I choose to give a piano tutorial for this famous Nocturne as this is one of the most popular pieces in the diploma ATCL exam that my diploma students are taking. In this tutorial I share two useful tips to help students overcome technical difficulties in playing poly rhythm such as 9, 11 16 and embellished melody in right hand with few quavers in left hand. Students always find it difficult to coordinate left and right hands for poly rhythm passages. I will also demonstrate how to shape Chopin’s musical phrases. Besides technical issues, I also share insightful historical background about Chopin’s music and the story behind this Nocturne.
When talking about Chopin’s music I always like to associate his music with art work, especially poetic paintings. The interesting development between music and art in history will be covered in this video, with examples of few paintings being displayed along the way.
