Chopin Etudes just got a little bit easier (ft. Marina Lomazov)

0:00 Mt. Everest of Piano Playing
0:31 #1 Grouping (Op. 10 No. 8)
2:36 #2 Plucking (Op. 10 No. 4)
5:08 #3 Hold and pluck (Op. 10 No. 1)
7:54 #4 Rhythms (Op. 25 No. 2)
10:59 #5 Working backwards ("Black key")
13:48 #6 Repeat attacks (Op. 10 No. 2)
17:23 #7 Slow practice ("Thirds")
22:25 Eat your vegetables
Chopin’s 24 Études feature a seemingly endless variety of technical challenges, yet - as Marina Lomazov demonstrates in this lesson - the same handful of practice techniques can be applied effectively to all of them.
Lomazov breaks down seven strategies that are guaranteed to increase your facility and command of demanding, virtuosic passagework.
Lomazov's complete Chopin Etudes Training course: app.tonebase.co/piano/library...
Free PDF: Tips from Master Pianists - Scales & Arpeggios
Ever wished you could learn how to play scales from Chopin or Rachmaninoff? Now you can.
In this free PDF, we explore scales and arpeggios - the backbone of a pianist's technical training - from the perspectives of master pianists including Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Chopin, and Brahms.
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[@KaisarAnvar]

I remember giving a recital about 10+ years ago. Professor Lomazov, was in the audience, with her husband. After the recital, it was such a humble honor, and pleasure to greet her and her husband, sat with them for dinner, and discuss about music, ideas, life, as well as many other topics. She was SUCH a humble person, and absolutely kind. I will remember her as always.

[@3213470]

All of us: great I know what I have to do In the practice room: rushing all the time 😂😂

[@kliberalsing]

Strategy #7 seems legit. Also, one might add, try to find your inner child when practicing. That wonderful state of mind where everything is a game and everything is possible. It is healthy to re-connect with that inner child and endless curiosity. (Scientists would probably agree.)

[@Daniel_Ilyich]

I feel equipped to conquer the Chopin Competition in 2026. Now all I need is a piano and it's off to the races.

[@MrDiscoDragon]

2025

[@Daniel_Ilyich]

@@MrDiscoDragon Oh, so they're not going to push in a year forward since the previous one was delayed by a year? Cool. I think these tips will get me there in 4 years, too. ;-)

[@3r7s]

😅😅

[@williamtaittinger4529]

G mindset

[@kliberalsing]

Certainly. Personally, I think the the two most intimidating things in the world are watching super-virtuosi like Yuja "Flying-Finger" Wang, and listening to fast-talking piano teachers who give advice that is nearly impossible to follow. Do I have a problem handling and understanding certain types of teachers and pianists? Certainly.

[@paulmayerpiano]

The way her hand and wrist move at 2:14 (op 10 no 8) is SO RUSSIAN! Open, relaxed, good tone, and smooth transition to the thumb and the next group. Just like turning pages in a book. I wish more North American teachers taught this properly from day one. Would be a lot fewer wasted tears for sure. EDIT: this is the same basic movement in Op 10 No 1 as well, imo

[@Aerospace_Education]

I was an Eastman Music Community School student back in my RIT days. I was a beginner back then, but got access to the practice rooms. It was such a thrill hearing all the incredible musicians playing at Eastman. Such a gem for the Rochester community. Thank you Marina for being a part of that and for these lessons.

[@radudeATL]

I saw her live years ago at the Brevard Music Center. She played the Prokofiev First Concerto. It was dazzling. It inspired me to learn that piece.

[@amirevaniandstudents9277]

Strategy no.1 0:32 Strategy no.2 2:38 Strategy no.3 5:10 Strategy no.4 7:55 Strategy no.5 11:00 Strategy no.6 13:49 Strategy no.7 17:25

[@gp92510]

thank you

[@ronigbzjr]

As a past piano teacher, #1 was fairly basic, I laughed at #2 because it's true! Students always be raising their hands to the sky with their staccato. Then #3-#6 were all very creative and reminded me of things, some of which I have taught my students, yet forgotten to do myself, and I loved the variety idea and the extent of it, very powerful. Then #7 BLEW MY MIND. Holy guacamole. I've been doing it wrong all my life. And instructing my students wrong! This single thing just changed my whole view and understanding of piano technique. I'm sold, the woman is a genius. Can't wait to try this on Op. 25 No. 6!

[@fredericlinden]

I realize that I had been doing all those approaches. Remember that fingers playing slowly does not mean slow mind... This lady is sensational.

[@donkgated8074]

As a past piano student who have learned with all kinds of teachers (including some of the very best and most famous), many have told me to practise slow but none of them have ever taught me how to do it. I try to avoid the same mistake to my students.

[@Clown321321]

I didn't think I'd get through the whole video at once, but it was so magnetic to listen to these tips, that I just sat there in awe. Thanks tonebase!

[@tedallison6112]

I played the entire 27 Chopin Etude set everyday for 3 years before moving on to Liszt's 26 Transcendental, Paganini & 3 Concert Etudes. Godowski's 53 Paraphrases on the Chopin Etudes are often 10X's harder than the originals. For example opus 10 #1-Godowski puts the massively spaced arpeggios in the LH! With the RH playing in contrary motion from the extreme treble ,while adding voice leadings a choral elements & finally cascading 16th note octaves ALL @ the same time! Plus it's gorgeous music! This is an 8 on Richter scale of magnitude. These days I play Petroushka/ Islamey daily w Gaspard de la nuit, Busoni's Chachonne & Schuberts Fantasy on a rotational basis. As both Josef Levine( ( Julliard) & Josef Hoffman ( founder of the Curtis Institute) said" you must move on & evolve yr playing, not play the same repertoire ad finittum. The all time best advice was from Horowitz when he said: "PLAY EVERYTHING!" Consequently, I do.

[@yusefandersen]

Ancient wisdom in a youthful vessel... What a gift to musicians you are! Heartfelt thanks.

[@iampracticingpiano]

Ms. Lomazov is engaging, inspiring, and beautiful. These ideas are a treasure trove--thank you!

[@Bailey2006a]

Geez… if I only had this wonderful teacher when I started studying piano seriously… her suggestions are absolute genius . Will try them on the coda of the G minor ballade which I have been battling with for years.

[@stevenweaver3109]

Marina is just wonderful to watch. I could listen to her for hours.

[@martonpiano]

Ms Marina I want to be your pupil now! It was really helpfull for my climb to the N1 Op 10. Like a couple of tubes of oxygen. Best wishes love your work!

[@johnschlesinger2009]

Interestingly, Shura Cherkassky said he practised pianissimo, at half speed, and that anyone who heard him would think he couldn't play the piano. He worked for four hours a day, by the clock. If he missed some time on a day, he would make it up the next day.

[@williamtaittinger4529]

Shura is a DORK

[@pianoatthirty]

Where can I read more about this?

[@simondanielssonmusic]

I love this channel. I'm not really that good at playing piano, but I'm a classical guitarist. A lot of the practice strategies and perspectives on repertoire interpretation that are showed in this channel can be applied to classical guitar, as well as many other musical instruments. Thanks for being such a valuable online resource for musicians worldwide!

[@Xemptuous]

I gurss i'm lucky to have employed all of this in my self-teaching of the etudes, as well as many more that weren't mentioned. At the end of the day, to play an advanced piece properly, you kind of HAVE to do interesting/advanced practice methods. I personally find the best method for learning any technique is to take it and improvise/compose with it, first playing it exactly transposed to other keys, then writing a piece with heavy focus on the technique (like writing an etude, with good theory practice as well), then finally when you can improvise it, you have mastered it. This not only makes you a better performer, but also helps you become a composer, and lets be honest, is it a coincidence that the greatest instrumentalists were all composers? Nope.

[@mumps59]

Ms. Lomazov -- had I not been rightly rejected by Eastman/Rebecca Penneys as a graduate piano student 40 years ago because my lack of solid fundamentals, I would lament the fact that you weren't teaching back then! What a wonderful, down-to-earth person you seem...lessons with you I know would have been a joy, yet tough and productive. Thank you for this video.

[@shannonburns8607]

These are so helpful! especially hold and pluck and working backwards. Thank you very much!!!

[@alessandrocagnola7605]

Thank you, Mrs Marina, very useful lesson. Drops of wisdom or experience. I will benefit from your suggestions while approaching the Everest.

[@accordiontv1]

Excellent instruction, thank you 🙏

[@thatnicekid04]

This was so helpful. Thank you!

[@allaneby6559]

My teacher taught me to think octave jumps on the last line of the black nite etude. Glad I am not the only one who dreads this line. I love this etude. The brain does tire after a long run. Thanks

[@luckyarabr]

Synchrony, because I came to the site by chance. I am deep with Op. 10 and your clear and precise exposition helped me a lot. Thanks .

[@corgisrule21]

One of the best pieces of advice a teacher ever gave me was, “When you start memorizing a piece, start at the end. That way, at least if you messed something up in the middle, you’ll finish strong and leave a better impression” 😂

[@rosechen5978]

This is amazing!!! Thank you sooooo much!!

[@richardvaldez945]

Thank you!! …for sharing your experience, art, and wisdom notes on the art of playing the pianoforte. 😊

[@ChicoBlack]

Tone base Piano Marina Lomazov Kind and Beautiful pianist Lomazov Intelligent I really Enjoy watching Thank you for sharing God bless.

[@downdog70]

This is excellent! Thanks so much Marina

[@helainezhao9791]

Thank you Ms. Lomanzov!

[@annet5858]

I come back to this video every once in a while to see, if I can apply another strategy to my practice. Thank you:)

[@martycli9299]

Some great tips, thanks!

[@stevenhaff3332]

Thank you Ms. Lomanzov, this will help many serious students of the piano

[@NataliaGonzalezFigueroa]

Great video 👏🏻👏🏻

[@11kwright]

Thank heavens I happened upon this lovely woman on another person channel as a guest and she was only on for a small few minutes and gave some advice and I was quite impressed. She has given some immeasurable advice and illustrated very clearly to all level on how to become a better pianist by strategising piano techniques in different ways. I'm going to take them into consideration although I know they will be difficult to begin with as they will bring about better dexterity, velocity and even-ness playing. I will surely dedicate at least 20 minutes to doing these strategies with my pieces in areas I find challenging. Very down to earth person with superior piano playing and quite thank her enough for giving back in such a way all level can benefit and by showing her fingers on the piano clearly how to execute it.

[@lunchmind]

This is encouraging and inspiring thank you

[@NOSEhow2LIV]

Amusing, insructive and beautifully presented, thank you! Just an aside: the "reporter" in the slow thirds story was in fact, pianist/composer Abram Chasins with an appointment at Rachmaninoff's house in Hollywood; riveted to the spot, he timed Rach's speed (or slowth!), at twenty seconds per bar for almost an hour!

[@Alexa-jk3oh]

This was awesome! Wonderful insight and a great sense of humor 😂

[@aydinsobhiafshar3609]

This is the best practices tips i've ever heard in my life!

[@bachouvenn430]

3:26 i accidentally (i haven’t watched this video before) did this while i was practicing The Art of Fugue cp. I, i tried to play it all staccato, somehow i naturally used this method and it was really easy playing the whole thing. Just a proof of how good the method is

[@juanferrequetglas4444]

I just started op 10 no 4 a few weeks ago, this is very nice to have :)

[@Xemptuous]

Congrats! I've been playing that one for maaaany years now, and it's still challenging! Nonetheless, it's a great practice for both hands, and it's fun af towards the coda.

[@pranavmurali8022]

Ms. Lomazov, I'm using the slow practice for the "Thirds Etude".

[@colinberry707]

Excellent video very inspiring Marina..I agree with all your recommendation thanks.

[@danhutson2069]

Absolutely wonderful thank u so much wow

[@asterius4271]

Excellent video, so useful even for people not practicing these etudes yet

[@bec1038]

amazing and thank you so much

[@JUANCARLOS-zz5lp]

Estas prácticas del futuro serán oro puro... Ya los tengo todos. Con estos consejos y rutinas los mejórate sí o sí.

[@PamelaSmith20010]

Thank you very informative !

[@UUpianoman]

It's possible that a lot of you are young and thinking of degrees and competitions and the like, but know this.... the study of piano and music will give you years of enjoyment in your old age. You will always need ways to find joy in your life, and the piano gives back, no matter your ability level.

[@Sloimer]

Well said. Literally why began learning in my 30’s. Planning for my 50’s and 60’s and just wanted something to accompany me for life’s journey. Best decision I’ve made.

[@m.a.3322]

watching this video for free feels like a crime and i AM LIVING FOR IT (also Marina is so funny)

[@robertopovis5343]

gracias los pondré en practica

[@cheesecakecia]

Love her and her deadpan humour. Great tips 🔥

[@michaeljaneschitz-kriegl9598]

Really worth listening to!!

[@matiquielma]

Great lesson

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I'm almost done with a first year piano method book. But this was so damn interesting that I'm not going to say it was outside of my pay grade. What a great teacher.

[@anthonyluu9121]

Amazing teaching. I can use her teaching for my guitar and violin practice.

[@khoatran5449]

Thank you very much .

[@carlose.johansson739]

This is very interesting !

[@monsieur171]

thanks for these tips

[@josephinebrown6631]

Thank you kindly.

[@rkbrown83]

I wish some of my old piano teachers from when I was younger made me practice Czerny. I was prescribed the Hanon Virtuoso Pianist exercises and they drove my mother up the wall

[@franciscopuente6368]

Unique performance.

[@mariaayala5694]

WAOOO, WE NEED TEACHERS LIKE YOU HERE IN PUERTO RICO.

[@ClaudiaCimenti]

About #5 starting from the end: I start whole pieces from the end... I had learned that from a Russian piano teacher back in the day. Of course hard passages are also from the end, "landing" of what you have already mastered. It is very satisfying.

[@Benjamin-fk2yo]

The 7th strategy is very inspiring and clever. I have been studying the op25 n6 for years (Unfortunately days are too short to practice it every single day) but still when I try to play it through in a somewhat rapid tempo I find my thirds being uneven and I fail to voice the passages as I desire along with some other very annoying problems. I will try some of the strategies and I am confident that my playing will improve.

[@izzyjamm4]

25 no 6 truly is a beast

[@Benjamin-fk2yo]

@@izzyjamm4 playing it properly is nearly f*cking impossible. It’s been haunting me for so long.

[@victoregorov3892]

Very informative. Thank you. Красивые глаза

[@FromG2eminor]

Im a piano teacher up to late intermediate. She has validated some things that i have taught. Learned new things. But i am definitely going start using "pluck". This 23 minutes was worth a millions dollars! 😊

[@lucjanocastro]

Thank you soooooooo much🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@sandorvass9892]

Very helpful information I am at level four with my piano. thank you

[@fighterfftamil4128]

I checked everything is good to download.

[@Utubegoogleguy]

That's a great exercise - my classical professor gave me something similar. Keep the wrist very steady and fluid, rather than bouncy, though :)

[@pauldavies5611]

Thank you so much, Ms. Lomazov. This was all extremely helpful to me. I’m just wondering (and I’m not trying to be funny or rude here) if Rachmaninov knew the journalist was hiding near that window and purposely spent those 45 minutes doing the same thing knowing the reporter would get tired and leave. Thank you again!

[@adamtvmedia8853]

Great !!!

[@JGS007]

Oh Marina! I played Prokofiev No. 6 mvt 3 for her when she came to interview at USC years ago for her teaching position there. She couldn’t believe I could reach the 11th in the bass chord at the beginning.

[@wardm4]

I think you mean Mvt 3.

[@JGS007]

@@wardm4 I did! Thank you...

[@tabby7189]

Strategies like these are possible, effective, and valuable in other pieces as well. And this professor's explanations are among the better I have seen, even after finishing a master's degree. I've seen lots of mediocre to bad teaching from good pianists; this is good teaching. I would disagree with some things though. For example, the part about an isolated repetition is questionable at best. One of the things we should do in practice is to make our brain assemble the instructions for the muscles instead of letting it reuse a set of instructions it just assembled, because on stage we get one shot at assembling those instructions instantaneously. So the break is effective for erasing the assembled instructions to make the brain assemble from scratch again.

[@alexvlasny9755]

Ms. Marina! You ARE the Everest and Kilimanjaro wrapped in one!

[@christophernorman8127]

Love this. ❤. Gets to the heart of things. Not just.. ‘Do these exercises then you can play like me…Look how great I am!!’😊

[@paulmayerpiano]

Yeah it's unfortunate how many "tutorials" and "teachers" are like this.

[@johnschlesinger2009]

'Surprisingly difficult to talk and play at the same time.' Yes, for us mortals. Horowitz played for hours and talked all the time. This was described in "Evenings with Horowitz" by David Dubal.

[@donkgated8074]

Uhhh no, when he played the pieces in that documentary you could see Horowitz was focused on nothing else but the music.

[@Crypto.Starter.btc.eth.futures]

7:25 this is gem

[@eduard6266]

Lol. I like be how she said “I dread this piece” and then nails it perfectly

[@jonnyd143]

Marina!

[@ChristopherGontar]

I love the Rachmaninov story about the thirds so much.

[@giannigimondi1789]

8-if you can, transpose the etude or some passages in other keys keeping the same fingering. For example n1 op10 in Db or B,n12 op25 in Ebm.........

[@nandovancreij]

transposing 10 1 really depends on the key youre transposing it to since the actual "geology" of the keys ur using matters a lot for it being comfortable or not, see for example the stupid difficulty of one diminished arpeggio in 10 1 just because of the way some notes are spread between black notes

[@tomcat5467]

بسیار عالی

[@stefanbernhard2710]

These are great techniques! Question: do these strategies apply only when you are new to these pieces, or should they be repeated each time it is prepared for a performance. I'd imagine there's simply isnt enough time for that with a 1+ hr concert program to prepare 🤔thanks! 😊

[@wuwupiano]

I have a very much shortened "Happy Birthday" version of the Revolutionary Etude on my channel. It's a good stepping stone to playing the real thing. Plus, you can play it at birthday parties!😀

[@youtubepremium9253]

Rhythyms are the best one for me

[@edgarperez8949]

I think the point of practicing accenting each note is to be as accurate as possible and to teach the hand and arm how to move from one note to the next, several of these strategies sound like types of accenting to me anyway, I don't think it is a terrible idea to focus purely on technique at first, these etudes are incredibly hard... I would add slow practice with metronome to this list, playing one note to each click as accurately as humanly possible

[@oscarkomenda]

so that s where they got it from. strategy 1 sounds like the melody in final fantasy main theme song

[@Hjominbonrun]

I have an east european colleague. She is also like this, very nice lady but no nonsense. I heard my friend when Marina said 'it is uneconomical.'

[@matthiasheymann]

As I am older and wiser now, my most valuable late insights are: (1) Don’t push yourself too early into fast bursts of 4 or more notes for the sake of speed; you will never get there if you haven’t first perfected the hand positioning and pressure points in your hand and wrist for every note in the phrase and focused on relaxation and minimizing all unnecessary movements. (2) Play your phrases at all volumes, instead of just hammering away. (3) Don’t waste time having fun playing long difficult Liszt pieces that make you cramp up because you are not yet ready for them; I should have focused on finger-based Chopin etudes for much longer. (4) Learn music theory and ear training; that will make memorization much more easy and stress-proof.

[@unauthorized664]

⚜

[@LittleBigDebbie]

1:30 what does "inflect" mean in this context? sorry im not a native... does it mean playing it weaker?

[@tonebasePiano]

She's using it here in a general way to refer to slightly changing the tone of the given note - with color, or timing, or pulse (but no hard accents), etc, or some combination. It's up to you. What matters is that you're conscious of the "inflected" note, and that you feel it as the first in a group.

[@brunotheiss1]

No, it means to give that note a slight emphasis not by accenting it but by listening for it. Kind of the way you will, when saying a word like "avocado", inflect where the emphasis falls to correctly pronounce the word without a need to stress it - "avoCAdo" -, which would be entirely unnatural. Basically, to pretend the note is on a strong beat - but not placing an accent!

[@murdo_mck]

It is possible to emphasise an otherwise significant note by playing it quieter - Seymour Bernstein calls it a negative accent - but that is not what she is doing here. I don't think you can subtly draw attention to some notes in a run (what I think she means by inflect) if they are played quieter, though sometimes the world's best pianists seem to be able to do the impossible.

[@LittleBigDebbie]

@@tonebasePiano thank you so much for the detailed explanation, i get it now! that makes sense with the rest of the things she said! i tried some of the advices and it felt so much lighter! thank yooouuuu a million times! this was one of the best classes, really made me think about how we learn.

[@luky46]

I would like some advice on studying. It is better to work in small sections or play the whole piece slowly with the metronome, increasing the metronome click every day.

[@litherpower5038]

so would no 3 strat kinda work for op 25 no 12 too ?

[@billligon4005]

Should you apply these techniques to the LEFT hand as well?

[@DerekLowePianist]

Other than these magnificent practice tips, I find eating vegetables and drinking vitamins very helpful too, nevertheless :)

[@winterheat]

I found that I cannot play Chopin Waltz B. 150 continuously... so unless: if I step on the pedal... or if I change the Logic Pro instrument to Harp, then my playing sounds pretty good. Otherwise, the notes are all "separated"