Zane

Student of the Week
Recording Guidelines

Youtube Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxU_OGndc5q-evyx8UawvbK8f5G0kfJL0

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1G_VzDHQPjFQ-35aT3p0ElGQNlivT525H?usp=sharing

Long term goal

  • grade 7

25 June

  • a lot less flexibility on rhythm here
  • check ALL wrong notes
    • 12-13
    • 15
  • tie bar 25
  • check rhythm 30

List C

  • needs to be counted
  • check octave

18 June

  • slow practice for security and wrong notes
  • quaver = 75 is slow practice
  • wider range of ‘moods’ created by different dynamics
  • entire section goes too loud sometimes

List D

  • 19 pp?!
  • 25 rhythm completely wrong
  • 30, ti tika

Scales: D# harmonic minor

  • Ab major grand scale as well

4 June

List B

  • serious errors still in piece

List A

  • lighter overall
  • don’t overpedal
  • serious errors still in piece

List D

  • pp dynamics too loud

28 May

List D

  • pedalling!
  • rhythm bar 30
  • rhythm bar 25

List C

  • harp in bar 29, short LH
  • 35, sad and soft

21 May

Tech work lagging behind, needs to be good

7 May

Scales

  • needs to be hands together
  • contrary motion scales this week chromatics


List A

  • purely wrong notes
    • slow practice

List B

List B

  • needs slow practice for notes
  • expression more bigger

26 Mar

List B

  • storm and stress
  • dynamics should be varied and big

List A

  • should be lighter overall
  • CHECK YOUR NOTES

7A

  • check notes

Chord Progressions

  • do legato fingering

19 Mar

List B

  • check all ornaments

12 Mar

  • bar 11 check note
  • bar 18 no slowing down
  • poco rall in bar 20
  • meno mosso – less movement, count here properly
  • 29, go louder more ugly

26 Feb

7B

  • this exercise is about legato

Ab grand scale for homework

List D

  • keep much softer
  • some notes loud (stems up)
  • slower bar 25. don’t forget tie and count
  • 29, look out for accents
  • ending, slow down, slowly fade away

19 Feb

Tech

7A

  • check notes in the ending

Grand scales

  • 4th finger rule

12 Feb

List A

  • check all wrong notes
  • slow practice
  • separate hands practice

List B

  • too many notational errors, be a lot more careful

9 Dec

Do all exercises

List D

  • need to check notes and positions

30 Nov

Etude

  • please check notes again
  • check pedalling, pedalling his half on and off
  • RH check mezzo staccato
  • senza pedale – without pedal

23 Nov

Jingle Bell Rock

  • harmonisation
  • improv
  • more chords

Stars

  • reading is on the right track
  • must check correct position

Etude

  • slow practice
  • fix note

26 Oct

Etude

  • check correct notes
  • pp keep always soft
  • p phrasing, focus on softs
  • sempre staccato, always soft

Scales: Ex 7A and B harmonic minor grand scale

19 Oct

Etude

  • RH mezzo staccto
  • add pedal
  • follow dynamics
    • also phrase
      • softs are soft

5 Oct

Learn Etude

  • Ex 7A
  • D major Grand Scale

Ideally pick a List B C D if you can

29 Sep

Cuckoo

  • dynamics, softer soft
    • keep fingers close to the piano
  • articulation in LH, needs a rest

Allegro

  • dolce sections, no staccato especially in LH
    • at least don’t do LH loud

Noturrno

  • bar 9
    • inner chords ALWAYS soft
    • phrase TOP line
  • bar 15 should maintain same speed LH
  • bar 21 too loud, especially ppp
    • focus on soft instead of missing notes

Fiesta

  • only slowing down for poco rubato
  • 2nd page generally too loud
  • bar 47 too fast
  • hold 6 quavers here
  • soft ending for ff surprise

Nuvole

  • bar 30-32, check LH notes
  • speed up throughout the piece

Attempt exam recording this week

14 Sep

Fiesta

  • articualtion LH bar 11
  • dynamics page 2
  • counting in 15-18
  • monster gap bar 34-35
  • 43-45 way too slow
  • GO SLOWER, GO STABLE
  • at least get the correct rhythm

Nocturne

  • inner voices way too loud
  • watch soft dynamics
  • funny notes, watch out

7 Sep

Cuckoo

  • dyanmics
  • articulation
  • correct notes

Allegro

  • articulation
  • keep mp dolce long and soft

Record List C and D

Nuvole

  • balance needs to be lighter

31 Aug

Cuckoo

  • stability of tempo and rhythm
    • slow practice
    • metronome practice
    • metro practice at 105
  • dynamics?
  • articulation

Allegro

  • softer softs
    • keep them soft
  • check articulation

Nocturne

  • softer overall
  • phrase carefully

Fiesta

  • pedal
  • dynamics

Record two pieces: Allegro and Cuckoo

24 Aug

Scales

  • practice soft hands seperate
  • what happened to arpeggios?

Fiesta

  • don’t rush 23
  • bar 29, keep it soft
  • bar 34 cresc
  • slow practice – needs more, needs to be slower

Notturno

  • bar 25, careful of dynamics!
  • in general needs softer inner sections
  • bar 58, wait 3 beats
  • check notes here bar 53-54
  • bar 15, keep LH as light as possible

17 Aug

Scales

  • don’t have warmups
  • do inversions out of order

Fiesta

  • list of mistakes are small, but severe
    • wrong counting, fixed by slow practice (6 quavers in a bar)
    • incorrect notes, fixed by reading

10 Aug

6A

  • in the wrong spot!

Scales

  • arpeggios need work

Cuckoo

  • dynamics more obvious
    • p dynamic especially

Allegro

  • Focus on articulation
  • check LH bar 35 for extra note

Nocturne

  • inner parts very soft
  • top melody decides phrasing
  • bar 15 keep soft, get timing right, follow LH
  • 23 note check
  • check pedaling in 21 onwards
  • bar 43 LH, check
  • extra notes 51
  • check notes here

3 August

Scales

  • not bad, but can only start once
  • chord pattern, no pedal
  • some arpeggios poor
  • scales need to be from memory

Cuckoo

  • LH articulation (rest) needed
  • needs slow practice, unstable
  • dynamics not noticible right now
  • SLOW PRACTICE FOR LIST A B AND D
  • MOST MARKS LOST FOR INCONSISTENCY RIGHT NOW

Slow practice

  1. needs to be slow
  2. focus on correct notes
  3. dynamics
  4. articulation

27 July

Excercises

  • dynamics exaggerate

Scales

  • arpeggios don’t start correctly

Notturno

  • softs softer, in bar 1, bar 21, bar 15, everywhere basically
  • bar 15, needs to be faster

List B

  • careful of soft bits, all soft bits must be softer
  • articulation, think long short short short

20 July

Scales

  • on the right track now

Fix You

  • check LH notes

Nocturne

  • check coordination and inner part not too loud bar 9
  • 15 coordination, RH not too heavy
  • notes incorrect 23
  • notes incorrect 31
  • 25 incorrect
  • 42 LH
  • many mistakes 52

13 July

Technical

  • EXCERCISES need more DYNAMICS

Scales

  • excecute first time

Fiesta

  • metronome at 83 (or 249)
    • beat must be constant
  • dyanmics then need to be accurate
    • especially the softs

Allegro

  • this is actually pretty okay
    • still some mistakes but not super critical or too many
  • watch articulation
    • long short short short

Notturno

  • this has many wrong notes
  • coordination issues: are the notes coming together at the right time
  • look at this first thing next week

10 July

6A

  • dynamics
  • start in the RIGHT SPOT
  • don’t mush LH together

6B

  • pedal
  • phrasing
  • go slower
  • cool

6C

  • good

Scales

  • p -> f, f -> p
  • D# melodic minor fail?
  • D# harmonic minor
  • G# harmonic minor contrary
  • Bb harmonic minor contrary
  • WRONG NOTES ARE BECAUSE OF BAD PRACTICE, NOT BAD TECHNIQUE
    • PRACTICE SLOW
  • ARPEGGIOS NEED TO BE ABLE TO START WITHIN SECONDS, NOT MINUTES
  • SCALES NEED TO BE MEMORISED
    • WITHOUT BOOK
  • EXAM STYLE SCALES
    • ask yourself a scale with specific requirements
    • can you do that scale on the spot

3 July

Allegro

  • avoid a careless sound
    • caused by wrong notes
    • bad dynamics
  • mp dolce
    • soft
    • long notes
    • delicate phrasing

Nocturne

  • inner LH softer
  • more careful and planned phrasing
  • CAREFUL of LH and RH coordination ALWAYS
  • cold winters day
    • slow
    • inner part ultra soft
    • phrase carefully
  • pp piu mosso,

Fiesta

  • precision in articulation and note lengths, as well as precision in dynamics
  • precision in pedalling

22 June

Nuvole

  • 21 no chords, all ties
    • also watch out for LH here
  • 29-31 need massive note checks

Fix You

  • don’t speed up, keep a stable speed

8 June

Scales/Excercises

  • prepare all scales
  • must be exam style prepared
    • one playthrough, one correct playthrough
    • no bumbling around
    • also has to be from memory

Fiesta

  • no gap bar 14-15
  • 60-61, wait for 6 quavers here
  • hold note 51, also in 27
  • middle section consistent

Nocturne

  • accompanying chords ALWAYS softer
  • 21 even softer in piu mosso section
    • softs show the examiner you care
  • fix sections 51-54

Allegro

  • prioritise notes

1 June

6A

  • LH smudging
  • dynamics

6B

  • phrasing
  • wait for correct time bar

Scales

  • dynamics for scales add
  • arpeggios need work, play correctly the first time

Fiesta

  • still need slow and stable work
  • accuracy with dynamics, needs to be intentional
  • bar 11 LH rests
  • bar 15, not such a big gap here

Notturno

  • coordination not correct in many key sections, be more care ful
  • inner part (accompaniment) should always be soft
  • coordination bar 15
  • notes 51-54

25 May

6A

  • don’t smudge notes
  • see dynamics

Scales

  • generally okay for 3 months out

Cuckoo

  • check fingering bar 21
  • bar 60 timing, don’t stop
  • at the end, slow down a bit (pochissimo rall)

Allegro

  • tiny notes not fast in mp dolce
    • long and soft notes
    • no pedal
    • don’t jump off the keys high

Fiesta

  • middle section still need slow and stable work

18 May

Scales

  • D# melodic minor

6A

  • check where you are starting
  • bar 2 is wrong
  • don’t hold more than one note at once
  • DYNAMICS

6B

  • phrasing
  • missing Bb
  • pedal

6C

  • good

Cuckoo

  • rests between LH cuckoo patterns
  • more dynamics
  • bar 30, mistake RH
  • bar 33-35, count number of bars
  • bar 60 wrong LH

Allegro

  • repeated notes in LH bar 16
  • mp dolce more quiter and calm
    • small acciacaturas in not to fast
  • be really careful with use of pedal
  • past bar 70, still lots of wrong notes

Fiesta

  • keep all 3 quaver groups same speed
    • look out for detail

11 May

Scales

  • D# melodic minor

Cuckoo

  • LH articulation
  • semiquavers even
  • can we hear cuckoo
  • don’t slow down on ornaments
  • bar 60 notes LH

Allegro

  • wrong notes
  • mp dolce, softer

Nocturne

  • LH/accompaniments softer
  • COORDINATION ISSUE

4 May

Scales

  • D# melodic minor

Cuckoo

  • make sure all ornaments are ‘clean’
  • make sure speed is the same for entire piece
  • check all fingerings as well

Nocturne

  • bar 15 is not coordinated
  • bar 21 RH is completely wrong!

Fiesta

  • go slower for ALL details. ONLY details need work, technique is good
    • for details, practice WITHOUT mistakes

27 Apr

Scales to check

  • D# melodic minor

Nocturne

  • pedal accurately
  • check bar 9 carefully
  • 15, group RH notes carefully
  • una corda – soft pedal, tre corda – no soft pedal
  • check bar 47 onwards

Cuckoo

  • make sure there’s a gap between cuckoo part
  • a few wrong notes, especially from bar 44 onwards
  • dynamics
    • soft dynamics

20 Apr

6B

  • go slower
  • use pedal
  • check notes bar 2
  • do phrasing

Scales to check

  • D# melodic minor, check notes up and down
  • Bb minor contrary, 4th finger rule

Nocturne

  • present next week

Cuckoo

  • dynamics
  • metronome for consistency metronme = 100

Notes 30 Mar

Nuvole,

  • notes are wrong, but will fix in term 2
  • from 21, needs more phrasing

Scales

Scales to do:

  • G# harmonic minor contrary
  • Bb harmonic minor contary
  • all arpeggio fingerings
  • Eb dominant 7

Cuckoo

  • Notes need to be correct

Fiesta

  • focus on slow but consistent

Notes 23 Mar

Scales to do:

  • G# harmonic minor contrary
  • Bb harmonic minor contary
  • all arpeggio fingerings
  • Eb dominant 7

Allegro

  • work on dynamics
  • less pedal
  • more details to work on

cuckoo

  • rests between cuckoo are important
  • fix ALL notes this week

Notes 16 Mar

Scales

  • G# harmonic minor contrary needs work

Allegro

  • wrong sections need to be re-read
  • soft sections legato, pay attention to slurs
  • bigger difference between loud and soft
  • notes improved this week 🙂
  • mp dolce, RH sweet, LH very soft

Notes 9 Mar

6C

  • good

Scales

  • arpeggios SO MUCH BETTER 🙂
  • now time to test all scales each lesson

Allegro

  • still some missing notes and wrong, can be found by ‘easter egg’ practice
  • goal is to have all notes correct by next week

Notes 23 Feb

Scales

  • only allow yourself one try with scales

6A

  • not so fast
  • check bar 2

Notes 16 Feb

Arpeggios

  • still need to reliably play inversions
  • don’t play root, 1st, 2nd, do all 2nds

6C

  • good

Fiesta

  • do not worry about fluency until notes are correct
  • mistakes to fix in page 2
  • middle section must be carefully fixed this week.

Cuckoo

  • Slow practice required again, many of the expressions are already correct if notes were correct.

Notes 9 Feb

6A

  • check bar 2 notes

6B

  • where is Bb
  • much slower

Scales to watch

  • D# harmonic and melodic minor
  • G# harmonic minor contrary
  • Bb harmonic minor contrary
  • Inversions of arpeggios, check fingering. Go seperate hands as well when fixing issues

Fiesta

  • Accurate dynamics required in general
  • poco rubato – stretch time a bit
  • see page for wrong notes, page 2 especially

Notes 2 Feb

Fix You

  • check note LH bar 2
  • check LH bar 18
  • this entire section is weird

Notes 1 Dec

Fix You

  • many wrong notes, but just for this week, work on expression
  • your responsibility for art show

Fiesta

  • articulation LH bar 11. Don’t slow down in 14
  • keep trying at home 2nd page. Read carefully

Cuckoo

  • cuckoo pattern should always come above everything
  • there are many wrong notes. try to fix them before next week using concentration.

Notes 24 Nov

Arpeggios: getting better! :). Present similar motions next week

Fiesta

  • check number of notes bar 9-10 RH. Hit sf hard, then back away.
  • we’ve done lots of work here, keep it up. Are notes correct? do the need to come together?
  • LH note bar 47
  • basic expressions: get the dynamics right

Fix You

  • bar 6-10 check RH
  • bar 18-19 bar check coordination
  • check LH notes in bar 31

Notes 17 Nov

Scales: keep practicing, don’t learn inversion off root

Ex 6C: good

Cuckoo

  • LH articulation always same. Long short rest
  • Rhythm fix here:
  • bar 36 is missing?
  • watch tie in LH 41
  • check LH notes bar 51
  • check notes bar 56

Fiesta

  • check number of notes bar 9
  • bar 11, make sure we can hear all the notes
  • fade away, bar 15
  • hold tie 27

Notes 10 Nov

Scales

  • continue to check all arpeggios

Fiesta

  • bar 1, group into two groups of three. Check fingering
  • bar 3, LH position higher
  • LH rests 11-14
  • count here

  • do notes that belong to the RH in this section. You can see the L shape lines
  • bar 27 hold note
  • check LH positions and notes in this section
  • bar 51 hold top note
  • bar 59-60 6 quavers, 61 lower

Fix You