LESSON PAGE. EDELSON |
|
|
STILL PENDING FOR NEXT LESSON:
Choice of 3 keys. Play at the lesson or Send me a recording of you playing through. In the book of scales Diminished chordsReminder: Diminished chords are a chain of minor thirds. C - Eb - Gb - A
There are only three diminished chords: C - Eb - Gb - A // C# - E - G - A# // D - F - Ab - B |
| ||
|
Richard, here are two fake books we are going to use as reference for some of the titles that I will be recommending you.
Rather than me scanning the specific pages, Ian posting both books for you, with the idea that you can access them electronically, go to the page you need and print ONLY the assigned song. October 5 assignment Here on the right you have a list of songs all in C Major. From the fake book titled REAL-BOOK. Select a couple of them that are familiar, print just those pages, then start working on them learning melody and assigning chords to them. You will realize that once we work on 5 or 6 vow them, your hands will go to the chords automatically and we will be able to work on more complex arrangements that sound better. |
Assignment in C Major***A fine romance. 3
Alice in wonderland. 12 All of me. 16 Bewitched. 43 Black Orpheus. 49 ***Don't get around much anymore. 126 Easy to love. 130 Green dolphin street. 179 ***I could write a book. 209 *Night and day. 320 Satin doll. 367 Take the “A” Train. 421 | ||||
FROM LAST LESSON:
|
| ||
HOW ARE THINGS IN GLOCCA MORRA10/27
Many of the G-minor chords needed the B-flat. Attention to B-flats in general. Also B-flats in C7 chords. Ok not to be counting obsessively on this song. It can be flexible and relaxed. Same when you are trying to fit arpeggios on the LH. |
| ||||
|
9/29
Excellent application of the bass-chords for the entire song. 9/21 UPDATE I have created this exercise for you to practice the application of bass+chords to "Getting to Know You" following the steps: 1- Just play melody on the RH and block chords on the LH 2- LH now will break the block chords into bass + chord. No octave lower necessary. As simple as possible 3- LH now will alternate in the bass the -I- and the -V- to bring more variety to the bass line. All these examples are included in the score here on the right margin. |
| ||||
AS TIME GOES BY6/9/2020 LESSON NOTES:
Much better flow in the melody than before. The second section still needs more clarity. The chords are not very clear. Better definition between bass/chords. |
Explanation on how to practice building gradual bridges over the pause.
| ||
|
FUTURE PIECES:BEETHOVEN
2nd movement in D Major (I need to find the specific information about it)
| ||||||||||||||||||
GERSHWIN. Intermediate arrangements1/19
PENDING: EASIER ARRANGEMENTS OF THIS GERSHWIN SONG. These are too difficult 1/5 Voicing. The very beginning needs to be practiced purposely to voice the notes carefully: inner notes and LH all pp RH melody with more weight so the melody automatically comes out easily. Practice this repeating the chord several times until you can hear the melody clearly and the inner notes in the background. GERSHWIN Intermediate level arrangements of the following songs:
|
Score with selections:
Love Is Here to Stay | ||
CLEMENTI Sonatinas Op. 36
12/8
Practice system to obtain flow. See each element and section ad try to understand it not by individual notes, but by concept. LH may be playing a chord in some pattern, then learn it first as a chord, then play it as individual notes. 11/24 We will play Sonatina #2 (and if time allows, also number 1) at the next lesson SONATINA NUMBER 1 First Movement 11/10 The notes are well read. the rhythm is good. The pulse needs work. Since this piece is not difficult to play and well within your technical range, let's focus on obtaining a very steady count and a precise sense of rhythm. Then we will be differentiating the layers that have the melody, accompaniment, and when those layers cross over from the RH to the LH, we bring the melody out. Second Movement Attention to B-flats! Very clear format of accompanied melody. There needs to be a clear difference in sound from the melody and the LH broken chord patterns. This is a relatively slow movement, easy to play it despite the goal for the final tempo. Third Movement This is a fast one, which means that you need to learn the RH melody very well before adding the LH because there will be little time to think. When you add the LH, it is more efficient to add it as chords. You learn it faster, you understand it better, and your fingers will be in position, so it will be more efficient. Attention to this counting: |
In general this piece is going to be easy for you to play.
Next lesson I would like to see how much closer you can get to the ideal steady pulse, more balance and differentiation between the hands, and continuity without the pauses, or a very minimum number of pauses. | ||
Priority: INNOCENCE by F. Burgmuller2/2
Not seen at our lesson yet. We will see it next lesson. 12/16 Not difficult to prepare but very beautiful. I recorded it for you so you can listen as you learn the notes. |
| ||
Next lesson: ARIETTA Op12 by E. Grieg2/2
First line: Let's start by learning ONLY the melody with the RH, not including any of the harmony notes. Then, let's learn the LH by itself as written. When putting hands together, do it this way: RH plays the melody ONLY LH plays everything assigned to the LH. After that you can then add all the notes to the RH and learn it separately. Then repeat with the second line, and further lines but keeping it in small sections. 
|
| ||
Next lesson: WALTZ Op12 by E. Grieg2/2
We will see this one at our next lesson and pass it if it is completed. 1/5 Good job with the LH. Finger #3 works as pivot so your hand can tilt from the bass to the chord easily. Bass chord chord: down up, up swinging from left to right smoothly The notes are generally not difficult to play and you did a god job reading through them. Now you can focus on obtaining a balance between the hands so that LH is much lighter, softer and discrete, so the RH can sing without effort. On page 2, make sure that the RH does't intrude on the sound of the LH. The LH is now leading and has the principal melody. Counting could be better. Your RH quarter notes sound too impatient and they easily become 8th notes. Keep them lined up in the beat. Return of the theme. Attention to m. 62+63. Notice the common notes and focus your reading effort to the changing notes. |
| ||
|
2/2
Skipped measures happened again. Watch out for these measures: 
2/2 continued...
Some other measures skipped as well. That could be happening because of looking up and down the score. To keep that from happening you could learn the melody with the RH alone first for a small section. After the melody id easy to play with one hand, add the LH. At that point, since you now now the RH well, you will not skip measures because your ear knows what note comes next and knows the entire phrase as a unit. Also, a piece this long is better to break it into sections rather than playing the complete thing as one unit. Ways to practice this in a progressive manner:
RH as written, but accompanied by the LH playing only the bass notes without the chords. |
| ||
FREDERIC MOMPOU. Canción y Danza (Only the Canción portion)
| |||||||
|
|
|
| MOMPOU Cancion 6, 7 |
| MOMPOU Cancion 8 |
|
4/13
Follow the practice system we saw at the lesson: 1- Learn the RH for 4 measures to the point of almost memorizing it 2- Play a simplified LH. Either just the first note of the bass, or the notes grouped as a chord. Then put hands together in a simplified manner and practice only that section before adding more notes or moving to the next section. 3/16 Thank you for preparing the "Preludio", but I find that section very difficult and my goal is to start on the actual waltz, which starts on page 3. Here on the right margin I have replaced the previous score and now I have uploaded a new score that has ONLY the pages I want you to practice. I selected the waltzes that are easier to play and eliminated the most difficult ones from the score. That will eliminate the chance that you may spend your time practicing very difficult scores. |
| ||
BACH from Well-Tempered Klavier Vol.1
|
| ||
McDOWELL to a Wild Rose5/11
Reading through the piece was mostly fine. A few sharps need correction, so anytime you are in doubt that thee sound may not be correct, check the notes and write down on the paper any corrections or reminders you may need. Remember that the 8th notes are not too fast. You were playing them as if they were 16th notes. |
| ||
PASSED
|
Mark the accidentals (sharps) before practicing the next number. Using color pencils is great.
| ||
CHOPIN: Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67, No. 4 (Posthumous)6/15
Notes are very well played. Which are the main and most frequent chords you are playing on the left hand? Think about them so memorization happens gradually as you play. How many sections are in the piece: 1- in A minor 2- in A major 3- in A minor Practice systems: 1- Gradual layers: Play the melody on the RH, no additional notes. Play the bass and the lowest note on the LH. Gradually add the rest of the notes 2- Play everything but very small sections: This requires many repetitions in very small cells to build up your muscle memory. Very interesting chord on the first page, first line, measure 4. LH plays an F7 with the 7 at the bottom, and the effect is extraordinary. Another one: Last page. line 4 meas 1. LH plays a B7 with the 7th in the bass. This chord is very far removed from A minor, yet is sounds beautiful there. Chord progression on last page, line 4-5, is so beautiful also. The use of the far removed chords in unexpected inversions, often with the 7th in the bass is masterful. |
| ||
NEW: AWAYA piece by Gabriel with a lighter harmony and clear melody
NEW: SERENITYA calm piece that sounds more cinematic
|
| ||||
LONG TERM PIECE:
|
| ||||
|
|
|
|
INNOCENCE by F. Burgmuller7/7
See the video review I recorded for you talking about the concept we used at the lesson yesterday |
| ||
PASTORALE by F. Burgmuller7/7
Here simplify the LH. Play it once, and focus your mental energy on the RH. Then when the RH plays with flow, only then you can incorporate the rhythm to the LH. Otherwise you are overwhelming your thinking process and the hesitation and constant stops will appear. |
| ||
Nocturne in C minor Nr.20, KK. IVb by Chopin7/7
My apologies and lesson learned. Next time I send you a score I will make sure it is clear where the piece starts so you don't spend your time trying to learn a piece that is not the intended one. Go ahead and work on this one. Keep in mind that when you learn to play the chords, you will want to bring out the top note of each chord, so there is a melody that can be followed. |
| ||
