Gabriel Piano Studio
  • 2023-24 FALL-SPRING
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LESSON PAGE. BERNARD

November 28
​Next week we will reverse the order of the pieces.  Start with Wonderful world, and improvisation.

TECHNIQUE AND SCALES

Scales related to the pieces we are working on

  1. Scale. Parallel
  2. Scale. Contrary (this is optional, only when it is easy enough)
  3. Arpeggio
  4. Chords and inversions (separate hands)
  5. Cadence
__________________________
Finding the relative minor of the Major scale:
Departure point: C
Count 4 piano keys (white and black) down including the departure point:
C - B - Bb - A
Your relative minor is:  A minor
COMPLETE BOOK OF SCALES
File Size: 2414 kb
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SIGHTREADING

SHAFFER SIGHTREADING BOOK 1
File Size: 1080 kb
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IN PROGRESS: F. CHOPIN. Waltz in A minor Nr.11

November 14
Key signature: A minor
Most important chords in A minor:  I = Am // IV = Dm // V7 = E7

RH needs fluency.  Keep steady pulse, learn the melody well with the RH, and recognize the chords on the LH before putting hands together
M19 attention to bass note = E
Ornaments can be added after the. melody feels fluent
New fingering loaded to the score
chopin_waltz_a_minor_3.pdf
File Size: 1023 kb
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IN PROGRESS: "Impromptu in Bb Major (theme) by F. Schubert

Step 1. Learn the RH melody without octaves

IMPROMPTU Bb RH melody. Step 1
File Size: 38 kb
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Step 2. Adding the bass notes to the melody

IMPROMPTU Bb. Step 2
File Size: 39 kb
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Step 3. 

IMPROMPTU Bb melody+bass. Step 3
File Size: 45 kb
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​Step 4

IMPROMPTU Bb melody+bass. Step 4
File Size: 76 kb
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​Step 5

IMPROMPTU Bb Step 5
File Size: 48 kb
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READY: ​Step 6 (Uploaded November 15)

study_on_impromptu_in_bb_by_schubert_step_6_-_full_score.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
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November 28
It feels like step 6 is a steep step compared to step 5.  Therefore:
  • While you continue to practice step 6, give yourself a treat playing step 5 or even step 4, where you will feel more fluent.
  • Step 6 needs more intense RH practice.  Also some LH, but mostly RH.

IN PROGRESS: What a Wonderful World

October 31
New section is ready!
PRINCIPAL SCALES:
F Major, Bb Major, C Major

Step 1

STEP-1
File Size: 677 kb
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Step 2

STEP 2
File Size: 56 kb
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Step 3

STEP 3 -NEW-
File Size: 62 kb
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Improvisation -free style-

October 31
We did C Major and G Major
Add tonal centers to the improvisation.  In between centers you can improvise freely using notes from the scale of the general key signature
C Major = Tonal centers: C, F, G.  In between improvise using notes from the C Major scale.
G Major = Tonal centers: G, C, D.  In between improvise using notes from the C Major scale.

AUTUMN LEAVES

October 17
Very nice combination of broken chords and single note LH accompaniment.  Well done.
For the 2nd half, let's do a similar thing: Whenever the melody has a lot of notes, keep the LH simple.  When the LH has a long whole note, you can apply a LH of multiple notes (broken chord).

Improvisation: (next week)
LH will be kept very simple (single note) so all your thinking attention will go to the RH improvised lines.
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AUTUMN LEAVES blank chart
File Size: 100 kb
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PASSED: PASTORALE by F. Burgmuller

burgmuller_etudes._pastorale.pdf
File Size: 339 kb
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GENTLE RAIN by G. Ruiz-Bernal

texture_nr.2__gentle_rain_v3.pdf
File Size: 48 kb
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NEW: TWO EASY SONGS
TO PREPARE ON YOUR OWN

9/1
Focus on continuing to assign chords to the melody.  Later we will focus on the meter and distribution of the notes of the chords along each measure.

Hey Jude
chart_hey_jude__piano_solo_.pdf
File Size: 564 kb
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Somewhere (West Side Story)
somewhere_mel__broken_chords_f.pdf
File Size: 62 kb
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FROM PREVIOUS LESSON: LET IT BE

October 12
Working on bass played one octave lower than the chord:
If it feels easier, feel free to play the complete chord after you play the bass, not just the top two notes.

Good job jumping from the bass to the chord.  Almost no wrong notes.
LET IT BE with annotations
File Size: 1379 kb
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YESTERDAY

5/25
​Bringing this song back with a more sophisticated LH accompaniment

YESTERDAY ORIGINAL fake-book in F
File Size: 100 kb
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YESTERDAY IN F 
First with a simple note-by-note LH
Then with a big extensive arpeggio LH
YESTERDAY COMPLETE RH and chords
File Size: 48 kb
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YESTERDAY IN F MAJOR (first half) LH arpeggio sketch
File Size: 42 kb
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Some Enchanted Evening

247_fake_some_enchanted_evening.pdf
File Size: 105 kb
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IT HAD TO BE YOU

SCORE OF "IT HAD TO BE YOU" WITH SIMPLIFIED RHYTHM
it_had_to_be_you__simplified_rhythm_.pdf
File Size: 52 kb
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IT HAD TO BE YOU marked March-9
File Size: 3007 kb
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5/25
Bass-chord on the LH is very well assigned.
This song is ready to pass and start a new one.

IT HAD TO BE YOU a little more syncopated
File Size: 142 kb
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O Holy Night

1/26
Send me recording of how far were you able to go.  If you played the entire piece, send me  recording of it.
o_holy_night_easy_arpeggios.pdf
File Size: 60 kb
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Ode to Joy

2/23
Practice this one for our next lesson


1/26
Create a recording of this piece.
ode_to_joy.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
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Greensleeves

3/9  GREENSLEEVES:
Quick diminished chord formula:
Note-1 (skip two keys) Note-2 (skip two keys) Note-3
C (skip C#-D) Eb (skip E-F) Gb
It is a C minor with a b5

For the D# diminished chord:
D# 
(skip E-F) F# (skip G-G#) A


GREENSLEEVES with lyrics
File Size: 326 kb
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greensleeves_bass_chords.pdf
File Size: 48 kb
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greensleeves_block_chords.pdf
File Size: 47 kb
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PASSED or taking a break:

BURGMULLER Innocence
​Unchained Melody
​BACH Prelude Nr. 1 in C Major WTC-1
​BACH Prelude Nr.3 in D Minor
CHOPIN Prelude in B Minor
​SATIE Gymnopédie Nr. 1
CLEMENTI Sonatina in C Major
CHOPIN Prelude in E minor
​
PRELUDE 3 D MINOR Alfred Edition blank
File Size: 1331 kb
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bach_prelude_c_major_wtc_1_peters.pdf
File Size: 262 kb
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BACH PRELUDE C MAJOR. Score chord analysis
File Size: 892 kb
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FUTURE pieces:

On queue to explore:
​Halleluia by Leonard Cohen

UNCHAINED MELODY

UNCHAINED MELODY easy version
File Size: 47 kb
File Type: pdf
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UNCHAINED MELODY complex version
File Size: 54 kb
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UNCHAINED. Connie's chart
File Size: 502 kb
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IN PROGRESS: "Polka" by Michael I. Glinka

Oct 4
One different way to practice is to to learn the RH as is, while learning the LH as static chords held throughout.

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polka_2.pdf
File Size: 474 kb
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PASSED: ​INNOCENCE by F. Burgmuller

burgmuller_etudes._innocence.pdf
File Size: 272 kb
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PASSED: ARABESQUE by F. Burgmuller

burgmuller_arabesque.pdf
File Size: 312 kb
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PASSED: PRELUDE in A Major by F. Chopin

chopin_prelude_a_major.pdf
File Size: 635 kb
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PASSED: PRELUDE in E minor by F. Chopin

chopin_prelude_28_04_e_minor.pdf
File Size: 257 kb
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Learning the complete arrangement as written
(this is the last step after many other steps we will follow)

SCHUBERT Impromptu in B flat
File Size: 81 kb
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schubert_impromptu_color_coded.pdf
File Size: 240 kb
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  • 2023-24 FALL-SPRING
  • VIDEO TUTORIALS