Technique Analysis | Chopin Ballade No.1

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[@heartofthekeys]

Check out today's sponsor Apple Music Classical: apple.co/HeartOfTheKeys

[@rywankorso3824]

Could you try the listz/pagannini étude no.6

[@user-jf6hw7dm3t]

Die G-Moll Ballade und das erste Klavierkonzert e-Moll haben mich im zarten Alter von 14 Jahren wie ein Blitz getroffen (bin jetzt 67 😮).Ich freue mich so, dass sich junge Leute, seien sie Profis oder Amateure, in so erfrischender Weise dieser einzigartigen Musik widmen. Bleiben Sie dran, diese Musik wird für immer begeistern!

[@goulagmanfr3062]

Me trying to master op9 no2 and watching this video "💀help"

[@raz_p]

Everyone at their own pace, playing harder pieces made me realise you have to enjoy your own journey of playing easier works and seeing your progress. Plus musically op 9 no 2 is pretty hard playing with expression and good articulation

[@arykeys1811]

Op 9 no 2 is lowkey a difficult piece. The piece requires precise articulation, phrasing, pedalling, etc. Rooting for your practice progress 💪

[@ShineRey]

I've found myself trying to play Chopin's scherzo no.3 a while ago, but i quickly stopped because of how hellish the octave ride was to me. This video will hopefully solve my case, thank you so much Annique. It's also awesome to see you grow as a pianist and a person through your videos by the way. Cheers from France!

[@williamtaittinger4529]

You can make 100 videos on Ballade 1. I will watch every single one.

[@juditherwinneville7797]

Thank you for this video. I played this Ballade for my graduate recital (many moons ago), and I'm reviving it as a retired grandma (a break from finishing my doctoral dissertation). The octave passage has always been a place of struggle, so thank you for the suggestions. I'd love another video on the Presto con fuoco section!

[@nickk8416]

I second that Presto con fuoco section! Also the coda of the G minor Ballade where I usually crash and burn. Any practice ideas would be so appreciated. I couldn't live without these 4 Chopin Ballades. Each is so magnificent and beautiful.

[@KeiGeri0406]

Im performing this piece on mid July and those octaves are my biggest problem. I always knew my wrist was too tense but i had no idea what to do. You read my mind when you decided to post this video today! Thank you so much, your videos have helped me a lot❤

[@yat_ii]

lol, I'm also performing this piece mid july

[@user-gi4xr1rl2n]

I wish I had this video some years ago. I was struggling with "The Great Gate at Kiev" from Pictures at an Exhibition and only found out recently for myself the importance of relaxing the wrist. I was doing everything right except that and halfway through the passage I was not able to keep the required speed and volume of sound. I found out that a simple upward or downward movement of the wrist just before the hand starts to loose momentum is the perfect fuel. Your video will certainly help me improve my octave technique in this and other passages, Again, thank you for your effort in teaching, deconstructing, demystifying and simplifying classical music, for all audiences. It is so, so important. Viel Danke!

[@leilayh]

I am working on this since last October and playing it at a concert in June! 🥰

[@Chopinmybeloved]

good luck then!!

[@Jesurf2]

You played my piece beautifully! Well done

[@harrymiller7559]

the yellow dress looks very nice.

[@johnjohannes5954]

Nice tech-nique , A-nnique ! What i try to do with double octaves is to switch between the 4th and the 5th finger (sometimes the 3rd) the top note so as to be more legato but i lose on speed with this . I used this on Chopin's Polonaisen

[@ericaeli3807]

Big hand privilege

[@ofallthingsgreen]

Wow this a one of his best pieces

[@williamtaittinger4529]

the very best

[@mostafaheshamahmed1607]

Can't wait to see you play ballde no 3

[@tcborrachit0633]

You said you were going to play all the ballades? That's so impressive, i cant wait you to play ballade no 3 and no 4, these are my 2 favourites. Thanks for this video, probably going to help while practicing Rachmaninoff op 23 no 5

[@rayswick4707]

I love your enthusiasm ❤

[@jimtownsend8010]

Annique! I would love a video on your injury, your healing process, and how long it took for you to be playing normally again!

[@delecane1988]

Chopin’s Etude op. 25 no. 9(Butterfly) helped me a ton with my octave technique! Definitely recommend studying it

[@-Pot4t0-]

Im currently playing this piece right now for my exam, so this is helping a lot! Thank you so much!

[@borisjevtic9110]

Video editing is just amazing! I really appreciate the effort you put in your work. Coda in this ballade is something else. I love this piece, my favorite ballade.

[@FelixDful]

Das Nebenthema während dem Advertisement und das Ende dessen mit Abschluss der Werbung :)) Ein in Sonatenform aufgebautes Video.. I NOTICED :D

[@paweszklarczyk2330]

Well, I couldn't agree more. The Ballade no.1 is by no means an easy piece. Technically it might be a bit challegning, but musically - to play it with a nice sound and interpret it well - it's a whole new world to explore. I'd say I'm grateful to my piano teacher that she (about 20 y. ago) taught me good practice habits and correct methods.

[@thoruinmagni3644]

Been learning this one for a while. I can happily say that i am reaching the end of this journey. I just need to learn the last part of the cadenza, the bridge before it and a good optimization for some hard parts. Honestly the scales at the end are horrible. Being self-taught, it sounds like a huge step forward.

[@jenskluge7188]

yes, anyone who truly wants to play this can also play it. It requires patience however.

[@loctobert9421]

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful piece of music, I almost forgot about it.

[@xeniaa777]

I love that yellow dress you're wearing!! It suits you and your piano style a lot!! I love to listen to your vids while studyingg it's so relaxing! Thank you for the tips ^__^ 🐘🌺

[@patrikjakobsson7080]

A tutorial on the presto con fuoco part would be much appreciated :)

[@daniel99933]

Thank you for making this video! I've been struggling with this part for a while now. Hopefully I can get it figured out really soon ;).

[@gorbeenatter]

I practiced this section almost phrase be phrase like 2 bars at a time and the octave section got isolated and drilled I found this section harder than the coda the coda is quite military and can be easily broken into small sections I personally found the waltz section in the middle and the following build up hardest to pull off smoothly it is without doubt a difficult piece and requires patience and a plan. This lady plays it beautifully

[@Dratax9]

Thanks so much for this! I have always done this technique really tense but this will allow for so much more expression.

[@oiva.siltamaki.]

THANKS I LOVE BALLADE❤ AND YOUR PLAYING!❤🙋‍♂️

[@user-ts1ix4lt1t]

Hello, I love your videos, could you do a video about the ocean etude I started it as my first and it would help alot

[@intexion2624]

I happen to have looked up this exact topic yesterday. Insightful and high-quality video. Keep it up!

[@user-we5mi6zl2s]

I love your playing. Going to buy your recordings. Chopin is the greatest.

[@123SLM123]

Off topic: that colour looks great on you

[@DaveC_2024]

Thank you for the tips! Please can you tell some advice for the bars 138 and on..the "'waltz"' section part.

[@jordidewaard2937]

It's funny, fast octaves is the one technique I have never had issues with lol. The big left hand arpeggios and the coda are still definitely not there yet for me though haha

[@sachinkeyskeys6972]

Thanks annique for octave technique ❤❤❤❤❤

[@jamelporter6974]

👏🏿 I just learned some new ideas bcuz of this video, thank you n well done 👏🏿‼️

[@miguele.colonp1567]

Great video!! I will be learning this ballade soon, so this will be really helpful!!

[@jakob6659]

Danke, das wird bei den Oktaven am Ende vom ersten Satz der Wanderer-Fantasie sicher auch was bringen, bei denen verzweifle ich so ein bisschen (als wäre der Rest nicht schon schwer genug)

[@michaelharvey702]

Technique is everything in music because we need the technique to play musically. Everything we do when we play the piano whether expressing feelings, bringing across a correct stylistic delivery or mechanically playing with such efficient coordination that we achieve the bravura style, it is all only possible due to having the technique to be able to do so. Technique is everything.

[@thearm95]

...or it's the _start_ of everything. There is so much I will never be able to play because I will never have the technique to do so.

[@carypowell7266]

Never really thought about it before, good video!

[@thomasdeloof9720]

Thank you so much for these advices !

[@Menkaura4]

Great. I’m struggling with the coda. Please make a video about it 🙏😇

[@angharadhafod]

Right, having watched this I'm going back to Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 6. That's a wrist-killer for me every time.

[@ZengHuaXiansheng]

Richtig gut, das muss ich auch unbedingt versuchen! Ist zwar nicht von Chopin, aber ich versuche gerade, Clair de Lune zu lernen. Da gibt es eine Stelle, wo man Terzen abwärts spielen muss. Könntest du dazu noch ein Video machen? Das wäre super! 😊

[@Soundscape123]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Just subscribed 😊

[@negarhosseini9243]

Greaaaaat❤ I think Arpeggio is perfect for next video😀

[@Ces911]

Amazing, Thank you!!!!

[@dalematt]

Hi Annique, your videos are always super informative -- and entertaining. The first Chopin Ballade is especially near/dear -- one of the first classical music pieces I remember hearing. Incidentally, there's a really nifty book about an amateur learning this piece in a year: "Play it Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible" by Alan Rusbridger (at the time he was an editor at the Guardian). Kind of the flip side of a professional like yourself engaging with Ballade no. 1. Unrelated: I was wondering if you could do a video on differences between excellent, good and poor performances of particular pieces. I was watching an excerpt from someone's master class. The student played a section of Beethoven Sonata Op. 27 No.2 mvt 3. The teacher stopped him after several measures, made a comment about changing how he attacked some chords, the student played it again, the teacher approved -- and for the life of me I couldn't hear the difference. I'd like to see your explanation of what distinguishes an outstanding performance -- of the first Ballade? -- and one that's less so. What would an amateur -- like Alan Rusbridger -- need his performance up a couple levels? What is it these master class teachers are hearing that I -- for one -- am missing? Thanks for bearing with me on this one. And thanks again for your videos!

[@Mikevanduinenpianist]

What microphone do you use to record your Grand piano? The sound is beautiful!

[@yunaring5510]

Hey, sehr nicee Video. Es hat mir sehr geholfen. Es wäre super wenn du ein Video zu der Technik am Takt 208 machen würdest:) ich struggel sehr mit dem Teil

[@renatobdacosta]

Thanks a lot for that! ❤

[@Imperfecpianist]

Thank you!

[@matheusmaqueda8621]

What about the technique in the coda at chopin's Ballade No. 3? Can you make a video showing how you practice it?

[@anthonypetroneiii2260]

Thank you!

[@hollyavillella554]

Thanks so much! 🙏❤

[@TheArtOfJerry]

How are you, long time no see. I'm very happy to see your new video. Sweet dress. ❤❤ Always enjoy.

[@pratahsinnetamby]

WOW! Quick outfit changes!

[@bozobanovic]

Interestingly, you use your upper arm, which is clearly visible at 6:15 when you're playing C major scale, and you don't mention it in your video. I think the use of the upper arm is far more important when playing octaves than the swinging of the wrist. Of course, you were right when you said that the wrist shouldn't be stiff.

[@gcuthbertson1352]

Interesting and helpful content as always. But you need to read the notes more carefully in the passages you are demonstrating in that section of Ballade #1 because there are dotted whole notes that must be held through the measures that follow, as well as two dotted half notes ending that section. I don't see you holding those notes in your demonstration, and I don't think Chopin intended that the "pedal" hold the note through if he wrote it that way. Can you comment on that? Thanks.

[@heartofthekeys]

Hi! Thanks for the feedback! The question of holding a note with fingers vs holding it with pedal is one that divides us pianists into two teams 😅 I belong to the people who believe that piano playing is a lot about creating illusions - meaning: if you didn’t see what I was doing with my hands you would actually just hear what is written in the scores: a long note. My question in these cases is: would it make an acoustic difference if I kept my finger there or not? Since I am definitely using the pedal in this situation, the note will definitely stay longer. However, if I stay longer in the key with my fingers I won’t have as much time to relax the hand and prepare for the next octave run. So if you want you can say that it actually does make an acoustic difference on the fast octaves but not on the long note itself:) and still I come to the conclusion that I won’t keep my fingers on the keys ;)

[@thomasjames7979]

@@heartofthekeys I think you can do both for different effects - I play the held notes with 2nd throughout the whole measure but I need to play it more slowly (with a more dramatic rubato that is probably incorrect but still sounds good) or I play in more in strict time with faster octaves and no held note (or at least not for the whole measure with the finger and held with pedal instead) like you and both sound pretty great to me

[@gcuthbertson1352]

@@heartofthekeys Thanks for your reply, I think that pianists can be divided into a number of different teams. Those with big enough hands to hold the notes as written and those that can't. I can span an 11th (just kissing the 12th), so I can easily "walk" around the octaves in these measures with a "semi-legato" touch with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers as needed. Others with smaller spans have no choice but to "let the pedal do the work". Sonically, I don't think it matters in the end, but for the pianist working on a "muscle memory" it will be a different experience. Also of significant note, the keys in Chopin's era are not the same as keys today in this respect: while the width of the keys are for all practical purposes the same width (ie: the octave is 6.5") the down weight and key dip is very different. Down Weight averaged 45 grams compared to nearly 55 grams today, and key dip was 8 mm compared to 10 mm today. This no doubt would have some influence how a composer may write their music as inspired by the typical instrument of their day. So holding the dotted whole note may have been a "touch" that Chopin use or desired to play through these passages, that with today's heavier and deeper keys may make it more awkward to play. Again, the size of hands changes the way many top pianists will play the same passages, and that's not a negative thing in and of itself, but a reality as old as time. Keep up the great work of inspiring many people today with your wonderful and honest content.

[@gcuthbertson1352]

@@thomasjames7979 BTW, just for your interest (and others reading this) I'm a fairly accomplished pianist with one thing in common with Beethoven. Since birth nearly 60 years ago, I've been profoundly deaf, and need powerful hearing aids to lead a reasonably normal life. Without hearing aids, I cannot hear the thunder in a lightning storm even though I enjoy watching the flashes of lightning. I can't even hear a lawn mower running just in front of me without hearing aids, as my hearing loss is greater than 80 db in my lower frequencies, and more than 100 db in my higher frequencies. That amount of deafness is the threshold of not ever hearing at all, even with hearing aids. In spite of that "slight inconvenience", I've been on the piano bench ever since I got my first hearing aids, and with some formal lessons and many happy hours figuring things out that my teacher couldn't teach me, I became quite decent as a pianist, dabbling with lots of works by Chopin & Liszt for my own enjoyment. I also became very good at making concert arrangements of gospel hymns and for a time made my living as a concert pianist. I also taught myself how to tune, and rebuild pianos, with my own piano being a 1915 Steinway D that I completely rebuilt and refinished. I even installed the WNG composite action, which is a real game changer for the way an action feels and responds. Very highly recommended conversion. My main occupation is teaching piano lessons, with some tuning on the side. While it seems very contradictory, I've managed quite well over the years. It would be interesting for you to explore that topic in the future if such things intrigue you. I don't know of any other deaf pianists, or even other musicians for that matter. For anyone reading this with some degree of hearing losses, don't give up. If I can do it, you can too.

[@gcuthbertson1352]

@@heartofthekeys I just looked at this passage with more scrutiny and found a "conflict of interest" while practicing this myself (haven't really touched it for decades). In the few measures with the dotted whole note held inside the octave passages, I noticed that the pedalling changes TWICE in the measures, meaning that the pedal does NOT hold the dotted whole note through the measures, but cancels it HALFWAY through the measures. That means the dotted whole note is intended to be held throughout the octave passages as written. The question that remains is this: Does anyone really hear the difference if the note is held or not? I'm inclined to think not, and so it is not really a big concern in the final performance, but nonetheless it is a conflict of execution and the "correct" option is to hold the note through if the hand span permits.

[@milasudril]

With this technique, tempo is dependent on the mass of length of the hammers, but it is probably the only way of doing it.

[@dalip1968]

Thanks ❤

[@andreipresser]

I loved the tip, but shouldn't these octaves be played while you hold the dotted semibreve for a whole bar - the A natural in one measure and G sharp in the next measure?

[@coleptera180]

Really nice video!

[@voided8492]

Quick question, what is the best way to improve accuracy between the jumps in the coda?

[@Musique_Splat]

I think I'm part of the 1% 😂 Anyways, great video! I love the first Ballade, as always!

[@Ipkayu]

You can do it 💪 ❤❤

[@julesthegoat]

this is chool i mean cool C: ur the best i love chopin and who is ur favourite composer heartofthekeys?

[@katttttt]

Her's is Chopin xD

[@julijaen4747]

Do one for Moonlight Sonata 3rd mvt!!

[@MegaTerminatorX7583]

Would you like to challenge sight reading for grand galop chromatique ( Liszt S.219)?

[@ministryofdressing]

The gnome behind you is really scary !!!

[@user-zf8dr5oi1x]

How do you manage your time? My piano teacher keeps telling that I need more hour of study but I can organize my study an efficient way.

[@jacobmichael7322]

Do you know a similar app for Android for people that don't have an iPhone? It would be very helpful.

[@heartofthekeys]

I think this app must be working for android as well :)

[@Piasznist]

I’m suffering on the first “hard” section of the ballade, may Chopin save me😭

[@muxeyy]

Do the coda next

[@zijiali8349]

I used 1-5, 1-4, 1-3 to get through the octaves. I can't imagine how I can do this with ONLY 1-5.

[@amethia34300]

Well it's the only option for some of us :')

[@chessematics]

Not forgetting to flex the 2014 World Cup ball is insane ☠️

[@danobroadcast]

The day I play this ballade I will be ready to die. You have más my death draw nearer. Anyway thanks. ❤

[@submaryne3518]

I struggle with clarity on the piu animato bitr

[@chlorine8477]

Not playing at all is the most effective technique I've found

[@hugoaozora5451]

Helpful vid

[@hyunkeekim1911]

Animato 138 onwards please!

[@bassodivo1]

She can play it, yes, I wouldn't say that she's mastered it.

[@B8THOV3N]

How do you tackle those fast split octaves in the coda? Any suggestions?

[@guidodemarcoroma]

How should I practice if I want to play the octaves with legato?

[@no_one-me7ll]

I am watching this for Dance of Eternity Ragtime Solo....

[@PeaceNinja007]

Aye .. is that an official match ball? ⚽️ 😊

[@Robopup325]

You had to come out with this after I performed it huh?

[@ludogi4210]

shouldn t you keep the A key pressed ?

[@christopher-miles]

yeah, i don't know... feels more like a sport at this point.

[@peanutf8616]

Das mit dem ball finde ich interressant

[@larrybrowser8286]

Hey Anique, do you ball?

[@Berksy2356]

Please BARCAROLLE 🙏😭😭

[@kzelmer]

Most novice and intermediate pianists wont pass through the waltz section, let alone the coda. NUmber 3 is way more friendly

[@elgato2159]

HOTK! pls listen up Krystian Zimerman how he plays it, #1

[@Punch_is_thinking]

❤️

[@adambe1126]

1 percent is such an exaggeration lol. No way that 1 in a hundred pianists in the world can do this lol. Maybe 1 in 1000 😂

[@user-hj2on7vu1i]

Where the Ballade itself?