SUPPLEMENT

Henry Kramer WATCH THE LESSON

AT TONEBASE.CO
Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 2
Garnering international recognition with a Second Prize win in the Queen
Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, pianist Henry Kramer is developing a
reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish
programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations.

“IF IT FEELS RIGHT, IT MOST LIKELY SOUNDS RIGHT.”

This etude is a lifelong pursuit for Kramer – he continues to practice it almost

every day. These exercises will serve as your first month's introduction.

First, isolate the left hand, and practice lifting and relaxing your hand
immediately after each attack. Then mimic with the right hand. (see below)

With both hands, play only the downbeats, very slowly. Do this for the whole
piece, thirty minutes a day, for seven days.

In your second week, play only the first two sixteenths of each beat. In week
three, play the first three sixteenths of every beat. Finally, in the fourth week,
play the first and last sixteenths of every beat. Only at the end of these four
weeks should you play the piece continously – but still under tempo.
For any beat where you pivot with the third finger, repeat the beat forwards and
backwards. For example, practice the first two beats of measure 27 this way:

Beginning in measure 32, practice playing only the eighth notes. This reveals a
simple descending scale:

Videotape your hand in slow motion to see if any fingers aren't quick enough. If
a finger is giving you trouble, practice the passage slowly, accenting that finger.

Finally, do harmonic analysis of the piece to decide where to put emphasis.

When a non-diatonic chord appears, change the color of the sound.

"THIS ETUDE REQUIRES PATIENCE. DON'T RUSH ANYTHING OR INJURE YOURSELF!"