Archive for Lessons

Exercises n.55-56-57 Beyer op.101 Lesson n.35

// August 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons, Videos

Beyer is becoming more and more difficult!!. Exercises n. 52-53-54 have introduced new obstacles, like the bass clef!!. Now, in this new compositions we have to study the bass clef for the left hand, even in a gradual way. Ine each ex. the same notes are proposed both for bass clef that  treble clef. So, it would easier to understand the differences between the two ways of reading, and, as the study goes on, to get used to the bass clef  that in the totality of piano sheets in linked to left hand.

Well, now let’s concentrate!

Ex. 55 uses the notes the  5 notes  from C to G for the right hand , at the contrary, the left hand mutates its positions several times, in particular in the changes from the bass clef to treble clef and vice versa. You will have to move your left hand!!.

Ex.56. Right hand is positioned from G to D, the same for left hand. The important thing is the (more…)

Exercises n.52-53-54 Betyer Op.101 Lesson n.34

// July 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons, Videos

I hope you don’t think Beyer is easy. I know that the last exercises were not very complex to deal with. But now it’s time to face the n. 52-53 and the troublemaker n. 54.
N.52 has the original element to be in  6/8 time. In the lesson about simple and compound times,we have talked about  6/8 without going deep into it.. The 6/8 time is divided in  2 beats or movements, composed of  6 eights. In each movement we will have to play 3 notes of an eight:the rhythmic reading of the left hand, for example, is (ta-ta-ta) (ta-ta-ta). (in the case of 4/4 the corresponding figure would be the triplet). The important thing would be to play the three notes of the left hand each time the metronome beats. Essential is to play it SLOWLY.

N.53 is short but quite hard, in particular for the left hand that has to drop after the 4th beat in G to the middle C from the standard position . The right hand has no tricks or technical problems.

N.54 will give you an hard time. Apart the movements of the left hand, the right in the final bar makes a change of an octave…  and the  bass clef is introduced.

The bass clef  is represented graphically by an inverted  6  (originally the F, the F of FA) with 2 i is used to indicate the lowest notes and simplify the reading. (more…)

Exercise n.50-51 Beyer op.101 Lesson n.33

// May 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons, Videos

Sorry for the delay (I’m awfully sorry), but university and some other problems forced me to stop for a while. Now.. come back to work!! :)

Our dear  Beyer propose us exercises n. 50 and 51, the first is quite easy… the second shows some obstacles.

Number 50 is set up as the previous 3, in which the left hand touches B with the 5th finger. The tempo is quite confortable,take it easy.

N. 51 ,instead, is a  moderato, and must be executed at  about 100 bmp, and there are some passages, like  for the right hand from the D to B (2-1)or for the left, in the 8th bar, from G to  sol un ottava più basso (1-5).A way to better understand these passages it’s necessary to study deeply in separate hands: and in particular of the passages we have underlined!

Here you some videos!

Exercises n.47-48-49 Beyer op.101 Lesson n.32

// May 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons, Uncategorized

Hello everybody! today we are going to make some more practice focusing on the evolution we have underlined in the  last exercises. I’ll just tell you the most important and crucial difficulties you could come across during each exercise.

Number 47: Right hand lies on the 5 notes, from C to G. Left hand ,instead, covers 6 notes from G to E. You will be forced to be more flexible and move from your static position.

At each interruption of the binding notes, raise your hands (slightly)

Number 48, even though it is quite simple, it could result a bit complex from a rhythmic point of view, and because of the left hand, which touches note B with the 5th finger. If you have some doubts about the value of the note, you can look at the first  picture that shows the value with a different graphic, the binding notes.

Number 49: pay attention at the left hand: it covers 7 notes, from B to A. The hand stays in the classic position of 5 notes, from C to G, but sometimes the 5th finger goes to B and 1st finger to A.

Study with separate hands and then, with the help of a metronome, play with both.

Exercises n.45 and 46 Beyer Op.101 – Lesson n.31

// May 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons

It’s my fault, I know….. if you have missed Beyer… but here we are!!. Your sweet and fascinating new exercises!! N. 45 and 46 will be a great divertissement during this week… you will have to face the eights!!

Ex. n.45  is quite banal and obvious, n. 46, istead, shows some new elements.Untill now our 2 hands, once set on the keyboard, didn’t have to move during the exercise because you were able to reach each single note you needed: one for each finger.In this case, the left hand will have to move in order to cover six notes( fromB to G). There are some news about the refrain too. The 2 horizontal brackets at the end of the sheet, numbered 1 and 2 mean that: during the first execution  you have to  play the bar n.1, while the second  time  you have to play  measure n.2.

Pay attention and don’t be in hurry.

a big hug to everyone!! :)

Exercise n.44 Beyer Op.101 – Lesson n.30

// April 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons

N.44 is a easy four-hands  exercise, which helps to introduce two new elements:  the sign  8——– and the eights.

The sign  8—– is usually written above the pentagram and the notes above which it is positioned must be played an octave more . At the end of  ——  the notes follow their natural position.

The eights instead last an octave, half of a crotchet ( semiminima). They will be doubly faster than those of previous exercises (41-42-43).

In this exercise all the values we have studied are proposed again. From whole note to quaver, gradually growing on speed. It’s crucial to keep time, count the lenght of values, in order to play synchronously 4 handss.

Left and right hand play the same note, so you don’t have problems. I recommend to pay attention to the length of values. If you don’t have a metronome, buy one.

Czerny Op.777 – 24 exercises on 5 notes

// April 28th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // easy pieces, Lessons, Uncategorized

For those people who have  recently started studying piano, a different, very effective way, to follow, could be the ‘op. 777 by Czerny. Composed for  didactic puroposes, it gathers a series of exercises designed expressly to move around the 5 notes. First in the key of C , then G, D and F major.

In reality the hand cover more than the 5 notes, in particular the left one, but it’s not difficult. The exercises are really catchy and I am sure that if you  play all you will improve enormously your skills.

Perhaps in the future I would make some videos of these exercises, in the meanwhile here you are the piano sheets.

HERE

Exercises n.41, 42 and 43 Beyer Op.101 – Lesson n.29

// April 19th, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons, Videos

Oh my God how high they are! I’m not talking about the legs of a pretty miss,but about the notes of exercises n. 41-42-43 of Beyer. Our dear friend,  Beyer has decided to fly over the keyboards: if you have a good memory (and you must have!!), in the last exercises we were concentrated on G, now we will work on an higher note, A. Obviously we will move to an higher level at maximum of 5 notes (the so-called “5 fingers”)

To recognise and play these notes could a little problem at the beginning, but if we think about  , they are the same both for the left and the right and with an octave of distance. So, you can follow this path: if you find it difficult to read too high notes, take a look at those of the left hand lines, they are clearer and……. correspond.

I hope I was clear enough

I remember that I spent few hours on these 3 exercises, because I had to follow my teacher: it’s four hands piece!

No evolution about technics here. So be brave, try and try and you will succeed!

Exercise n.38,39 and 40 Beyer op.101- Lesson n.28

// April 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Beyer, Lessons


Going on with new exercises: the 38th, the 39th and the 40th follow  37′s footsteps. The hands must be positioned in the same way of exercise n.37,  with both hands on the  5  notes from G to  D awith the distance of an octave.Hands must not move from this position.

The only relevant difficulty  is learning to read new notes and hand moving. The execution of C, for example, depended upon the first finger of the right hand (in the previous exercises untill the 31st) and the fifth of the left; now we have to use the fourth finger of the right hand and the second  finger of the left.It is important to spend some time to  play the right notes with the right fingers. My advice is to play with separated hands trying hard to use the left hand , whose actions usually are more complex. The technique is the same, there won’t be evolutions. At the contrary, the moderato makes it confortable .

Listen to them, I will post the videos as soon as I can !


My first five-fingers piece – “In May” – F. Behr – Lesson no. 27

// March 24th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // easy pieces, Lessons, Videos

At long last, after more than 30 training exercises, we are ready to perform a five-fingers piece. An unknown but quite easy piece: “In May” by F. Behr. As I have already written above, the notes we are going to use are only 5 (from C to G), with some rare exceptions for the left hand. In fact, this hand slightly “skids” towards low-pitched notes, touching B with the 5st finger, and towards high-pitched notes, touching A with the 1st finger.

Shifting your left hand from the basic position is the only new complexity you are going to run into, but pay attention, traps are everywhere. Above all, focus on the last three measures of the second line. Watch out!

One last recommendation: I suggest you to study the piece with separate hands first, giving more importance to left hand, above all during the initial stage. When you will be in top gear, try to join your hands, studying slowly and going on extremely calmly.

Here’s the score…

…and the video of a performance.