Hello everyone :) Thanks for your time spent practicing!

Fiona

You’re working on Panda Party. The most important part of this piece is hearing the difference between the staccato and the legato. Be very picky with this! On the first note that is legato you can dip your wrist down into it, and then float your wrist up on the second legato note.

Have a great trip this weekend and then get some practicing in each weekday until I see you again :)

Marita

You’re working on the first 8 measures of Song of the Dark Woods. Notice how the LH D is tied for 3 whole measures, just play it once then hold it down. Use the written fingering for the top LH notes, the finger 2 plays the Bb like we did today, think of it like pivoting and not like stretching. The fingering for the RH melody is there to help you, use the 1-3-1 like they say. Start quiet and follow the shape of the phrase = louder as it gets higher and then quieter as it lowers back down.

Great job figuring out those Christmas tunes by ear today! I will have Christmas pieces for you next week.

Sara

Great job with the Clair de Lune pop arrangement, just hold the LH half notes longer so we get to hear their sound mix with the RH notes.

For Arctic Voices, I still would like the opening LH chords to be thicker and take longer. Also where it says subito pianissimo that means *suddenly* quiet, work to add this in.

Shift your focus to Arabesque this week before we record it. Keep working to have the LH be quiet like a backing track in the A section. Think about squishing the keys rather than like hitting them, and maybe that will help. I’m excited to hear it again next week.

For the Coraline song, do whatever you like! It’s for your enjoyment so explore the bass notes and then the orange ones I highlighted that are the singers. Note the key signature, it has Cb.

Julian

You’re working on the Elf’s Silver Hammer. This piece is very percussive, like we are making the sounds that the Elf’s hammer makes as he does blacksmith stuff. Therefore our notes are light and staccato, or accented and strong. You did a great job playing this as a duet with me today while you learnt the LH. Learn the hands seperate first and then put them together. Make sure when you play two notes at the same time, that they are played at the exact same time and they don’t split.

Have fun putting Jingle Bells in different keys!

Sina

You’re working on French Lullaby. The hands move in parallel (same) motion. Be aware of the form and follow the red text – it goes beginning to end, back to the beginning and play until Fine (end of line 2).

Really good job naming the landmark notes today!

See if you can figure out Jingle Bells by ear starting on E and only using the C 5-finger scale notes this week.

*** As we reach the end of his method book, I would like to move into this book next. ***