Week 3: Bring Out the Character

Welcome to Week 3 of the Beethoven Challenge!

Now that you’ve picked your piece and laid down a solid foundation, this week is all about shaping the character of your music. Beethoven gives us so many contrasts – stormy vs. tender, bold vs. intimate, lyrical vs. rhythmic. Your job now is to start making those moments speak in your own voice.

This week, focus on:

1. Identifying the emotional “scenes” in your piece
Where does the music shift? Where does the energy rise or settle? Mark it clearly.

2. Experimenting with contrast
Try leaning into the extremes: dynamics, articulation, tone color, pacing. Beethoven thrives on bold decisions.

3. Recording short excerpts—not full takes
Capture 20–30 seconds at a time to explore how your interpretive choices change the feel.

4. Sharing your discoveries
Tell the group which contrasts surprised you, which ones felt natural, and which sections still feel mysterious.