Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 46

Audio lesson 46-50

Lesson 46

Versie 1.0
Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 46

No. 1 - Minor scale and triad of e

As you can see, only one octave of this scale has been written down. By
now you should be used to playing scales over 2 octaves, and in contrary
motion as well, so we need no longer write it all out for you. We are only
giving you the notes and the fingering. Try to find different rhythms in
which to play this scale for yourself. We have given you some examples
earlier.
The triad (1b) should be played in such a way that you end 1, 2 or more
octaves higher on e, and then go back again. Play each group of 4 notes
several times, one after another: for the present with each hand separately.
You would probably find it much easier to play them if your turn your wrist
slightly to the side.

No. 2 - Beethoven: Part of Sonata Op. 49 no. 2

Most of Beethoven’s sonatas are big, difficult
works. The two sonatas Op. 49 are exceptions;
they are in scope between a sonata and a
sonatina, and both consist of only two
movements. In this lesson the beginning of the
2nd movement of one of them is given in the
original arrangement.
In the sonata as well as in the symphony
a movement is often found in minuet style.
(A symphony is an orchestral work which, just
like a sonata, consists of several movements Ludwig van Beethoven
and in fact resembles it as far as form is
concerned). (1770-1827)

A minuet in a Sonata, however, is never meant as dance-music; it remains

a piece for playing only. To distinguish this from a minuet meant for dancing,
the composer would sometimes write ‘Tempo di minuetto’, i.e.: in the time
of a minuet.
This is an example of a slow minuet. The tempo should be a little quicker
than one beat per second. The half-beat notes in the accompaniment give
it a lively character, but it should not, however, sound restless or hurried.
It goes without saying that the ‘D’ in the left hand which is repeated all the
time should be played softly, halfway through the beats.
In the melody the rhythmical figure, 3/4 + 1/4 beats, occurs several times.
Here the same note is often played again after the 1/4 beat note. For
example, at the beginning, the F-sharp. To get a clear touch it is advisable

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 Piano Speelplezier, Lesson 46

to change fingers in such cases. Otherwise the second, repeated note may
not be clear enough.
Play the right-hand passage in bar 19 especially quietly and clearly. Never
allow yourself to be flustered by what looks like quick figuration.
Considering the moderate tempo of this piece, the passage should not
prove too difficult.

No. 3 – Prelude

Arperggio
In the right-hand part of no. 3, the note-stems are slanted. As we read
music from top to bottom, we see the note at the beginning of the stem
sooner than the one at the end. The point is that the notes of a chord
like this are not struck together but quickly one after another, starting
with the note at the top of the stem (in this case the far left one). After
having been touched, the keys are held down, just as in an ordinary
chord.

It says: You play:

You should not strike the notes carefully one by one, but rather in one
continuous movement, so that they sound one immediately after the
other. You can see that the note which is played last should sound exactly
on the beat, so the others must be started just a little before. Be careful
that the chord is completed on the beat.
This way of playing is a little like harp-playing, where the strings are
touched one by one: it is therefore called ‘arpeggio’: (arpa = harp).

Apart from learning to apply arpeggio, this piece is also an exercise for
practising rhythm. When you can play the rhythm of bar 1, you can also
play bars 3, 5 and 7 which are done in the same way: that is, they are
rhythmically alike. The same thing applies to bars 2, 4 and 6. Note the
division of beat 3 into 3/4 + 1/4 beats! On the right of the stave it is
indicated how you should count. Remember that the notes of these
arpeggio-chords should last until the first beat of each following bar.

No. 4 - Schytte: Etude

The accompaniment in this etude is played staccato throughout. As soon
as you have struck a bassnote your finger comes off again. Don’t be afraid

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 46

to release the keys! If you don’t lift your hand too high, you will still be able
to feel which keys the fingers are above.
In the first part of each bar the right hand plays legato 2 passages (give
each first note an accent!). There it is difficult to go on playing staccato
with the left hand.
Listen carefully whether you do and check that the left hand does not start
playing legato all of a sudden. In the second part of the bar the left and
right hands both play staccato.
In bars 4, 8 and 12 an accent indicates that the difference between the two
notes under one slur must be greater than usual, so give the first note a
firm accent.

No. 5 - Beautiful dreamer

This song is in 9-beat time. This is made up just as 6-beat time, only here
three groups of three beats are united into the one bar. The first note of
each group of 3 gets a light accent: the note on the bar-line a heavier one.
To start with you had better count each bar as for 9 beats per bar, as the
small figures indicate in bar 1. When you can play the music without much
difficulty, you start counting in 3 beats per bar, following the big figures.
Remember the accent on beat 1!
This counting of (and listening to) the 3 bar-sections has the advantage
that you learn to listen to the principal line of the music, so that you should
be able to make it sound more rhythmical and musical.
This song should be played quietly (tranquillo) and a little dreamily. You
may have noticed that playing softly is more difficult than playing loudly.
In the latter case we can let ourselves go; but when the keys have to be
struck softly, we need more control over our touch.
Left and right hands often take it in turn (to play).
This gives variety to the music; the attention goes from one hand to the
other.
In bar 2 the notes of the broken chord (left hand) are all held down. On the
third main beat of this bar the left hand is pressing down four keys. The
same happens in bars 6 and 14.
The fermata in bar 12 means, as you know, that the beat lasts a little longer.
The finish is not easy, especially as it also contains a grace note. Practise
this part separately each day before you try to play the whole piece. Other
sections which you find difficult should be marked and practised separately

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 Piano Speelplezier, Lesson 46

also. Playing the whole piece each time and making the same mistakes over
and over again is not the way to do it.
STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER (1826
– 1864)
Although this American publisher of
music never had a professional
education in music, he composed
many songs which became very
popular, especially Old Black Joe, My
old Kentucky home, Old Folks at Home,
and this one: Beautiful Dreamer.

Circle of fifths
You may have noticed that we have given you the scales in such an order
that in the new scale there was each time only one note that didn’t appear
in the previous one. We started with C major (only white keys); then G,
with one black note. After that D, and so on.
In the diagram on the left you will see that the
notes of the 2nd half of the C-scale are the
same as those of the first half of the G-scale.
The 5th note of the C-scale forms the starting
point of a new major scale, which is built up of
the same notes except for one (the 7th).
In the same way we can start a new scale on the 5th tone of the G-scale,
which is d.
On each fifth of a scale you can form a new scale, which differs by only one
note from the previous one. If we go on and do it. we get scales in the
following order:
C – G – D – A – E – B - F-sharp/G-flat - D-flat - A-flat - E-flat - B-flat - F -
C.

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 46

You will see that eventually we arrive at the scale of C again at which point
we have built a major scale from all 12 notes of the octave.
This can also be done in the same way with the minor scales, which have
been derived from the major scales.
The scales in this order are sometimes arranged in the form of the circle of
fifths, which closely resembles a clock-face. You can see it below, the major
scales on the outside, the relative minor scales on the inner side.

Each key in this circle of fifths is in between

two others, differing from it by only one note.
(In the minor scales this is the leading note).

Let us take as on example the scale of F, which follows B-flat, and is

followed, by C:
difference from F-scale:

B♭ e-flat instead of e

C b instead of b-flat

Now try to find the differences between other successive scales of the circle
of fifths as well.

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 Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 47

Lesson 47

Versie 1.0
Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 47

No. 1 - Scale and triad of b minor

The playing of scales and triads should also be thought of as an exercise in
learning how to produce beautiful tone. For it makes an enormous
difference just how you touch the keys. You could produce a harsh hammer-
sound or instead a singing tone. Try to find out how to produce the most
beautiful sounds, from your piano.
No. 1a
Play the scale over 2, 3 and 4 octaves. With 2 octaves you should make an
accent every two beats: 1. 2: 1. 2: etc. With 3 octaves every 3 beats and
with 4 octaves every 4 beats. (Each note should last one beat).
No. 1b
Supple movements! Accent every 4 beats: 1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4.
No. 1c
Accent every 3 notes. Here each time a different finger takes it in turn to
play the accent. So, this is a good exercise for practising the weak fingers.
In all these exercises you should shift your fingers and arm gradually.

No. 2 - F. Schubert: Heidenröslein.

The piece looks rather simple, but the left hand in particular is not so easy,
for it has to be played non legato: in other words, a clear interruption must
be heard in between all the notes except, of course, where marked legato
at the end of the piece.
A mistake which is frequently made is to join the notes 2 by 2: the
composer’s intention, however, is that the first note of each accompanying
figure should be kept short.
Be careful that the chords are played short. Also play all the notes short in
the same way. Never make one note last for a quarter beat and the next
one for 1/3 beat for instance, since this sort of thing produces a very
careless effect.
The difficulty here is to keep on playing the accompaniment in the correct
way, whilst at the same time playing the melody legato with the right hand.
For example, in bar 3 the notes C and D, which are played simultaneously
with the thumb of the left hand, are played short. The ‘A’ in the right hand
is continued, however, and joined to the next B note. This sort of thing
occurs in other places.

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If you do all this correctly, it will seem as if melody and accompaniment are
being played on 2 different instruments, which is the intention. The
accompaniment is of course played a little more softly than the melody.
Remember the accents in the melody. B for example, which is played 4
times in the first beat, should sound different each time. This is achieved
by varying the touch and the duration of the note, and in particular by
giving stronger and weaker accents: 1 and 2 and.
Another practical tip: passages such as that in bar 4 should be practised
separately in connection with the skips in the left hand (for this see the
directions at the back of lesson 44). Try to keep your forefinger and thumb
in their place: in bar 4 this is above the keys G - B. It is true that on beat
2 the hand has to move to the left a little to play the (low) G, but the more
you spread your fingers the closer the thumb can remain to the B-key. Do
not wait till the very last moment to spread or contract your fingers.
This song ends with a tail or coda, as it is called, which is played by the
piano alone in the original arrangement (for voice and piano). It starts with
the last 3 notes of bar 14.
Remember to play the grace notes in bar 15 lightly and short just before
the principal note. Note the slurs and the staccato dots: on the whole beats
the hand should move up off the keys a little.

No. 3 - Beethoven: Deutscher Tanz (German Dance)

In this piece the use of scale exercises becomes very clear. Play the
passages for the right hand legato and try to listen to them as one whole.
Don’t accent each separate note but make them flow into each other.
Only the notes on the 1st beat of each bar should be given an accent. So,
you start as follows: 3-and; 1-and, 2-and, 3-and; 1-and, etc. Count aloud
while playing it the first few times especially in bars 4, 8 and 16, on the
2nd beats of which there is a pause, with the 3rd beats starting with half-
beat notes. Do not be rushed by these half-beats!
In this piece there are some big skips, for which you will need to look at
your hands in advance. If you only look at them the moment you have to
strike a key that will be too late! Later it is very worthwhile practice to try
to play them without looking.
The notes between brackets in bars 3 and 7 may be either played or left
out.
Play the notes with the indication sf (sforzato - more loudly) noticeably
more loudly.

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 47

This dance should be played strictly in time: it sounds most charming when
you can play the running passages fast enough and fluently, with the
staccato-chords very short and lively for contrast.
The second part sounds best when you play the note-groups and passages
in the right hand strictly legato and the notes for the left hand separate
from each other (portato). These two different ways of playing should make
each part stand out more clearly.
Take ample time for a beautiful performance.

No. 4 - Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia is the name of a picturesque fishing quarter of Naples, and the
piece of music we are going to play now is an old Neapolitan fisherman’s
song, in which the praises of Naples and its beautiful coast are sung.
Try to make the notes for the right-hand sound legato. It is true that you
cannot join all the notes, but you should make any interruptions so short
that they are hardly noticed. Imagine that the song is being sung by a
beautiful voice and try to produce a similarly melodious tone on your piano.
Now just look at bar 5; the B, which has to be struck by the thumb 3 times
in succession, cannot of course be played legato. But the highest melody-
notes, D, G, and F, can. So, the D-key is released when you strike the chord
B-G on the 2nd beat and the G-key of this chord remains down until the
following chord b-f sounds.
In bars 9 and 11 will be seen agogic accents. As we told you in lesson 21,
they indicate that the notes to which they refer should be continued for a
while. So, these should last a little longer than the one beat, which will
produce a slight slowing down. Bar 10, and from bar 12 onwards should be
played in the original tempo.

Dynamic Accent – Agogic accent

The difference between a dynamic accent: and an agogic
accent: is that with the former a note attracts attention by its
greater volume and the latter by its longer duration.

In bar 13 the notes are joined two by two by a slur. Remember to play the
second note under the slur short and lightly each time, while the hand
moves up a little.
Here and there the thumb slips from a black key to a white one. Do this
with a controlled movement so that the tones sound as legato as possible.

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Can you keep Up with the rate of study?

You will of course have noticed that each lesson contains quite an amount
of material for study. So, it is no disgrace if you don’t manage to play
everything fluently after one week’s practice. This depends for the greater
part on the time you can allow to your practice each day (and also, on the
way you practise, but we are supposing that you are following our directions
in this respect).
When compiling the course, we started from the assumption that you would
have enough time to practise it all. If this is no longer the case, you had
better not start the following lesson until you have mastered the previous
one sufficiently. Even when it is a long time after your receiving the last
lesson, you are still very welcome to ask us for any information about
details of the course, and we shall be pleased to help you in any way we
can.
It may happen that you do not manage to master some particular piece of
music. In that case, if you really have made enough effort at it, it is best
to leave it alone for a while and make a note in one of the following lessons
that you are to have another go at it, when you will probably be successful.
What we wish to advise you against is half-studying a lesson and then going
on quickly with the next. The inevitable result of this will be that your
playing will become worse and worse as problems which you have not
studied properly increase. Then you might easily get dispirited and begin
to doubt if you will ever learn to play. This need never happen. If you study
at a slow rate but thoroughly, you will eventually be able to play everything
in the lessons really well.
In conclusion here is some good advice: If you haven’t much time it is
better to practise a small part of the lesson well each day rather than play
through the whole lesson now and again in a great hurry. Set yourself a
small goal and master it properly, avoiding any feeling of hurry or agitation.
What you have studied calmly and attentively will not soon be forgotten or
unlearnt.

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 Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 48

Lesson 48

Versie 1.0
Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 48

No. 1 - Scale and triad of f-sharp minor

Play the scale as well as the triad over one or two octaves, and also over
the whole keyboard: then later over 3, 4 and 5 octaves, with an accent
every 3, 4 and 5 beats respectively. For it is important that you become
certain of your touch when playing on parts of the keyboard that are farther
away from the centre, which means farther away from you.
No. 1a
This scale is not so simple. We start on a black key and therefore the
fingering is a little different.
No. 1b
Do not only play the triad as it is written here, but also play the variations
you already know. Here it is written the same way as in the previous lesson,
with clear accent every 4 beats (!)
No. 1c
In this variation each pair of notes is repeated immediately. Play it over
several octaves again, for this is an excellent way of increasing the
suppleness of your fingers. Try to produce beautiful tones.

No. 2 - Ludvig van Beethoven: Minuet.

In this minuet the timing is the first thing needing your attention.
The quarter-beat notes are often started too early, thereby lasting too long.
It is useful to count them out as follows: one-a-b-c, two-a-b-c; etc.
You should also make sure you give the whole and half-beat notes in bar 6
and others their exact duration time. If you tap the whole beats regularly
with your foot, you are less likely to play them too quickly.
This also applies to the 3rd beat in bar 10, which is subdivided into four
parts. These notes often sound rushed, because the pianist, afraid of not
playing them quickly enough, plays them too quickly! Count them also out
steadily with the accents: 3-a-b-c- 1.
Besides the timing, the performance is also very important, of course. Note
for example the articulation of the notes which are connected two by two
in bars 6 and 7. The first note is long and has a light accent, the second
one is short and played more softly. (The hand should come off the keys).
The note for the left hand in bar 8, 2nd beat, is not a melody note. Make
this clear by playing it more softly than when it is played by the right hand
on the 1st beat.

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 Piano Speelplezier, Lesson 48

In bar 9 play legato, left hand as well. The notes for the thumb are the only
ones that cannot be joined to each other. All the others can! These keys
should be kept down, while the thumb comes off (just a little) to strike the
next note.
In bar 10, 1st beat, the middle finger of the left hand passes over the little
finger. This also can be played legato.
Make a definite crescendo in bar 9. The difference of volume between the
first section(piano) and the second (mezzo forte) should be clearly
noticeable.
Another piece of technical advice: the notes of the chords in bar 1 and bar
13 can be struck simultaneously much more easily if your wrist moves down
at the same time. In this way not only are your fingers doing the job, but
you also have the weight of your hand adding its strength to them. Then at
the 1/4 beat note the wrist goes up again, coming down once more at the
next chord, and so on.

No. 3 - Ritter: Andante

This piece is in the same key as the scale of this lesson. It is in polyphonic
style which means that it consists of 2 or more independent parts (voices),
which can each be recognised (if you listen carefully) as an independent
part.
Play the notes for the left hand clearly and note the continuation dots. For
here we don’t have one part with an accompaniment, but separate parts,
which should each be recognisable as such.
Give each first beat an accent, and play legato, but be careful that the notes
don’t overlap. You will need to keep your fingers well under control!
In the left hand there are several places where fingers have to be changed
while the key is held down: ‘a silent finger-change’, as it is called. Of course,
you shouldn’t let your placing another finger on the key be heard. In bar 2
you play C-sharp on the 1st beat with the forefinger. While still keeping the
key down, you place the ring-finger there, so releasing the forefinger, after
which the thumb can be moved to the next key.
You may find it difficult to play the notes in bar 8 in correct time. In that
case count bars 7 and 8 in sixths. Thus, in bar 7 you will consider each half-
beat note as a whole beat so that bar 8 should then be played as follows:
1, 2-and, 3-and, 4-and, 5, rest.

No. 4 - Comin’ thru’ the rye

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 48

This Scottish folksong is rather syncopated. You do remember the meaning

of this word? (Accents at places in the bar which normally don’t have them.)
For example, in bar 1 a melody-note, B, comes a little after the second beat.
This is a place in the bar which normally has no accent at all. But now there
is a melody-note there, and since no note follows the B in this bar it attracts
special attention as a syncope. Try to find some more in this piece, for
yourself.
You had better count the time first, or tap it with your foot, in 4 beats per
bar, as is indicated on the right of the stave. As soon as you have the
rhythm in your mind, you can play it in 2-beat time. Even then it’s a good
idea to tap the time with your foot now and then: a tap on each whole beat.
You should notice then that this song flows better in 2-beat time than in 4-
beat.
The bass-notes of the accompaniment should be played long, the chords
short, like this:

After bar 8 the accompaniment changes, with chords only halfway through
beats 1 and 2 giving a syncopated effect. In bars 12, 13 and 14,
accompanying notes are also played with the right hand besides those in
the left hand. These should sound softer than the melody notes that are
also played by the right hand: you should hear the melody sing above them.
In this part, play the melody notes separately for a while, so that you know
how these should sound when you add the accompanying notes. In order
to make this easier for you we have written out the melody notes in a
separate stave on the right. These are the notes which should be most
clearly heard when you play these bars.

For pupils who would like to practise some extra music, we mention below
some of our editions that are suitable at this stage:

STUDIES

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Czerny: Selected Studies I (Germer) 21741

Clementi: Sonatines Op. 36 (nrs. 1 en 2) 1444

PIECES
Bartok: Mikrokosmos I 12851
Carroll: Sea Idylls 20879
Czerny: 100 Erholungen 3334
Frey: Klavierbúchlein 2063
Green-sleeves: Old-English air 13193
Gurlitt: The fair 4681
Home, sweet home 6475
Liszt: Liebestraum 11827
Mozart: (Don Juan) Menuett 1220
Mozart: Easy pieces I 11270
Mozart: Easy pieces II 11271
Oesten: Op. 61 Maiblümchen (May Flowers) 3321
Schubert: Op. 98 nr. 2 Wiegenlied (Lullaby) 899
Silver threads among the gold 1032

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 Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 49

Lesson 49

Versie 1.0
Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 49

No. 1 - Scale and triad of cis-sharp minor

Perform the scale and the triad with all the variations. Don’t leave this till
later on but do it now! Remember the indications we have given you.

No. 2 - Arditi: Il bacio

The rhythm of the melody-notes may at first appear rather capricious. In
that case you had better practise the left hand first to the point where you
can keep it going steadily and after that add the right hand. It will be easier
to keep in time then.
With the left hand you play an ordinary waltz-accompaniment, long-short-
short. In the right-hand the articulation is much more varied. Play the notes
with a staccato-dot really short. This means that the fingers quickly move
up off the keys each time, even if the left hand is playing a note which lasts
longer (as in bar 1, beat 1).

Staccato

While playing staccato like this you strike the keys very quietly,
immediately after contact making a frightened movement as if you had
suddenly noticed that you hit the wrong key or had burnt your finger!
This is the right way of playing staccato: the placing of the fingers is a
controlled, deliberate movement, but removing them is a quick sudden
movement.
So never drop the fingers onto the keys quickly. It is not the way of
placing the fingers on the keys that is important here, but the way that
they leave them.
When you do it this way you will notice that the piece sounds very bright
and interesting, especially as there are also the capricious rhythm and
the contrasts between loud, very loud (bar 17 fortissimo) and soft. When
you feel you are exaggerating, you are probably doing it just right.

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No. 3 - Ludvig van Beethoven: Landrischer Tanz

This piece, which is a type of country dance, is this time easier than it looks,
at least if you follow the indications below.
For instance, compare bars 1 and 2. You will see that they are both exactly
the same and that neither the right hand nor the left has to play more than
5 different notes. Before starting to play, have your hand in position, each
finger above or in the direction of the key to be struck by the finger in
question. With this particular hand-position and fingering you can already
play 2 bars.
Bar 3 is a little different; again, keep the hand in the position for the whole
bar.
In bar 4 you keep the hand in the same position as you did for bar 1. Just
look: they are the same notes again, and so are bars 5 and 6.
Bar 7 is almost the same as bar 3, only the left hand differs slightly.
You can see now that you can practise all the notes of the first 8 bars by
playing only 3 different figures: bars 1, 3 and 7. As an exercise you could,
for example, strike the note-groups (chords) of the 1st and 2nd beats of
these bars together. This is also a good exercise for learning to read ahead,
which is very important.
After a chord like this, the connecting-lines are broken at the 3rd beat to
indicate that in that place the motif (musical fragment) starts. So, you can
see that the anacrusis with which the piece starts recurs every bar.
Furthermore, you will notice that in the whole of the first part the little
finger of the left hand remains above the a-key, and the thumb above the
a one octave higher.
The thumb of the right hand also remains above the same key: another a,
one octave higher again.
Now look at the second part. (Remember that the 8th bar is omitted the
second time). The little finger of the left hand remains above the d-key.
The right hand has a different way of playing now: groups of notes joined
together two by two. Play them with springy movements, coming loosely
from the wrist. When playing the 2nd note (more softly!) under a slur the
wrist springs up.
In the meantime, the left hand goes on playing legato!
In the 2nd part bars 10 to 13 and 14 to 16 are similar again except for the
last note in the right hand.

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 49

It is always best to make such an analysis yourself before you start to

practise a new piece. It often happens that an apparently complicated piece
can be reduced to a few chords and note-groupings.
Note that in this piece the notes for the thumb in the left hand should be
played a little more softly. Otherwise you will get a feeling of monotony
from these notes being played over and over again. So first go through the
accompaniment without the ‘thumb-notes’; that is, playing only the notes
on the whole beats. These are the notes that should be most clearly heard
in the accompaniment. Practise by playing the notes for the thumb
exaggeratedly softly.

No. 4 - Allegro by Zipoli

Although this piece is entitled ‘allegro’ (= quickly), you had better practise
it slowly at first, legato, with a beautiful, warm melodious tone. It will sound
even more flowing if you only press the keys very lightly. However, make
wide finger movements in order to avoid notes overlapping, which would of
course make your playing sound indistinct.
Furthermore, you must of course pay attention to the joining of the chords-
under a slur; in the first part in the left hand, in the second part in the right.
Play the last chord under each slur considerably more softly. It should make
a very musical impression if the other hand, which is playing note passages,
joins in this louder and softer playing. So, make a decrescendo when there
is a softer chord and a crescendo when a louder chord follows (at the
beginning of a new slur). Just try it.
There is an f at the start of the piece, so it is played forte. It is advisable,
however, to practise very softly as well. This is more difficult (as you will
see), since for this control of your fingers and touch are most important. If
when playing forte one note is struck carelessly, it is still usually audible.
But when playing softly there is a greater chance that a note played not
strongly enough will not sound at all.
When you have practised this piece slowly and thoroughly in all these ways,
you should notice that you are then able to play it more quickly, or, rather,
that this happens automatically. That is the result and reward of serious
practice!

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 Piano Speelplezier, Lesson 49

Frequent mistakes
Below you will find an enumeration of frequent mistakes made by piano-
students. Check for yourself if it contains points which can be improved in
your particular case.
1. Mistakes with the bar-division: A frequent mistake is that pupils do not
play in time. The cause is sometimes a weak feeling for time *), but most
of the time it is just carelessness, not paying enough attention to this
important point. To prove this we would point out that lots of students will
play a familiar piece in the correct time, because they do what their ear
tells them is right, while making all sorts of mistakes in playing unknown
music, because then they have only their eye to guide them and there is a
tendency to neglect the rhythmic aspect of reading. So always take the
trouble to count out the timing of an unknown piece when first playing or
practising it.
2. Wrong fingering. Many pupils on whom nobody is regularly keeping an
eye couldn’t care less about the indicated fingering. They mostly manage
to strike the correct keys, but using any fingers which happen to be free.
The result is that they are often fingers short in the end, so that fluent
playing or a beautiful performance become impossible not to mention the
many slips caused by faulty fingering.
Impatient natures in particular tend to disregard proper fingering, and they
therefore regularly get themselves into trouble to their great annoyance.
They make mistakes which could have been prevented.
On the other hand, it is not a good idea to rely absolutely on the indicated
fingering. Gradually you have to learn for yourself to use your hands as
efficiently as possible, and it is therefore best to learn to play scales, triads,
etc. so fluently that when you come across such passages you don’t have
to think about what you must do.
3. Accents. Do not play everything with the same touch but give the notes
on the first beat a light accent, play the notes in between the beats a little
more lightly than the notes on the beats, and so on. This point is connected
with the bar-divisions. Someone who has a natural feeling for time will treat
the accents correctly. But the reverse is also true: you keep in time more
easily when you make accents.
4. Articulation. Dull and colourless playing is also caused by playing all the
notes in exactly the same way. A tasteful variety of touch and tone-
formation, of legato- and non-legato-playing helps to make a piece bright.
So, note the slurs and especially the staccato-dots. In this connection we
would also mention clear phrasing.

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 49

5. Playing loudly and softly. This includes volume of sound in general (you
should be able to play a march with a full rich tone and a cradle song softly
and delicately) and also producing nuances. So, play more loudly or softly
in places where it is indicated or where you yourself feel that the music
requires it!

*) Your feeling for time can be gradually improved by regular accurate

practice.

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 Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 50

Lesson 50

Versie 1.0
Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 50

No. 1 - Scale and triad of gis-sharp minor

No. 1a
Remember all the time to keep your fingers bent, on the black keys as well
as the white. If you do, your touch will be more certain than if you keep
them straight as many students do.
No. 1b
In this you often have to strike a black key with the thumb. The best way
is to press the key at its extreme end. Don’t press it in the middle, since
then you will get into trouble if a white key follows.
So, keep your hand in such a position that you can easily press the black
keys at their extreme ends with your thumb and little finger, and the white
keys on their broad parts with bent fingers. This prevents your having to
move your hand away from you one moment and towards you the next,
which will cause you to falter. When you do it correctly, only your hand and
arm gradually move sideward when playing scales and triads. The touch is
produced by a firm finger-movement; you should strive for a feeling of
fingers and keys forming a whole, especially when playing on the black
keys. Your touch, however, should not become heavy.
No. 1c
Here is yet another rhythm: a 2-beat time in which there is one note on
each 1st beat and beat 2 is divided into three, a triplet.
First count each bar in sixths, so that you are also counting beat 1 in threes.
Then, in the first half of the bar there is a note lasting three beats each
time and in the second half three notes of one beat each.

Later on, you can count the bar in two again. Tap the time with your foot
(2 taps per bar) and count and play as follows:

1 2-and-a 1 2-and-a 1 etc.

Do not hurry when playing the triplets! Keep strictly in time.

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 Piano Speelplezier, Lesson 50

No. 2 - Kuhlau: Part of a sonatina

We advised you before to divide a long piece into sections and practise
these separately. In no. 2 you can distinguish three sections: bars 1 to 16,
17 to 32, and 33 to 40.
Practise the first 4 bars of the first section separately.
Count aloud:

3 and 1 2 3 and 1 etc.

Then you play the part from the anacrusis before bar 5 up to the first 2
beats of bar 8. When you have practised this, you can already play the
piece up to bar 17. (You play from bar 9 the same way as at the beginning,
only one octave higher).
This first part shows an alternation of staccato and legato playing. Watch
out for the notes that have no staccato dots: because in bar 3 you play
everything staccato; you might be inclined to play the chords in bar 4 short
as well. These should last the full two beats, however.
The chord for the left hand in bar 5 lasts 6 beats. Do not hurry the half-
beat notes in the right hand! Then in bar 7 the left hand plays staccato
again, while the right hand plays legato.
The second part has quite a different character: melodious and ‘dolce’
(sweetly). It is mainly played legato. The chord in bar 23, right hand, should
‘dissolve’ into the chord on beat 1 of bar 24, which comes at the end of a
slur, so that it should be played short.
Play the notes on beat 1 of bar 32 much more softly than the previous ones.
Notice how attractive the result is. Then make the beginning of each new
sentence quite clear.
You will need to count very carefully again in the last part, especially bars
36 - 40! After the pause you must start exactly on time, otherwise the
passage will not make musical sense. At the ritardando (slow down) each
beat should last a little longer; then in bar 40, halfway through the 2nd
beat, you continue in the original tempo: - and 3 and 1,
(= the first beat of bar 1, at the Segno symbol) until ‘fine’ in bar 16.
Of course, you have remembered that ‘D(al) S(egno) al fine’ means: - From
the sign to the end.

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 50

No. 3 - Schubert: Waltz

Franz Schubert composed many short pieces for the piano, particularly
dances. They make very pleasant pieces for the moderately advanced
player and may be considered as popular music of their time. This is a
simplified arrangement of a waltz, one of the 12 ‘Valses nobles’ Op. 77.
While practising take care to distinguish between the notes which are to be
played short and those which are to be played long. So, practise slowly, so
that you have time to think whilst you are playing.
Also note the other articulation-indications; accents, slurs, etc. In the
second part notes occur which are connected two by two. Each second note
is to be played lightly and short.
The accompanying notes are all played staccato, including those on beat 1
of each bar.

No. 4 - Donizetti: March

This march should be played in strict time; the chords for the left hand to
be made staccato. Just imagine them as beats on the drums, the regiment
marching in time to them. The melody might be played on the flutes.
When playing the triplets for the right hand, (bars 3, 5, 13 and 15), listen
carefully to the chords in the left hand. When these are played exactly in
time, it is easier to divide the triplet-notes between the beats, and it should
prevent you from playing them too quickly.
The figure: 3/4 + 1/4 beats, which you will find at the beginning of the
piece, should be played sharply. So, play the note of the 3/4 beat as if it is
going to last one full beat. Then at the very last moment fit the quarter
beat note in.
In some of the music from Italian Opera there are times when no breath-
pause is taken between two musical sentences. (There is one eventually,
of course). In these cases, the last note of one sentence is joined to the
first note of the next, and the fact that a new sentence has begun is made
clear by an accent.
You can see this for example, in bar 2, in between beats 1 and 3. Play the
two short notes before beat 3 lightly, just like grace notes. In order to be
able to play them legato, the fingering calls for the third finger to be passed
over the thumb.
In bar 10 the fourth finger passes over the thumb in a similar passage. This
needs to be done very lightly and easily in such a quick figure.

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 Piano Speelplezier, Lesson 50

Note the accents and the indications as to the volume of sound.

G. DONIZETTI (1797 – 1848)

An Italian composer of operas who lived from 1797 - 1848. Even to-day
some of his comic operas are popular and regularly performed.

Playing in time I
An experienced player should
immediately the first time he sees a
piece be able to read all the timing-
indications. He may not be able to
observe them all fully if his fingers
aren’t nimble enough yet, but he
should know at once how the timing
should be. We shall now see how this
result can be reached.
In the first place it is done by reading carefully, and especially by reading
ahead. No such mistakes should be made as, for example, taking notes of
1/4 beat for half-beat notes.
Musical players, and those who are musically educated, can often imagine
while playing what the total effect should be: not only the rhythm and the
timing, but also the melody and chords.
But many students who are only beginners hear just the melody in their
mind, while others can only approximately imagine how the melody should
go.
Each player, however, should have grasped the correct bar-division before
striking the keys.
The player should ‘feel’ the correct rhythm (metre) in the background, as
if someone else was tapping out the time for him.
As a member of an orchestra follows the beat of the conductor when playing,
so the solo-player should be guided by his feeling for time, which will clearly
disclose to him the rhythm, ‘the heart-beat of music’.
An example of this is a very popular kind of piece: a march. Almost anybody
will play a march in strict rhythm without deviating from the proper bar-
division.

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Klavar Course / Piano, Lesson 50

But the player also needs to become familiar with other forms which are
less simple than marches or waltzes. This is not so easy, but it is a faculty
that can be developed by paying particular attention to correct observance
of timing in the pieces you play.
It is also important to often listen to music, trying to recognise the time
and feel the rhythm.
In the following lesson we shall explain the most important points
demanding your attention if you wish to acquire a good sense of time and
rhythm.