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Franck Chorale in E, Fingering Help

bwv582

New member
I am struggling with measures 179-180 of the Franck Chorale #1 in E. I am playing from the Kalmus edition. It is p. 12, measures 9-10 after the key change. My hands are not large enough to play the right hand notes as they are written. How does one do this? Play on two manuals at once with the left hand? Change the notes?
 

methodistgirl

New member
I have small hands as well and my fingers are not the actual piano
type either. They're short. If it's a chord in the piece that you
are worried about, take the chord and break it down and play half
of it and the other half within the same measure in a flip flop way.
I do that with Toccata & Fugue when I hit such a chord. From the
thumb to the pinky reaches from a Cnote to b which is a note short
of an octive when I stretch it. Or take out a note that's not so
noticeable. Try that and let me know how that works.
judy tooley
 

bwv582

New member
Thanks for the reply. I am attaching a scan of the two measures in question. I think I have solved it, though. By playing the chorale melody (left hand) on the swell and the accompaniment on the great, I can play the A-natural at the end of the first measure by dropping the thumb down from the swell. I can do the same with the B-flat in the next measure which was also giving me trouble. It means playing on two manuals at once with the same hand, but it works out since you're just dropping down and not trying to reach up. If I had a three manual instrument, the score calls for playing on the great and choir manuals at this point which would put the left hand above the right in the same configuration and would permit this fingering.
 

methodistgirl

New member
Bwv, I saved the segment of music on my computer to try it out
myself. It looks as though the notes indicate if you are playing
a pipe organ you could play the bass notes with your feet and
play the extra with both hands. That is if you were using this
as an organ piece. For piano it might look difficult.
judy tooley
 

tom

New member
Bwv, I saved the segment of music on my computer to try it out
myself. It looks as though the notes indicate if you are playing
a pipe organ you could play the bass notes with your feet and
play the extra with both hands. That is if you were using this
as an organ piece. For piano it might look difficult.
judy tooley

It is in fact an organ piece! :smirk:
 
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