Group 2
Video of the TWI Check-In with Borbála!
Have you noticed that most of the time we talk about technique or musical expression separately? We practice technical elements such as arpeggio, fast scales, left hand independence, tremolo, or even legato playing, etc. separately, but never together with the musical elements. Enjoy this two-week intensive to be able to play the basic musical ideas easily such as changes of dynamics and tempo, articulation, accentuation, as well as to improve your musical creativity.
- Course Period: December 5th - 19th
- Sign-Up: November 30th
- Zoom Check-In: Dec 11th, 9am PT
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE FIRST WEEK:Exercises_Expression (1)
Please share a video of yourself playing the first three exercises and at least two variations of the fourth exercise.
1-3. Exercises:
- Take a tempo in which you can play without unnecessary tension and make the musical expressions (accelerando, crescendo) gradually.
Exercice 1: https://youtu.be/lf3aQznZyKQ
Exercice 2: https://youtu.be/PeGYFbXkjuY
Exercise 3: https://youtu.be/gCycBsDb7Xw
4. Exercise:
- If it’s too difficult for you to learn to play in one week, you can perform only the upper voice.
- Make attention, that fingering should be different depends on the desired musical character.
- Try to show the musical elements exaggeratedly, even if it seems to be too much.
- Try to imagine the character before you play the exercise.
Exercise 4: https://youtu.be/FTHMi7xghjg
ASSIGMENT FOR THE SECOND WEEK:
Please choose a short section (at least a phrase) of your current repertoire or one of the following
pieces:
- Fernando Sor: Six Divertissements Op. 2. No. 1.
- Matteo Carcassi: 25 Etudes Op. 60. No. 9.
- Leo Brouwer: Estudios Sencillos No. 5.
and demonstrate it at least in two different variations of musical ideas, musical characters.
You can/should change the fingerings depends on your imagined musical character.
You can use the Cheat Sheet of Observation of musical ideas to control your way of playing.
Cheat_sheet_Observation_of_musical_expression (1) Sor_Six_divertissements_Op_2 Brouwer_Estudios_sencillos_no_5 Carcassi_25_Etudes_Op_60
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Unfortunately finding myself having to travel today for a family matter. Will I be able to catch up with a taped session? Many thanks!
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Tom Ikeler Hi Tom, the Zoom Check-In is on Dec 11!
- Zoom Check-In: Dec 11th, 9am PT
Today is the Kick-Off for the End-Of-The-Year Community Concert Challenge. This is a regular livestream that will be recorded, you can simply re-watch it on the past events on tonebase LIVE!
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martin
Hello, Martin- i clicked on the link you provided, but i cannot located this session. I have tried to search your events by Borbala's name, name of session, etc but only get events that took place in October or this past summer.
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link to exercise 4 : TAB in case anybody else out there doesn't want to sight read the dots.
attached...
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Brooke please share, I can't be the only one!
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The exercises are simple but they isolate the execution of the expressive device(s). It is taking me some time to really play smoothly and under control...
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Dear all,
I'm new on tonebase, this is my first two week intensive and I recorded myself for the first time (just with my smartphone). Many exciting things come together...
So here comes my first try of exercise 1.
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Ingo Welcome to the community! It all sounds great to me, but I will defer to Borbala for her expert advice.
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Eric Phillips Thanks, Eric. Your Videos in Group 1 really helped me to get started. I think you will always make good and fast progress, because you are able to listen critically to yourself in a confident way and keep going.
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Ingo hi Ingo!
Thanks for the videos!
Yes, Eric is right, all of them are nice. The first and second part: you played them gradually, and you could reach the right way after couple of repetitions.
But I think what could help you in general, to get the good way immediately, to imagine it always before you start to play!
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Borbala Seres Thanks for the feedback. I will work on my imagination.
Getting the dynamics gradually played with ALL (INCLUDING the thumb) fingers is a challenge.
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Here comes the staccato exercise.
My biggest challenge was the string crossing in the right hand staccato. Damping with the same finger so that the other one is prepared for the next string was something I havn't done before. But it probably makes sense if you want to increase speed. I have to work on this.
Another issue I see now in the video is my left hand. 2 and 3 like to stick together. Looking forward to your observations. Thanks
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Ingo Hi Ingo thanks for the video.
First of all: your tempos are way too high, please slow them down. This exercises not about the tempo it's about the control.
Basically your left hand fingers are too straight, try to put only the fingertip and have your fingers in a more curved form. They can become much more relaxed in that form. Also try to make the movements of the fingers a bit smaller.
Left hand staccato: Try not to push the fretboard too much. LH staccato has to be played with less power of the pushing to have them light.
Right hand alternated staccato was very good.
P staccato: That was basically good, just look at your right hand position, bacause your ima fingers got a too straight position. They should have the similar position, than in the first two case. -
Borbala Seres Thank you for your helpful feedback. Here is another slower (I always get too fast too fast...) try of the first and last staccato exercise. Any improvements...?
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Ingo Nice job! It's great!
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Login Details for the Zoom Check-In on Dec 11th, 9am PT:
- https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82982744208
- Meeting-ID: 829 8274 4208
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Here comes Exercise 2 about accentuation with some more or less accidentally hits. I find it really hard to let one note stick out in a chord. Thumb and pinky can be controlled a bit easier, but the i,m are harder. This needs more constant training...
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Ingo Good work! I am definitely hearing the accented note come out most of the time. Like me, it is inconsistent, but hopefully with more practice, we'll both get there.
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Ingo Really very good. Thank you!
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Borbala Seres Thanks. Looking forward to your concert on the Siccas channel!
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Ingo
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I hadn't much time to practice exercise 4. And if you are not sure technically yet it gets at the expense of musicality. But here it comes the way it ist.
It's really helpful, that I started to record myself in this intensive course. You can hear and see what you really have to work on, although in the beginning it can also be a bit shoking...
In the love version there could be more dynamics and rubato. Speeding up in the court dance let's me make more mistakes. Here I always would like not to play staccato but to switch to a syncopated (more dancable) rhythm. And in the christmal carol there could be more joy. I also have to work on my facial expression then...
However: have a nice third advent!-
Ingo hi Ingo!
Thanks for the videos!
Indeed, recording can be very rude. It's a self mirror...
But very useful. You can get better through them.
Amorous : I would take a bit slower tempo maybe, but for sure, try to start that one not too loud and try to be more gentle. Like you would stroke the cheek of your wife. And also rubato could be more flexible as you said!
Court dance : basically nice, here a bit faster tempo could help you to get the lightness of this dancy character. Try to put a bit accent on to the first beats.
Your left hand fingers move too big in my opinion, maybe it doesn't help you to play it easyly, try to work on it too, I'm sure, it will help!
Carol : I liked this version very much. Maybe it could be a bit more legato, but basically good. And about your face : I think it shows exactly, how people feel themself before Christmas, all the rush...
No, seriously I think you did a great job.
Just try to imagine these pictures, characters before you start to play them. Just believe me, it will help you a lot!
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Assignments for the second week have been posted! See you in the Zoom Call!
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Video of the TWI Check-In with Borbála!
