Enjoy the sunshine this week and Happy Mother’s Day to all!!!

Isabella

Princess or Monster – Practice this one loud and slow like a Monster and I will learn the duet to play it with you next week. To make sure you have it a steady tempo, please try playing it with the accompaniment found by scanning the QR code on the page.

B Major scale – This scale has only 2 white keys = B and E. RH fingering is like normal 123 12345 (thumb on white keys), and LH starts on 4321 4321. Great rounded fingers today!

Jadon

Stairway – Here is a video of the composer himself playing this. You were very successful sightreading this today!

Continue to work on Interstellar and Canon x Memories. 

Marco

Indiana Jones – HT for the measures 5-13 and just the RH melody until the end of page 1. Notice the “pickup” beat that the melody begins on – this means the RH will play E and F alone, and then the LH chords will begin as RH plays G. Bite sized steps to work up to this can include: tapping the LH quarter notes on your lap while playing the RH, or just playing the LH root notes while RH plays like I showed you today.

Never Gonna Give You Up – Chorus played hands together until the end of the song. Notice the one higher variation of the melody I circled on the lyrics “say goodbye”.

*New* Going Undercover – This piece uses a repetitive C Minor riff in the RH and layers it over ascending and descending basslines to sound like video game/movie music. The most important thing here will be keeping it EVEN with a very steady pulse. The first half of the piece the LH descends slowly, and the second half the LH ascends using staccato quarter notes to keep the pulse. First step is to learn both hands at a steady tempo before combining them.

Daniel

The Wind – Amazing! This was 95% of the way there today, so our goal to make it 100% can be achieved by smoothing out the typing of lines 2 and 3. Notice the fingering I highlighted in pink will make you able to play these triads with zero hesitation in between.

Ditty of Yimeng Mountain – really nice improvement. Goal this week is to be able to play through without repeating the notes where one phrase ends and the other begins. Go at a slow enough tempo that you can keep it pushing without stops. The rolled chord timing is great now, keep it up. Notice the easier fingering we wrote for the final LH phrase as well.

*New* Stairway – Here is the composer himself playing this. The LH is simply a descending F major scale. The RH has some syncopated parts, which you played accurately today, and if you need a reminder of the counts for them, look the middle exercise on the reverse of your paper. I look forward to seeing what you achieve with this this week!

Next week I will hear your formula pattern and we will move on from them to other technique IF you ever showing me accurate fingering and the ability to change directions without stopping the scale.
The song ending I taught you begins on the root note of whatever key the song you’re ending is in, so for example a C Major piece would end like: C E F F# G A B C C.

Julian

*New* Sword Dance – this piece is in ternary form (ABA). The A section is when the sword fighting is actively happening and should be loud, definite and fast. The B section is when our swordsman is traversing high cliffs and is taking cautious steps to make sure he doesn’t fall – it should sound quieter, smoother and slower. Then the fight begins again as the A section returns. The notes are not the tricky part in this piece, the attention to detail and artistry is our learning outcome of this one so get dramatic with it!

Continue to practice your hands together C Major scale. You played it accurately today in lesson, but it can be more confident and secure with steady practice. Warmup with it each day :)