier to soften them once you acquired the technique playing hard.

My octave technique is not very advanced, but I keep my underarm, wrist and fingers as one block and move from my elbow and shoulder. This makes sure you don't mess up the interval. I can play chromatic octaves with two hands quite fast this way.

[osiris]

I've never struggled playing octaves, only thing that I found difficult in the DOE ragtime solo was how the first phrase ends with a 2octave Bmaj arpeggio (up and down) then with no hesitation goes straight into the second phrase. That's tricky. And also getting it upto the mental speed JR plays it.