Youtube Playlist
Google Drive
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18_c8F19H867n86y9A3M8_dAR2RPQgkLJ?usp=sharing
Long Term Goal
- grade 3
25 Sat
Twilight
- good reading of the RH
- some struggles to get hands together. luckily, this song repeats a lot, so go nice and slow and read every note
Midnight Ride
- can you get 12-13 without stopping? keep RH even and not too fast
- check LH 24
- check 25-26 RH
18 Mar
Twilight
- good start on this, continue learning
Midnight Ride
- we finished the last bit
11 Mar
Spanish Dance
- slow it down a bit, focus on hairpins
- good attempt in LH articulation
- make sure that first 3 notes are connected
- 2nd page
- mp, mf, f and p
- bar 30-32, do slow practice
New song: Twilight (no homework set for this one)
25 Feb
Midnight Ride
- bar 4, watch RH fingering
- bar 23, watch RH tie
Spanish Dance
- good notes, just have a look at hairpins and dynamics
18 Feb
Spanish Dance
- go slower and focus on LH articulation this week. no need to rush the speed
- 2nd page, dynamics goes up in layers
Midnight Ride
11 Feb
Midnight Ride
- great effort this week
- try to practice at a moderate speed, instead of super fast. make sure your coordination is coorect
- try to finish first page hands together this week
Spanish Dance
- good effort here
- try LH articualtion, slur then staccato pattern
4 Feb
Spanish Dance
- great work over the holidays!
- for hard parts like bar 30, go hands sep
- LH articulation, slurs and staccatos
- we will work on details more next week, as you have finished this over holidays, try new piece
New piece: Midnight Ride
10 Dec
Song with a sad ending
- recommend to go slower, too fast for notes and expression
- pedal should start immediately
- doesn’t need to be perfect, but you will never learn if you never do!
- bar 10 still wrong?
- bar 1 missing LH note
Banjo Tune
- please get more work on this one done this week
- try to get to end of 1st page hands seperate
3 Dec
Banjo Tune
- some clean up to LH done today
- read forward into next section this week, try to to get to the end of the 1st page
Song with a sad ending
- go a bit slower (to help you get coordination right and pedal). still a bit inaccurate
- for accuracy, challenge yourself, can I get a section perfect?
- focus on LH softer
- bar 10 completely wrong!
12 Nov
Scales
- good technique, aim for evenness
- F# harmonic minor and Eb major this week
Whirlygig
- also aim for evenness
New exercise: 3B
Song with a Sad Ending
- ending super soft, the sad ending!
- try pedal, not perfect yet, but just try
- phrasing essential feature!
- while phrasing, LH stays soft
Start Banjo Tune this week
5 Nov
Scales
- start hands together A major for homework (more scales if possible)
- 4th finger rule, watch for where the 4th finger goes. It only goes on one note, and always on the same note
- aim for evenness before speed for scales
Whirlygig
- need to have correct fingering
- LH whirlygig for homework
Song with a Sad Ending
- last 8 bars sectional practice
- add pedal and phrasing this week
- pedale simile – do similar pedal, always pedal twice a bar
Would be good to start a few notes of Banjo Tune this week
29 Oct
Song with a sad ending
- good first few bars
- last section is accurate but slow
- sectional practice from 22 and 11, so that other sections can catch up
- looking to add pedal in future when notes are solid
Scales
- good accuracy. work on getting faster and like clock
- next week F# natural minor
3A
- please do this this week
22 Oct
Song with a sad ending
- song should be softer overall (try to keep it light)
- try to avoid restarts when practicing. try to make sure the note is right before playing, or this can lead to learning mistakes 😦
- especially bar 11 onwards
- phrasing this week, following the melody up and down
- (see hairpins)
- when pedalling
- sit on the edge of the seat, heel on floor
- exact pedalling not too important today, but important to try
- try to finish this week
Start: Banjo Tune
See technical work from last week. You have to do it!
8 Oct
A song with a Sad Ending
- pedal timing important
- should be on the beat (exactly where the divot is)
- then it should be an uninterrupted sound
- however, most important thing is to at least try pedal, even if not perfect.
- learn as much as possible this week
Technical work
- 3 exercises + scales
- required for exam, but don’t need to do exam, just to help technical elements
- try 3A and A major (can do more if you want)
17 Sep
A song with a Sad Ending
- B flats!
- try pedal if you can during holidays
- most important expression is phrasing, following the dynamic as the melody goes up and down (hairpins)
10 Sep
Allegro
- same notes as Tango for Two
28 May
Petite Piece
- priority for learning
- try to complete this week
- slowly combine 17-24, difficult
Tango for Two
- some improvement needed with memory
- challenges: can you do it separate hands?