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

• general preparation for exam

Long term goal

• Grade 4 Exam Early 2021

Roy’s Aural Tips

• 2nd – scale
• 3rd – o when the saints
• 4th – amazing grace
• 5th – twinkle
• 6th – my bonnie lies over ocean
• 7th – weird
• 8th – somewhere over the rainbow

Sing middle note

• find bottom note, then sing upwards

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