Piano Lesson on How to Play 'Clair de lune'

Discover the miracle that is Debussy's beloved 'Clair de lune' with the celebrated French pianist, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Phrase-by-phrase, Bavouzet reveals the work's hidden meaning and provides practical advice for navigating its textures and moods.
Bavouzet breaks down the work's many challenges, both technical and musical. From fingering and mechanics to analysing layers and harmonies, Bavouzet's lesson proves that, in his words, "the more you know about the music, the more you find it extraordinary.” Bavouzet appeared on the cover of Pianist 101. Get your copy here: pianistm.ag/3BpANHc
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[@davidchen2155]

I could watch this 100 times. I can’t believe I get this content for free

[@stevrgrs]

8:44 what a BRILLIANT analogy. An empty bottle being pushed down in water is PERFECT ❤

[@vezzel796]

What a beatiful interpretation by Jean-Efflam... such a shame this video has only been seen 33k times. A hidden gem.

[@gregmorris5375]

Exceptional! This offers a rare combination - deep analysis that can be absorbed by non professionals. On behalf of all those who struggle for results with this piece, thanks so much.

[@murilomatosmendonca9065]

Thank you for “shedding light on the moonlight”. Thank you for your generosity in sharing this lesson on how to approach, interpret, understand and play.

[@OKU-DA]

There is no way to express how fantastic this video is. Thank you so much.

[@PianistMagazine]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@harrybertulfo212]

This is the first time I have fully understood the piece. Very intensive explanation. All the more I came to appreciate the beauty of this music. Thank you Mr. Bavouzet.

[@abcabc820]

He is excellent in analyzing and playing. Thumbs up.

[@tvctoni]

I can’t believe he’s doing this for free ❤. Yes! This is my go to piano lesson after I’ve learned to play it slowly…. I love how he teaches this. Thank you so much for sharing this treasure 👏

[@hoboken5224]

When I listen to Clair de lune I am almost always brought near to tears. To think, I could ever play this without torrents of tears is unimaginable.

[@dudueciab]

What a great lesson this is. It helped me so much! We need more videos like this!

[@philsooty61]

Oh this guys explanation is so good !

[@achaley4186]

Thank you SO much for this valuable lesson 🙂🙏🏼🌹

[@muktarsayeed9198]

Listening to this tutorial is akin to listening to poetry 🙏🙏🙏🙏☺️☺️☺️☺️

[@cliffchen7428]

Wonderful, inspiring, and excellent teaching! Thank you so much for this amazing breakdown of how to bring the emotion and musicality of this piece to life. ❤

[@user-wn7fr2wy6o]

This has been an immeasurable help. I have watched this countless times. It is a privilege to be able to learn from Monsieur Bavouzet. Who has such deep insight into the piece. The images he has described have accompanied me throughout learning the piece. Is there any chance he might do another tutorial on debussy? The reverie or first arabesque maybe? Thank you so much for this!

[@munzutai]

This finally convinced me that I'm not ready for this piece.

[@iamizumi1]

22:32 I understand exactly what this is. One of my dreams is to play this beautiful composition on a piano. Right now I only have one keyboard. Whenever I listen to Clair de Lune, my eyes also fill up, as a beginner at this part. This part has something magical, which I don't know how to explain... but it's as if it were "rebirth", the dawn or the sigh, after a moment of emotional decline. It's really thought-provoking and very beautiful. 😢

[@carolineduncan6329]

An amazing teacher...wish mine had ever been so good!

[@bernietjarks]

so helpful to think in layers

[@reinhardtkk]

Amazing!!! I just resurrected this piece from my youth and this so instructive!!

[@manfredstolze8484]

Wonderful pianist, wonderful musician, wonderful human being

[@debbiemusik]

This is an absolute gem. Thank you!

[@WorstSanta]

I’ve just started this piece despite of the fact I’m not that developed for it. This lesson is really inspiring once you get the physical work done.

[@Likes_Trains]

How's it going, did you manage to learn it yet?

[@mwilder000]

That was absolutely brilliant! I learned so much about the layers and interpretation of this piece. How inspiring. Thank you!

[@richardmcnally5998]

This is an absolute gem.

[@tomjackson957]

After this ended, all I could say was Wow. Amazing. Loved this.

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

♥ *Yes!* Such a great lesson. Many thanks!

[@nebukanezer73]

31:25 "..the most important note". I found this fascinating as I did not know Debussy had said this, but have thought exactly the same when practicing the piece. It is so true because it changes the expression of the second playing of the main melody. Thank you for a great lesson.

[@fakeaccount5888]

Really appreciate the deep knowledge and wisdom with beautiful artistic articulation. Only sadness is he did not talk about pedals :(

[@lindsayrosesky]

Thank you!!!!!!! Feel like I've improved by leaps and bounds just from playing along with this, so helpful!

[@handuong7429]

Thank you so much, Sir. Quite a class in everything in beautiful music. I hope one day I will get there. It is my work in progress.

[@tamararoland4987]

Wonderful tutorial! Thank you!

[@spdycar13]

Very insightful and helpful.

[@GUPRPEET-Singh]

Excellent playing👍🏼 As well as great piano. Fantastic sound❤️

[@bunnyhollowcrafts]

It’s one thing to play this; to give it justice is so difficult! This analysis is priceless! Thank you!!!

[@kelvinyearwood8212]

Thanks you for this. Your Haydn has truly opened up the transcendent value of his work.

[@abstractcatt]

Thank you for such a thoughtful breakdown of this piece and exposing layers I never knew existed. I’m relearning this song with a completely new light on it!

[@ssscar2368]

Excellent teaching for this music. I appreciate your wealth of knowledge in understanding Debussy and his composition. Thank you for such a wealth of advice.

[@mellissadalby1402]

YES! It definitely sounds like moon, love, and water. I always believes it was about moonlight over the water, viewed by someone in love, but I did not know what Claude Debussy was thinking or feeling. It just paints that picture for me, and makes me fall in love with it, or at least my heart resonates with the love imbued into the magical music. Your direction regarding using the arm to influence the right hand reminds me of my bowing on the violin, especially switching between strings. Sometimes I put a bit more emphasis on the down bow and my arm plays a role in that moevment similarly to how I see you playing. Ah, you are so right about the coda being liek the remembering of the dream. Very good analogy!

[@joeluk3889]

excellent interpretation and really beautiful

[@harpo627]

Merci!! This is delightful to listen to, I love the accent, expression, and the insights on playing this magnificent piece. I am trying to learn it on the harp, ginormous challenge!

[@bleue]

Merci infiniment pour ces conseils d'interprétation. 🎹

[@lowbD]

This made my day.

[@polloloci21]

Beautiful- thank you

[@stacerogers4008]

By far the best analysis, insight and instruction into this sublime piece of music. Bravo🎹👍👍

[@Zaubernudel]

Thank you very much. That gave me new perspectives on it. On the way to the piano now, bye

[@normangensler7380]

That piano (Yamaha?) sounds wonderful. I've always admired precision in a piano's action.

[@pierocanova9470]

Merci beaucoup professeur Ça m’encourage beaucoup à étudier cette pièce

[@kath8011]

Priceless!! Thank you so much for making and sharing this video. I am currently learning Clair de Lune , it is such an exquisite and beautiful piece of work by Debussy❤❤❤❤

[@veronicamckay8201]

This is wonderful. Thank you!!

[@AnthonyJones-zo7dy]

WONDERFUL... thank you... All the VERY BEST!

[@krangster4420]

Thank you, that was a masterclass and opened my mind to telling the story of a piece when playing which I had never considered before!

[@GiselleMoraga]

Wonderful! Thank you for this masterclass !

[@janetonthames]

I have worked on this piece for years and this was a revelation! Wonderful. Thank you

[@jessedennerlein9746]

Thanks that is amazing. I've been learning this peice lately and it is really great to see a master play it and even greater to see him instruct it.

[@profsjp]

Magnifique!

[@shantanlu847]

Wow ! That's how it was played , I finally understood, thank you teach very much !

[@HermannCampbells]

Great master lesson! Thank you!

[@lydiabrindley1944]

I love this piece of music do struggle playing it but I don't care I still have a go at it . I love the bottom D flat(I love the sound of this) note because I know some wonderful music is coming

[@BSCARPIA]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@SuperFS11]

Très magnifique! Beautiful playing and explanation. Helps to know a bit of French for when he throws some French words here and there. 👏

[@lilianmariawiens4781]

Marvellous thank you

[@aftonsky]

Great lesson, many thanks.

[@karenandrewscpa]

Thanks!

[@galeem713]

I love this piece. The only thing I might enjoy seeing is it played on a harp.

[@michaell.9204]

1:05 "In french we don't say half of the written text". True, so true 😂

[@paulburchell1762]

He's just got the right accent to play this beautiful song

[@roseclements8836]

Thank-you!

[@Neil_BT]

Magical.

[@fabricealbert2476]

voila qui donne envie de se mettre immediatement au piano et de travailler cette piece. merci !

[@Nicksonian]

Extraordinary. But couldn’t we hear him play it straight through? For fifty years I have only tooled around with the piano. I could only ever dream of playing Clair de Lune. I have barely enough knowledge to appreciate this deep dive into one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. My only comment: I love Paul Barton’s more deliberate interpretation.

[@bernardmolan2976]

Get the score in C and try that.

[@elysantos5297]

Perfect 👌

[@joeluk3889]

thank you.... 🙏

[@iresta4593]

How interesting listen to you and watch 😢his video! I just want to learn this piece...❤

[@davidmartin123]

This must be the correct way to play Clair de lune, because it is the way I play it :) Whether the written arpeggios should be played left hand then right hand, or both at the same time, does vary from pianist to pianist.

[@DIYPackraft]

Wow

[@phila3884]

My favorite sections broken down 17:45 20:25

[@galeem713]

I’ve been playing piano for 5 weeks. I can play the first bit with one hand. It’s suitable for a beginner. But I dream of being able to play it soon. But I don’t know what some of the notes are yet. So I am reading theory to learn.

[@ForeverFall]

reminds me of Vengerov's style of teaching

[@deepg7084]

Such a lovely interpretation. One question about the arpeggios at 17:37, open for anyone to answer. I saw on another channel they recommended playing the left and right hand arpeggio simultaneously, rather than rolling from the left hand to right. Both sound nice, but which one do you think DeBussy intended? Thank you for this course. I used to play as a teenager over 20 years ago. My teacher would bring in concert pianists to provide master classes for his top students. I really enjoy your teaching style. You give visualizations and emotions, not just rigid technical pointers. Of course nothing beats the instant feedback of a live teacher, but this video can act as a students handbook for learning this piece. I'm getting the itch to start playing again.

[@TheShamwari]

Show more of his hands -- from over his his shoulders ??

[@ALONSHEADER]

Can someone explain 29:55 were he says "you have to read it as a coral, and spread it over the arpeggio"? Thanks

[@gunorijssel7987]

Your interpretation of this piece is SPOT ON! No doubt about that...BUT....THAT is exactly what AI can't stand about classical musician: It's from TOP to BOTTOM: "HOW DOES THE COMPOSER WANT YOU TO PLAY THE PIECE. To your knowledge(REASON WHY I'm hear listening to you!) I've just finished studying this piece. It took me 3 weeks to get it down(this piece contains NO 'BAD-PLAYABLE' PARTS). As I'm used to study about 6 or 7 pianist before 'downloading' a piece, I discovered very early that THEY ALMOST ALL OMIT A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THEM AND THE PIECE. It's ALL 'Debussy means this and Debussy means that' and 'you have to count here 2 and there 3 and there 4. COME ON MAN: THIS IS MUSIC. HOW ABOUT A DIALOGUE WITH YOUR OWN FEELINGS..........NO OFFENCE INTENDED!!

[@samhanbury7304]

The piece, the way it is ment to be played comes from one's perspective. Debussy's in this case. Ofc you can do your own interpretation, wich will change the perception. Music is subjective to the listener. What you express will be different for many people. But by distinct expressions, the impression that the pianist wants to deliver will reach more people objectively due to it's nature ( by being played the way it is explained ). Meaning " imposing " to feel what wants to be felt by the pianist. Pieces like these would not have the impact they have, if expressed in different ways. That does not mean, a different way would be " wrong " if done so, but different, wich requires changes in either rhytm or harmony, wich again leads to the " nullification " of importance of specific transitions / notes that have any impact. To simplify, taking the D Flat towards the end. Imagine changing rhytm / tonality to this single " expression ". I call it an " expression ", because that's what debussy wants to highlight. It's his way of telling a story wich makes the piece complete. Not only does this NEED to be played that way in order to be recognized as " Clair de lune ", but it hase a purpose. It's a distinct expression, wich STILL is subjective to the listener, but objectively delivered by the composer to leave you with the freedom of interpretation. If that makes any sense. At the end it means, music is subjective, no matter what.

[@gunorijssel7987]

NO WAY: I'm NOT talking about changing THE NATURE of the tune. Iwould NEVER do that. I'm talking about QUITTING this 'rat race' about WHO'S interpretation is closest to e.g. Beethoven/Chopin/Mozart etc. Let me give you an example: take THE BRIDGE in CHOPIN'S nocturne op. 20 in C minor. EVERYBODY(on You Tube) plays it FAST. WHY: BECAUSE CHOPIN SAID SO...RIGHT! But if you look at the nature of the AA section of this tune: THIS IS BEAUTIFULLY SLOW. it's in fact 'danceble slow'. So there is EVERY REASON-should you feel so-to continue this BRIDGE slow-should you feel to. THIS is what I mean with 'a dialogue between YOU and THE PIECE. Now go and listen to chopin's nocturne op. 20 in C minor and then come back to continue the discussion....OK!!

[@GordonLee97]

His Ipad is up-side-down

[@mrcneale]

Flat fingers are important...the exception for every teacher's rule 🙂

[@PassionPno]

This actually depends on each individual. Some people can create the tone without flattening the fingers.

[@silviasanchez8963]

The action for this piece is better with flat fingers so the sound is not crispy as in Mozart

[@koalaizigame4275]

7:09 fail

[@LiquidTurbo]

How so?

[@koalaizigame4275]

@@LiquidTurbo He pressed the wrong key by accident. (Check the little finger)

[@LiquidTurbo]

@@koalaizigame4275 That part is actually an acciaccatura note written into the sheet music.

[@williamotule]

wonderful!!