TRINITY Initial (2018 - 2020)

This canon at the second needs our hands to be able to play autonomously, each playing the melody. It's a quiet piece, but just a slightly bigger sound (mf) for the final 5 bars.

Quite a steady tempo for this piece where the RH appears to be doing most of the 'talking'. Perhaps you could turn it into a conversation by adding words? There are a lot of slurs aren't there, so the few staccato notes will really stand out. Bars 11-12 and 15-16 are particularly tricky I think. Take them really slowly whilst trying to observe all the detail.

This is a little unusual as the melody begins in the LH before it moves over to the RH from bar 5. It's tricky to place those accompanying chords on beats 2 & 4. Some table-top practice might help. We should try to play quietly from bar 9, a real contrast to the bar before!

This piece is a great exercise in rhythm. A rock-steady, lilting LH accompaniment and a smooth RH melody that so often plays in the gaps between the beats. It dies away at the end becoming gradually quieter and slower.

This is a characterful piece and certainly gets my imagination going! It feels as if something might happen at any moment. Getting the two hands to work together for lines 2 & 3 is very tricky. Perhaps practice it very slowly, whilst being aware of all the staccato dots. Great last chord!

Ooh, there's a lot of detail here! Accents, tenuto signs, slurs, staccato dots and a crescendo! The rhythm of line 2 is tricky - try tapping it on a table-top, remembering the accents in the LH. From bar 9 we have a smooth RH melody above carefully held LH chords. It's also quite fast!

Allegro by Alexander Reinagle is from 24 Short & Easy Pieces

This piece has two 'voices'; we could easily play it on two instruments ...a violin & cello perhaps. Try to play a clear smooth melody in the RH above carefully held 'background' notes in the LH. With the 'da capo' it becomes a musical sandwich. Playing bars 11 & 12 quietly helps create interest.

Stick and Hat by Michael Stahl is from the collection of 4-hand piano pieces 'Der Wurm im Turm' by Michael STAHL, published by Breitkopf & Härtel.

You can play this piece either as a duet or a solo, though the middle section makes more sense as a duet! Smooth RH melody over carefully held LH chords. How quiet can the ending be?

Ooh, those RH crunches do sound like croaking toads, especially when we play them short (staccato). This piece is particularly effective when we play 'piano' at bar 9 and gradually build up to end loudly.

Canon by Henk Badings

Conversation by Nathalie Béra-Tagrine

Tickery Tockery by Kay Charlton

Lullaby by Daxböck et al.

Spies on a Mission by Paul Harris

Spanish Guitar Player Hans-Gu00fcnther Heumann

Allegro by Alexander Reinagle

Stick and Hat by Michael Stahl

The Waltz of the Toads by Kirtsin Strecke

Exercises

1a. Joining In

1b. Westminster Walk

2a. Dialogue

2b. Caribbean Sunshine

3a. My Turn Now

3b. Viennese Waltz

Scales (60bpm, mezzo-forte, legato, one octave, hands separately)

C major,

A minor (either natural, harmonic or melodic)

Broken Triads

C major

A minor