Hello!
I have a few reminders and updates for you all. First, Berke has informed me that he does not have access to his chrome book this week! So if you could kindly remember to share this email with him that will be super helpful for Berke’s practice this week. Second, while I know the in person recital was cancelled, we are still going ahead with the digital concert! Berke and I record Minuet in F today to be added to the concert! Thank you Berke for your hard work on this piece, I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone’s performances!
Berke:
For this week please review Moonlight Sonata and practice the first 8 bars of Clair de Lune. Practice the fingerings as follows for the 3 alternating eighth note “motifs”. Eighth note group 1: 3/5 – 1/4 – 3/5 – 1/4. Eighth note group 2: 2/4 – 1/5 – 2/4. Eighth note group 3: 1/3 – 2/4 – 1/3. Please practice these bars slowly. This requires meticulous fine motor skills in the hand and fingers so pay attention to how this feel in your hand when you play these 3 bars. Use the metronome to help you stay in time, but start at 45BPM, switching chords with each tick of the metronome. Once your hands feel comfortable with this technique, you can slowly speed up to your desired tempo. Please review the upper notes only of the melody in bars 5 and 6 and continue to sight-read the second chunk of that melody in bars 7 and 8 on your own. Practice the eighth note groups and melody separately, put the two sections together only when both feel comfortable in your hands. Review what we have learned in Moonlight Sonata (bars 1-9). Review the chords in bars focusing specifically on bars 7-9 as this is newer material. Play these bars hands separate until you can confidently build and play the chords in the left hand. Review bars 5 and 6 slowly, playing close attention to which notes are played together and when. We will review and learn more Moonlight Sonata next week.
Excellent work today! I look forward to hearing more next week.