Recipe for pinkie aches

This is a pic I took today of part of a piece I am currently learning on piano that I love, but that is also very challenging. This piece of music here may look deceptively "simple" - but my piano prof. at school will commonly take difficult pieces and spread them out so they are easier to read - for instance, the 4 lines worth of notes on this page would probably only fit on 1 in the original printed text.

This is an arranged excerpt from Rachmaninoff's 1st piano concerto, 1st movt. I am also learning 2 other themes from his 3rd piano concerto. All of it is really difficult - Rachmaninoff literally has more notes in his pieces than any other composer, due in part to his HUGE hands (and thus can make ginormous chords), and the fact that much of his music is very fast and intricate. When you don't have huge hands, this proves quite difficult. Sometimes when I finish practicing my pinkies are very angry with me, because I have such weak joints in my 4th and 5th fingers.

Even though these are a definite challenge to learn, I love learning them. What I can't imagine is learning the full score (though I would love to, in my dreams). See, these pieces I have are maybe 3-4 minute excerpts. Imagine learning 90+ pages worth of VERY difficult music that takes 30-45 minutes to play, and having it memorized. Concert pianists are freaks.

His concertos are easily some of my favorite pieces of music of all time. If any of you haven't heard them - give them a listen. Truly beautiful, and pieces of art.

Alright, now that I have bored you all with my classical nerdy self, I should probably go do some practicing.

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