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There’s Even More to Playing the Piano
A practical introduction to advanced music theory
Following on from There's More to Playing the Piano, this course delves into advanced theory beyond Grade 5, covering topics such as harmony, counterpoint, form and even an introduction to jazz!
Contents
Chapter 4 - Chord Progressions
Chapter 7 - The Cycle of Fifths
Chapter 17 - Texture (Classical)
Chapter 19 - The Cycle of Fifths (Part 2)
Chapter 20 - Form and Structure
Author
David Hall
David Hall is Director of Music at Twyford School in Winchester and Musical Director of Finchcocks Piano Courses. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
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Partita No. 6 in E minor
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Fantasie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor (Op. 66)
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Sonatine
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Sonata No. 17 in D Minor ('Tempest')
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Intermezzo in A Minor (Op. 76 No. 7)
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Nocturne in C-sharp Minor
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Sonatina in G
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Beethoven - Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata')
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Aria in F
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Intermezzo in E-Flat (Op. 117 No. 1)
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A ravishing melody floats in the air above the left hand’s meandering harmonies, creating a haunting, melancholy atmosphere. The second section invites us to a rustic dance but even though the music has now moved to the major key the colour remains dark, the bass drone keeping us grounded. The... Read >>
Mazurka in G minor (Op. 67 No. 2)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/160-mazurka-in-g-minor-op-67-no-2?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 6 – B1</a></h3>The mazurka is based on the Polish folk dance that originated in Mazovia, near Warsaw. Chopin wrote more than 50 mazurkas and listening to a variety of them will help develop a sense of the characteristic style. This example, in G minor, was written in the last year of Chopin’s... Read >>
The Merry Farmer
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/24-the-merry-farmer?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 4 – B2</a></h3>Schumann’s piano music is a joy to play – it is full of inspiration, fantastic contrasts in mood and character as well as beautiful melodies and breathtakingly beautiful harmonies. This series of articles provides notes outlining how to approach learning The Merry Farmer, Returning from Work from the Album for... Read >>
Intermezzo in B minor (Op. 119 No. 1)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/101-intermezzo-in-b-minor-op-119-no-1?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 8</a></h3>In 1893, Brahms wrote his last work for the piano, a set of four piano pieces, op. 119. The Intermezzo in B minor is the first piece of the set. As a composition it is full of riches, arousing keen interest in composers and scholars (including Arnold Schoenberg) as they... Read >>
Schubert - Impromptu in G-Flat Major (Op. 90 No. 3)
Schubert’s Impromptu in G-flat major is part of the first set of impromptus composed shortly before his death in 1828. The piece showcases Schubert's mastery of maintaining a single texture throughout, with a lyrical melody in the upper voice, rippling triplet figures in the middle and a supportive bassline. In... Read >>
Waltz in A minor
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/106-waltz-in-a-minor?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 4</a></h3>Grieg’s Waltz in A minor is full of character and contrasts, and not without its challenges - especially concerning how to use the pedal. In this video I show how to organise the pedalling in order to make some of the joins possible without covering over Grieg’s slurs and staccato... Read >>
From the Ground Up
From the Ground Up is a series devoted to learning individual pieces using outlines and reduced scores that help you to practise more effectively, memorize more consciously, and interpret music more creatively.... Read >>
Fanfarinette and La Triomphante (from Suite in A minor)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/121-fanfarinette-and-la-triomphante-from-suite-in-a-minor?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 8</a></h3>Jean-Philippe Rameau was an important composer and theorist of the High Baroque. He wrote three books of very fine pieces for harpsichord - Fanfarinette and La Triomphante come from the Suite in A minor (third book), and are examples of character pieces with descriptive or fanciful titles typical of the... Read >>
Knight Rupert (Album for the Young No. 12)
Knight Rupert, No. 12 from Schumann’s Album for the Young, Op. 68, is a favourite recital piece for the intermediate player, and great fun to play. The rousing A section contrasts beautifully with the more lyrical B section. This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and other... Read >>
Fantasy in D Minor K397
This video provides a section by section waltkthrough of Mozart's Fantasy in D Minor K397 (sometimes referred to as Fantasia).... Read >>
Sonata in G Major
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/97-sonata-in-g-major?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 3</a></h3>Here is an opportunity for the developing player to explore various possibilities for touch and articulation. In this short sonata there are also several technical challenges to overcome, including jumps, rotary freedom, delicate grace notes.... Read >>
Camidge - Scherzando (Second movement from Sonata no. 1 in G major)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/107-camidge-scherzando-second-movement-from-sonata-no-1-in-g-major?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 5</a></h3>Matthew Camidge's Scherzando in G is a worthy example of Classical period music, a light-natured piece full of melodic embellishments, opportunities for variety in phrase shaping, articulation and dynamic colouring. In this video I demonstrate solutions for the fast repeated notes we find in the B section, and show how... Read >>
Allegro molto (3rd movement from Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/119-allegro-molto-3rd-movement-from-sonata-in-c-major-hob-xvi50?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 7</a></h3>This is the last movement of the so-called “English” Sonata in C, inspired by the powerful and resonant Broadwood pianos Haydn encountered on a visit to London in the 1790s. The music is full of humour and lightness of spirit, requiring a sense of comic timing, clarity of texture and... Read >>
Intermezzo in E major (Op. 116 No. 6)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/186-intermezzo-in-e-major-op-116-no-6?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Walkthrough</a></h3>Brahms’ late piano pieces are among his most personal and intimate music. This bittersweet, nostalgic Intermezzo is from the set of Fantasies, Op. 116, completed in 1892. Within the progression of harmonies in the outer sections we discover interweaving melodic lines; imagine a dialogue between a violin and a viola... Read >>
No. 2 from Kinderstücke (Op. 72)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/120-no-2-from-kinderstcke-op-72?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 7</a></h3>Mendelssohn wrote his set of six Children’s Pieces, op. 72 for his young relatives during his summer holiday to England in 1842. No. 2, an andante sostenuto in the key of E flat, close in spirit to the composer’s many Songs without Words, features a lyrical melody in the right... Read >>
Tarantella (No. 4 from Musiques d’enfants, Op. 65)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/159-tarantella-no-4-from-musiques-denfants-op-65-?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 5 – C3</a></h3>Prokoviev’s Music for Children was composed in 1935 and contains 12 pieces with descriptive titles. The Tarantella is one of the best examples of this type of dance piece, featuring spinning patterns in both hands and plenty of quirky harmonic and rhythmic features that make Prokoviev’s style so engaging.... Read >>
Prelude in C minor (BWV 999)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/158-prelude-in-c-minor-bwv-999?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 4 – A1</a></h3>Built from a harmonic progression and originally written for lute we can recreate some of the resonance of that instrument either by short touches of pedal, or by overholding some notes of the broken chords.... Read >>
Invention in D Minor No. 4 (BWV 775)
Bach's Inventions (in two parts) and the Sinfonias (in three parts) were written for the Bach’s eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann and are played throughout the world by intermediate players and concert artists alike. This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and other practice tools to approach two... Read >>
Für Elise
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/140-fr-elise?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">(Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor)</a></h3>This evergreen miniature of Beethoven scarcely needs any introduction at all, since Für Elise is known to the world at large. What beginning piano student does not itch to play it, pestering their teacher long before they are ready? This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and... Read >>
Elgar - Andantino (First movement from Sonatina)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/118-elgar-andantino-first-movement-from-sonatina?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 4</a></h3>Here we find the first movement of a two-movement sonatina that Elgar wrote for his niece. It is song-like and gently expressive, calling for sensitivity in shaping phrases and timing larger melodic intervals. The Andantino demands careful listening in the balancing of the hands, the accompanying left hand, while quieter,... Read >>