Week 2: First Impressions & Trouble Spots
Now that you've chosen your Schubert piece and spent some time with the score, it's time to share your early thoughts and challenges. Schubert’s music can be deceptively simple on the surface, but there's always something hidden in the phrasing, harmonies, or structure that invites deeper reflection.
Musical or Emotional First Impressions
What struck you when you first began working on your piece? Was it the mood, a particular modulation, the lyricism of the melody, or perhaps an unexpected harmonic twist?
What does this music say to you emotionally?
Are there any moments that feel especially personal or profound?
Trouble Spots: What’s Tripping You Up?
Every piece comes with its own set of technical or musical puzzles. Now’s the time to share:
Are there fingering passages that feel awkward or unclear?
Is voicing between the hands giving you trouble?
Are there rhythmic sections that feel unstable or hard to count?
Are you unsure how to shape certain phrases?
Use this thread to:
Ask for advice from fellow participants or mentors
Post short videos of the spots giving you trouble
Offer tips on how you’ve solved a challenge someone else might face
Bonus: Your questions will be answered by Dominic in an upcoming livestream TBD!
Remember: this week is all about process, not perfection. Let’s support each other in getting over the first hurdles and building a deeper connection to Schubert’s music.
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Really busy this week working on the piece for my tonebase Fast Track mentorship and the piece I'm studying with my piano teacher, but today (Sunday) I finally carved out a couple of hours to write out the fingering for my chosen Schubert piece (Impromptu in A flat major Op. 142 No. 2). That way, I could at least make a first attempt at playing it through from beginning to end in slow tempo. I promised myself to do only one take and record it with all the mistakes that would occur; it's always good to have a baseline from which to improve.
So far, I've identified a few areas I want to work on in the next couple of weeks: 1.) Getting the piece into a more fluid tempo while making less mistakes; 2.) irrespective of the tempo, find a more flowing and graceful rhythm and avoid any plodding heaviness; 3.) identify spots of those typical Schubertian harmonic changes and surprises and bring out their "magic"; 4.) sing out and balance the different voices!
My other important goal for next week is to catch up with listening to the recordings you all - my fellow participants - have submitted so far; I haven't had any time this week yet to do that, but I'm looking forward to it.
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Alexander Weymann Gorgeous! I had to rewind when I heard the LH trill about half way through- reminded me of another epic Schubert trill we all know about. Can’t wait to hear your next version!
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Vidhya Bashyam I know just which trill you mean
- Schubert certainly knew how to write and place them rather ingeniously.
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I’m beginning to see more of the structure of this piece. Working on crisp staccato in the left hand against the legato in the right hand. And adding dynamics. This creates some tension in the music, then shifts somewhat when both hands are legato. Then thee is the center quiet section. And back to the tension of legato sixteenths against the staccato eights. The main challenge will be getting this up to speed, or close to it.
