Jeremy

Youtube Playlist

Long Term Goal

  • Certificate of Performance

Theory

https://score.ameb.edu.au/login

25 Nov

Reverie

  • expression larger, phrasing and rubato
  • voice melody clearly at most times, except on end of phrase
  • pp espressivo
    • referring to bringing out melody at this

Beethoven

  • surprise is a key factor in interpretation

Impromptu

  • slow and steady is key for learning
  • bar 35, nocturne character LH light, RH strong

11 Nov

Impromptu

  • learning new notes
  • correct slow practice
  • tempo practice (getting faster)

Debussy

  • aim for big ideas at this stage, better to have big ideas and cut back than no idease

4 Nov

Reverie

  • layering, as one part comes in, another goes away
  • dynamics mean a lot more than what is just written in, finding logical progression is up to you
  • rubato can be used

Impromptu

  • practice accurately

7 Oct

Technical

  • tempo check for any 100 scale
  • can slow down for 8A (150 per quaver)
  • otherwise, well prepared

List A

  • rhythm practice essential
    • where’s the long note?
  • 8 bars at a time or similar
  • don’t lose control halfway, slow down slightly if required

List B

  • softs softer
  • 208 legatos
  • otherwise, good execution overall, all about just putting expression in best light

List C

  • some technical stumbles, maybe 10% slower
    • bring it back to 110
    • this will also give you some time to do better dynamics
  • (middle section 88)
  • slow practice on technically difficult parts

List D

  • don’t slow down halfway

16 Sep

List A

  • needs a technical improvement to reach desired outcomes
  • section by section, perfect, then move on
  • expect 4x perfect in a row possible

List B

  • make sure 208 is held

List C

  • technical work towards end (see List A)
  • soft dynamics can be softer

List D

  • give a good first impression
  • can exaggerate dynamics in the first page

9 Sep

List D

  • always keep accopaniment seperate from melody phrasing
  • some key dynamic changes still need to be watched, start hairpins soft etc.

List B

  • move away from are semiquavers fast, are they stable
  • are they stable at slow speed as well?

2 Sep

Scales

  • needs to have more time preparation, in practice and in performance
  • move away from physical memory only

List C

  • bar 17 loosen up chords
  • 42-49, can be slightly more expressive
  • bar 67, top line fully legato, LH as soft as possible, with tiny phrase
  • fingering bar 68

List B

  • initial feature? what grabs attention in the first line?
  • dynamics need to be middle, not too big, not too small
  • voice top in first four bars
  • watch soft dynamics bar 36
  • don’t rush when excited (bar 43)
  • watch fingering in bar 208, finger swap

26 Aug

List A

  • catch bass note with pedal bar 17
  • more practice methods!
    • start from anywhere
    • perfect runs
    • hands seperate
    • rhythm practice
    • staccato practice
  • we use a combination of these to diagnose and fix this piece

List D

  • good tempo, but repeated note is sometimes too loud, and then there’s not enough phrasing (mostly first page)
  • repeated note needs but soft but reliable, quick to the bottom of the key
  • 37-39 bar by bar practice
  • finish piece with piano, not with fingers

19 Aug

List C

  • 119 ending, systematic, low mistake threshold then increase tempo
  • 43, do with metronome, may need to increase tempo
  • check crotchets 82-83
  • a bit more poco piu f

List B – self reflection

  • bar 16, no crotchet staccato
  • 28, no LH staccato
  • end of phrase bar 24, not short and loud
  • 29 semiquavers, how to practice?
  • linear dim. in bar 44-49
  • 58 staccato chord too long
  • 62-65 not too much phrasing, keep p character
  • semiquavers 71-72
  • 81, not legaty. p softer, subtlety in voicing
  • LH 100 can be softer and more controlled
  • 118, 120, 122, phrase endings of different length
  • semiquavers 132
  • dim 144, dim later
  • 200 needs to go soft
  • semiquavers, practice by approaching at correct tempo

12 Aug

Technical

8A

  • check tempo, too fast

8C

  • more phrasing would be good

Scales

  • focus on sixths
  • chord progs need to be memorised
  • arpeggios, practice sep hands, soft
  • practice scales backwards

List D

  • avoid early slowdown in bar 39
  • reset on all hairpins and cresc
  • acknowledge hidden cresc
  • if hairpin is in p or mp, can make it big
  • 37 check RH
  • can go faster
  • bar 42-44, phrase chromatic RH hard, LH stays soft

List C

  • hold dotted crotchet down bar 9
  • middle section, more legato in general
  • 67, calm down, don’t rush
  • 76 check LH

List A

  • still phrase in forte bar 40

4 Aug

List C

  • 1-8, LH jumps, RH stays low, mechanical regulation of dynamic
  • 17, not too loud for speed
  • 59, some missing notes if played too
  • 67, perfectly legato and voiced melody on top
    • balance, LH as soft as possible, RH main melody voiced as possible
  • 82-83, long crotchets making sense with ritardando
  • watch crotchets 87
  • 88 more more piu forte
  • 119 sempre staccato, use soft pedal
    • don’t jump off keys
  • 42, see fingering suggestion for legato

List A

  • one step up in tempo
  • don’t slow down 16
  • 23, aggressive and bouncy staccatos, sf hard in 24
  • 24 might be a danger zone?
  • 40 can have greater LH contribution
  • 53, loud, then soft straight after
  • watch 61 LH
  • ff at end, loud

List B

  • 32, watch LH length
  • watch timing 41
  • don’t speed up 46
  • big dynamic dynamic difference 56
  • don’t lift high off staccato slur endings

29 Jul

List B

  • 🙂
  • 6-7, square dropoff in volume to p
  • 21, is RH perfect clear?
  • 41, check timing
  • 43, more RH volume for passion
  • 69, linear p mp mf f increase
  • 87, reset phrasing and increase here
  • check coordination 145
  • 200, start soft again
  • 208, RH legato
  • 214, voice top

List D

  • 39, big rubato to help large

List A

  • slight ping on first LH bass note
  • LH slightly more substance
  • don’t slow down 16
  • 17, phrasing doesn’t need to be linear, break at 19-20, restart 21
  • keep phrasing in 40

22 Jul

List B

  • metro 112
    • this will identify all tempo changes
  • all other things are small, and should be fixed after tempo is fixed

List D

  • this probably should be faster
    • allows for better flow
    • a bit more difficult in middle section
    • metronome about 63 as well here
  • can pay slightly better attention to hairpins
  • repeated notes can be a bit more background

List C

  • some phrasing in bar 17 would be awesome
  • phrasing in 42 onwards sometimes irregular
    • exercise – try just top line by itself and phrase
    • phrase more based on the phrase, not pitch
  • 62 wait for crotchet
  • 65, wait for crotchet as well

15 Jul

Technical

  • recommend to do random scales
  • continue to speedcheck

List C

  • chords still not coming down
    • does soft pedal help?
  • bar 9 quaver, go straight in
  • bar 10, don’t lift off here
  • bar 17, slow practice may help
  • bar 21, monitor staccato
  • bar 42, more hyper voicing
    • always legato
    • always phrasing
  • just watch pedalling using your senses
  • bar 62 rhythm
  • bar 66, sfz loudest
  • make 92 harsher
  • last two lines
    • slow practice
    • soft pedal

List A

  • micro phrasing
  • dramatic dynamics
  • practice sectional

  • 64, make sure top LH F# is on time

List C

  • treatment of chords can be ‘blocky’ does not need to be voiced or ‘ugly’
  • check rhythm in general
  • loud bar 17 chord, start of loud singing session
  • semlice – simple
  • ma – but
  • espressivo – expressive
  • middle section – church music
  • front section – circus