Jeremy

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This Week’s Goal

• continue with scales and excercises
• focus on passing pieces

Long Term Goal

• grade 7

Notes 23 July

Greig

• need to be careful of notes
• fluctuation of speed because of dance
  • stretto and rit

• don’t rush quavers
  • even if it has small notes next to it

• fp needs to be intentional

Debussy

• pay attention position to position of expression
• pedal with chord changes
• in general focus on forward momentum
  • 2nd page needs to be quicker
  • less big rit

• 3rd, page, base on correct rhythm
• mosso, start slower then speed

Notes 16 July

Sonatina

• consistency of crotchet speeds
  • subdivide into sem
• 85 metronome speed recommended this week
• treat two notes slurred

• watch for articulation,
  • long short short short

Arabesque

• be careful with pedalling!
• notes as textures
  • listen to other debussy
    • images
    • submit the name of your favourite image

Notes 7 July

Arabesque

• watch pedalling. harmonies (chords must be clear)
  • look for bass note
  • can hold down fingers more
• rit. must be planned
  • changing texture
• think about what elements you want to highlight (what part of the texture)
• mosso, start slower then speed up

Notes 18 June

Nocturne

• avoid rushing in difficult bits
  • use technical rubato

• phrasing must be logical
• bird trill, not heavy
• piu mosso, keep light and even

Sonatina

• p f slightly playful syncopation
• make sure speed is matched
• think about phrasing and cresc that are not written in the page
• make sure any marking is adhered to

Notes 11 June

Nocturne

• inner triplets should feel continuous
• phrasing, start softer
  • should also be thought of as note by note
• 15-16, start RH softer
• 42, make sure double cresc is planned
• ppp go slower for illusion of getting softer
• piu mosso, can have ‘technical rubato ‘ to help with tchnique

Debussy

• have even triplets
• start loud on dim, start fast on rit
• risoluto no rubato, one phrasing, block chords
• softs can be ultra soft

Notes 4 June

Nocturne

• watch speed in bar 31
• piu mosso
  • start slower, speed up at molto cresc
  • hold pedal throughout ff sections

• 42-47 another intense section, get quicker
• practice accuracy and expression simultaneously
• forward rubato can also happen in softer sections
• ending, can be slower spread out

Debussy

• make sure that all speed is matched
  • think of original triplet and crotchet speed

Notes 28 May

Debussy

• watch pedalling, sometimes needs to account for bass note
• accompaniment-meleody needs to be super soft, just a texture
  • sometimes it also turns into melody, then PHRASE

• soft notes should sound dull

Notturno

• watch for tenuto accents
  • indicator for rubato

• watch out for smooth phrasing
• bar 13 not too slow

• not too loud in bar 15

• piu mosso part, ultra soft, fingers very close to keys

Notes 14 May

Nocturne

• ‘target’ aggression
  • all about balance

• rubato can related to excitement
• check number of notes bar 16

• piu mosso – quicker, don’t need to phrase
• 29, LH loud with accents

Debussy

• watch for ties in general
• first line, only need to phrase main melody
• fingering
  • LH must always be the same
  • same up and down
  • bottom note must be pinky

• high notes in bar 3-5, voice a lot

Notes 7 May

Arabesque

• start this week
  • soft touch with pedal
  • everything is a melody/texture
    • so phrase everything

Nocturne

• LH chords softer
• more push and pull ‘rubato’
• listen widely

Notes 30 Apr

6A

• check notes

Scales

• contrary next week

Nocturne

• pedalling
• don’t get too loud
• LH chords softer
  • LH chords, keep a constant 3 quaver group beat

• check notes bar 18, LH chord

• bar 21 onwards, check notes in general, with correct fingering
• phrasing can be mathematically planned
• bar 15, bird bit can have a bit

Notes 23 Apr

6A + B

• phrasing

6C

• can be a bit louder

Fiesta

• sfz can have ‘bite’
• bar15-19, count carefully

• bar 1, set anticipation by going soft

Nocturne

• inner chords need to be soft
• rubato
• phrasing
• watch out for tie in bar 7

• 3 elements
  • rubato
  • phrasing
  • balance

• crush notes, not fast

Notes 7 Apr

Confidence

• dolce, softer accompaniment
• fix pedal at end

Lose Blatter

• rit, needs to slow down towards the end
• can have more rubato
  • equal parts speeding up and slowing
  • can match with phrasing

Notes 26 Mar

Scales

• focus on evenness
• practice hands seperate
• contrary motion: make sure you pay attention to first 3 notes
• jumble scales up, do exam setting scales, not in order

List B

• accent chromatic notes on second page to make it funny
• be careful of danger zones
  • slow practice
  • seperate hand practice (especially left)
  • improves mental memory

List C

• fz and p can be bigger contrast
• watch pedal in 27, slightly more accent

• 35, voice melody. go a bit louder in the major section. staccatos a bit longer

• get LH involved with phrasing 46

• 65, don’t pedal over pause
• 73, cresc more aggressive

List D

• rhythmic error in bar 20
• aim for accuracy when practicing

Notes 19 Mar

List B

• LH softer overall so that you don’t have to voice RH too much
• bar 5, RH mp
• when forte comes, your LH can be louder
• sf not too loud in p sections
• bar 41 LH slur

• 42, make RH goofy by accenting the dissonant notes

• ending ff, LH aggressive

List C

• semiquavers here are falling behind, keep ahead
• bar 9, make RH slightly louder to be clearer
• bar 17, don’t hold LH

• don’t slow down 27

• 43 check RH note

• 35 staccatos not too short
• 46, more phrasing and LH
• 65, pause should be silent

• 72, no big crotchet rest

Notes 12 Mar

Wistful

• pedal needs to be lifted fully
• fix rhythm in bar 5
• G# bar 7
• softs, use arm weight so you don’t miss notes, louds use armweight so it is not aggressive. DO LOTS of phrasing
• piu mosso – more movement, faster, also more rubato
• p subito – suddenly soft
• meno mosso – less movement
• 29, check notes RH

• bar 32, not too loud, mp
• soft pedal from bar 42

Confidence

• pedal is for linking RH legato
  • however, don’t be too reliant on pedal
  • phrase top line as well, but don’t affect volume of inner RH
  • after doing all these things, don’t be too restrictive

• 2nd page try accompaniment even softer
• towards ending, use soft pedal, play ULTRA light

List C

• if melody is in a chord, make sure that you voice the melody. POWER TO THE PINKY

Scales

Notes 5 Ma

• in good condition already, can have a focus more on pieces

Confidence

• certainty of notes?
  • make sure you don’t skip and are sure
  • practice method: don’t make mistakes
• also try to expression in 2nd page
• hold pedal through last bar

• pay attention to markings in last line

Confidence

• 2nd page, difference between LH and RH must be much bigger and have an overall p feeling
• first page, need to fix mistakes
• 2nd page, phrasing RH needs to be more careful
• ending phase out into nothing

Notes 26 Feb

Confidence

• relax arms and divert energy to pinky and 4th
• hold top note longer
• LH not too soft, it is a melody

• fix mistake bar 6 and bar 5
• 2nd page
  • not too loud on sf
  • espressivo, don’t let RH
  • make sure you follow the crotchets in the melody

• follow pedalling in the last line
• make sure p tranquillo is light
• can use soft pedal at the end
• don’t rush final chord

Wistful

• elements of this piece
  • strong voicing – all notes are equal
  • phrasing
  • dynamics
  • rubato

Notes 19 Feb

Scales

• remember 4th finger rule
• arpeggios, focus on LH practice sometimes

Lose Blatter

• bar 3 immediately softer following forte. keep RH legato, but soft

• bar 9 staccato not short low energy

• sempre p less accent

• 35 longer staccato, more focus on hitting the keybed reliabily

• 53 mezzo staccato

• 74 get a lot louder get softer before cresc

Confidence

• check 5-6 notes

• dolce – melody voiced and phrased, but not over the dolce limit
• make sure melody is always there, not missing
• go 20% slower to make sure the balance is there

Notes 12 Feb

Scales

• contrary motion, watch first 3 notes
• 4th finger rule

5C

• good

Bagatelle

• adjust for smaller sound
• sf not too loud
• bar 5, use soft pedal, no sf

• senza pedal, without pedal
• make sure crescendo is controlled and planned

Lose Blatter

• fz accent just a bit less
• make sure all chord notes are present
• bar 9, don’t lift RH, RH soft. sempre p, always soft

• make sure semiquavers are accurate
• can use soft pedal in pp
• 27, keep everything small. staccatos not to short
• 35, keep staccatos longer. don’t lift off the keys

• get soft at the end of phrases from bar 47
• these staccatos not short bar 53

• try rhythm practice here

Notes 13 Jan

Keep up scales and be accurate

List B

• careful with overpedalling
• even in pp sections, make sure melody can be heard. use soft pedal (una corda)
• sf is more expressive than large
• to get more intense we can also change the note length
• bar 42 staccatos must be soft

Lose Blatter

• natural separation on these staccatos, relaxed

• don’t jump on these staccatos. must be less energy

• to make fz louder, make everything around it softer.

Notes 16 Dec

Start Ex 5C + continue with scales

Can start a List C

Beethoven

• Don’t be careless with fingering
• ending ff, not too polite.
• this articulation contributes ‘funiness’. accent at start of slur

• follow dynamics carefully, then they will make sense

Confidence

• first 8 bars, would recommend going slower. Still need to focus on the super legato RH. Occassionally RH doesn’t come with LH
• Make sure top note is louder

Notes 9 Dec

Technical

• all scale + 5B left hand version

Bag

• bar 20-32, gradual buildup. Loudness to related to how wide the music is

• this piece is defined by different moods. Sometimes it is serious, but sometimes it is silly
• silliness is caused by sf, and differences to the melody (variations)

Notes 2 Dec

Do Ex 5B

Watch fingering LH G# melodic minor. Make sure scales are legato. Make sure scales are together. Increase speed

Confidence

• For first page, adopt relaxed posture. Will help balance accomapaniment.
• Make sure there is clear difference between melody and accompaniment in RH even when getting louder
• bar 11, RH not too soft

• bar 14, voice LH over RH

• Check RH bar 26

Notes 25 Nov

Ex 5A, and continue with scales

Confidence

• dolce – sweetly, balance with RH and LH. Because RH needs to be heard even if it’s really soft.
• markings such as dynamics are about phrasing. If you can do phrasing, you will be fine
• 2nd page, LH soft, RH phrase, add pedal in this section for contrast.
• bar 14, voice LH

• bar 16, watch out for notes in RH. Also the biggest peak of the piece
• bar 26, tranquil, keep pedal down, keep all notes soft.