Hey everyone, here is the homework for this week!

Susan:

  • Keep working on your minor/major scales (C and A, F and D, G and E). Aim to have your major scales at 60, eighth notes, and minor scales at 70, quarter note. Focus especially on your harmonic minor scales as these will be the most challenging for you probably.
  • Look through “Fantasy Piece” by Schumann up to where we discussed. Remember to support the higher notes with lots of air.
  • Keep working on your band music.

Aubrey:

  • Keep working through your major scales – C, G, F, D, Bb and A (and their corresponding arpeggios). Focus on D, Bb and A. Remember to use more air in the altissimo register (above high C) so the notes speak, and to back off and play more quietly over the break (B, C, D, E, F, etc.)
  • Continue on with the Galper exercise. Remember to “prepare” yourself for the next bar. Look ahead and make sure your fingers are ready to make it to the right keys in time.
  • Keep working on the parts of the march we talked about. Remember – leave out “unimportant” notes if it means you will be able to play an otherwise impossible phrase.
  • Remember to use your practice time effectively this week – only work on what needs to be worked on. Isolate any problem areas, and then make sure you are also able to play them in context.

Jonathan

  • Keep working through your major scales and corresponding arpeggios. Remember to support the higher notes.
  • Vivaldi, Four Seasons – try getting the tempo up to 75. Don’t panic if it doesn’t get there! Just something to aim for. Remember to articulate/tongue each note unless marked otherwise and don’t let the notes “fade” away. Additionally, make sure you are holding each note for as long as it is marked (eg. don’t cut off a dotted half note before it is supposed to end).
  • Practice the tonguing exercise we’ve worked on. Pick one note, put the metronome on 60. Start with half notes, then quarter notes, then try eighth notes if possible.

Camille:

  • Scales – chromatic scale, C, F and G majors (plus arpeggios).
  • Make sure Camille is supporting the air (sitting up straight, blowing harder). If she is having trouble with certain notes, too little air might be an issue, along with her hands hitting/opening keys. She may want to consider untucking her lip a bit and “rolling” it out, like we talked about.
  • Keep working through Doe – a Deer. The only issue is making sure she is holding out the notes for as long as they are written!