Charles Wu
Transcript of Charles Wu
Charles Wu
The breadth and variety of educational pieces
available for piano are staggering compared to
other instruments, but this does present additional
dilemma: which ones are worthwhile to learn or
assign to our students? In assembling this
collection, I have curated pieces I genuinely enjoy
playing and teaching to my students. Whether you
are a learner or a teacher, I hope you find this
collection an enjoyable addition to your musical life.
FOREWORD
Charles Wu
BA (Hons) Piano Performance
LRSM(Performance)
LRSM (Teaching)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Little Prelude page 12
Samuel Arnold
James Hook
Ludwig van Beethoven
Louis Köhler
Ludvig Schytte
Cornelius Gurlitt
Robert Schumann
Bela Bartok
Giga page 5
German Dance page 7
Birthday March page 9
Gavotte page 3
The Rope Dancer page 15
Soldiers’ March page 18
Sad Song page 21
Theodore Kullak
Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy
No.11 page 23
Op.176 No.1 page 25
Etudes/Exercises
2
TIPS AND TRICKS
• The entire piece is in five-finger position so
both your hands should stay in the same
position throughout
• Try playing most of the notes in this piece
staccato/separate to make it sound livelier
DID YOU KNOW?
• A Gavotte is a moderate tempo French dance
in 2s or 4s
• It is usually found in the middle of a dance
suite after a slower dance like Sarabande
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• James Hook was an English composer and
organist of the Classical era
• He wrote mostly operas and educational piano
music
James Hook (1746-1827)Gavotte No.3From 24 Progressive Lessons Op.81
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• Play with as brilliant and festive tone as
possible. I recommend lifting the fingers
slightly above the keys before striking them
• To get a good tempo for this piece, try to count
2 longer dotted crotchet beats per bar
DID YOU KNOW?
• A Giga, also known as Gigue or Jig, is a lively
Baroque dance in duple time that is usually
set as the finale of a dance suite
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Samuel Arnold was a British composer,
organist, and music director of the Classical
era
• His most well-known works are operas and
incidental music (music that accompanies a
play)
• He was the first to attempt to edit and publish
complete works of Handel
Samuel Arnold (1740-1802)GigaFrom Lesson in C Op.12 No.2
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• Be careful not to make the piece bottom
heavy. Play the left hand lightly at the tips of
the keys especially when playing the chords
• Shape the phrases gracefully. Be careful not to
accent the beginnings of the phrases when
played by the right hand thumb
DID YOU KNOW?
• A German Dance is generic term for a rather
lively dance usually in triple time popular in
Germany during Classical era
• Its style is similar to Waltz that was popular in
Vienna during that time
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Ludwig van Beethoven was a German pianist
and composer of the Classical period
• He composed countless masterpieces for
piano many of which remain popular today like
“Moonlight” and “Fur Elise”
• Beethoven started to become deaf in his early
30s but continued composing great
masterworks like the famous “Ode to Joy” from
his Symphony No. 9
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) German Dance WoO 8 No.1
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• The phrases in this piece begin mostly on
upbeat quavers that are easy to accidentally
accent. Think of them of as going louder
towards the first beats
• Be careful not to hammer the left hand chords
too excitedly. Play them lightly with a little bit
of spring to them
DID YOU KNOW?
• A March is a piece with strong steady rhythm
that can be marched on. Its time signature is
usually in 2s or 4s
• There are actually various types of marches
e.g. military march, royal march, funeral
march, etc
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Louis Köhler was a German composer, critic
and piano teacher of the Romantic period
• He mostly wrote educational piano pieces and
music theory books
Louis Köhler (1820-1866)Birthday MarchFrom Practical Piano Method Op.300
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11
TIPS AND TRICKS
• Play the notes lightly just halfway down the
keys. Imagine the sound of a harp
• The bottom notes played by the left hand can
actually be played longer to aid pedal change
• Try not to depress the right pedal fully to
prevent the piece from sounding like being
underwater
DID YOU KNOW?
• The title “Prelude” is non-descript, but it is
usually used for a piece that feels
improvisatory
• In the past it was customary to begin a recital
with a Prelude-like piece
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Ludvig Schytte was a Danish composer and
pianist of the Romantic period
• He studied piano with Franz Liszt and wrote
mostly educational piano pieces
Ludvig Schytte (1848-1909)Little Prelude
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• While it is possible to just play the repeated
notes using the same finger in this piece, I
recommend to try to follow the suggested
fingering. Keep your hand still and imagine you
are scratching the keys
• The cadenza at bar 20 is your chance to show
off! Play it freely with great flourish. Imagine
the rope dancer doing a small celebratory
dance after successfully crossing over to the
other side
DID YOU KNOW?
• This fun little piece is a character piece
describing a balancing act of a rope dancer
that you usually see in a circus act
• The passage with mostly small notes at bar 20
is called a cadenza. It is usually played freely
and brilliantly to show off the performer’s
technical and musical prowess
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Cornelius Gurlitt was a German composer,
organist, and teacher of the Romantic period
• He was a prolific composer in virtually all
genres but was mostly known nowadays for his
educational piano music
Cornelius Gurlitt (1820-1901)The Rope DancerFrom Little Studies Op.130
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• The semiquaver note could easily be
misplayed as a triplet quaver. Try to think of it
as happening just before the next note
• Despite playing parallel throughout, you should
play the left hand softer and lighter otherwise
the piece would sound heavy
• Keep the beat steady throughout. Imagine
little toy wooden soldiers marching
DID YOU KNOW?
• Schumann composed Album for the Young for
his three daughters
• A March is a piece with strong steady rhythm
that can be marched on. Its time signature is
usually in 2s or 4s
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Robert Schumann was a German composer
and music critic of the Romantic period
• He permanently injured his fingers training to
be a concert pianist
• His wife, Clara Schumann, was the first
concert pianist to perform solo recitals
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)Soldiers’ MarchFrom Album for the Young Op.68
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• Play the melody in the right hand with
beautiful singing sound. Rest your fingers on
the keys and just rock your hand left and right.
• Keep the dynamics relatively soft throughout.
The accents just need a little bit more volume
to them
DID YOU KNOW?
• The pieces in the collection For Children are
based on actual folk tunes
• This piece originally did not have a descriptive
title, but “Sad Song” is commonly used
nowadays in editions of this piece
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Bela Bartok was a Hungarian pianist,
composer, and ethnomusicologist of early
Modern period
• He had a lifelong project of documenting and
cataloguing Easter European folk songs
Bela Bartok (1881-1945)Sad SongNo.3 From For Children Sz 42
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• It might be helpful to ignore the printed
dynamics at first and just practice the melody
loud and the accompaniment as soft as
possible first
• Plan how long exactly the staccato
crotchets/quarter and quavers/eighth
accompaniment notes need to be. I
recommend playing them half of their original
lengths
• Try not to play the staccato notes bouncily; rest
your fingers on the keys and just let the keys
release and rise themselves
WHAT DOES THIS ETUDE IMPROVE?
• Dynamics balance between melody and
accompaniment
• Playing staccatos evenly
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Theodore Kullak was a German pianist,
composer, and teacher of the Romantic period
• He had a successful career as a teacher to
many royals and concert pianists
• He composed prolifically for piano but is
mainly known nowadays for his educational
pieces
Theodore Kullak (1818-1882)No.11 fromMaterials for Early Pianoforte Instruction
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TIPS AND TRICKS
• It might be helpful to ignore the printed
dynamics at first and just practice the right
hand loud and the accompaniment as soft as
possible first; keep the chords especially light
and shallow
• Play the right hand passageworks with flowing
dynamics shaping. You can safely follow the
direction of the notes. If they rise, go louder. If
they descend, go softer.
WHAT DOES THIS ETUDE IMPROVE?
• Dynamics balance between melody and
accompaniment
• Scales passageworks
KNOW THE COMPOSER
• Jean Baptiste Duvernoy was a French pianist,
composer, and teacher of the Romantic period
• He is mainly known for his educational piano
pieces
Jean Baptiste Duvernoy (1802-1880)No.1 fromElementary Studies Op.176
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