Roy

Youtube Playlist

Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxU_OGndc5q9lKqep2q7d1OpjO3_GlURY

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13fwrTXyMc1Pr86Qz_mbixIuaRHHeJ3a4?usp=sharing

Goal for this week

• prepare jingpo folk song
• practice all other pieces according to notes

Long term goal

• Grade 5 requirements

Roy’s Aural Tips

27 July

Jingpo

• increase speed
  • main challenge comes from speed

• complete 3rd page if possible

Tanis

• middle section, like slow motion
  • usage of slowing down rubato critical
  • take an overall slower speed
• riten, rall, molto rall, all slowing down
• bar 15, a tempo critical so you can slow down more later
• molto rit, you can

Pirates

• expression is phrasing based, phrase based off the melody
  • softer softs, louder louds

20 July

Jingpo

• follow all markings very carefully
  • it can already sound good just with that alone
  • LH soft and light from the start
  • watch out for accurate pedal
  • adhere to all dynamic changes
  • pp soft pedal

Legend of Tanis

• contrast based dynamics
  • loud and soft
  • short and long

• bar 1, faster LH chord broken
• bar 4, softer
• all staccatos short as possible
• bar 15, bass note to be captured by pedal. also needs to be faster overall

• middle section
  • sleepy
    • less phrasing
    • softer overall
    • gap rubato,

• bar 31, less phrasing, keep lighter sound. mp maxiumum volume

13 July

Tanis

• bar 10 LH in wrong in spot here

• use this coordination method

• 31, count in 3s

• molto expressivo
  • lots of phrasing
  • can experiment

• piu mosso – more movement
  • ending can be loud

Pirates

• experiment with pedalling

Spinliedchen

• don’t lose speed in the middle part
• start softer before cresc.
• start softer before p

7 July

Pirates

• focus on RH seperate and get technique
• 12/8, four groups of 3 quavers
  • always try to count in quavers

Legend of Tanis

• broken chords, quicker

• first page can be more ‘violent’
  • more accents and contrasts
  • staccatos aggressive and quick

• bar 7-8, needs to be ultra soft
• 15-19, softer and more expressive. molto rall slower, last note not loud

• 2nd page
  • much more careful phrasing
    • start soft bits softer. plan phrasing carefully
  • LH much softer

Spinliedchen

• keep technique + staccato crisp
• keep softs soft

30 June

Spinliedchen

• main question:
  • can you get faster, but maintain current expressive details
  • metronome at 100
    • for example, bar 11 can you plan a cresc. at 100?
    • poco riten at 100?
    • accuracy at 100
    • ultimate goals 112

Tanis

• broken chord here needs to be faster (only slow broken chord later on)

• molto expressivo
  • a lot of expression
    • phrasing
    • rubato (next time)

• phrasing needs to start from a low point
• 2nd page check LH

• expression in this piece is based of drama, sudden changes and exaggerated decisions
• first page and 3rd page are technique based
  • bar 15, drill hands seperaely, two bars at a time. aim for speed
  • this will develop muscle memory technique

22 June

Spinliedchen

• start soft and keep fingers close to keys
  • aim for bottom of the keys

• cresc. must be planned
  • p, mp, mf, f
  • accents extra loud

• poco rit, the gap between each note gets bigger

• 2nd page, louder LH by far. LH has a natural disadvantage
• bar 40, dip, bar 42, suddenly get soft
• don’t hold notes over rests
• bar 43, hyper clear RH by very soft left hand
• last page, start mp louder, get softer and slower according to markings

Legend of Tanis

• broken chords, do seperately

15 June

Moonlight

• balance considerations
• phrasing considerations

Spinliedchen

• softs need to be soft (difficult)

8 June

Machines on the loose

• metronome at 300
• no doubt about dynamics

Recording techniques

• put the worst piece first so you don’t have to restart
• what mistakes would require you to restart? what standard are you looking for
• all dynamics need to be exaggerated to appear on a recording

Scales

25 May

• play all forte
• preparation and mental space
  • after a bad scale, it’s important to take a break

Etude

• choose a speed slightly under maximum
  • think about the speed before you start
  • subdivide each beat into 3 in your head

Mazurka

• make sure LH chords can be heard bar 5-8
• accuracy in hairpins in the middle of the piece
  • especially the softs

• smorz, slow down

Tartan

• subito is not good
• dynamics 33-41, not accurate

Brain games

• don’t give yourself two chances
• be always on the lookout for mistakes
• lookout for details
• practice your 3 pieces, exam styles

18 May

Excercises

• more preparation time
  • focus on phrasing

4C – not too harsh, don’t lift from the keys

Etude

• can hit accent harder bar 18, don’t roll

• 33 onwards, softs mumble

Mazurka

• bar 8, hairpin

• following an accent, must get soft
• generally, hairpins need to be more accurate
• memory
  • hands seperately
  • start from anywhere

• notes after an accent are soft
• smorzando – be careful

Tartan

• hairpin accuracy here as well, in first page
• bar 46, more dim
• tehcnical practice
  • slow
  • small sections

11 May

General knowledge given today

Machines

• softs softer

Sonatina

• on the right track

Learn one page of Moonlight Serenade

Etude

• bar 8-9 transition more sudden mf. stay soft until change. first note of mf loud
• phrasing 9-16
• bar 17 p is not soft
  • focus on LH soft
  • phrasing
• in general p is not soft
• sounds flat, softs are not soft, louds are not loud

4 May

Etude

• phrase 9-16
• 17-24, crescendo must be gradual
• 33, f and p must be accurate
• these points are simple, but are required for a solid performance result

Machines

• don’t need

27 Apr

4A

• consistency of semiquavers

Scales Practice

• separate hands
• 5 second preparation
• not in order

Etude

• staccatos need to jump
  • jump off keys
• bar 33 dynamics
• think about dynamics
• slow
  • motivated by memorising notes
  • motivated by dynamics

• seperate hands

Tartan

• watch out for decrescendo
• before any large decrescendo, get softer, ‘drop’
• ff easy to hit with pedal, don’t need to play too hard with hands

20 Apr

Sonatina

• extra list, manage the dynamics and speed yourself

Tartan

• staccatos need to be short and consistent. Should add to happy character
  • don’t jump too high on staccatos

• 17 soft staccatos don’t lift. loud staccatos we can lift off

• subito in bar 33 could be more precise
• layer dynamics carefully 33-42

Etude

• watch out of stops on second page
• push speed, but concentrate on mistakes

14 Apr

Excercises

• semiquavers need to be even in all excercises
• should be perfect

Scales

• aim for evenness

Etude

• bar 1-8, should hit the ‘floor of the keys’. slow practice. keep grounded
  • is it even?
    • slow practice
• bar 9-16, not coordinated well
• bar 18, shorter accent staccato. keep staccatos crisp
  • LH not loud

• consistency issues in bar 33-60
  • metronome may help

• make sure softs are soft, especially before <

Tartan

23 Mar

Mazurka

• how to get a piece performance ready
  • slow practice
    • helps mental memory
    • helps rhythmic stability
  • LH only
    • helps mental memory
  • recording practice
    • helps emulate pressure
    • helps self evaluation
  • starting from the middle
    • helps mental memory
    • if you get stuck, you can start from there

Machines

• check notes 33

Tartan

• good dynamics
• also practice for stability here

Notes 16 Mar

4C

• natural seperation, not too short

Scales: next week, at least one up to standard. Pick your own scales

Machines

• goal finish this week
• drill small parts to increase speed
  • first page

Tartan

• avoid stops
  • stop to find mistakes
  • start from the middle to help memory

• critical to identify mistakes then fix, or else learning process could be long

Etude

• dynamic range needs to increase
• metronome 132

Notes 9 Mar

4A

• phrasing shouldn’t affect rhythm

Tartan

• last note octave lower
• staccatos snappy but soft
• dynamics need to be much clearer and direct
• before hairpins, good trick is to ‘dip’

• forte, LH still not overpowering
• 31 check LH articulation

• dim bar 46 bigger

Machines on the loose

• first line an octave lower
• must have layered dynamics
• bar 28 goal

Notes 2 Mar

4A

• needs more phrasing in RH
• speed needs to be stable

Tartan

• dynamics are not accurate now
• subito
  • very loud just before, very soft, when you get there

• ‘m’ dynamics, more focus on f or p, than the m
• ff, doesn’t have to be too heavy focus on flow. pedal will make it loud
• ending needs to be soft

Aural

• chords
  • sing up from the bottom note

• rhythm
  • stomp from side to side to find the whether it is triple or duple
  • duple is same, triple is different

Notes 16 Feb

Scales

• keep increasing speed
• keep practicing seperate, especially LH
• scales must be successfully produced the first time

Tartan

• for accuracy, practice slow
• perfect challenges
• try dynamics before next lesson, we will talk about that next lesson

Mazurka

• all semiquavers equally snappy, try to come into semiquaver later
• no gap between 18-19 and 26-27.

• gaps also need a clear difference between mf and p
• still watch out for smorzando at the end

Notes 9 Feb

Scales

• all in good in condition

Etude

• at the start, be careful of many starts. Also needs to be softer.
• bar 9, immediately louder start

• 17 onwards, softs need to be softer so louds can feel loud
• 33, don’t take breaks to get softer
• Consistency is key

Tartan

• fadeaway dynamic needs to be consistent

• bar 10, get LH involved with dynamics

• subito – suddenly, before it is mf, then suddenly get softer

• 17, keep it energetic
• goal 45, bonus end of page

Mazurka

• same advice as last week, careful with dynamics.

Notes 2 Feb

Ex 4A:

• phrasing is there, but needs to be carefully made and obvious
• check RH bar 4

Scales

• Don’t practice in order
• practice LH hands seperate
• do arpeggios

Etude

• bar8-9, sudden difference between p and mf

• bar 17, not a sudden difference when doing <. start soft at the start of <

• ending can be loud

• bar 33, don’t rush dotted crotchets. Also helps dynamics

Mazurka

• chord on beat 3, not too loud should be in background. note in beat 1 louder

• bar 5, accent not too loud

• bar 9, make sure mf goes thorugh the entire section

• sf is only ‘temporary’

• smorz, dying away, slower and softer

Notes 27 Jan

Mazurka

• greater dynamic difference required. Still don’t lift fingers too high in
• make sure semiquavers are the same here

• bars 19 onwards, watch dynamics for interest, especially hairpins <>
• sf marks SURPRISING CHANGE

Tartan

• technically difficult with speed, requires ‘perfect practice’

Etude

• Attention to detail when practicing, other details are already established

Notes 20 Jan

4A: do more phrasing

4B: keep practicing

Chromatics and continue contrary

Mazurka

• note directly after an accent, play lightly. Roll on second note.

• bar 1-4, LH long
• bar 5-8, LH long even with staccato. Staccato, don’t jump high

Start learning Tartan

Etude

• to play this section soft, RH energetic, don’t lift RH

• bar 53 keep soft

Notes 13 Jan

Scales

• 4th finger rule is required
• finish all contrary motions

Ex 4A continue learning

Ex 4B, aim for rhythm accuracy now.

Mazurka

• syncopation, empasis on beat 2. anti-accent on beat 1 with staccato. Phrasing here applies

• bar 5-8, mood shift to ‘sneaky’, smaller ideas
• prepare something hands together

Etude

• mf larger in bar 9
• start metronome at 100, increase bit by bit. minimum 132, aim 150

Notes 6 Jan

4C

• use wiping technique
• relax arm

4B

• phrasing using dynamics provided. Going higher, get louder, going down get down

4A

• fingering is really important
• phrasing is important

Scales

• A major and F# harmonic minor contrary

Etude

• evenness of quavers number 1 priority, practice this slow
• bar 9, mf, also, curve fingers

• bar 22-24 phrasing is critical

• bar 36, keep fingers close to the keys, especially for

Notes 1 Dec

Tambo Tango

• precision: notes of chord must be lifted at the same time for cleanness
• marcato: there must be a big difference between the melody and accompaniment
• bar 13, arrive early to jump note so it’s quicker
• bar 20, split between LH and RH (see what i’ve written)
• rall: the gap between each note gets bigger

Technical

• do Ex 4C and if done, 4B
• do first page of scales
• Learn Etude, good quality

Notes 17 Nov

Spanish

• to phrase big, start soft
• crescendo needs to be gradual
• 2nd pages, clear layers between dynamics
• watch coordination bar 30-31

Scales: Try the scales sheet this week

Have a go at the new piece this week

Notes 3 Nov

Spanish Dance

Expressive ideas

• slurs need to be legato. Also fingering needs to be correct to do that
• dynamics are based on how high the melody is in this piece
• try to also get the staccatos right
• Learn the 2nd page by yourself to see how well you learn
• You can have a go at noterush as well