Hi everyone,

Here is the homework for this week.

Jonathon:

  • Begin your practice session with the chromatic scale; start on high C, as we discussed, and work your way down to low E. Keep the metronome on 60, and play each note for either four or eight beats. Make sure you stay in time with the metronome.
  • Keep working on your register slurs. Make sure you consciously make the connection between the name of the lower note, and the name of the note once we press the register key (eg. E becomes B, F becomes C). Remember = the register key raises the note up a 12th OR an octave + four.
  • Work on your C major scale, both octaves. Make sure to tongue each note, and practice with the metronome. Isolate groups of notes in twos or threes that are problematic (eg. A, B and C around “the break”).
  • Keep working on the two pages in the Rubank book we have been looking at. Make sure to practice with a metronome after you are confident that you know the notes, and be honest with yourself – don’t go too fast if things are not clean.

Aubrey:

  • I couldn’t find the mP3 we were talking about but I’ll give you the info in case you want to buy the album or track on iTunes: Ken Peplowski – How Deep is the Ocean, off of “The Natural Touch
  • Keep working on your chromatic scale (especially focus on coming down) and look at the chromatic exercises I wrote down. You don’t have to stick to just those two, feel free to practice any three-five note groups within the chromatic scale that you think need work/cleaning up.
  • Work on C, F, G and Bb major. When practicing, remember not to just run through the scales up and down, mistakes and all! Isolate the parts of the scales that are not clean. Practice these small sections until they are clean, and then slowly add more notes.
  • Continue to work on How Deep is the Ocean. Stick to how the melody is written out, and next week we’ll try adding some embellishments and different rhythmic ideas.

Susan:

  • Keep working on your seven scales and the associated exercises/patterns we’ve talked about. Next week, we’ll review them and perhaps add a new one.
  • Play along with the CD version of Washington Post March! It will help you hear the rhythms much more clearly, and get a feel for the piece. Try to “internalize” the rhythms, so you don’t need to count each beat out (1-2-3, 4-5,6) and so you can hear it in 4/4 time.
  • Keep working on Pavane. Try tackling the trickier section this week; take it bar by bar, working your way backwards. Practice each bar until you are confident with the rhythms and the cleanness of the notes. Remember to add dynamics into the main theme (first page or so) and pay attention to the articulation markings.