Week 1: Mapping Assignment and Targeted Practice Plan
WEEK 1: MAPPING ASSIGNMENT
1) Map out the first movement with score annotation of foreground details. Listen to a recording and annotate key terms, harmonic areas, and sections. Use the terms below:
Key Terms: Sonata Form (typical first movement)
- Introduction (if there is material presented before first theme)
- Exposition
- Theme 1
- Transition
- Theme 2
- Closing (if material presented after EEC: essential expositional closure)
- Development
- Thematic Ideas / New Devices (counterpoint, episode, fragmentation, transformation, combination, sequence, false recapitulation, misdirection)
- Re-transition (connects development and recapitulation; tonally unstable)
- Dominant Lock (home key prepared by an extended pedal point on dominant)
- Recapitulation
- Theme 1
- Transition
- Theme 2
- Closing
- Coda (if material presented after ERC: essential recapitulation closure)
Key Terms: Rondo Form (typical last movement)
- Five-Part Rondo: ABACA + Coda (optional)
- Seven-Part Rondo: ABACABA (symmetrical)
- Refrain (A): main theme, returning in home key
- Episodes (B, C): different melodies shifting to closely related keys
- Coda: repeating/tonic-confirming passage leading to final cadence
Note: some sonatas don't follow the sonata form/rondo form outline exactly. If you choose such a sonata, research its form and note any alterations where necessary.
WEEK 1: TARGETED PRACTICE PLAN
After you've mapped out the sonata's form, use the attached document to target the places and concepts you'll need to practice most. Do this for each movement of your sonata.
(Please print out, and write in the appropriate information!).
- Identify the places that need the most work, and spend more time on those right from the beginning of the TWI. Time yourself: explore several technical methods for the toughest passages within a strict window (e.g., "I struggle with this arpeggiated pattern, but by the end of 3–4 minutes, I will have it choreographed so I can do it slowly.")
- Log your practice time on the most difficult passages.
- Treat technical challenges as phrases with a musical goal. We often hear Classical-period figurations as outdated, but composers meant them to be interesting.
- Use the categories to find your targets for practice this week.
81 replies
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Hi Jarred,
I’m working on Haydn HOB. XV1/25 in Eb major. I cannot decide whether the first theme in the exposition ends. Is it simply bars one to 7, with a contrasting theme 2 from bars 8 to 12. But surely this is too short. Then we have another theme (3? Surely not) in Bb at bar 15.
So is the first theme simply in two sections and then the second theme begins at bar 15 after a brief reiteration of the opening of the first theme but this time in C minor? So all three themes – 1 in Eflat Major at bar 1, then bar 8, a contrasting theme in E flat major theme 2? Or is bar 15 theme 2 in B-flat Major. All three themes appear in the development in Eb major.
However, from bar 51, we have the recapitulation, theme 1 (from bar 1-8) and the theme from bars 15-21 but not the theme from bars 8-12. Does this finally tell us that theme 1 is bars 1-8 with a pretty contrasting transition from bars 8-12 and theme 2 begins at bar 15??In short, theme 1 is in two sections and lasts from bar 1-12
transition 12-14
theme 2 begins at bar 15.
one reason for knowing this is because bars 8-12 do not appear in the recapitulation.
Hoping I have made this clear…!
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Just in case people didn't see it: week 2 assignment is out
https://piano-community.tonebase.co/t/x2yjzbw/week-2-pattern-recognitionbig-picture-thinking
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Mozart Sonata in F major K332 1st movement
It’s a relief to see that the name of this TWI has changed, as it was very depressing to have a goal/ expectation of learning a new sonata in two weeks. I have restricted my analysis to sonata form and have chosen the first movement of this Mozart sonata in F.
I’m a dancer and have dance tests in October so my head (and body, feet, knees, core, ankles, hips) is/are full of six dances, most of which consist of new, more difficult, choreography.
Therefore, It is too early to work through the levels of difficulty, etc. I need to work on the fingering before being able to assess whether a passage is more or less than difficult. That takes me several weeks as I shall try out alternative fingerings as and when necessary. Also, what was straightforward today may not be the same tomorrow so my focus changes accordingly.
There seems to be a tally for the assessment but I am not sure how that is calculated from the entries to be added.
Also, I didn’t understand all the terms used for thematic ideas: transformation; false recapitulation, and misdirection. I need to do some work in this area.
I have attached my notated score. I learned another skill that I am not sure how to repeat but I managed to send my Forscore edited score from my iPad to my computer. I struggle with Apple technology but that’s where these really useful programmes are to be found.
I like the use of small Roman numerals for minor chords, which comes from jazz. Also, I use ‘a’ for the first inversion of chords, etc. I don’t see the point in writing Ca for the root position of C major. Therefore, Ca means the first inversion of C major in my notes. Similarly, Cb is second inversion, etc.
Exposition
I prefer to use the term ‘subject’ rather than ‘theme’. There appears to be two parts to the first subject, each of which consists of the following chords: I, I7, IV, and V. Subject Ia is from Bars 1-12 and Theme 1b is from Bars 12- 23, when the transition to D minor occurs.
I would use the term modulation usually and I am using that ‘transition’ means the same. I am not sure whether this is a modernisation of the name or different in different countries.
The transition has a small repetition at Bar 27, albeit the bass notes are in first inversion.
Mozart loved diminished chords when modulating, no doubt because the diminished chord will contain the major 7th of the current key as well as the major 7th of the new key. I haven’t noted all of them as there are so many and some of the transitions are very short. My way of writing a diminished 7th chord is vii°7.
The second subject occurs at Bar 41. I have noted where Mozart uses thirds to pass from a minor chord to a diminished chord. This reminds me of a Youtube video analysing Nina Simone’s harmonisation, which was not jazz based. She was trained classically and does this sort of movement between chords very frequently, albeit not to diminished but between a minor and a major chord, e.g. A C E (A minor) to G B D (G major) – chords vi to V in C major.
There is a series of sequences at Bar 84 leading into the Codetta at Bar 86.
The exposition finishes at Bar 93.
The Development
The Development begins at Bar 94 in the Dominant key of C major.
There is a modulation to C minor at Bar 111, G minor at Bar 115, back to D minor at Bar 119, and back to F major through, A major, A minor, and C7 (Bars 125-129).
The Recapitulation
The Recapitulation begins at Bar 133. The second subject returns at Bar 177. This time in the tonic key of F.
The sequence from Bars 84 – 85 leads into the Coda at Bar 222 which finishes this first movement at Bar 229.
I shall be bringing this piece into my practice schedule and shall attempt to analyse the Development and Recapitulation in more detail later this month. Also, I came across several TB courses that I have identified for further work, including Jarred’s scales course. I am working on greater clarity about moving in and out of the keyboard, which I do instinctively but I want to be sure that my instincts are also logical. For these reasons, and so many more, I am not in the position of being able to fulfil the requirements of Week 2, i.e., record and play this piece to others – other than hearing me practise it at home.