Trinity Grade 1
Walking (and Talking)
This is a lively piece in C major with some jazzy elements: off-beat rhythms and occasional use of flattened 3rds (E♭) & 7ths (B♭).
It uses an ABA structure, moving to the subdominant (F major) for the central section (bars 9-16).
Our hands need to be able to work independently of each other (bars 1-2) as well as perfectly synchronised (bars 7-8).
Hand in Hand by Ben Crosland
Hand in Hand is from Get Set Jazz! Grades 0-2 (Spartan, 2009).
It uses a simple 12-bar blues chord progression.
The LH plays a smooth, steady walking bass line using ascending chord tones which provides the accompaniment to the slightly syncopated RH melody. Tenuto signs, accents and slurs add extra interest to the RH line ...and keep us on our toes!
I'm Happy by Joyce Grill
I'm Happy is from Musical Scenes, 11 Late Elementary to Early Intermediate Character Pieces for Piano Solo, (Alfred).
Jodler by Uli Gruber
Jodler is from Play and Enjoy! For Young Pianists, 38 easy pieces with musical emphasis (Doblinger).
Mango Walk by Barbara Kirkby-Mason
This arrangement of the Jamaican children's song Mango Walk, first appeared in 1970 (OUP).
Things to think about:
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Syncopated rhythm
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Sharing a single melodic line between the two hands (bars 1-8).
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Playing in unison at the octave (bars 10-14).
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Creating dynamic interest by starting piano but ending forte.
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Notice how bars 5-8 copy bars 1-4.
Just for Starters by Mike Mower
Just for Starters is from 22 Treats for Piano (Itchy Fingers Publishing).
Minuet by Alexander Reinagle
Allemande by Johann Schein
This Allemande is currently published in Essential Piano Repertoire, Level 1 (Neil A. Kjos).
Things to think about:
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It uses 2-part writing, we might imagine it being performed by a violin & cello.
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The melody uses mainly stepwise movement.
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Binary form (AB) with each section being made up of 3 x 2-bar phrases.
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G major with a move to the dominant (D major) at the end fo the first section.
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Consider providing dynamic contrast by playing the start of the B section piano.
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Consider playing the LH slightly detached.
The Enchanted Garden by Kirsten Strecke
This piece has an ABA structure with the A section using D Dorian.
All 6 Exercises
Scales & Arpeggios
Scales
♩= 70, mf, legato, one octave,
F major & D minor (hands separately)
G major & E minor (hands separately)
Chromatic scale in contrary motion starting on D (hands together)
C major contrary motion (hands together)
Broken Chords
♩. = 50, mf, legato, one octave, hands separately
F major & D minor
G major & E minor
All 9 Pieces
CHARLTON, K. - Walking (and Talking)
CROSLAND, B. - Hand in Hand
GRILL, J. - I'm Happy
GRUBER, U. - Jodler
KIRKBY-MASON, B. - Mango Walk
MOWER, M. - Just for Starters
REINAGLE, A. - Minuet
SCHEIN, J. - Allemande
STRECKE, K. - The Enchanted Garden