Hello all! Here are your notes for this week:
Chris
What we learned/reviewed in lesson:
- Stacked notes: music can be read horizontally (one not followed by another) but it can also be read vertically (notes stacked on top of each other and played at the same time. When two or more notes are stacked on top of each other, this can be referred to as a “chord”)
- Practicing playing stacked notes/chords not only in pieces but as an exercise in itself — play around with playing a single chord (ex: C and G together) and how it feels in the hands.
- Accents and articulations: general “accent” and “staccato”
- Accent: playing a particular note with more emphasis, giving it a bolder sound than unaccented notes
- Staccato: playing a particular note by quickly bouncing off of it, this results in a pointier sound. (I imagine the keys being hot, the fingers would jump off the key instead of remaining on the note)
- Introducing the sustain pedal: notice how it changes the sound, it creates a very sustained and watery sound
- Played through pages 17-19
Recommended time to practice:
- 20-30 minutes 4 or 5 days of the week
What to practice:
- Recognizing notes on the staff (reading sheet music)
- Treble clef: notes on the spaces (FACE), notes on the lines (Every Good Bat Deserves Fruit)
- Bass clef: notes on the spaces (All Cows Eat Grass), notes on the lines (Good Bats Deserve Fruit Always)
- Recognizing notes on the keyboard
- See attached image with some suggested anchor points to work off of
- D is in the dog house (between the 2 black key pairings)
- C is right beside D, but is also the “bottom” of group of 2 black notes
- F is at the “bottom” group of 3 black notes
- See attached image with some suggested anchor points to work off of
- Practicing chords/stacked notes: play a single chord (ex: C and G together) and how it feels in the hands.
- Pages 19, 20-21
How to practice efficiently:
- Spend time at the keyboard for physical practice but also spend time mentally practicing as well. Things that can be reviewed away at the keyboard are note names on treble/bass clef, note values (quarter notes in relation to half notes, half notes in relation to whole notes), posture while seated, finger patterns on a flat surface
- Continue to question yourself as you practice; check in with your posture and hand positions — are wrists the wrists being supported? Do I feel any tension while I play?
- For pieces: Isolating right and left hand lines and trying different ways approach what you are reading (clapping, saying/singing finger numbers, saying/singing note names)
Greta
What we learned/reviewed in lesson:
- G major scale two octaves, right hand and left hand. Work towards playing hands together
- Practicing scales in blocks (see attach image); solidifying how the notes feel under your hands in the groups will help develop muscle memory for playing through the scale
- Solid triads, working on playing hands together and not having the notes “flam”
- Thinking of playing with the bigger muscle groups (arms and back) will help give power and support to the chords.
- Left hand for amber moon
Recommended time to practice:
- 20-30 minutes a day, 4 days a week
What to practice:
- G major scale, 2 octaves, hands together
- G major triads, 2 octaves, hands together
- D minor Natural scale 2 octaves, hands together
- If you’re feeling extra bold, you can try playing through the minor Harmonic scale (raised 7th, C# in this case)
- Practice playing through the left hand of Amber Moon in time (counting all the beats in each measure), begin learning and adding in the right hand melody
How to practice efficiently:
- Integrating “blocked” practice; this will help us with hand positioning and reading lines by shape rather than just playing finger by finger. This applies to both scale and triad practice
- Going off the previous note: understanding how we play piano with our arms and not just our fingers (similar to how we walk with our legs and not just our toes). Thinking and playing with these larger muscle groups can help us play more solidly and with confidence (recall how playing triads with more power helped with the note “flamming”)
- Listen through Amber Moon. A recording can help establish the melody/harmony in your ear — but be mindful not to directly imitate the recording, use it as a tool that can help you with phrasing ideas, tempo, and rhythm.
Amber Moon URL: https://youtu.be/CPn7mXHqASw?si=nkHA5JLjAiE6l8VJ
- If link does not work, you can copy and paste it into a browser
Happy practicing, everyone!