Advanced

CPE Bach - Allegro Assai (1st mvt from Sonata in A major, Wq 55 no. 4)

CPE Bach’s Sonata in A, on Trinity’s Grade 8 alternative syllabus, is full of invention. In a style that is moving towards the Classical period spirit, this piece makes a great alternative to the standard Haydn or Mozart repertoire. Full of contrasts in dynamics and texture, this piece demands a lot of technical control and precision. In this walkthrough, I look at how CPE Bach embellishes some of the underlying harmonic progressions, often in two contrasting ways – as well as clarifying some of the ornamentation. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to... Read >>

Chopin - Waltz in E Minor (Op. Posth.)

Chopin’s brilliant Waltz in E minor is justly popular with pianists entering the advanced level. This From the Ground Up edition helps students to lay a solid musical and technical foundation for learning the piece efficiently and quickly, with particular attention given to using rhythmic practice to solve technical challenges.... Read >>

Chopin - Waltz in D-flat Major ('Minute', Op. 64 No. 1)

The "Minute" Waltz continues to delight audiences and pianists over 175 years since it was composed. The publisher’s title suggested a "small" waltz, not one to be played within one minute. A more interesting story suggests that Chopin was actually inspired by seeing a little dog chase its tail! In any event, the piece endures as a favourite and is highly pianistic. In this video lesson, Fred Karpoff guides you how to play this elegant piece with ease, including the "tail-chasing" figure of the right hand, the lilting waltz rhythms of the left hand and three-dimensional shaping of the running... Read >>

JS Bach - Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906

ABRSM Grade 8 - A1

This highly chromatic and brilliant piece featuring hand crossings and running triplets shows Bach trying his hand at the new galant and expressive styles of composition that his sons were writing in. The contrasting second theme in the relative major returns in the home key after a development of the main themes, predicting Classical sonata form. Do not be intimidated by the array of ornaments, these can be organised rhythmically based on the realisations presented in the edition.... Read >>

JS Bach - Sinfonia No.15 in B minor, BWV 801

ABRSM Grade 7 – A1

Bach’s aims for the Inventions and Sinfonias were to encourage composition (an understanding and appreciation of musical structure), to foster good playing in two and three parts (or voices), and above all "to arrive at a cantabile style of playing". Apart from good tone, a singing style relies on phrase shaping, an appropriate range of dynamics and colour, as well as articulation.... Read >>

JS Bach - Prelude & Fugue in C Minor (Book 2)

BWV871

Difficulty Prelude: 3 Fugue: 4 This video preview features a performance of the work, please log-in or subscribe to see full teaching video for this work. Resources & links Click here for open domain editions for this work. Click here to download difficulty chart for all 48 preludes & fugues. ... Read >>

WA Mozart - 5 Variations in G major, K501

These videos, based on content from the Piano Teachers’ Course UK, provide a demonstration of the “do’s and don’ts” of duet playing. Using Mozart’s Five Variations K501 as a practical example, the videos illustrate the various challenges that arise, including pedalling, page turning and getting in each other’s way in... Read >>

JS Bach - Prelude & Fugue in F Minor (Book 2)

BWV881

Difficulty Prelude: 3 Fugue: 5 This video preview features a performance of the work, please log-in or subscribe to see full teaching video for this work. Resources & links Click here for open domain editions for this work. click here to download difficulty chart for all 48 preludes & fugues. ... Read >>

Brahms - Intermezzo in B minor (Op. 119 No. 1)

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 have attempted to analyse it bar by bar. It requires from the performer the ability to play expressively at a very slow tempo, warmth of tone and control of texture and pedalling. This piece will appeal to the mature player.... Read >>