Short Story - B section HT

Sometimes this passage of LH scales and RH chords comes naturally to a student, and sometimes one has trouble figuring out how exactly they fit together.  And then there is the tricky business of making the beautiful sweeping B section line up with measure 15, which you have worked so hard on already!

Just take a breath, listen to the CD and let your hands try it out.  If that doesn't work, here is a quick clip that might help you out if you can't remember how it worked in your lesson this past week!

Ecossaise, LHA - Suzuki 1

Congratulations!  You've started Suzuki Book 2!  This is an exciting moment.  Luckily, we get to celebrate with a pretty exciting piece.  The thing that makes this piece sound so exciting is the staccato in the left hand.  Articulation (rests, staccatos, accents, slurs....) is very important in Book 2 and you'll find it to be very important in this piece as well.  Watch how this student plays the "jumps" and the "legatos" in the A section:

Clair De Lune LH B - Suzuki Book 1

Now, I'm sure I've taught this to you in lesson, but if you're having trouble remembering how the left hand fits with the right hand in the B section of Au Claire de la Lune, here is a little reminder:



Remember to practice hands separately first, and the left hand at this part is "half-note, half-note, rocking, rocking, D-2-3-4, stepping down."

The C Chord Progression

As you may well know, chords provide the basis of harmonic support for a melody and much of the "background" (or often in beginning music - the left hand).  This harmonic support is comprised of a progression of chords in one form or another.  Many of you will already be comfortable with the alberti bass pattern of playing chords.  (5-1-3-1)

Below is a chord progression in C in blocked form.  (That means, all the notes of the chord are played at once.)  The chord progression is I-IV-I-V-V7-I, which in the key of C is C-F-C-G-G7-C.




The chord progression should be practiced slowly, with even tone and a flexible wrist.

The C Arpeggio

In order to play much of Suzuki Book 2 and any early intermediate literature, a student needs to be able to play an arpeggio with ease.  An arpeggio outlines a triad and provides both melody and harmony in a quick, easy, and charming way to a lot of piano music.

Small hands need to be careful though, not to have an excess of stretching.  The arm should support the hand, which should support the fingers, which should all be carried along to each note.

Below is an example of a child learning the C arpeggio.  The notes are C-E-G-C with fingering for the right hand being 1-2-3-5 (coming back down with the same notes and respective fingerings).

Lightly Row, HT B section, Suzuki Book 1

Now that your child is getting more comfortable with hand independence involving legato touch, he should be zooming ahead with putting hands together on many of the pieces we've worked on hands separately!  What an exciting time!  Here is a quick refresher of how legato in the left hand and lifting in the right hand would work in the B section of Lightly Row:

Next up, French Children's Song!   And for a refresher on starting Lightly Row hands together, or how to slow down and practice that hand independence, go back to this post.
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Christmas Day Secrets, LH B section ending, Suzuki Book 1

I've already shown you how this works in lesson, but in case you or your child has forgotten the fingering we discussed, here is a quick example of how it should be played.

We are looking at the very end of the B section of Christmas Day Secrets; left hand.  The fingering should be as follows:

1     2     1     2     3
G    A    G    F     E          and the 3 on E begins the return of the A section seamlessly.