Jayden

Youtube Playlist

Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxU_OGndc5q-jH26-96g39xF-RLx4hbgc

Google Drive

Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dWwG84LFuyn_X-PD_x9-mioV2YXi1h5-?usp=sharing

Intervals

• 2nd – scale
• 3rd – O when the saints
• 4th – amazing grace
• 5th – twinkle twinkle
• 6th – my bonnie lies over the ocean
• 7th – weird
• 8th – somewhere over the rainbow

Goal for this week

• revision in general towards exams

Long term goal

Grade 4 exam mid-2021

26 July

4A

• not even, needs to be stable

4B

• rhythm is wrong, clap before playing

Scales

• exam standard?
• are fingers coming together at the same time

Tartan

• practice in sections
• practice slower
  • so you don’t make mistakes

• when you make a mistake, play it correct a few times

Allegro

• go overall slower
• needs to be consistent quavers

Etude

• evenness of quavers

19 July

Technical ex

• okay today

Scales to watch

• F# harmonic
• are scales exam standard (start once only, correct first time)

Etude

• way too fast, can’t get detail
  • can’t get even
• divide constantly into 3
• slow practice required

Allegro

• consistency not great for amount of practice done
  • practice slow
  • practice correct

• really up to you to produce a good performance at this point

Tartan

• scrappy
• same notes as above

Notes 12 July

Technical excercises

• all about evenness
• make everything clean
• next week, scales from memory

Extra lists:

• choose one speed for the entire piece
• try all obvious dynamics

Main pieces

• need to practice all 3 in a row

Etude

• not rhythmically secure, must think of 2 lots of 3 beats in a bar
• dynamics unclear
• but at least all notes are correct
• metronome 110

Allegro

• same notes as above

Tartan

• same notes as above

Notes 30 June

Exercises

• need to be more stable
• 4B, must wait long enough for the crotchet

Tartan

• consistency improved but not perfect
  • section by section
    • try 8/10
    • need often more judgement

• dynamics good but not great, work on it at home and also when

Allegro

• are all notes accurate
• are all dynamics accurate
• articulation
  • staccatos all the same length

Notes 21 June

4A

• keep a stable beat
• don’t miss notes

4B

• don’t miss notes
• keep a stable beat
• try swing practice

Scales

• some scales still need 4th finger rule

Kitten and Mousin

• get more stable

Let the Good Times Roll

• take a slower speed, have a look at staccatos

Tartan

• dynamics need to be much more clear and obvious
• bar 33, don’t get faster
  • also needs to have much greater consistency here

Notes 7 June

Ex 4A

• pretty good today

Scales

• practice all scales, 3 a day

Tartan

• prioritise not stopping over speed this week
• consistency for whole piece

Etude

• phrasing start soft
• be very careful with coordination

Allegro

• staccato sometimes dodgy and inconsistent

Notes 31 May

4A

• focused practice on errors
• really needs to be exam standard

Tartan

• work done today sub standard
• need to focus on goal, up to 40 performance standard

Etude

• intentional dynamics
• intentional stability of the tempo
• practice at a slower tempo for details

Notes 24 May

Scales

• similar motions revise
• revise excercises

Tartan

• avoid mistakes when learning (secret sauce)
• complete tartan this week up to standard

Kitten

• bar 16

Allegro

• not too heavy
• stay the same speed for whole piece
• precision in some parts
  • are you smudging?
  • in chords, do you know what the notes are?

Notes 17 May

Scales

• see scale to desuc

Tartan

• needs to be stable
  • faster parts slow, slower past faster

• all piece same speed (about)

Let the Good Times Roll

• take it slower, and stable
• add some dynamics

Notes 10 May

4A

• on the right track

4B

• steady speed

Run through scales occassionally

Tartan

• expression is simply done into two elements
  • dynamics
  • articulation

• subito
  • suddnely
  • instantly get soft
  • everything before is loud

Allegro

• focus on accuracy over speed
  • 10% slower

Etude

• same notes as allegro

devote some time to extra list, but tartan is priority

Notes 3 May

Scales to checked next week

Tartan

• see message

Allegro

• steady is number 1 priority
  • slower, but without stopping
• dynamics is number 2 priority

Notes 26 Apr

Revise scales and excercises generally. Quality needs to improve

• will check scales next week

Tartan

• not up to quality

Notes 19 Apr

Excercises

• practice to be correct! Need a bit more care. On the right track though.

Let the good times roll

• on the right track

new extra list today

Tartan

• still some technical issues, but we can fix them ourselves using consistent and careful practice
• start from second page
• push as fast as possible while still being consistent

Allegro

• more soft dynamic
• metronome at 90-100aZ

Notes 7 Apr

4A

• needs phrasing now

4B

• needs phrasing
• correct rhythm
• slower overall

4C

• good

Let the Good Times Roll

• Added on Youtube playlist, listen to find rhythm

Allegro

• needs slow practice for consistency
• start from the middle practice
• LH only practice
• OVERALL can perform

Tartan

• this just needs more practice

Notes 29 Mar

4A

• needs to be better
• practice bar by bar

Tartan

• unacceptable that this is not done

Etude

• all about evenness and coordination
  • slow practice, but perfectly even and coordinated
  • also helps us build mental memory

New song: Let the good times roll (extra list 1)

• learn during holidays, one page

Notes 22 Mar

Please do ex 4A and 4B

Continue with scales

Tartan

• must learn faster
  • don’t start from the start
  • practice in small sections
  • should always have DAILY goal in mind

Allegro

• most ideas are there, must focus on continuity when practicing
  • choose a more medium speed
• also focus on hands together
• also focus on slurs
• once you’ve identified trouble sections, practice slow and in sections

Notes 15 Mar

Ex 4A

• this needs work!

Ex 4B

• improve LH version

Tartan

• staccatos need to be clear, so don’t jump toooo high
• Finish this week

Allegro

• some slurs are not connected
• some dynamics are really wrong
  • for softs, use arm weight, don’t play on the surface. use arm weight to hit the bottom of the keys

Etude

• some coordination is very dodgy
  • and evenness
    • slow practice
    • rhythm practice

Notes 1 Mar

Scales

• generally okay, will improve more closer to the exam.

Tartan

• needs improvement by drilling small sections at full speed
• small sections but fast
• more foucsed practice this week, but still goal bar 32

Allegro

• last section still has lots of gaps. Don’t go faster, just be play stable
• focus on bad parts, DO not start again

Notes 22 Feb

4B

• rhythm
• correct notes
• dynamics

4A

• needs to be faster and more phrasing

Scales

• see goals of the week for which scales to present

Tartan

• LH chords must be solid
• focus on a consistent beat
• same goal bar 32, but increase consistency

Allegro

• aim for CLINICAL precision
• last line no gaps

• slurs pay attention
• consistency in general pay attention

Notes 15 Feb

4A

• second line still needs a bit more work.
• Careful with fingering
• do LOTS of phrasing

Scales

• need to have fingers together
• C# melodic minor, check if everything is right here.
• F# harmonic minor contrary
• In general, contrary needs work

Tartan

• LH needs needs to be broken up between rests
• fadeaway dynamic

• goal is bar 32

Allegro

• bar 3 is messy

• dynamics are great, but technical still needs to be fixed. Go part by part and fix little by little.
• Don’t panic!

Notes 8 Feb

Technical

• Revise in general
• Do ex 4A all
• revise other excercises

Allegro

• in mf, balance towards RH f, LH mp
• do slur in bar 2-3

• consistency in bar 9-12

• entire middle sections is only quavers (ti ti), so it should keep on going. No gaps between
• 2nd page, needs dynamics with consistency, especially if ti ti

Etude

• coordination is a big issue

Notes 14 Dec

Scales: begin arpeggios, perfect contrary motions

4A: finish by 1 Feb

Etude

• louder in 33

• avoid gaps by making the beat go forward.
• bar 17 make sure RH and LH come together
• Curve fingers

Tartan

• needs general work, keep learning notes

Allegro

• funny dynamic contrast is needed for the ending

Notes 7 Dec

Ex 4A: first line pls

Scales

• make sure they are together
• finish all contrary motion by 14 Dec

Allegro

• you need to check which notes are short and which are long

• finish the piece this week

Tartan

• fade on staccato

• bar 9 rests are important in LH

Notes 30 Nov

Technical

• Ex 4A, first line
• chromatics
• revise all scales

Allegro

• Significant work still needs to be done. Aim for finish this week.

Notes 23 Nov

4B

• practice bar by bar, become da master. Rhythm must be correct.

Scale: F# harmonic minor contrary

Allegro

• Articulation and slurs are really important
• dynamics are also really important
• this is all to make it funny
• bar 36 HT, ending hands sep.

Notes 16 Nov

Contrary: F# harmonic minor

Allocate about 5 mins to technical per practice.

Allegro

• LH soft. Don’t jump. This creates the fluffy texture.
• check this LH chord

• this piece is all about whether it is chunky or not

Notes 9 Nov

Excercises

4B

• keep going

Scales

• F melodic minor, watch 4th finger
• A major contrary motion

Allegro

• listen to recording this week
• watch for slurs OR staccatos across the piece
• aim for first page hands together

Etude

• bar 4 LH rhythm, should be consistent

• bar 10 snappy semiquavers

• curve fingers for greater accuracy
• main aim is consistency in rhythm

Notes 2 Nov

Excercises

• PLEASE DO EX 4B
• make sure timing is right, quavers are 2 semis, crotchet is 4 semis. Practice bar by bar

4A

• start if you have time. Remember flats BEAD

Scales

• F melodic minor, fix F harmonic minor using 4th finger rule

Allegro

• bar 9, F#

• get up to 30 this week, mostly the same LH here. Make this a priority

Etude

• bar 1-8, focus on rhythmic consistency
• Bar 17 onwards, focus on ‘evenness’. Curving fingers helps
• check notes in 45-47, make sure there are 4 of them

• check notes 51

Notes 26 Oct

Ex 4B

• please do LH this week
• RH increase speed

Allegro

• even at early learning stage, consider balance between LH and RH, RH needs to be louder
• learning goal: bar 16, hands together

Etude

• bar 1-8, hold LH notes

• start dynamics in bar 17

• check notes bar 51 RH