Alex

Recording Guidelines

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?