Group 2
Improve your Scales!
Scales are integral to your technique - all of music is built on them! They are singularly one of the most important things to master for piano playing!
Fellow Participants in Group 2:
Justo
Randi
Tommy Johnson
CK
Natale Farrell
Scotty
Rudelle Gaje
Harriet Kaplan
Sigurd Bjørhovde
Germán
Himanshu Bhardwaj
RoxyHart
Jenny
Marco
ALICE
Some tonebase productions to get you started
"Creative Scale Practice" with Jarred Dunn
C Major Pattern Scales with Juliana Han
"Choreographing Scales" with Seymour Bernstein
"Scale Technique" with Penelope Roskell
How to get the most out of this course
- Start by watching the introduction video and practice the exercises given in the video.
- Write a post with your experiences with scales.
- Start Practicing Czerny Op.599 no.61, and 69!
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Wednesday, June 29th at 11am PT!
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Jenny well done. are your fingers getting cramped? it looks like you are shaking them out to loosen them? This stuff is not easy!
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Randi My hands feel like they need a good stretch really. I do seem to hold a lot of tension in my shoulders and arms when I concentrate too much. I know I need to relax better, but shaking seems to help too!
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I have a couple more vids to share. I've done the 4 (or is it 5?) note groupings for C major. My fingers get all discombobulated in the middle, but then smooth out a bit. Not sure if I should slow down the whole thing or keep working as the as-fast-as-your-fingers-will-move pace. Will it get better with this type of practice? Thoughts about this?
Also submitted for your review - Burgmuller's Progress #6. It's amazing how many times it took me to record this simple piece.
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Randi I think you're on the 5 note groupings here. The Burgmuller sounds great, it's such a happy little tune isn't it? I'm tending to hum it through the day, it pops in to my head unexpectedly and makes me smile. My hands get a bit confused with the correct fingering, the patterns feel so strange. I'm pausing before each section to check fingering, then trying to "sprint" my fingers during the groupings if that makes sense. I'll also be interested to hear what others say about finger discombobulation.
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You are so fast working on the Burgmuller piece. I am walking to the piano now to practice after getting inspired by you.
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ALICE Yes, me too!!
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First try on Burgmuller piece part 1. I noticed the same thing that I couldn't sprint fingers faster than what I have recorded for the 1st try. I will do another video by end of the session, and see if my speed has improved. Welcome any suggestions.
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ALICE hi Alice. Nicely done for your first recording! I'm no expert, but it seems like your hands are moving up and down a lot on the non-consecutive notes. Try playing with quieter hands even though it's staccato.
Maybe a professional can weigh in here. -
Randi Thank you for your suggestion. Happy to hear more.
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ALICE I'm still one step behind you Alice! I'll be recording the Progres tomorrow, all being well. I also feel my "sprinting" needs a bit of work. Your practice is delightful, well done you!
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ALICE Try keeping your fingers closer to the keys and not lifting your hands any more than necessary. Also, maybe try playing the piece up to tempo once or twice (no matter how messy it is at first) to get the feel of how you will have to move your arms when it's faster.
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Harriet Kaplan That's a great idea for me too, thank you.
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I have a check-in on my calendar for tomorrow at 11am PT. I don't see a reference to it here. Is there one? Or only next week?
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Randi It was also 11am PT on my calendar, but I don't see where we log on.
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Here are some unedited, unaltered practice videos. First is a short practice session on E flat major scale. I started with my usual routine and then segued into an attempt at grouping. I did E flat because I have been concentrating on the more difficult scales, those with more black keys and complicated fingerings. What I find most difficult is keeping the hands moving at the same speed and doing the turnaround at the top.
Second video is the Burgmuller. I was trying for the marked temp of 132 = quarter note.
Third is Czerny No. 61.
Any constructive criticism welcome.
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Harriet Kaplan Excellent play and practice!
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Harriet Kaplan You manage to achieve an incredible amount of practice in just 5 mins! I suppose, that this is one of the benefits of being able to move your fingers fast, you get through more notes in a shorter amount of time. Great to watch your practice today, Eb Maj didn't seem to daunt you at all.
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I’m still puzzling over chromatic scale fingering using 4th finger. What patterns are used for each hand?
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Harriet Kaplan I think Dominic's suggestion was RH: g = 1, g# = 2; a = 3 and a# = 4. LH: f# = 4, g=3, g# =2 and a=1.
I'm finding this feels a bit weird at first, but I can see that it will be faster over time. It's always strange to relearn a well ingrained pattern. Sounds like you've done well over the first week.......here's to the second!
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Well, I tried to record a practice of the Burgmuller etude, but have failed miserably. It looks so easy, but for some reason I just haven't been able to play it very well at all. Then, just when I decided to record my attempt anyway, my partner thought it was a great time to start mowing the lawn outside the window. I'm hoping tomorrow morning I will find my mind, body and soul working in harmony once again, and i'll make another attempt. I hope everyone else has had a better practice today.
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Jenny sometimes the stars just don't align for recording. :) These pieces are deceiving and harder than they look. I guess that's why they're exercises. Stick with it and you'll get it. Looking forward to your posts.
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Randi Thank you Randi. You're right, of course, there wouldn't be much point in exercises if they didn't challenge me a bit. I'll put on my "big girl pants" and get back to it !
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Some practicing from me this week!
Sounding great everyone!
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Dominic Cheli haha. I was simply scrolling those videos from below to upwards. And I thought of criticise a minor thing, then I saw it's you - Dominic. Opps!! Very well played.
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Dominic Cheli Wonderfully played, thank you so much for sharing your own practice Dominic.
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Dominic Cheli Love the mirror image on your piano!. Are we meeting today? Will an email be sent? How will this work?
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