Group 5
Welcome to the latest TWO WEEK INTENSIVE on tonebase!
For the next two weeks either start learning OR take a Chopin mazurka in your repertoire to the next level through guidance and assignments from Jarred Dunn! Learn about stylistic advice, aspects of the dance and more!
Pianists of all levels are welcome.
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Assignment #1: Seeing the Mazurka
1) Watch Mazurka Dance Lessons 1, 2, and 3:
http://www.tance.edu.pl/en/lessons/show/dance/720
-Pay close attention to Lesson 3: the lesson builds rhythms from what we hear as a Waltz into a clear accent on 2nd beat, 3rd beat, and both 2nd/3rd beats
2) Learn one Mazurka
Choose one from the following suggested opuses for the whole TWI.
Week 1: Practice the LH:
-Op. 6 nr. 1, nr. 2
-Op. 7 nr. 1, nr. 2
-Op. 24 nr. 1 or 2
-Op. 30 nr. 1 or 2
-Op. 67 any
- or a different mazurka
Practice Activities:
a) Identify/mark all articulation in LH parts.
b) Clap the rhythm, emphasize accents and count aloud (speak louder for accented beats, eg. "one, Two, THREE" or "one, TWO, Three" etc.)
c) Identify/mark any unknown harmonic shifts or chords.
d) Find all cadences and notice unfamiliar accents (beat 2).
e) Voice tops of chords in LH or find a moving line (could be the middle notes of a chord that change).
f) Use RH for chords and LH for bass lines.
g) Circle any rests/pauses - they need to be heard.
Upload videos of your LH practicing/playing.
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ASSIGNMENT 2
Second Assignment: Continue your new Mazurka
Week 2: Practice the RH:
Listen to instruments, timbres, and moods in the following:
Kujawiak: https://youtu.be/RjV1bpxi0bc
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego: https://youtu.be/mTx45S-dQmQ?t=4
Chopin Mazurkas/Folk Mazurkas: https://youtu.be/n8OyddwnVbE
Look For/Listen For:
a) Learn the soprano part (melody), always sing/scream with it when you play. Think of dancers in this video: https://youtu.be/p6svoYBEWCs?t=10
b) Add ornaments after you learned the rhythms of the melody.
c) Dotted rhythms and triplets must sound distinctly different (no slackened dotted-eighth/sixteenths).
d) Accents on beats two and three can be subtle: try different levels of pressure/weight on the keys, to create at least four different accent types: sudden accent, leaning/swaying accent, light accent, heavy accent.
e) Remember that recording yourself is the best way to find out if you're actually doing what you intend. Record your melodic playing/singing/screaming whenever you practice.
Upload videos of your RH practicing/playing.
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- Sign-Up : starting July 14
- Course Period: July 17-31
- Class Size: ALL are welcome!
- Optional check-In via Zoom: July 27th 9am PT
CHECK IN VIDEO!
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Here is my LH only practice of Op 67/2 (without pedal). With this one and 67/4 (which I hope to post soon too), I struggle with the Mazurka rhythm (not turning it into a waltz).
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Vidhya Bashyam sounds nice, Vidhya! You’ve picked a great opus!
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Juan Carlos Olite Thanks! Can’t wait to hear your Mazurkas!
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Natalie Peh Thanks! Enjoying Op67!
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Here is Op 67. nr and 2. The first one is played with LH only first, then with both hands. The 67 nr 2 is just both hands.
Lot's to do with these ones, especially the first one is a bit tricky (and my brain was tired today!)
What tempo is needed in 67/1? It says Vivace and 160 on the quarter note in Paderewski and Henle, but nothing in Ekier...
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Sindre Skarelven Sounds lovely! I am keeping the first one for last.
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Sindre Skarelven quints in the first phrase of mazurka phrase are voiced well; mm. 1-4 could be louder. This Przyśpiewka phrase (=introductory steps, harmonic tune, ditty) is rather brash. 0:53 good dynamics! Consider the forte-piano alternations as follows: (1) forte groups are instruments + singers all playing/singing together very loudly; (2) piano groups are just singers OR instruments with softer responses to the loud part. I'll listen shortly to your melody too!
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Jarred Dunn Thanks Jarred! I will keep these images in mind and work on this!
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Sindre Skarelven your new piano sounds great and so do you! Thank you for posting. I’m loving the mazurkas more and more each day.
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Sindre Skarelven your piano sounds great! well played, too!
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Monika Tusnady Andrea Buckland Thank you so much! I’m glad you like it! I’m very happy with it :D
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Sindre Skarelven Listened to your Op. 67 nr. 2 - nice lilts (kołysania) in the kujawiak (g minor first section). Second part, the mazurek, in B-flat major, needs more verve through the grace notes (think of the tarka/kołatka - percussive thumping instruments with fast attacks). In the sequence of fifths you have great soft playing which would probably be more fulfilling if you try different dynamics that build a long phrase = harmonies are more colourful. Nice lilts again in the end - you've obviously listened to some good Mazurka players. Swetnie!
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Jarred Dunn Thanks again, Jarred! I will work on this!
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Sindre Skarelven Sounds great, Sindre! You play this mazurka with a beautiful and warm-hearted style.
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Sindre Skarelven nicely played, Sindre! The piano sounds lovely too! Look forward to hearing you play the other mazurkas from Opus 67!
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Vidhya Bashyam Thanks Vidhya! Sounds like a great plan!
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Juan Carlos Olite Natalie Peh Many thanks Juan Carlos and Natalie! What a great intensive this is!
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Sindre Skarelven Beautiful and touching <3
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Paula Alizo Thank you so much, Paula! :)
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Hi Mazurkophiles / Cześć mazurkofile! I want to thank you for your videos, questions, and general participation this week. I’m enjoying this TWI and hope you are learning a lot!
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Jarred Dunn Absolutely! All the feedback (and so fast!!) is just fantastic!!
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Jarred Dunn Having a great time in this immersive experience! Enjoying learning more about Mazurkas and Polish too! Also, really appreciate the feedback.
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Jarred Dunn thanks for all the feedback and the reference material too! I can't say enough how engaging this.intensive has been. The dance videos and the instruments link, as well, were amazing. I am definitely bookmarking this intensive for later on, to go through the comments on the other mazurkas.
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Here are my videos for Mazurka 67/4. First one is LH alone. Second one is both hands practice. Thanks again for your feedback!
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Vidhya Bashyam o wiele lepiej (generally better) - the idea of hanging on longer to beat 2 clarifies the dance type. In your final version of this, make sure the second beat isn't a half note but just a slightly elongated quarter (trio in A same situation). Video with melody: less pedal would be more effective in transitions and phrase endings; use the pedal to taper the melody more delicately as if the melody is a soft fabric and you are touching only its lining. Trill fingering: harpsichord-style fingering (1-3-2; 2-4-3 rather than alternating between the same fingers). I'll show this in the Zoom meeting or feel free to follow up if you have any questions. Accents on third beats require more attention and you can explore both the usual accent with emphasis on one note and the expressivo/leaning (oprzeć) accent that has a more lyrical character. A little more rough around the edges in dominant bars would be better than your pedal legato: this mazurka has an edge to it, an almost bitter resignation to the harsher realities outside its nocturne like trio.
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Jarred Dunn Will keep working on the mazurka rhythm. I really like the pedal analogy. I am doing 243 on the trills in m2/m4 (though I am sure it can be executed much better)- were you referring to these or other measures for the trill fingering? Regardless will pay more attention to it. Thanks for clarifying the mood of the Mazurka. Curious if you have a favorite interpretation of this? Bardzo dziękuję!
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