5

How should this section be played? (The 4th and 5th chords) It appears that I should play it with my hands on top of one another, left over right. Usually if i saw this in another piece of music I would just play the e and c# with my right hand, but this has fingerings specifically written in for the left hand, it’s just an awkward section and I’m unsure about how to play it, any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[link: photo of sheet music](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WuvVj.jpg)

Photo of the 4th chord in the measurephoto of the 5th chord in the measure

Rosie F
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A Dude With Questions
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  • Albrecht Hügli is right that you are free to redistribute the notes over the hands (so that might solve it outright). However, if you do wish to stay closer to the notation, I would like to recommend you try once to play it with the right hand sopra: over your left hand (instead of the other way around, as you show in your pictures). Everybody’s hands differ, but for me that’s easier. – 11684 Dec 29 '19 at 10:41
  • When playing right hand over left do you cross your thumb under the right hand to play the c#, or do you bring your right hand entirely over your left? – A Dude With Questions Dec 29 '19 at 11:27
  • (Nice username) Sorry that was a rather sloppy formulation on my part. On the third beat the fingering 3-2-1 in the left hand should leave a nice gap between the index finger and thumb, through which you can place the index finger of the right hand on the C#. Your left thumb does go over your right thumb (in preparation of the next chord) so your hands kind of interlock here. Then the next chord should be very natural, still with interlocking thumbs. I guess I should make this into an answer instead, the length kind of skyrocketed. – 11684 Dec 29 '19 at 11:36
  • So, if im not mistaken u mean to play the last cord with your right thumb under your left thumb. This does feel a lot better but you have to kind of flip flop your hands. Am I understandings this correctly? – A Dude With Questions Dec 29 '19 at 12:09
  • I don’t know where you get the flip flopping. Play everything with the right thumb under the left. – 11684 Dec 29 '19 at 12:12
  • Oh I think I gotchu, yes playing like this feels fine. Thanks for the help. – A Dude With Questions Dec 29 '19 at 12:17

2 Answers2

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Just play the fourth and fifth chords as 4-note chords with the left hand. They're just Schubertian noodling, without any subtle Brahmsian internal voice leading. This also frees up the right hand to play the melody's triplet more expressively, now that the right hand isn't battling a three-against-two all by itself.

Also, almost all the other fingerings shown in this excerpt are blitheringly obvious. So don't think that the editor has given much thought to them.

Camille Goudeseune
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  • Have an upvote despite a suspected criticism in just Schubertian noodling, which I don't agree with. – guidot Jan 28 '20 at 22:27
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The notation is showing the voice leading, but you are absolut free to play the C# (below the triplets) with the right hand hand and the A with the left hand. (This means you exchange the two lower quavers (under the triplets) in the right hand and play them with the l.h. and the two upper quavers of the l.h. and play them with the r.h.

Albrecht Hügli
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