Group 3
Improve your Chopin Ornaments in Two Weeks with Jarred Dunn!
When playing Chopin, we face a tremendous challenge in using ornamentation to enhance musical expression. In this two-week intensive, we will learn how to make Chopin ornaments easier to play by targeting technical skills used in effortless trills, turns, grace notes, and arpeggiated chords. We will look at specific examples in Chopin's Mazurkas
Assignments
Your videos should show all three assignments!
- Learn over snap movement: practice for five mins per day on arpeggiated chords in Mazurka op.50 no.1
- Trills : the one I show is a preparatory step, because it鈥檚 a short trill. Try this movement of changing the key place with fingers 2-4-3 on many different locations/keys. Do this also for five mins per day.
- Grace notes: same as above, try grace notes on different keys, with forward arm movement.
Fellow Participants in Group 3:
Natalie Peh
springgrass
Hannahong
Tammy
Scott Nguy峄卬
Sarah Pirrotte
Gary Hamer
Leah Olson
Angela
Gillian
Some tonebase productions to get you started
Penelope Roskell on Developing Cantabile Playing
Course: Jarred Dunn on Crafting Scales
Wrist Movement: A Pianist's Secret Weapon with Norman Krieger
Arpeggios Regiment with Jeffrey Biegel
How to get the most out of this course
- Start by watching the introduction video and practice the passages given in the video.
- Write a post where you have been struggling with ornaments in Chopin's music!
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Tuesday July 26 10:00 PST (13:00 EST/19:00 CEST)
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Follow this link for the second week's assignments with Jarred Dunn!
https://piano-community.tonebase.co/t/x2hww25/week-2-new-applications
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I signed up for this intensive because it was well-timed. I'm polishing Op 9, No 2 and starting Op 9, No 1 with my teacher.
I struggle with turns. I don't know if it's a technical issue, or more a matter of shaping and timing. I think I rush through them because I tense up, and it sounds less musical than I would like.
I also struggle with coming out of a trill. My teacher suggests that I work backwards, starting on the arrival note and then slowly adding on one note at a time, being careful to shape the notes. We're also working on playing trills in different ways, for example with a more brilliant sound or with a gentle, almost sleepy sound.
Thanks for focusing on gesture--that's a good tip!
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Here's my baseline video. Things I noticed:
The first time I played the arpeggiated chord, I played it the way I normally would. I like Jared's gesture better. It's more relaxed and comfortable for my wrist, especially at the base of the thumb. I also think coming over the top gives a much better angle of attack for the thumb, which will give me more control.I did the same for the trill--played it the way I normally would using fingers 2-3-2. Using those two fingers meant I tightened up at the knuckles and just used the fingers. The 2-4-3 fingering Jared suggested kept my hand more relaxed, which I think gives a sweeter sound.
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Leah Olson that's nice, and I agree on the 2-4-3 fingering. It is excellent, so comfortable to play with!
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Leah Olson I was happy to see your arpeggiated chords. Your movements for grace notes (m. 12, Op. 50 nr. 2) are good - they give a clear impression of the rest between the notes. When you use arm motion to drive your hand forward during grace notes, check that your 5th finger isn't tensing.
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Hi Jarred, I am so sorry I can鈥檛 make to the zoom in person for group 3. I have medical emergency! I am very sorry about that!
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Hi Jarred, hi everyone,
I made the recording last night
Thanks for showing us the gesture in your video, it is helpful.
For the arpeggiated chords, should the middle note in the 2nd chord be held, or released as soon as it is played, like the bottom note?
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Natalie Peh judging by your video, I suggest letting the pedal hold the chords. I'd recommend making sure 4th and 5th fingers don't tighten when playing the double grace notes. Good exercises transposing into other keys.
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Natalie Peh Great idea on transposing! I'll have to try that.
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Jarrer Dunn thanks very much, Jarred. I will work on it
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Leah Olson I thought the assignment notes said to play in different keys. Do try it, it's an interesting exercise!
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Hi Jarred, Thank you so much for this two week intensive lesson. Scott is working on Chopin - Etude 10-3 and found your tips on playing trills very useful. He asked me to upload this recording. We hope to get your feedback to help him improve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6dHXOECX3U
Many thanks!
Scott's dad
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Scott Nguy峄卬 You're welcome! Glad to hear Scott's playing. I'll address my comments to 1:15 in the video. Using forward arm motion is the right idea and in the first few grace note passages Scott is doing it well. But in C-sharp minor (1:25-33) the forward movement is going backwards - change this to the forward motion.
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Jarrer Dunn Thank you very much, Jarred! I will let him know! Hai
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Scott Nguy峄卬 Beautiful playing! Thank you for sharing.
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Scott Nguy峄卬 thanks for sharing the video, nice listening to Scott's playing
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Hey everybody, don't forget today's Zoom Call with Jarred!
Zoom Check-In: Tuesday July 26 10:00 PST (13:00 EST/19:00 CEST)
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martin Jarrer Dunn I'm so sorry, Jarred, I converted the time and set my alarm wrongly.
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I'm heading out on vacation, so here's a quick update. I don't know how much I've "improved" in the last week, but I definitely have some tips that I like and can work on. I personally have to drill a new skill at a slow speed for a looooong time before it becomes natural. Otherwise, as soon as I pick up speed and think about the larger whole, I pop back into my old habit.
The arpeggiated chords are from the Bach-Siloti Prelude in E minor. For the ornaments, I left out the 2-4-3 fingering, but kept the gesture. In this particular piece, the fingering we looked at in the Mazurka felt cumbersome to me--I kept tripping over it. I'm open to comments, though. I see that my pinky does stick out at that odd angle--like I'm at a tea party. My teacher has mentioned this as well, but I can't figure out how to change it. It's a deeply ingrained habit at this point and doesn't feel tense in my hand. I can keep it close to the keyboard if I focus on that the entire time I'm playing, but I'm not sure if it's worth the time it would take to retrain my brain. Again, open to comments :-)
Thank you so much!
Leah
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Leah Olson have a great vacation! Bon voyage!
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Leah Olson first video: good slurring especially your attention to two-note slurs. About the short trills in op9 nr2 - you鈥檙e working well and improvement shows. When you finish a trill, let your arm feel the inertia/follow through of the inward movement made during the trill itself. This lets your hand sense where the next note will be without having to stop and plan it. Arpeggiated chords in the Bach-Siloti are great, your thumbs are moving down with your arm and there鈥檚 a good alignment. Your sound good softer and more delicate.
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Hi Jarred, hi everyone,
I haven鈥檛 learnt or played any Chopin in a very very long time, so this is a really great challenge for me. I'm really glad I started learning to play Chopin's Mazurka Opus 50, No 2, though I don't think I will be able to get the whole of it to a reasonable level within the 2 week intensive. I will learn the rest of it and keep practising it as it is quite a beautiful piece.
For now, please do forgive my slip ups. It is still very much a work in progress, and I appreciate your comments:
Thanks very much
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Natalie Peh I鈥檓 glad you learned so much of op50 nr. 2 and are coming back to Chopin! Good progress on your ornaments. I would suggest learning thoroughly the bass and chords, while singing the soprano. This鈥檒l help you get the foundation of the music in your ears and hands efficiently. Your short trills move better, you show arm/hand movements now. Let me know if you have any questions!
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Jarrer Dunn thanks very much for the feedback. I'm very glad to be playing Chopin again. I will work on your suggestion for learning up the piece effectively. I truly appreciate all the comments.
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Natalie Peh I think your playing sounds elegant, and fits the piece so well! Very good wrist motion. I'd love to hear it again after you've had more time to work on it
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