Objectives

  • Fix technique
  • 7hr/week of good-quality practice

Technique

  • Single arm/hand motions per phrase instead of bouncing
  • Movement between keys also part of the phrase
  • Rolling hand, not finger articulation

Log

2010-03-24

  • Slowly, VERY slowly!
  • Don't lock the arm before a phrase
  • Thumb-under exercises
  • Rolling motion rather than digital articulation
  • Focus on one piece at a time
  • Claire de Lune

2010-03-31

  • Exercises

    • Rolling
    • Fluid and rounder movements when moving between positions
  • Moonlight Sonata 2nd

    • Texture, staccato vs legato
    • Need to relearn
  • Claire de Lune

    • Fix wrong notes
    • Legato melody
    • Lift hand for repeated chords
    • Hold pedalling for left hand phrasing
  • Moonlight Sonata 3rd

    • RH octave contractions too mechanical
    • Left thumb too strong, roll hand

2010-05-05

  • Claire de Lune errors
    • Fix by next week
  • Moonlight Sonata (1st) errors
    • Tempo! Notes, crescendo
  • Chopin Nocturne
  • Chopin Polonaise
    • First two pages by next week

2010-05-10

  • Test play very slowly - check movement of hand
  • "one continuous movement" per phrase
  • Watch attack and lift-off carefully.

  • Claire de Lune

    • not fixed!
  • Chopin Nocturne
    • Attack: "Down-up, down". Not "Down-up, down-up; down-up"!
  • Chopin Polonaise
    • First three pages by next week

2010-05-18

  • Chopin Polonaise

    • Play at a speed I can read it
  • Chopin Nocturne

    • pp in bass
    • Complete each bass arpeggio before starting the next. Practice with stress on 2nd and 4th
    • Practice E-scale sections as single regular movements.

2010-05-31

  • Chopin Polonaise

    • Do D-flat major section rest of piece over next three weeks
    • Opening octaves: RH relax prior to attack. Hand position ends down.
    • Slow the trill, make it part of the melody
  • Chopin Nocturne

    • Opening chords: start lifting off very slowly as soon as chord is sounded
    • Rondo much lighter
  • Claire de Lune

    • Count aloud to isolate insecure sections
  • Brahms Intermezzi Op.117 No.2

    • Look at this over the next three weeks

2010-06-21

  • Chopin Polonaise

    • Attack the fff
    • First theme romantic, repetition more ethereal
    • Emphasise middle notes of the chord
    • Octaves are harsh
  • Chopin Nocturne

    • Opening passage: where's the thumb!?
    • Learn turn of the page
    • Solidify the notes
  • Brahms Intermezzi

    • Octaves in RH
    • Shared LH/RH notes in arpeggios

2010-06-28

  • Chopin Polonaise
    • First theme
      • Resolution bars without pedal
    • Second theme
      • piano sotto voce
      • SLOW arpeggios
      • forte right up to C-flat section (D-flat minor)