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!
189 replies
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Hi my mazurka friends! I'm playing Op 7, no 2 for this assignment. Looking forward to learning more about mazurkas!
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Welcome Everyone! Witaj (PL = welcome)! I'm happy to see so many of you wanting to improve your Chopin Mazurka playing. I'm going to start replying to comments now and hope to see your work soon!
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Here are first attempts at the two mazurkas I'm working on:
Op. 24 Nr. 2, first attempt: https://youtu.be/8SE0ZNC1vpc
Op. 7 Nr. 1, first attempt: https://youtu.be/ACi-D8HK4eM
(This is also my first attempt at uploading to YouTube.)
Looking forward to suggestions for improvement!
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Hello! I have not played a Chopin Mazurka before so need to find a good one to work on for an advanced intermediate player. Any suggestions?
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Mazurka op 7 no 2... Thought I would submit something early so that I can correct anything that's obviously wrong - if anyone sees anything please let me know!
3 sections of slow practice. Just getting a handle on the notes, and where the pulse should be. Not in any way fluid yet.
Section 1 - https://youtu.be/O2N-if8QDZs
Section 2 - https://youtu.be/GWltod4xRCY
Section 3 - https://youtu.be/T03Pp3mucJc
And then I noticed we are only supposed to be practicing the left hand! Phew....
So here it is as a first start. In the third section the emphasis seems to shift from the second beat to the third beat for a while. Hope that is correct.
Here is the left hand only https://youtu.be/s3_6N_Rhmvw
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UWAGA! ATTENTION!
Polskie Instrumenty Ludowe / Polish Folk Instruments click below to hear and see!
https://folk.instruments.edu.pl/pl/instrumenty/categories/category/316
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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).