Duet/Pedagogy Question
My sibling duo (7 and 10) - are prepping for our studio recital... and I always have them do a duet. Yesterday was my first in-person lesson with them since the pandemic started... I feel as if Alex is burying his sister, even with having him back off a bit. Technique wise, do you suggest I try to have him play more staccato so he can't hold his notes as long, and allow her notes to ring better? These two have so much potential, I feel blessed to be able to lead them... They practice so much and have a great synergy.
ANY of your wonderful advice would be great! Recorded ZOOM recital is on 6/13 - I will be recording them the week prior. Thanks so much!!
https://youtu.be/tplYPiFMaMg
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Denise
Very nice and I enjoyed listening to these two!
So my main comment is this: for Alex, his solos sound good dynamically but when his sister begins playing, his Right hand is a bit too loud and sustained. Yes, playing more staccato, but more importantly, softer and lighter would be ideal. ESPECIALLY when she is playing the melody at the beginning as the registers are close together. When she goes up the octave the balance becomes quite a bit better. Perhaps Alex's right hand could be a bit softer, and she could play slightly louder too? I would also suggest playing a little slower actually! That way the March rhythm can really be felt with confidence, with the added benefit of giving Alex's sister the opportunity to apply more strength to her melody in order to separate from Alex's music. This video is wonderful and we could use this as a submission to the virtual masterclass series if you would like more feedback as well!
Just a few thoughts right now though! Congratulations to them and you!
Dominic
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Dominic
Hey Dominic,
Sorry for the delay. First I wanted to check with Alex and Paulina's parents to see if it would be ok. (yes, they are thrilled that they are considered). And second, I've been swamped juggling finals, resuming in-house lessons, and adding 5 brand new students to the fold! No complaints here!! Just busy!
I had a lesson with the two of them yesterday and I had them slow down to 100 bpm with the metronome and then had them play together without. It came in around 105...ish. But they definitely incorporated the above feedback. (I read your comment earlier this week, I swear!)
Now that they are back in-person I am also having them unlearn bad habits... you will notice on the repeat, Alex misses his articulation on a few notes on his scale run. He and I had a discussion about it prior. I suggested he practice his scales quietly staccato. However, Jason says his fingers are just weak. So, I am a bit in a quandry. He does the same at times in Solfegietto (CPE)... Both are very talented, and stand outs in my humble studio. Parents are 100% behind them and ensure they practice. They LOVE music. Have an understanding of theory I wish I had as a child... (although sometimes I fear I overwhelm them with it... as they are 10 and 7!) Typically, all I have to do is say, "Can you tell me why you played it that way?" Then, "Why don't you try this?" and they do. Given corrective feedback, the assimilate and fix... Challenge them, and they rise to it. I definitely want to nurture their talent.
I will upload this weeks recording soon. I just have to render it in YouTube while I am between students.Thanks for considering using them for a MC. The arrangement is from TomPlay. They usually play standard rep, but Paulina's method had an arrangement of the March Militaire that was absolutely BLAND, so I looked for a duet they could have fun with.
~Denise
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Denise Definitely an improvement! The tempo is much better, and the balance is great! Wonderful improvement! And yes we are working on introducing "students of tonebase users" into our masterclass format, so stay tuned!
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