Rachael

Goal

  • Grade 3

13 Dec

Menuet + Trio

  • add extra notes here in first page
  • try to get up to 28 this week hands together

Scales

  • go quicker + no stop
  • C natural minor this week

6 Dec

Banjo Tune

  • ending, go slow first then gradually get quicker

Menuet and Trio

  • try to finish first page this week
  • go slow, 4 bars at a time

Scales

  • F# harmonic minor re-check fingering
  • Eb major this week

22 Nov

Banjo Tune

  • much better this week
  • choose a steady speed to perform
  • all notes legato, except staccatos

Menuetto

  • learn first page RH

Scales

  • F# harmonic minor
  • E# is the same as F

15 Nov

Banjo Tune

  • bar 3 RH is still wrong here
  • watch 5 and 6 here as well
  • make sure you practice slow this week for accuracy

New: Minuet and Trio

  • try a bit of right hand this week

Scales

  • F# natural minor this week

1 Nov

Banjo Tune

  • good progress here, not bad!
  • if its hard, do hands seperately, but don’t do hands seperate the whole week! put it together when you’re ready
  • practice all first page this week

11 Oct

Scales

  • still need to be sorted, check all fingering

20 Sep

Tango for Two

Tango for Two

  • phrasing, start and end soft
  • check notes in RH 12 onwards
  • keep chords legato

Scales

  • revise all scales
  • need to check fingering across the board, 4th finger rule

Petite Piece

  • go a bit faster at the start
  • be sure about dynamics
  • for sure notes practice slow

30 Aug

Scales

  • doublecheck F major fingering
  • D harmonic minor contrary this week

Tango for Two

  • check notes 11 RH onwards
  • legato chords bar 11 onwards
  • can do the hairpins <>

23 Aug

Scales

  • F major contrary motion this week

Tango for Two

  • rhythm still for this week

16 Aug

Tango for Two

  • check LH in 8-9
  • rhythm key idea today, clap before you play

Scales

  • B harmonic minor check for A sharp
  • contrary motion must be done!

Dragonfly

  • dynamics key
  • check bar 7 Lh

9 Aug

Tango for Two

  • make sure coordination is correct
  • bar 10, RH should have correct fingering and be legato

Scales

  • G maj and E minor contrary this week

Meandering Mazurka

  • recommend slowing down just for consistency of beat

2 Aug

Petite Piece

  • can go faster
  • f louder

Meandering Mazurka

  • add dynamics
  • can go faster
  • watch notes in last line

26 Jul

Scales

  • must check fourth finger rule before starting
  • new: G melodic minor

Meandering Mazurka

  • a few mistakes here and there today
  • we fixed most of our mistakes today
  • sectional practice 4 bars at a time for SPEED now, not just correct

New: Tango for Two

  • no homework for this one, but can try RH

5 Jul

Petite Piece

  • slow and seperate hands practice for memory

Meandering Mazurka

  • continue sectional practice
  • can you get to the end this holidays?

Scales: can do more scales

28 Jun

Scales

  • repeat scales more than once to improve
  • attempt first 5 scales again

Petite Piece

  • dynamics
  • performance speed can be faster

21 Jun

Meandering Mazurka

  • for 9 onwards, combine 2 bars at a time
  • highlight sharps if you need help

Petite Piece

  • some bits needs slow practice, but that doesn’t mean perform slow
    • practice slow for accuracy
    • practice fast for performance

Scales

  • the fingering needs to be much more correct

7 Jun

Scales

  • D major, check LH 4th finger
  • Bb major check LH 4th finger as well
  • G natural minor this week

Meandering Mazurka

  • B flat bar 5
  • F and C sharps from 9-16
  • start maybe two lines LH at least. make sure that you are reading in the correct spot

31 May

Scales

  • Bb major LH fingering was wrong today, use 4th finger rule
  • do G natural minor this week

Meandering Mazurka

  • don’t forget to add B flats
  • you can go further in the song, the standard doesn’t need to be very high until we do it hands together
  • try to get to end of first page this week

Petite Piece

  • still needs softer softs
  • for notes, practice slow
  • no F sharp in bar 21!
  • bar 18 check LH

24 May

Scales

  • do Bb major hands together this week

Petite Piece

  • this was done well this week, with good fluency
  • needs dynamics. softs softer!
  • can start a bit faster, we started slow then got faster halfway
  • bar 21 no F#

New: Meandering Mazurka

  • try a bit of right hand this week

Dragon fly

  • practice slow for accuracy and fluency
  • dynamics!
  • bar 9 LH wrong spot

17 May

Petite Piece

  • 21-24, check a few notes, watch coordination
  • practice two bars at a time to get faster
  • add some dynamics, softer softs as well

Dragon fly

  • try to recover this piece, practice 2-3 times a week to review

Scales

  • try B flat major this week, can do hands seperate

10 May

Petite Piece

  • try to expand this, don’t just play 1-16 over and over
  • try to finish this week (up to 24). it is okay if it is not fast or perfect
  • follow fingering in this new section especially in left hand

3 May

Dragon fly

  • mostly well done, just make sure you read if you forget something. pretend that you have never read it before

Petite piece

  • try to get hands seperate until 24
  • pay attention to fingering!

Scale

  • most scales done well, try to get even like a clock
  • some fingering mistakes, but mostly good effort

27 Apr

Scales

  • be careful with fingering
  • B harmonic and natural minor

Dragonfly

5 Apr

Scales

  • continue to do more scales
  • check fingering, especially 4th finger rule

22 Mar

Dragon Fly

  • check notes carefully RH bar 3-4
  • we’ve combined hands up to bar 16 today

Scales

  • continue D maj

8 Mar

Scales

  • check fourth finger rule
  • don’t stop at the edge of the scale

Mozzie

  • just more dynamics in the 3rd line

Mazurka

  • if in mf, RH louder, LH softer, that would be great
  • LH seperately for memory

Summer toccatina

  • mp doesn’t need to be too soft
  • make sure scales are even if possible

Exam:

  • ticked scales
  • 3 pieces

Tips:

  • be prepared before you start
  • memory: LH practice, start from middle
  • getting used to the exam: few times, play all 3 pieces. even better, scales + 3 pieces
  • scales can be hands together, or hands seperate
  • even like clock

22 Feb

Scales

  • G major contrary this week
  • focus on all scales with ticks to get ready for fake exam

Summer Toccatina

  • make sure you are ready before you start
  • slow practice and starting from the middle are great for brain memory

Mazurka

  • bar 8 rhythm, wait two beats at the end
  • bar 11-12 LH rhythm, make sure it doesn’t change speed
  • it would be great to have softer LH

Mozzie

  • make sure you are ready before start
  • 3rd line needs to start softer

15 Feb

Scales

  • G major, try to do without stops
  • E harmonic minor this week
  • you can do extra scales if you want
  • contrary motions

Mozzie

  • much more larger dynamic contrast
  • hit accents hard! especially if loud

New song: Dragon Fly

8 Feb

Scales

  • G major hands together
  • E natural minor hands seperate

Mazurka

  • try to get LH softer
  • check RH fingering bar 7 and 15
  • try dynamics
  • try a bit faster

Summer Toccatina

  • add more accents
  • bar 17 softer
  • can try faster if you want

1 Feb

Summer Toccatina

  • fix notes bar 11 and 12
  • add louds and softs
  • fix LH fingering in the scale (bar 1)

Mozzie

  • check a few notes on 3rd line
  • bar 16 RH C#
  • add dynamics

Scales

  • start with G major

Brain memory

  • start from the middle
  • can I do hands seperate

16 Dec

Mozzie

  • well played today
  • try to get it finished over the holidays
  • the small notes, we play them quickly before the main note

9 Dec

Mazurka

  • check where the notes line up, you can draw lines if you want
  • listen to recording

Mozzie

  • try to get first line done

25 Nov

Summer Toccatina

  • try dynamics this week
  • bar 21, this is just the same pattern

New song: Mazurka

  • start hands seperate, try mostly RH

Scales

  • try as many as you can this week!