Group 1

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! 

  1.  Learn over snap movement: practice for five mins per day on arpeggiated chords in Mazurka op.50 no.1
  2. 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. 
  3. Grace notes: same as above, try grace notes on different keys, with forward arm movement. 

Fellow Participants in Group 1:

Ferdinand

HENRIQUE ALMEIDA

Ko

Vidhya Bashyam

Emma Shi

Tom

Sindre Skarelven

Serene

Roy

priscillayam

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)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85276295465

 

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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 love the idea of motion helping relax the hands and improve the sound. After practicing from the mazurka examples, I tried to apply it to Chopin鈥檚 Prelude #21, which I just started learning recently. All the same ornament examples are in the first two lines.  Other Chopin pieces with ornaments I have struggled with: 1- the turn in measure three of the op 9/2 nocturne. I never was happy with the sound. 2- just difficult- the trills in measures 52-54 of op 55/2 nocturne.

    Like 1
    • Vidhya Bashyam I'd be happy to discuss your other Chopin ornament examples (op. 9 nr.2, Op. 55 nr. 2). Let me know if you have specific questions!

      Like 1
    • Jarrer Dunn Will post those nocturne ornaments with questions. Thanks. I also recorded my ornament practice from the Mazurkas. I hope I am following your methodology correctly. Thanks again.

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  • Here is an excerpt from Chopin Nocturne Op 9 No 2鈥eed help making the ornament in measure 3 sound better. It feels clunky/inconsistent.

    Like 1
    • Vidhya Bashyam your hand is crowding and fingers are isolating on the ornament you mentioned. If you watch your video in slow motion you'll see this more easily - first step would be to keep your hand free in the first two notes of the ornament and gradually increase speed in the triplets (this happens naturally in the rhythm if you slow the tempo a bit at the first two notes). Your fingering can also be more fluid: I recommend 14231 for this passage.

      Like 1
    • Ko
    • Enko
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thank you for this learning opportunity and introducing those Mazurkas for me. I always struggled to get Chopin's rubato style( rubato rhythm?? Mood??)

    I wonder if you can give me any tips to understand his style. I have no idea when I have to play with rubato in Chopin usually.

    Also please correct my ornaments playing.

    I started to practice op 50 no.1. yesterday.

    As always I can not get Chopin's rubato style unlike other composers( Beethoven..). I looked for Polish Mazurka dances again according to your other tonebase masterclass advice.  Your tonebase classes inspired and taught me greatly.

    Appreciate your help

     

    https://youtube.com/shorts/1CoGDJghzxA?feature=share

     

    https://youtube.com/shorts/t4Y10-l2H8I?feature=share

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    • Ko the first arpeggiated chord can land  down on the thumb rather than to the side (op. 50 nr. 1). Grace notes: try not to clench fingers, especially 5th. Think of the graces as part of the main line rather than a special and separate movement - it's more fluidly connected and singable music. The movements I showed for grace notes are meant to free your hand and keep your fingers in close contact with the keys without tension. You're already most of the way there, just analyze a bit more how much smaller the movement can be so the sound is more integrated with the main notes.

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      • Ko
      • Enko
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Jarred Dunn Thank you so much for your zoom meeting. Unfortunately, during that time I missed to write down what you provided on chatting place (my cell phone was too small) I wonder if you can let me know it. 

      Appreciate it.

      Like
    • Ko the group was writing the name of the pianist they were discussing: Katarzyna Popowa-Zydro艅. Also writing down the name of a book about Chopin: Ornamentation in Chopin by John Dunn.

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      • Ko
      • Enko
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Jarred Dunn Thank you so much.
      After the zoom meeting, on my note, I found " Shosa Kalson" I do not know why I wrote down it. I tried to look up the Internet but no answer. Maybe it is my mistake. Maybe I tried to write down your teacher's name.


      Your teacher, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydro艅, I really enjoyed her playing. I tried to listened to it again yesterday, through YouTube.
      Appreciate it.

      Like
    • Hannahong
    • Hannahong
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Dominic, this is Hannah. I belong to group 3. I have medical emergency so I can鈥檛 join the zoom tomorrow. I just let you know so that someone can join if that is not too late of the notice! I am very sorry about that!

    Like
  • 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)

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85276295465

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  • Hi Jarred, and everyone! Thank you for the great zoom session today, Jarred. Very inspiring and great that you are taking the time to do this!   
    I've practiced the exercises, and made a little video earlier today. I also featured some excerpts in the video of some ornaments from Chopin pieces. Wondering how I should practice to improve. 

    It's the quick trills from the Major-section in the A minor Waltz (posth.). I may tense up a bit there. 

    Then I played some of the fioraturas from Nocturne Bbm Op. 9 no. 1. Wondering about tips to make them better. You gave a great tip in the zoom-meeting there! 

    Then the trill I mentioned in the zoom session, Nocturne Eb Op.9 nr 2. Here I started on the upper note, but you cleared out that starting on the main note is the better option there. Sometimes I can make a good trill there, but other times I think it sounds bad, so I'm wondering how I should work with it. I want to make a good trill every time! 

     

    Thank you so much for your time! 

    Like 1
    • Sindre Skarelven for the arpeggiated chords (0:00 - 0:30) I suggest coming down with your hand onto your thumb as you play (the hand finishes in a lower position). For grace notes at (1:00 - 1:35) take a look at your 5th finger - it tightens when you play the grace notes, I suggest letting the 5th be more free. For Op. 9 nr. 1, you've almost got the fiatora, but let your bass feel flexible, no need to play in strict time in soprano. In general your ornaments can have more arm/hand movement and less finger pulling. 

      Like 1
    • Jarrer Dunn Thank you, Jarred! I will work on it! 

      Like
    • Serene
    • Serene
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Sorry I missed the zoom check in. May I know if it was recorded and if that would be made available? 
     

    This is my submission for the 1st week. I鈥檓 not sure why the video is not embedded in the post, but here鈥檚 the link. 
     

    Thank you. 
     

    https://youtube.com/shorts/cFEoj__VZos?feature=share

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    • Serene Thanks for sending! The arpeggiated chords of Op. 50 nr. 1 have G-natural in the bass. Have a closer look at your hand moving over these and coming downward onto your thumb (lower hand position on the last note of the arpeggiated chord). In Op. 50 nr. 2, your 5th finger is pulling upward most of the time - focus on letting this uncurl and use your arm/hand more than you pull your fingers inward. 

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      • Serene
      • Serene
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Jarrer Dunn thank you Jarred for your comment. I was shocked myself at how much I curled up my pinkie! I need to record my playing a bit more! 

      Like
    • Serene you鈥檙e welcome! I鈥檓 sure your teacher will have suggestions if you ask about how to uncurl the fingers, feel free to upload a new video and I鈥檒l check it! Let me know if you have any questions. 

      Like
    • Ko
    • Enko
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thank you so much. I did not know I have a tension due to curly fingers. Please let me know what I need to fix as many as possible. Thank you for your teaching and introducing Mazurka op50.

    I wonder when I play ornaments, if I need to move from elbow so fingers can automatically follow the movement or I need to move from fingers.

    Also for arpeggios, the shoulder is involved for me for playing it. I wonder if It is better to use just the lower arm ?

    Appreciate it

     

    https://youtu.be/Mr02vp1Grds

     

    https://youtu.be/57V21q_lZBM

    Like
    • Ko I would let your wrist fall more into your fingers rather than holding your hand up over the arpeggiated chords. At 1:35, I suggest a similar approach - let your thumb and wrist fall lower so your 4 and 5 can rise for the trill in soprano. About the second mazurka - much easier to comment on this - camera angle is better. Take a slower tempo, at 0:35, I suggest going forward on the trill rather than dropping wrist on the 4th finger. At 0:56 I suggest the same, change the key spot for F-G-F trill. In general when you play trills, let your hand keep moving along with fingers: your habit appears to be to move hand/wrist/arm when you play main notes and when trills come along, your hand/wrist freeze. Some grace notes your hand freezes over too - I would watch out for this! The curling fingers is much less often now, that's a great improvement - when you play fast ornaments, keep applying that freedom and I think you'll hear a change in how fluid your ornaments can sound.

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  • Hi everyone! Let's wrap up this course with a Zoom meeting - here's a link: 

    Final Meet - Chopin with Jarred Dunn

    Time: Aug 1, 2022 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada: 11:00PT, 20:00 CEST)

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88212124464

    Like
    • Ko
    • Enko
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I really appreciate it. Wow! I did not know I  played like that at all.

    Hope I fixed little bit more now. Please let me know what I need to fix it.

    I appreciate it.

     

    https://youtube.com/shorts/f2zIiITfMuU?feature=share

     

    https://youtu.be/aVNdNLaofIk

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    • Ko let鈥檚 chat about it at the zoom meeting I just posted! 

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