Mastering Tricky Passages: A Live Q&A on Practice Strategies
Every piece has them — those few bars that feel impossible no matter how slowly you practice. This Q&A-style stream is dedicated to the art of breaking through technical roadblocks, and we want to work on YOUR passages.
Submit the bars that have been giving you trouble as a reply to this thread — include a screenshot of the score, the bar numbers, and what specifically isn't working — and we'll tackle as many as we can live, with concrete strategies you can take straight to the practice room. The more specific your submission, the more targeted the help.
📩 How to submit: Reply below with (1) the piece and composer, (2) a screenshot of the score with the tricky passage clearly visible, (3) the bar numbers, (4) a short description of the problem (left hand? right hand? coordination? memory?), and (5) optionally, a short video or audio clip of you playing the passage. Submissions close 24 hours before the stream.
Join us live on May 29, 5pm CEST.
1 reply
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Hi This is really timely livestream. I'm really looking forward to this. I'm having trouble with the PIMA arpeggios of the B section of HVL's Prelude No.4. My specific issue is playing this section with a good performance speed with accuracy and control with my RH. I know accuracy, coordination and control are more important than speed, but playing this passage at a slow tempo doesn't sound right to me.
I've been practising these arpeggios at variable tempos (including dotted rhythms), used sequential and full planting and no planting. However, at higher tempos, the arpeggios become uneven as my accuracy, control and coordination suffer.
The questions I'd like you to address are:
1. what are the best ways to practice these PIMA arpeggios?
2. While performing, what type of RH finger preparation should be used?
3. Are sequential and partial planting the same? I got a piece of advice from someone to use partial planting on this section (specifically to plant IMA together on the treble strings immediately after playing the bass with P). I was wondering if this will work and would like to know your opinion.
Apologies for the long text and too many questions,
Thanks in advance!