LESSON PAGE.  NIKOLAI

6/29
Rachmaninoff.  Comments below.
For lessons in the summer, I will send a general email to give an idea of what to do, but basically you can have as many or as few lessons as you wish during the summer.  Every week, every other week, or just by appointment after you have worked on the music on your own and you feel prepared for a lesson.

TECHNIQUE and scales.  
Scales starting on a white key

6/29
Next: F Major (one flat) with complete routine. Page 30

New:
COMPLETE BOOK OF SCALES
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KEYBOARD SKILLS Level -to be decided-

Parallel 2 octaves
Contrary 2 octaves
Chromatic starting on the given key
Arpeggios in root position
Chords and inversions
Cadence​

CZERNY-Germer

6/29
14 attention to hand motion.  Add LH
15 attention to phrasing and very connected finger-legato
NEW: 16 LH quick scales
czerny-germer_vol_1.pdf
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SCHAFER Sight-Reading. Volume 1

6/29
Continue from 33 on
SCHAFER sight-reading vol.1
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SCHAFER sight-reading vol.2
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NEW. RACHMANINOFF.  Prelude Op23 Nr5

6/29
Today's emphasis was the inner melody notes, more contrast between the light-weight accompaniment and those notes, and how you very well applied the Czerny technique and hand motion to create that contrast.

​Also make sure you correct the notes on the two measures below.

On the next page, in detail extract the inner melodies that appear on the first, second and third lines.

The next goal is to continue and finish learning the notes all the way to the end.
6/22
Today we worked on each section, in person, in detail.

PAGE 1
Lines 1-2
Clarity.  Eliminate pedal for practice and be able to hear every attack clearly, be able to quickly spring from one bass to chord.
Think of different tone for the octaves than for the chords.  Practice them separately.  All the octave melodies only, then all the chords only.
Voice the top note of the octaves. Listen for a well-defined tone.

Line 3
Voice top note of the chords for a well defined melody
Practice without pedal
Remember the "energetic" notes on the LH first measure.

PAGE 2
line 1
Continue practicing separately the structural points, separated from the rhythmic chords, so you use two different attacks and two different sounds for each.  Structural will be a deeper attack, Chords will get a lighter, faster and more agile attack.

Line 3. 
Chords.  Don't start too slow.  No pedal for practice so you can hear the detail
Octaves. Practice separately first and be sure both hands have a clean staccato.
When practicing hands together be sure LH still has a clean staccato
​Fingering LH ending the octave passage.  I prefer F#2, D3, G5 for confidence.

PAGE 3
Lines 1-3
LH was fine
RH practice voicing the chords. Top note:
1- play just the top melody. Alone and also accompanied by LH
2- play the top melody with the lower octave. Alone and with LH
​3- then play the entire chords. Alone and with LH
When playing the entire chords, NO individual attacks for each chord. Link one chord to the next. Practice that without pedal.  If it sounds legato without pedal, you are doing it well.

Line 4
Bring out the middle melody.  Play it by itself first so your ear can recognize it among all the other notes.
Then play it with the LH accompaniment, and help using the RH to complete the melody, but don't play the RH chords yet.
Then play everything and be able to hear the inner melody clearly.
When bringing the inner melody out, also play everything else much MUCH softer.

​Good job yesterday.  Record yourself once you think you are able to achieve these goals and send me the recording.


6/15
1st page: emphasize what is melody and care for the tone over the rhythmic material which is played more lightly.
2nd page: Layers.  Everything can not be played at the same level. Structural notes are leaders, rhythmic chords are farther in sound.
Pedal short and very accurate
3rd page: No rolling the chords.  voicing the top note.  Keeping the inner of the chord discrete so melody is heard clearly.
Phrasing.  Give shape to the phrase and use your body to support the tone.
Elongate the sound, avoid individual attacks for every chord.  think as if you could extend the sound of one chord into the following one.
When adding the LH keep your listening very alert so you don't fall into the old habits.
record yourself often, you will hear much more that way.

6/8
Working on the piece backwards today:
Slow section:
RH Chords: voicing
LH arpeggios: light touch. Practice LH without sound while playing the chords on the art with sound.
Then practice RH chords with sound only on the top note. No sound on the rest of the chord and n sound on the LH.
Then LH with sound, RH with sound only on the top note of the chords.

p2. Octaves. Automatic ending.  No thinking time.
Chords before the octaves: Keep mental beat count
Top of the page: Every impulse always takes you to the next.  No resting, always moving.

p1. Secure notes on the two passages: last line and line 3


6/1
page 1
chords played as a prolongation of the bass, 3 strikes, each one lighter than the previous one.

All octaves in this piece: play the black key with finger Nr. 4.  Same applies to RH and LH

Dynamics:
Crescendo starts piano and gradually it reaches "F", the decrescendo starts "F" and gradually reaches "P".  The softer a crescendo starts, the more impressive it will be.

page 3
Fingering:  Check the scanned copy I attached to this page (right margin) and copy the fingering to your score.

Learn all the LH before you start with the RH.

Remember: On the right margin is a scan of the 3rd and 4th pages with the fingering for the LH  --->
RACHMANINOV Prelude Op23 Nr5 Gm
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Below:  Scanned pages with suggested fingering
poco_meno_mosso.pdf
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NEW. DEBUSSY.  Reverie

5/25
First page and a bit of the second page.
​Lots of light touch for the LH and very delicate phrasing for the RH.
Here is some help for the 4 against 3:
DEBUSSY Rêverie
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BACH. Prelude and Fugue in C Minor WTC vol 1 (WTC 847)

Prelude

4/7
Still too focused on the individual notes.
Let's try practicing phrase by phrase rather than the complete piece.
One phrase:
- Slowly, as slow as necessary
- Bring out the leading notes (top and bass)
- Think of the shape of the phrase (4 measures)
- Record it as if it was going to be presented in public.  Slow is ok but has to sound musical.
​- You are going to send me a recording of each phrase, but only send me your best.
- For the purpose of learning the notes, practice from both ends.
BACH C minor prelude
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bach_487_gabriel_markings.pdf
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JAZZ tips:

4/7
In a 2 - 5 - 1:

The 2 will be a minor7 chord​.  Extend the chord with the added 9, 11 and 13.  I will still be somehow conservative because it is not the chord that produces the tension.

​The 5 will be the chord producing the real tension.  For this one here is a great trick:

Raise one whole step up  the note of the V7
​For example, if G7, take A
Build a Major chord from this note
Example: A Major (A - C# - E)
Each of these resulting notes are the root of the chord we will be adding to the G7
Examples:
LH plays G7 while RH plays A Major (9, #11, 13)
LH plays G7 while RH plays C# Major (b9, #11)
LH plays G7 while RH plays E Major (b9, 13)

Next repertory pieces

1SUGGESTED PIECES:
BACH Prelude and fugue Nr. 2 WTC 1 C minor (in progress)
MENDELSSOHN Songs without Words Op.30 Nr. 3 and Op.53 Nr.1
CHOPIN Prelude Op 28 in C minor
CHOPIN Etude Op. 25 Nr. 1 "Aeolian Harp"
CHOPIN Etude Op. 10 Nr. 12 "Revolutionary"
RACHMANINOFF Prelude Op23 Nr5 G minor (new)
DEBUSSY Rêverie (new)
​LISTZ Consolation Nr.3 (finished)

​Nikolai, if you already have your own scores, use your own instead of these ones. 
The scores I provide are just to save you time in case you don't have the scores yourself.
BACH Prelude Fugue 2 WTC-1 C minor
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BACH Prelude Fugue 2 WTC-1 C minor
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MENDELSSOHN S w/out W Op-30_nr.3
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MENDELSSOHN S w/out W Op-53_nr.1
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CHOPIN Prelude C minor Op 28
File Size: 743 kb
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CHOPIN ETUDES op 25 Nr 1 Aeolian Harp
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CHOPIN Etude Op. 10 Nr. 12 "Revolutionary"
File Size: 2045 kb
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RACHMANINOV Prelude Op23 Nr5 Gm
File Size: 1488 kb
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DEBUSSY Rêverie
File Size: 267 kb
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listz_consolations_-ricordi-.pdf
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listz_grb_notes.pdf
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Link to Nikolai's Youtube Channel with his compositions

www.youtube.com/channel/UCiZo1Oy3n_63r7WBaimDVtg

Composition "L’Ouragan" (The Hurricane)

3/16
Analyze your chord progression just like we did today with Bach.  Then decide how the different sections affect the way this piece will be played.  Dynamics, introverted playing versus extroverted, structural section versus transition, how a transition will be played, as a tension that resolves or no tension, just taking you from one place to the next... etc.

​Write as much as you can and send it to me as a way to hold you to a deadline.

Also, watch the enharmonies that call A# minor to whet really is Bb minor chord/section.  You may need to re-name some notes around measure 9.

2/23
Feel free to send me pictures of the scores with your scribbles before committing to transferring the dynamics and phrasings to the editor.  It will save you a lot of time.  I will gladly look at them and give you suggestions.

2/17
Add all dynamics to your piece and send me a PDF with them before our next lesson so we can discuss them.

The sooner before the next lesson the better so it gives me a chance to study the piece before we meet.
​
​2/10
​Score received and attached to the side for our reference.  We will update this version as other modifications may take place.

Next action:
While I go through the piece to see how it sounds, you can start adding all the necessary details to make sure your intentions are clearly stated in the score.  The first one is to figure out how to indicate which notes form the melody.
goussev_“_l’ouragan”-2.pdf
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Pieces already on repertory and ready for performance

CLEMENTI: Sonatina Op.36 G Major. 1st movement

PASSED: CLEMENTI Sonatinas Op. 36
​Sonatina Number 2 in G Major. 1st movement

2/24

​2/17
Complete piece with articulations.
If you send me a recording clean and accomplished, we may pass it early.


​2/10
Exaggerate articulation for the main theme, so your playing is involving and not passive.
Create excitement, not just playing the notes.  All articulations and dynamics can be much more present while you play.​

​2/2
Everything needs to be more noticeable.  Exaggerate more during practice and we will escalate down once speed is applied.
More articulations.
More hand rotation or side to side motions during LH accompaniment 
More phrasing, feel free to exaggerate, we can always bring it down.
Practice slowly as if you were watching a slo-mo movie of yourself when the piece is ready and played fast.  Slo-mo practice should reflect all the motions, dynamics, articulations, that would exist if you were playing fast.
CLEMENTI Op.36 complete sonatinas
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Video with articulation example
Video practicing slow motion and regular motion

PASSED. LISTZ.  Consolation No. 3

5/5
Start section: Beautiful melody. Accompaniment could be a bit lighter
14  beautiful
15 attention to the notes
​21 don't strike to hard
22 lighter
25 no bass Db
31 too hard a strike
33-34 excellent crescendo-deccrescendo
38 remember "pp"
40 and 41 more effect if you started pp earlier
43-44 LH needs to go into pp so melody on 45 can sing easily
47 Attention to accent
48-49 context is "p"
53 16th notes are an extension of the D half note, not a actual melody
56 very good
59-60 evaporate
listz_consolations_-ricordi-.pdf
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listz_grb_notes.pdf
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