WE ARE ALL SOUNDING SO POLISHED AND PREPARED! GO TEAM! KEEP UP THE HARD WORK, IT IS EVIDENT IN YOUR PLAYING :D
Please click the links I provide, they are tailored to you each.
Liam
Sightreading needs extra work for you to feel confident! We still have a month until the exam so don’t stress, we will be good!! Remember, a steady pulse and vague melodic shape is WAY better than a performance with correct notes and no sense of pulse. It will NOT be perfect, but you can try and get as much as you can :)
Use this YouTube video (I know it’s level 2, but let’s build your confidence up.)
You can use the four star book also with your parents listening to your playback. The video is good because it gives you the answer after.
Sonatina in G major – Sounding SUPER! 3rd line is what we want to give the most focus this week, getting those little sequences down. Ensure you are doing the down-up motion for the two-note slurs, and not connecting them all.
Walk the Talk – Lovely! Make sure the quarter notes in the squares are quarter notes.
Minuet in G – Great tempo! Eliminate the “coffee break” in the second half between the repeated A’s. I wrote an M where there was a memory lapse.
Witches and Wizards – I like the slower tempo, you sound much more in control. There are a few moments where it gets uneven, watch for those.
Prelude VII – BIG improvement! I like your dynamics a lot.
Katarina
*New* Zum Gali Gali – page 1. D minor position. Count carefully.
Wunderkeys “Hide and Seek” unit – all 4 pieces. We identified that they are ALL in C position with both hands. The 3rd one is in 3/4 time (count 1-2-3) and all the rest are in 4/4 (count 1-2-3-4).
Warmup with your C and G major scales, both hands seperately.
Then do your C major triads, both hands seperately.
Marita
*New* Zum Gali Gali – all.
Sunset in San Pedro – up until the star *. Watch your Bbs! The LH rhythm is very repetitive but sooooo important to creating the Latin groove. The RH uses an A minor triad to start, but then all the other triads are major (Ab, G, Gb, F). Count slow and steady for HT.
Sara
Air in Bb – Great! I wrote an M where you had a memory lapse.
Sonatina in C – Love the dynamics. Don’t go so fast you lose control.
Nighttime – Watch the staccatos! It will help the pulse.
Cloud Dance – I like your crescendos, but make sure they Go To the first quarter note, and don’t build to nothing. Nothing should sound brash, think clouds!
Ballade – Lovely dynamics!!! Make sure the rest is the fermata, before you enter the C major section.
Spot check your solid triads.
Marco
Sightreading practice. Remember the most important thing is to Just Keep Going! Get as many details as you can, but prioritize a steady pulse and correct rhythms over perfect note accuracy. Getting the general shape of the melody and correct beginning and ending notes gets the bulk of the points.
Minuet – Good job! The opening line is going to seem awkwardly slow compared to how the rest of the piece goes, and that is correct! It is setting the stage in a basic way, before you add flourishes to it! Start slow so that the 8th notes are the correct “ratio” to the quarter notes. I drew a coffee cup to tell you to stop having a coffee break at that spot (they are all 8th notes so they should be the same length). No hesitation :)
The Snake – Beauty! Tuck the thumb under in the LH where I circled to make that line smooth.
Song of the Dark Woods – Great memory! Your dynamics are great, in the LH make sure the last note of each line is thick and not staccato.
Morning Fanfare – This was the best I’ve heard it yet! Congrats!
Here is some fingering charts for the minor scales to help you.
Daniel
Sightreading needs extra work for you to feel confident! Remember, a steady pulse and vague melodic shape is WAY better than a performance with correct notes and no sense of pulse. It will NOT be perfect, but you can try and get as much as you can:) Use this YouTube video
Breezy – Lovely. I wrote a big M where you had a memory lapse. Notice how each repetition is different so that that mistake doesn’t happen again, we don’t want to accidently cut out half the song! It’s an easy mistake.
Entree – Nice. When you are focused on getting the LH beat 3-4 ending timing correct, you get it! Don’t let yourself play this on autopilot. Start thinking of memorizing.
The Wind – Nice improvement! I like your crescendo in the triad section, remember to use the correct fingering. You fixed the octaves in the ending line too, nice work.
Big improvement of your scales! Do not let up on them, it is just over 2 more weeks that you got to keep them in tip top shape and then you can relax for summer!
Periwinkle – I’ll hear next week.
Greta
Please call the RCM to see about an exam date switch. I will also call if you do not find success,
Minuet in F – Better rhythms! Keep your eye on the page and try and play without any hesitations.
Follow the Leader – Nice job fixing most of the staccatos. There are still some more to notice. Practice in chunks to eliminate the pauses while you figure out which section comes next. Play along with this.
Red Satin Jazz – Nice! Keep your eyes on the page to make sure you are getting every note (like the last measure of page 1). Start speeding it up bit by bit. This is on the faster side of our goal tempo range.
Detectives – Notes are solid! Put it hands together now. Listen here and play along, even hands seperate.