Shakira Focusing on reading Lead Sheets - another strategy for reading written music. Unlike the written music on the grand staff that we've been working on (Treble clef and Bass clef showing all notes and rhythms for both of our hands), music written on lead sheets provides us only with our melody and chord symbols. Depending on how/where they are written this [...]
Shakira Skating Waltz - Hands separate focus before putting hands together Making sure LH melody is confident on it's own - measures 1-4 same as measure 5-8, then fingers 1 and 2 wandering down B-Bflat-A-Aflat-G RH chords shifting - measures 1-2 on E and G (fingers 1 and 3), measures 3-4 on F and G (fingers 2 and 3 RH [...]
Hakim Technical Exercises -Continuing with our A Major 2 octave scale, and our A Major triads with inversions (just HS) Practicing mostly hands separately, trying hands together if we are feeling confident Practicing blocked hand positions before stepping through - especially for 2 octave scales, it is very easy to lose track of our position in the scale! This will [...]
Hakim Technical Exercises - Continue practice on D Major scale - 1 octave stepping hands separately and together Focusing on stepping down our scale, especially in the left hand Still practicing as solid blocked hand positions hands separately, so your left hand is feeling confident hands together! Bartok - Practicing fully hands together, making sure you are able to confidently [...]
Hakim Technical Exercises - Continue practicing D Major scale 1 octave hands together, especially focusing on stepping down in the scale Practice as solid blocked hand positions, and stepping legato, staccato, and detached Bartok Exercises - Working through #7 and 8 Make sure you are confident of starting notes/hand positions Watch out for changing hand positions and new key signature [...]
Shakira Technical Exercises - Continue hands separate practice of 1 octave C Major scale Practicing as solid blocked groups of fingers so you are comfortable changing hand positions, then practicing stepping through (still keeping groups of 3 and 5 in mind!) RH - CDE/123-FGABC/12345 LH - CDEFG/54321-ABC/321 Shadows - Continue working hands separately and together Make sure you know where [...]
Hakim Technical Exercises - Continue practicing G and D Major scales, hands separately. The Calico Cat - Starting hands separately - both hands in an A minor position, shifting up and down the keyboard in this position. Watch for any marked fingerings (especially in the left hand!) Work through all the way to the end hands separately If you are unsure [...]
Hakim Technical Exercises - G and D Major scales 1 octave - practicing hands separately Practicing as solid groups of fingers (RH groups of 3 and 5, LH groups of 5 and 3) and stepping through Saying note names out loud as you play, making sure you know which sharps you need for each scale (G Major - F#, D [...]
Hakim Technical Exercises - Continuing work on C Major 1 octave scale Adding in G Major 1 octave scale this week - continuing to practice as solid blocked chords and then stepping through. Using the same fingerings for G Major as C Major (groups of 3 and 5 fingers) Scale Fingerings - Hakim Nov 20 Bartok - Working through exercises [...]
Shakira Technical Exercises Finding and playing 5 finger major scales in a C, G, and D position. (Watching out for F# in D Major!) Practicing a C Major 1 octave scale, hands separately - practicing as solid blocked hand positions (groups of 3 and 5 fingers), as well as stepping through the whole scale. Bartok - Practicing reading exercises #1-3 [...]