Practice Journal: "Fantasia and Sonata in C Minor" - Mozart - Part One

Since I began writing these practice journal posts, I am well into Mozart's Fantasia in C minor. The score is written across ten A4 pages, yet upon starting these posts I find that I'm already a good six pages in.

That is to say I can fairly confidently and fluently perform (with sight reading, as necessary) the first few movements.

On the seventh page and the penultimate double spread begins the movement titled 'Più Allegro';

Mozart Fantasia and Sonata in C Minor

Whilst the music isn't overly complex, it certainly isn't a movement that you would be expected to play with great accuracy at speed straight away.

Therefore, I am performing this much, much more slowly than the final thing will be.

This is for two reasons:

• Finger Accuracy: Developing strength and independence in my fingers is still very much - and always will be - a work in progress for me. However, it should be noted that with the best will in the world there will always be stronger fingers. For example, the thumb and index finger (1 and 2) will always be stronger than the ring and pinkie (4 and 5). Slowing the piece down allows my brain to much more accurately focus on which finger is needed for which note, as with a piece that is continuous demi-semiquavers - particularly one that modulates its pattern at regular intervals (in this case downwards) - it is of the utmost importance to get the correct finger on the correct note at the correct time to allow for a continuous and confident performance.

• Even Rhythm: This ties somewhat in to the above point because it is linked to finger strength and correct fingering, but as the old adage goes: it is very important to be able to play a quick piece of music slowly as this is the real test. If you are playing it slowly and you find that the rhythms are faltering then that is a sign that you need to practice further. For a piece such as this that sticks to a very regimented tempo, the metronome has been employed at a nice, steady tempo.

Sadly, my metronome is broken at the moment and so I am having to rely on my phone. The same phone that took this video. Because I figured the noise of the phone's own speaker would resonate terribly, I did this recording without a click, but I still tried to keep an even, steady tempo:

I had to retry those bars at the end because I fluffed up the fingering slightly. Also, I am aware that I got carried away with the Demi-semiquaver rhythm and therefore continued playing the sudden semiquavers still as Demis, which probably will allow for a much easier performance of this passage as it does involve quite a stretch. This slowing down (half tempo, of a fashion) will enable these bars to be performed more confidently even at this stage if I were to speed up. However, I will persist at the current tempo!

Demi-Semi Quavers - Straight Notes vs. Triplets

One of the other reasons for practising slowly is to allow for the brain to comprehend some of the more complex rhythms. Just past the halfway point on the first page of the double spread, the left hand begins playing triplets underneath the regular Demi-semiquaver pattern in the right hand.

For the purposes of regaining confidence in doing so (as it is the much more complex way of doing this - performing triplets in the right hand against straight rhythm in the left is far easier!), I have sacrificed very slightly the evenness of a good triplet and given a rhythm much closer to two hemi-demi-semiquavers followed by a Demi-semiquaver to coincide with the final note of the right hand pattern. One I am more confident in the note placement, I will be able to work on spreading these out a little more.

Meanwhile, I have discovered a handful of online exercises that allow for development in playing these rhythms against one another. Although they focus more on taps and claps rather than fingers, it will definitely help me along.

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5 "Don'ts" of Learning Piano

When we learn piano, there are so many things that are tempting to do. To take on board. To omit or to add to our interpretations. Yet the remarkable thing is that, whilst we may sit here innocently thinking that we're doing no harm and - if anything - adding more to our performance, standard and practice - we can actually be doing ourselves a disservice.

Here are 5 "Don'ts" of learning piano that I am going to give to you, speaking from experience.

Don't Concentrate Too Hard!

This may seem an unusual one to say, however the dangers of too much concentration are very prevalent in your performance.

Fair enough, if you're learning a piece of music from scratch - particularly if it is of a more advanced standard - you're going to need to give it a little attention.

However, over concentration can lead to lapses. You fingers / hands need to be able to perform your music second nature by the time you are performing it confidently, with your mind moreover enjoying the music and just being present to alter the odd thing that may go wrong (wrong notes happen!)

A stellar example of where concentration can lead to performances going wrong is actually in the exercises laid out by Hanon in his set of sixty exercises: 'The Virtuoso Pianist'.

Each exercise is a pattern using all 5 fingers, which is then repeated up to the next note of the scale, then the next, then the next - for two octaves before descending in a similar (though not identical) fashion.

Because the ascension is virtually the same thing over and over, the mind is tricked into thinking it is straightforward. However, of the entire exercise the place that is most likely going to trip you up is the final bar of ascent, when it changes what it does slightly and starts descending!

Why? Because it's different. So what do you do? You start to think about it. You start to panic about it. You start to deliver a determination by which you definitely will get this 100% perfect and in concentrating...

you blow it!

It's perfectly natural, yet the main cause of over-concentration is simply just not being au fay with the exercise / music anyway - something that can be quite easily rectified with some of the following points...

Don't Always Practice with Music

This is not shaming those who prefer to perform with music - and there are many times I have seen performers (beginner, intermediate, advanced, amateur, professional) perfect both from memory and with music. However, regardless of whether you prefer to perform with or without the music, you should have a flowing grasp of it anyhow.

Although practicing with music does strengthen sight reading overall because of the constant reiteration and association, what it does demand is that you always look ahead.

This in turn means that you are strengthening your instinct for performing without looking, which is a fantastic thing. There are many, many pieces of music that require you to not have full view of where you are hitting keys so the more you practice like this the better...

Right?

Sort of.

The problem with practicing with music is twofold:

• your flow is much easier to disrupt. In particular if you're playing live as you will have other factors (adrenaline etc.) making it difficult to catch up. Disruption needn't be big - a cough from the audience or a fly lands on your hand. Ridiculous things like this. However all it takes is one glance away from the music and your eyes will naturally glance back to the same place, whereas your hands will be moving on. Re-syncing hand and eye is a challenge.

• Performing the music without the music will be a similar issue for you. When your point of reference is taken away it can lead to both a lack of trust in your own performance, thus creating a negative performance, and looking elsewhere - such as your hands - can actually cause distraction and confusion because of the association of that music against what you play.

So, always get used to practicing your music without the scores as well.

Don't Overuse the Una Corda Pedal

This is just one that will affect some people, but if it does then you can become a little dependant.

The Una Corda Pedal is the left pedal, and it makes the overall dynamic just a touch softer. However, the key words here are 'just a touch'.

In order to create the desired softness, performing softly using your hands is of the utmost importance anyway. Yet some pianists will start to depend on it during, for example, any piano passage.

If you are doing the correct thing with your hands to create dynamic, then you might argue it to be indifferent. However, bear in mind that your right pedal (sustain pedal) is extremely commonly used. And whilst it is possible, of course, to use two hands and two feet effortlessly, it does create unnecessary complication to do so.

Moreover, if your piano piece were to go even softer (pianissimo etc.) you would be reducing the chance of getting even more contrast by using the pedal throughout the piano passages.

Don't Go Too Fast Before You're Ready

This one kind of ties into the insistence of using a metronome, but is actually a little more universal and applies to everything from exercises (scales, arpeggios, broken chords, chromatics etc.) to full pieces.

Whereby you will here time and time again that using a metronome is the best thing to do, and to start slowly and build up, it can often be detrimental for a piece that doesn't require it as it can lead you to start to perform beautiful, sweeping passages in a rather clinical way if you're not careful.

So, instead of insisting that the metronome be employed every time, I would just say that decide whether or not it is needed and then take it slowly.

My two seemingly contrasting points are:

• You will likely struggle to perform pieces that you may already even be able to play at speed - slowly.

• You should be able to perform your pieces slowly first.

Take your exercise or your piece slowly and if you start to make errors, take it even slower and / or focus on that particular area.

However - and this is where my 'don't' point comes into full swing - don't be tempted to speed up. Not even to see how far you've come and to see if it's made any difference.

Make sure also that you keep the entire piece in the same tempo. It can be very tempting to rush through passages that you feel much more confident in and then slowing down for a passage / bar that you need to work on, but this can have negative effects in the long run, such as losing the overall flow and continuity of a piece.

Don't Settle for "That'll Do!"

The most important thing to remember is that whatever it is that you're struggling with, you can improve it. And whilst it's so tempting sometimes to consider that you're playing it as well as you ever will - you're not!

Everybody can improve and so can you.

Avoid settling for 'cop-outs' (e.g. adding too much 'rit.' because you can't quite get the fingering right, or replacing a trill with a mordent because your fingers find it easier to fit it in the time) and instead identify the problem, practice them slower as in the previous point and - if necessary - find ways to help you.

Almost everything has exercises. Note accuracy is improved by arpeggios, the feeling of hands being too close together by scales a major third apart. Finger strengthening / independence can be helped hugely by practicing regularly exercised by Schmitt and / or Hanon, and scales can help your overall 'touch' of the keys and dynamic.

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Learning a Scarlatti Sonata - Part One

A few weeks ago, following my 'debut' performance at Belong Morris Feinmann, Didsbury, I picked up some sheet music from a book shop that was tucked away behind a cafe in the main village. One of these was a book with a beautiful red cover and gold writing - 'Scarlatti'.

I knew / know nothing of the composer, but it looked very exciting, so I purchased a copy. Over the past couple of weeks, I have delved into learning his first sonata.

This sonata / movement is just two pages long, but is quite intricate. Here's my progress so far:

Despite a few stutters and times when passages could be cleaner, I am quite happy.

However, some skills needed a bit of extra work:

Even Semiquavers

The majority of this piece is in semiquavers, and because the passages are not staccato it is very important to get a fluid sound going. However, this can lead to a natural uneven-ness between the notes, owing to the fact that (especially when performing quickly) some fingers are naturally stronger than others.

Yes, I'm still working on my preparatory exercises and fingers strength and independence exercises, as well as scales etc. and probably will be forever more. However, taking the piece slowly to begin with is a necessity - as is often the case with learning a new piece. The metronome was invaluable because this piece - like many Baroque pieces - demands a rigidity to it as opposed to too much artistic licence.

Consistent Trills

There are a lot of trills in this piece. 8 on the first page. There are many ways to interpret them - start on the note above and rapidly alternate. Start on the note below and rapidly alternate. Start on the notated note and alternate above or below. For how long - the length of the note? Just a quick infliction like a mordent? Do you treat it more like a turn and do a bit above and finish below?

I'm keeping mine fairly simple. Starting on each notated note and giving 5 distinctive notes as an upward trill (root-up-root-up-root) because the piece is / will be too quick to consider doing anything too intricate. There is no notation otherwise to imply a different trill is ever required so I am making sure to keep them consistent and use the same trill each time.

Hand Positioning

One hand position was particularly awkward for me because it required my hands to play extremely closely together, so this was another one I had to work on slowly. The left hand was staccato quavers underneath the right hand slurred semiquavers, so I was given a bit of leeway with the ability to jump off the note so as not to be in the way. However, my hand itself had to do a little bit of work to make sure it was never too in the way!

As I progress with this piece, I will keep updating!

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