Taught by renowned pianist
John O'Conor
In this segment from his lesson on the third movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," John O'Conor tells the story of his early training in Vienna. It was there, under the tutelage of Dieter Weber, that he first learned how to develop his fingerwork in learning some of Chopin's Etudes. Beginning with Hanon exercises, O'Conor demonstrates how to lift and drop each finger individually in order to develop a strong foundation before moving to faster passagework. After applying lifts and drops to individual notes in the "Moonlight," he shows how to begin combining notes. There are six combinations of rhythmic drills you should apply to each group of four sixteenth notes, up to tempo, before you are ready to combine groups of sixteenth notes, and ultimately build speed and power throughout the ascending passage. Try applying these strategies in your own rapid passagework!
Practicing Fingerwork
In this segment from his lesson on the third movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," John O'Conor tells the story of his early training in Vienna. It was there, under the tutelage of Dieter Weber, that he first learned how to develop his fingerwork in learning some of Chopin's Etudes. Beginning with Hanon exercises, O'Conor demonstrates how to lift and drop each finger individually in order to develop a strong foundation before moving to faster passagework. After applying lifts and drops to individual notes in the "Moonlight," he shows how to begin combining notes. There are six combinations of rhythmic drills you should apply to each group of four sixteenth notes, up to tempo, before you are ready to combine groups of sixteenth notes, and ultimately build speed and power throughout the ascending passage. Try applying these strategies in your own rapid passagework!
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Unlock Course →Irish pianist John O'Conor's unanimous 1st Prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna in 1973 opened the door to a critically acclaimed career as an international soloist, recording artist, and sought-after teacher.
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