How to Play a Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed three piano concertos in his lifetime. Piano Concerto No.1 in B Flat Minor is the best known and the one most people expect to hear. Like all of Tchaikovsky's concertos, this is a challenging piece. By following the steps below, you can use your piano skills to play this celebrated piece of music like a concert pianist.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Purchase or borrow multiple recordings of the concerto performed by different pianists. Listen to them repeatedly and notice the different styles. Websites like Naxos Direct have a wide selection of Tchaikovsky recordings.

2. Listen to the recordings until you memorize the piece mentally. You should be able to hum the melody from start to finish, and hear the other piano notes and orchestra parts in your mind. You should instantly recognize the themes in each movement.

3. Study the sheet music as you listen to a recording. Hear how your piano part fits with the orchestra. Note where the piano has the melody. See where the orchestra takes the melody and the piano fades into the background.

4. Realize that the opening measures and some other portions of the concerto are repetitive. Learn these parts first so you can use them when they appear throughout the piece in different octaves.

5. Practice with one hand at a time. Master the right hand part at slow speed, then gradually increase the speed as indicated by the music notes. Do the same thing with the left hand, then put the two parts together.

6. Understand that this concerto wasn't intended to be played with a metronome. Tchaikovsky wanted his concertos to be played the way Mozart's were. He wanted the audience to hear the passion in the music rather than the passion in the pianist.

7. Perfect the most difficult parts, which are the prestissimo in the second movement and the grace notes in the third. Practicing scales with both hands simultaneously helps you learn these passages, and helps you play the concerto like a concert pianist.

Tips & Warnings

• You can practice the prestissimo notes with a metronome. Set it at slow as you begin, then gradually increase the speed to help you master the notes. Remember, though, that Tchaikovsky didn't want this piece to sound mechanical.
• Tchaikovsky used harmonics in all his works. Recognize them in this work and you can clearly hear the passion in his notes.
• Strengthen the little fingers on each hand as you practice to improve your performance.
• Practice on a good quality piano that has been recently tuned and doesn't stick.
• This piece wasn't written for beginner or intermediate students. If you fit into one of those categories, but love this work and want to play it, find a simplified version of the sheet music from a website like Sheet Music Plus.
• Don't put too much of yourself into this work. Find Tchaikovsky's feelings in the notes and let them shine.
• Don't try to copy the style of any of the pianists in the recordings you've listened to. Find your own musical voice.

Resources

• Find sheet music at Sheet Music Plus.
• Find many different Tchaikovsky recordings at Naxos Direct.