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LESSON PAGE.  MATZKE

Lesson notes. April 27, 2025.

Skills Technique Level 9. Still familiarizing yourself with the new elements introduced in this level. 

1. Sonata in F Major by Mozart
Triplet section:
    •    Notes are coming along well.
    •    Prioritize consistent fingering.
    •    Use chord recognition to help predict and prepare upcoming passages. This will support smoother fingering transitions.
Page 1, last line, measure 2:
    •    Be careful with the quarter notes – you’re playing them nearly as fast as eighth notes.
Page 2, line 1, measure 4:
    •    Start now with either clear articulation (per the score) or decide to play a longer, full-measure phrase.
    •    Both are acceptable.
Line 3, trill:
    •    The trill notes were incorrect – they should be C and B (a second lower than what you played).
Line 4, measure 3:
    •    Pay attention to the sixteenth notes leading into the trill. 
Line 5, measure 3:
    •    Make sure the right hand doesn’t get confused with the wrong group of notes.
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2. Prelude No. 2 by George Gershwin
Main Theme (right hand blues tilt):
    •    The slight bluesy tilt you’ve added is nice, but be careful – it’s starting to drift too far from the correct rhythm. Currently, it sounds more like incorrect counting than expressive interpretation. Don’t apply the same tilt every time.
Left Hand Theme Section:
    •    This part feels less confident than the right-hand theme.
    •    Practice left hand alone first. Then, play both hands together, but simplify the right hand to just hold chord changes.

Scales.  Levine Curriculum Level NINE.
(C, G, D, A, E, B, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb Major.      
Minor: A, E, B, F#, C#, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb minor)

keyboard_skills_key_progressions.pdf
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levine_scales_level_7_8_9_10_2_highlighted_lv7.pdf
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daily_scale_practice_routine.pdf
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HANON index
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Sight-reading exercises

bach--notenbuch-anna-magdalena.pdf
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schäfer_sight_r._exercises_book-1.pdf
File Size: 1080 kb
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schafer_sight_reading_book-2.pdf
File Size: 3039 kb
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schäfer_sight_reading_book-3.pdf
File Size: 1258 kb
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LEV-SIGHT 1/4
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LEV-SIGHT 2/4
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LEV-SIGHT 3/4
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LEV-SIGHT 4/4
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Etudes. CZERNY-GERMER

czerny-germer_vol_1.pdf
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GERSHWIN Pelude Nr.2

GERSHWIN Preludes
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NEW: Classical period.
MOZART (listen and choose from these two)

  • Sonata en F mayor, K. 280.
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSVueoCUTQA
  • Sonata en G mayor, K. 283.
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLcSkRZ4-6w
mozart_sonata_en_f_mayor_k._280..pdf
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mozart_sonata_en_g_mayor_k._283..pdf
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Classical period.
BEETHOVEN Sonata Op.2 Nr.2 in A Major

beethoven_op.2_nr.2_henle.pdf
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PASSED.  Impressionistic period.
DEBUSSY.  Reverie

debussy_reverie_measure_numbers.pdf
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Possible new pieces.  
French Impressionism DEBUSSY.  Claire de Lune
(more difficult)
Spanish Impressionism ALBENIZ.  Granada
(much easier than Debussy)

debussy_claire_de_lune_with_fingering.pdf
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debussy_claire_de_lune.pdf
File Size: 175 kb
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albeniz._suite_espaÑola_granada.pdf
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Little Preludes and Fugues.
​Little Prelude and Fugue in D minor  BWV 899

bach_eric._2024_oct-8.mp3
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INDEX for reference
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Little Prelude and Fugue in D minor BWV 899
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FUGUE. GRB fingering
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For fun:  You may enjoy playing from this book:

PEANUTS
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Jazz chart reading and improvisation

NOVEMBER 5
Today we started "I Could Write a Book"
  • How to build and place (voicing) the chords
  • How to relate chords to scales for improvisation
  • How to build a bass using the structural noes of the chords
  • How to arrange a song so you can play the melody and chords on the RH and bassoon the LH.

Chord symbols

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C7        C Major + minor 7th (also known as Dominant 7th)
        4-note chord    C - E - G - Bb

CMaj7    C Major + Major 7th
        4-note chord    C - E - G - B

Cm7    C minor + minor 7th
        4-note chord    C - Eb - G - Bb

CmMaj7    C minor + Major 7th (very rare)
        4-note chord    C - Eb - G - B

Learning tunes

Preparing a "tune".  Mapping the territory:
  • Learning the melody with the RH
  • RH plays the melody, LH plays the bass only (single note)
  • Learning the chords with the LH. Chords placed around middle C. Use inversions to minimize motion between chords
  • LH plays Bass, then chord as half notes or as quarter notes. RH Plays the melody

Preparing a "tune".  Starting to improvise:
  • Improvising by playing a very close variation of the melody
  • Improvising on the chords (chord outlining)
  • Improvising by matching scales to the chords. Requires harmonic analysis of the piece.

Accompanying a "tune".  Chord reduction in 3 and 7. "How High the Moon"
  • Reducing the LH chords from 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - to 3 - 7
  • Keeping the chords around middle CP{practicing by playing LH chords, RH melody and LH bass, RH chords
Tunes for practice.  In the key of C
all_of_me__simplified_chords_.pdf
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dont_get_around__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 258 kb
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i_could_write_a_book__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 236 kb
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my_romance__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 397 kb
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a_train__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 146 kb
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satin_doll__simplified_chords_.pdf
File Size: 681 kb
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How High the Moon (in G)

how_high_the_moon_-g-.pdf
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how_high_the_moon_-g-_analysis.pdf
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Romantic period.
Moved to repertory: "Songs without Words" Op. 102 Nr.4 in G minor
​
by F. Mendelssohn

MENDELSSOHN APRIL 30 notes
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mendelssohn-sww_op102_nr4_1_BARENBOIM.pdf
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REFERENCE SCORE mendelssohn-sww_102_4_-_henle.pdf
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mendelssohn-sww_op102_nr.4.pdf
File Size: 1966 kb
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mendelssohn-sww_op53_nr.1.pdf
File Size: 3069 kb
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mendelssohn-sww_op.30_nr.6.pdf
File Size: 1526 kb
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mendelssohn-sww_op.19_nr.6.pdf
File Size: 1483 kb
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Passed: Classical period.
MOZART Piano Sonata C major K. 545. 3rd movement

MOZART Piano Sonata C major K. 545
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New possible options for Classical period repertory:

MOZART Piano Sonata C major K. 545
File Size: 1043 kb
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MOZART Piano Sonata C major K. 309
File Size: 2392 kb
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MOZART Piano Sonata G major K. 283
File Size: 1617 kb
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MOZART Piano Sonata F major K. 280
File Size: 3363 kb
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New possible options for BAROQUE period repertory:

  • BACH French Suite 5 G -BWV 816 Allemande
  • BACH. Invention in E Major
  • BACH Sinfonia Nr. 11 BWV 797 in G minor
bach_invention_nr.6_e_major.pdf
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bach_sinfonia_nr._11_bwv_797_in_g_minor.pdf
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Repertory:

French Suite 5 G -BWV 816. J.S. Bach
​Piano Sonata C major K. 545 1st and 2nd movs. Mozart
"Songs without Words" Op. 102 Nr.4 in G minor. Mendelssohn
Sonata Op. 49 Nr.2 in G Major. Beethoven
​Sinfonia 8 in F Major. J.S. Bach
Rondo a la Turca. Mozart
Invention Nr. 14 in Bb Major. J.S. Bach
​Nocturne Nr. 18 in C minor. F. Chopin
​Invention Nr. 13 in A Minor. J.S. Bach
​Gymnopédie in D Major. Erik Satie
​"Invention Nr. 8 in F Major" J.S. Bach
"Invention Nr. 1 in C Major" J.S. Bach
Prelude Op.28 Nr.4 in E minor. F. Chopin
​Sonatina Op.36 Nr.3 in C Major. M. Clementi
​Little Prelude Nr.2 in C Minor J.S. Bach
​"Norse Song" Schummann
"Solfeggietto" C.P.E. Bach
"Arabesque" Burgmuller
​"Sonatina in F" Beethoven
"Sonatina in C Major" Clementi
"Sonatina" Spindler
​"Soldier's March" Schumann
"Ecossaise" Beethoven
"Polonaise in G minor" Bach
"Sonatina in G" Beethoven
"Sonatina" Spindler (1st mov)
"Minuet in G Major" Bach/Petzold
"Minuet in G Major" Bach
"March in D Major" Bach
"Merry Farmer" Schumann

Repertory resource: "Little Preludes" Bach

BACH LITTLE PRELUDES Hansen Edition
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BOOK index

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Saved for later:

Volume 3: 
Kuhlau - Sonatina Op. 55 No. 3 Friedrich Kuhlau: Sonatina Op. 55 No 3 in C Major (Complete) - YouTube (really fun sounding piece)
Grieg – Op. 68, No. 1 Grieg Lyric Pieces Book IX, Op.68 - 1. Sailor's Song - YouTube (I really like a lot of these Grieg Lyric Pieces, a lot of chord motion that would build well on what we did in the Nordic Song.)
Volume 4:
Baroque
JS Bach – Inventions 14
Handel – Sonatina in A Minor - Sonata in A Minor, HWV 584 by Handel - YouTube
Scarlatti – L.58 (I love all of Scarlatti’s sonatas) SCARLATTI: Sonata in D Minor (K. 64, L. 58) | Cory Hall, pianist - YouTube
Telmann – Suite in A Major
Classical
Beethoven – Piano Sonata in G Major No. 20, Op. 49 No. 2
Cimarosa - Sonata in G Cimarosa - Sonata In G Major - YouTube
Haydn – XVI: 7 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 2 in C major Hob.XVI:7 - Artur Balsam, 1962 - MHS OR H-110 - YouTube
Mozart -- Piano Sonata K. 545
Romantic/Contemporary
Schumann – Album for the Young , ‘King Rupert’ (Op. 68 No. 12) – This looks like a very fun piece to play. Almost a finger etude.
Schumann – Kinderszenen, No. 3 ‘Blindman’s Bluff’
Schumann – Kinderszenen, No. 6 ‘An Important Event’,
Shostakovich – Prelude in Eb major, Op. 34 No. 19

Melody reharmonization

November 14
Chords that belong to the key of C Major.  Three note chords:
C - Dm - Em - F - G - Am - Bdim
Four note chords:
CMaj7 - Dm7 - Em7 - FMaj7 - G7 - Am7 - Bdim

Chord relationship: I - IV - V - I. It can also be I - ii - V7 - I.   The IV and the ii can take each other's place.

Voicing and LH arrangement:  bass - chord
Move the bass one 8va lower than the chord
Play the chord in the mid-C area.  then form that point subsequent chords need to be near the one you just played.  Find the inversion that brings you a chord that requires the minimum motion from one chord to the next. 
Jan-10
Today we used another simple melody:
  • Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
  • Yankee Doodle
See indications below to experiment with alternative harmonies (relative chords is very efficient)
Oct 4
Take a familiar theme: Beethoven 9th symphony.
Figure it out in C Major.
​Apply the following chords. --->

The feel free to experiment using relative minor chords to replace the main chords (see below)
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Oct 4
And here below is a chord progression in which the melody indicates which note needs to be on the top of the chord.
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Chord progressions

Oct 4
Here below is a chord progression in D Major that almost matches the chord progression of Pachelbel's Canon.
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A brief comment about 7th chords

Major 7th belongs to the key.  Minor 7th is a Dominant that belongs to the key of the subsequent chord it is attracting (the Tonic). 

Example in C Major:

CMaj7 C-E-G-B would be a chord in C Major that doesn't require resolution and can move to any other chord.
C7 C-E-G-Bb is a chord that would belong to F Major (it has Bb), therefore it requires resolution to F Major chord.

There are exceptions to the rule, which composers do all the time to make music more interesting, this is the general rule of how chords want to behave when left to their own natural energy.

Another exception to the rule is the Blues.  All chords in the blues are minor 7ths, independently of where they resolve.

Melodic improvisation exercises

Jan-10
Today we created improvised melodies with basic breathing and basic phrasing.  Spaces between phrases are as important as the notes, to keep the feel of the music as human as possible.

Sept 6
C Major and G Major:  Overlapping works naturally.
1 - 5 - 10 well done.
New keys:  D Major and A Major
Example using 1-5-8 in C
IMPROV 1-5-8 in C
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Blues-based improvisation

Jan-10
When improvising using the blues scale, accompany your improvisation with three basic chords, all with minor sevenths:
  • Blues in C: C7 - F7 - G7
Once you are comfortable with that, move the same patters to improvise in Blues in F and Blues in G.
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Romantic period: Chopin Waltz Op.69 Nr.2

OCTOBER 24
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chopin_waltz_a_minor.pdf
File Size: 181 kb
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chopin_waltz_op._34_nr._2.pdf
File Size: 1742 kb
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chopin_waltz_b_minor_op69_nr2.pdf
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  • 2024-25 FALL-SPRING
  • 2023-24 FALL-SPRING
  • VIDEO TUTORIALS