Olivia

Goal:

grade 5

11 Dec

Walzer

sectional practice can be as small as one bar one hand
aim to reach bar 16 this week

Bagatelle

try to do more sf
page 2 continue your sectional practice

4 Dec

Sonata

great performance overall
gaps usually after ornaments

Bagatelle

check fingering on second page especially left hand
go into 3rd page

Waltz

learn a bit this week

Scales: B major arpeggio + Chromatics

20 Nov

Sonata

no gap practice, but go medium speed before going full speed

Scales

F minor contrary
Ab major 4th finger rule
make sure you do other scales as well

check notes here

Bagatelle

sf and pedal

13 Nov

Sonata

focus on going slow, focus being accuracy and no gaps
2 lines at time

Bagatelle

same as Sonata
after a few times slow, you can go faster

Scales

3 beats in a bar

6 Nov

List B

great sectional practice, continue, but you can do larger sections
rest of the song is very similar

New: Walzer

Sonata: do sections perfect, this the main thing that slows you down now is inaccuracy

correct, but go faster now

Scales

Bb melodic minor this week

30 Oct

do left hand
right hand, double check notes

Scales

Bb harmonic minor

List A

needs section sectional practice last two lines
still soft LH

List B

needs sectional top of 2nd page still, 2 bars 5x at least
if can finish 3rd line, then we can move on

23 Oct

don’t make it too heavy

start this week

Scale: Db major

Bagatelle

go from 34 when bar 20 starts to feel tiring
continue sectional practice

Sonata

slow practice for stability is good here
still focus on balance between the hands

16 Oct

Bagatelle

sectional practice for 2nd page
aim for bar 34
keep softs soft

Sonata

second page needs a lot more work, make sure to start from there

9 Oct

Bagatelle

focus on LH steady first
line practice
don’t forget B flats

Sonata

left hand soft
trills done well
aim for consistent LH rhythm

18 Sep

Sonata

still LH soft
lets see whether we can add phrasing

Bagatelle

focus during holidays
can you finish two pages?

dynamics

holidays
follow fingering

11 Sep

Sonata

LH soft
sectional 4 bars at a time

slow 3s

Scales

can go faster

4 Sep

Scales: Good so far!

careful of key signature
dividing beat into different numbers

10 Aug

a bit faster and with dynamics

Prepare scales!

List A

maximise dynamics

go a 90% speed

6 Aug

can go faster if you can

this should not be too fast

Etude

start softer
start the same speed you want to go
maybe go slower slightly from 17 if you want to get better dynamics + safer

31 Jul

make sure you are ready
big dynamics

more dynamics and a bit faster

not too fast

Scales

make sure you are prepared before your scale

Tartan

go a bit slower

Mazurka

24 Jul

a bit faster
more dynamics especially softs

not too fast, focus on quality of stacatos

Scales

focus on doing the scale once, and good quality

Etude

focus on chances to go soft
focus on keeping beat
try to keep LH soft

Allegro

can go a bit a slower here for control
try to keep LH soft
make sure dynamics are accurate

Sonatina

keep middle bit soft

3 Jul

Sonatina

louds need to louder!
first note short
don’t rush when you get louder

generally okay

dynamics and also go a bit faster

a bit slower, and also a bit stronger

Scales

4th finger rule Ab major and F minor

26 Jun

Allegro

slur in 8-9
p dynamics need to be softer
don’t get faster

Mazurka

B flat
watch rhythm in 19

Sonatina

first note quick
softs need to be softer
rhythm bar 5

19 Jun

Tartan

sectional practice, remember to do at least four times

Allegro

watch out for mistakes and still do slow practice
softs need to be softer!

Etude

well played today
still practice last bit slow
do

12 Jun

Mazurka

don’t go too fast for extra list

Allegro

softs softer
don’t start too slow

Etude

start softer on the <>

5 Jun

don’t get faster halfway
start soft for phrasing

add phrasing

play a bit louder and make it short

Scales

check Ab major fingering LH
watch for quality
randomise scales
do Ab arpeggios this week

Sonatina

watch left hand soft, especially in soft sections
watch for stability in our performance
start softer bar 7

29 May

rhythm needs to be correct with correct counting

dynamics need to start and end softer

Scales

review all scales

22 May

do practice of this one the most this week

Scales

don’t speed up on the way down
notes must be played together
Ab major, check LH fingering. F harmonic minor as well
do arpeggios this week

Tartan

add dynamics

Etude

slow practice for memory
a lot of gaps in 33

15 May

this is much better this week!
do some dyanmics this week

this is also much better, continue to work on this

Scales

do C harmonic minor contrary this week
F# melodic minor as well
make sure your hands coming together

Sonatina

have a look at dotted rhythms at bar 5 RH
check RH f natural, 38
don’t go too loud/fast towards the end

8 May

continue to practice

Do 4B this week both hands

Scales

F harmonic minor
Eb major contrary motion

Tartan

sectional and seperate hands practice
focus on this the most

Mazurka

focus on ending for speed
mostly okay

Sonatina

this will still benefit with slow practice for accuracy
do slow and perfect practice

1 May

sectional and seperate hands

Scales

F natural minor
A major contrary

Tartan

30-32, sectional and seperate, and any other hard bits as well

24 Apr

Tartan

sectional practice for quick learning

Scales and exercises

practice these more, including 4A

Sonatina

larger dynamic range, f louder, p softer

3 Apr

Scales

continue scales
generally watch accuracy
try to finish rest of scales

Remember to do exercises as well!

Tartan replacing Mountain Village Scene

Mazurka

great start!
do more practice on parts

Allegro

choose a medium speed that is not too fast
aim to not not stop
are you doing slow practice?

27 Mar

Mazruka

on the right track
add a few more dynamics even when learning
keep up sectional practice

Sonatina

slow practice for accuracy
perfect sections

Allegro

slow practice for accuracy

20 Mar

Mazurka

watch accents, play louder than other notes
left should be softer than RH
sf, sforzando, loud here

Allegro

try to get balance right, LH softer

13 Mar

Mazurka

decide whether you want to do Mazurka or Mountain Village Scene

Etude

check LH bar 72
2nd page needs slow practice
go softer on softs

6 Mar

Mazurka

good progress
focus on sectional practice this week

Scales

make sure to prepare
keep the same speed, don’t start too slow, don’t speed up

Etude

don’t need to have very loud left hand, don’t need to jump up very high.
do a mix of faster and slow practice

Allegro

27 Feb

Mazurka

keep going with this, focus on this one

can go slower here

keep working on this, get it faster
count to four on crotchets

Scales

keep revising, including all remaining arpeggios

Allegro

larger dynamics especially softs
keep trying to get rid of gaps, especially at the end

20 Feb

Etude

good job here
go through once or twice a week
focus on parts that are not perfect yet

Allegro

slow practice for no gaps
bar 33, LH Bb
extra note bar 16

Focus on learning Mazuka this week

Technical work check next week

Sonatina

focus on dynamics
bar 7 softer, to go up
bar 13, suddenly soft
sectional practice on bits that are not good

13 Feb

Sonatina

all about slow and careful practice
challenge yourself to a section correct
different types of practice are like a toolbox, which tool is right to fix the problem

Etude

keep revising this

30 Jan

accurate phrasing is important

keep practicing and get closer to intended rhythm

aim for perfect staccato sound, not too fast

Scales

remember to practice hands seperately as well

Allegro

slow practice for consistency
dynamics, big!

17 Dec

Allegro

this has gotten a bit better with less gaps
some wrong notes especially towards the end

Mazurka

try get left hand softer
try to get your dynamics correct
keep going with correct staccato

New piece: Mountain Village Scene

Sonatina

fluency is slowly improving
do larger dynamics

10 Dec

Scales

E major arpeggio this week

Sonatina

make sure sectional practice is accurate

Allegro

still needs to close gaps

Mazurka

this is mostly correct, on the right track

Sonatina

watch accuracy in the first half, try perfect practice
sectional practice still

Allegro

focus on no gaps, but a bit slower
2x slow, 1x fast

Scales

C harmonic minor this week contrary

26 Nov

Sonatina

continue sectional practice on this one

New piece: Mazurka

Scales

mostly good

check key signature
do left hand

all staccatos should be the same length

Scales

Eb major contrary motion
please revise all scales at least 1 or 2x this week

Allegro

sounding okay, just keep on practicing for speed

19 Nov

Etude

things to remember
don’t go too slow
have big dynamics

Sonatina

needs sectional practice, 4 bars at a time, from 13

Scales

F# harmonic minor contrary revise agian

12 Nov

Etude

get rhythm perfectly in time
- metronome
make sure bars 1-8 is softer

29 Oct

don’t go too fast
expression is the most important thing

Scales

F# harmonic minor

Sonatina

stornger feeling, like angry
get to the end this week

Allegro

don’t start very fast then get slower, try to keep the same speed

22 Oct

don’t go too fast, focus more on accuracy
phrasing dynamics

go slower, focus on staccato

New exercise 4B

Scales: A major contrary

Sonatina

try to get more bars
good accuracy!

Allegro

dynamics here

Etude

focus on constistency, don’t go too fast
needs more dynamics

Scales

15 Oct

Sonatina

do left hand by itself from bar 13
try to get up to bar 24

Etude

make softs softer on 2nd page
can try to go a bit faster

Scales

f melodic minor
check 4th finger rule

8 Oct

Allegro

making sure there are less stops when you are jumping around
go slow
larger dynamics
listen to recording

Etude

10 Sep

Allegro

character of this piece is playful
sudden changes in dynamics
bouncy staccatos
light left hand
try to finish this week

Scales: F natural and harmonic minor

Ex 4A!

3 Sep

Etude

check LH notes bars 1-8
no gaps from 33 onwards
check 72 LH

Allegro

great articulation so far
try to finish this week
RH louder than LH

New piece: Sonatina

Scales: Ab major

New exercise 4A

27 Aug

Scales

C# melodic minor

Start: Ex 4C

Etude

hold notes bar 1-8
softer hairpins from the start bar 17

13 Aug

Etude

try basic dynamics

Scales:

C# natural and harmonic minor

New piece: Allegro

25 Jul

Banjo Tune

this is quite good

Gavotte

have a more stable speed, maybe a bit slower but always stays the same
B flat in bar 12
keep softs a bit softer

Sonatina

mostly the 2nd page needs to be in time now, practice these bits by themselves

La poupee

try to play a bit lighter

18 Jul

Gavotte

slow practice for consistency
more dynamics
don’t speed up on 2nd page

La Poupee

keep left hand softer
more dynamics (start softer, end softer)
make sure not slowing down 15

Sonatina

all needs to be the same speed

27 Jun

Banjo Tune

slower practice for memory
more RH melody

Gavotte

sectional practice 3rd line
more dynamics

La Poupee

20 Jun

La Poupee

bar 9-12 and last two bars need sectional practice
don’t forget dynamics

okay, but a bit slow
don’t forget F#s!

13 Jun

this is on the right track
just check all the flats and try to get faster this week.

Start 3C this week

Sonatina

keep all notes in time, 3 beats in a bar

Gavotte

do 9-12 sectional practice
larger dynamics everywhere!

La poupee

6 Jun

Scales

finish all scales this week
continue with 3B

Sonatina

finish this week

Banjo Tune

make sure all quavers are swung

Gavotte

it would be better if the dynamics were much larger

30 May

Banjo Tune

don’t rush triplets
hold last note long

Sonatina

get up to bar 24

Scales

Bb major and G harmonic minor contrary

check all notes are there
wait on the crotchet

3B this week

La Poupee

left hand should be softer than right hand

23 May

Scales

D maj B harmonic minor contrary this week
Starting Ex 3A this week

La Poupee

add dynamics in this week
but when you add dynamics keep your left hand soft

Gavotte

some bits are harder than others. can you get the flow in those bits?
- when doing sectional practice
add more dynamics especially in f sections

New piece: Sonatina

16 May

La Poupee

good articulation in left hand
try to finish this week

Gavotte

try to get faster this week by sectional practice

Scales

can go a bit faster, watch evenness

2 May

Scales

watch fingering 4th finger rule
new scales: Eb ajor and C natural minor

Banjo Tune

fix rhythm at the start
this was well learned this week

Gavotte

try to finish this week

New piece:

25 Apr

Banjo Tune

well read this week
can you get to the end this week?

New piece: Gavotte

Scales

F# harmonic and natural minor

28 Mar

Mazurka

phrasing can be better, start and end softer
beginning not too loud as well
slow down more at riten

March

don’t start too fast. we’re not keeping the same speed for the entire piece

Meandering Mazurka

check dynamics
still need to improve some sections

Allegro

bar 15 start softer
bigger dynamic between p and mf at the end

Minuet

watching dynamics, but this one improved a lot

21 Mar

Allegro

good try for the dynamics this week, but there are still some missing
the semiquavers need to be even. it’s also easier slower, so maybe choose a slower speed

Meandering Mazurka

all about dynamics
if you are stopping a lot, also can be easier at a slower speed

Minuet

keep a solid 3 beats in a bar
maybe choose a slower speed
when playing this one watch for accuracy

March

14 Mar

Allegro

two important things dynamics and no stops
are we focusing on this at home

Minuet

make sure dynamics are being read

Mazurka for Chopin

read if there’s a mistake!

Meandering Mazurka

fluency is biggest issue here

7 Mar

Minuet

check dynamics
check rhythm, have you listened to the recording?

Meandering Mazurka

try a slower steadier speed
dynamics when you are ready

Allegro

29 Feb

March

mostly okay, some rhythms to fix
lighter left hand would be excellent
more dynamics, especially softs

Memory practice

slow practice
seperate hands
start from the middle

Minuet

sectional practice, perfect
this can be learned very fast as long as you do these two things

22 Feb

Minuet

well learned this week
try some dynamics

Scales

good today

Meandering Mazurka

this is also pretty good, best thing to do is play no mistakes at all
can you do each line 2x perfect in a row, 3x, 5x?

Allegro

check notes that are wrong that we wrote in
try the dynamics here, especially at 33

15 Feb

Minuet

on the right track
aim to learn quicker. can you get to the end this week?

check fingering carefully

Scales

aim to do the scales evenly without stopping

Exercises next week

Meandering Mazurka

need to find the memory

Mazurka for Chopin

8 Feb

add dynamics (phrasing)
make sure all rhythm is the same

go slower for stability

make sure rhythm is tight

Scales next week

Minuet

make sure that B flats are in here
make a priority to learn as much as possible

Allegro

revise this piece this week as well

March

revise this piece this week as well

14 Dec

Allegro

watch notes in bar 15
try do to dynamics by yourself

Minuet

watch fingering carefully
watch articulation (slurs and staccatos)

watch rhythm on 2nd line

slow practice, watch your coordination here

careful not to miss notes

7 Dec

Allegro

focus on speed as the main thing

March

make sure LH rhythm is correct, fit right hand in after

2A: make sure rhythm in swung

Meandering Mazurka

prepare before you start!
the secret of phrasing is to start soft
go very slow when slowing down

30 Nov

Meandering Mazurka

start phrasing
improvement to speed this week

New pieces: Minuet and Allegro

23 Nov

Meandering Mazurka

continue to increase speed this week
do more than one line a day

Chopin Mazurka

when pedalling, don’t lift all the way up
bar 27 check notes RH
phrasing is all about softs
slow down more at all riten
don’t slow down all at once, slow down gradually
bar 44, a tempo faster

16 Nov

Meandering Mazurka

focus on speed, line by line practice

Mazurka

continue to check rhythm, listen to recording
check 27 RH
getting slower in bar 3

March

keep a steady speed, don’t start too fast
more important to keep LH constant

9 Nov

Meandering Mazurka

a few missing sharps here and there, write them down if you miss them
same practice methods as March, line by line
can reach the end this week

March

watch coordination between hands
watch staccato
watch fingering in bar 16 RH

2 Nov

March

start phrasing, following the melody up and down
do perfect sectional practice

Meandering Mazurka

watch for Bb key signature
also do sectional practice

2C – add phrasing

26 Oct

New exercise: 2C

All scales done, revise all scales

March

keep LH the same speed, all crotchets
watch for sharps still
finish this week

New piece: Meandering Mazurka

B flats
follow fingering

19 Oct

March

can add your own own sharps
try non legato in left hand

Scales

watch four finger rule
new scale: F major contrary motion

12 Oct

add swing rhythm

add F#
go a bit slower

March

key signature, F# and C#

Mazurka

speed an area to work on
try a bit of phrasing

3 Oct

2A: good start

2B: do hands seperate this week

Scales: do G melodic minor

Mazurka

this is very good, we’ll do a new song today

New piece: March

watch out fro dots, staccato
fingering is important

25 July

Mazurka

dynamics is second part

Let’s Sing a Duet

louder louds, softer softs
try a bit of faster speed
dim, getting softer and softer

Walzer

keep playing to the end,
see how much you

Scales

go as far you can