Minuet 1 LH B section

Very similar to the first line of the A section, the B section LH of Minuet 1 poses some difficult at times  in coordination.  The octave figure in measure 18 is very similar to the one in the A section, but teachers the student how to do the same thing in a different key.  Measure 20 is essentially the reversal of measure 18.

Here is how it would look to play this line:

Musette LH B section

Often quite difficult for a student to figure out on her own, the B section of Musette has a really fun sequence of chords in it that students enjoy practicing once they've been shown how it works.

Once the student has moved from the D minor position to the A Major position with the LH, this passage will be quite easy.  Remember that the hand stretches at the thumb like a mitten - not in between the fingers.  So, the thumb will reach up to get the F in the first chord and then return to its spot on the E.  Here is a video example of what this will look like from a student who learned it today!

A Major Pentascale

For those of you participating in The Achievement Program assessment this November, you are already working on preparing several pentascales (five note scales, which can be found using the "Start-Whole-Whole-Half-Whole" method).

Here is how the A major pentascale should be played:


If you are working towards Prep A, you need to prepare the C, G, D, and a minor pentascales (D is the only one with a black note).  If you are working towards Prep B, you need to prepare the A, E, F, e minor and d minor pentacles.

We'll work on these in lesson, but if you forget halfway through the week, watch this video again!  This should be a part of your daily practice!

A minor broken triads

For those of you participating in the Preparatory B level of the Achievement Program assessment this December, here is an example of how to practice your broken triads:


Practice this in C Major and G Major in addition to your Pentascales in A, E, F, e minor and d minor as well as your full scales in C and G.

Show me what you can do in lesson this week!

Happy Practicing!

Kuhlau Movement 1 opening - Suzuki Book 3

Sometimes all you need to do is listen to the CD.  If that isn't the case though, it helps to count and clap something, or see how two hands are coordinated together.  The opening of the Kuhlau Sonatina is sometimes one of those spots.

Here is a video of the first two measures - first the LH alone, and then the two hands together if listening to the CD is just not enough for you!

Chant Arabe HT B section ending, Suzuki Book 1

The trickiest part of Chant Arabe (once you've mastered the even sounding left hand, the subtle changes in dynamic tension in the right hand, and the coordination to keep one legato while the other one isn't) is the last two measures of the B section.

I like to teach students to imagine the second beat of that last measure as a beat that has an "air note" in the left hand.  Here is a student playing that "air note" to perfection the day he learned to put them together.  (The LH air note matches up with the first of the two Ds in the RH in that measure.)

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!