Piano Festival Music Samples Intermediate

 

Choose at least 6 pieces to listen to. Write the name of the piece, then click the link to hear it and answer the following questions on your Festival Samples Listening Assignment Sheet:
1. Write 2 or more words to describe the mood of this piece.
2. What is the tempo (speed) of this piece (Adagio, Andante, Allegro, Presto, etc.)?
3. What articulation do you hear in this piece (staccato, legato, accents, pedaling etc.)?
4. Choose your personal rating for this piece from the following: 
1- I have no interest in learning to play this.
2 - This piece is okay
3 - Nice, but not my favorite
4 - I would like to play this piece.
5. I would love to learn to play this.

Slower/Expressive

Moonlit Shores by Randall Hartsell- sync pedal, expressive dynamic changes

Randall Hartsell Playlist

Faster/Exciting

Secret Agent Boogie by Jeanne Costello- staccato, swing and straight eighths

Tarantella Viva! by Melody Bober - 6/8

Turbocharged by Christopher Goldston - syncopation, pedal

The Matador by Carolyn Miller - fast triplets, pedal

Frontier Stomp by Melody Bober (Melody in Motion)

Merry Madrid by Melody Bober (Melody in Motion)

Fiddle Tune by Marth Mier (Solo Spectacular 2)

Classic Literature

Baroque Swirls by Martha Mier (sheet music)

Distant Bells by J.L. Streabbog - sync pedal, hand crossovers

Dance by Ludwig Schytte (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics1-2) 

Deep Singer by Ludwig Schytte (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics1-2)

Waltz by Anton Diabelli  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Sonatina in C by Duncombe

Sonatina in C Moderato & Allegretto by LeCouppey

Petit Rondo by Geoffroy  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Petit Menuet by Geoffroy  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Air AMB  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Hunting Horns by Turk  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

The Ballet by Turk  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Bourlesq by Mozart  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Arietta by Clementi  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Menuet en Rondeau by Rameau  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Passepied by Handel  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Menuet in G AMB  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Sonatina in G by Attwood  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Sonatina in C by Latour  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Sonatina in G by Latour  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Ecossaise in G by Beethoven  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Romantic/Contemporary

Kablevsky  

Bagatelle by Schumman  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Soldier's March by Schumann  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Scherzo by Gurlitt  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

March by Kabalevsky  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

A Tale by Gretchaninoff  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

A Tiresome Tale by Gretchaninoff  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

A Lingering Song by Gretchaninoff  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

The Bear by Rebikov  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

March by Gretchaninoff  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

The Music Box by Gurlitt  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Morning Song by Gurlitt  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

March by Gurlitt  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

The Wild Rider by Schumann  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

The Little Beggar by Gretchaninoff  (Jane Magrath Masterwork Classics 3)

Related Posts:

Piano Festival Samples Beginner Level 1 Blue

Piano Festival Samples Elementary Level 2 Purple

Piano Festival Samples Late Elementary Level 3 Yellow

Piano Festival Samples Early Intermediate Level 4 Green

Free Piano Resources for Halloween Composing and Improvisation

 Every year I love to revisit student favorite Halloween Piano Resources.  I was delighted today to discover and add several new spooky composing and improvisation resources to the list that I am eager to try out with my students.

Halloween Piano Composing Printables

Teach Piano Today just posted this Mummy Music Free Printable that is a  perfect quick win for beginning students.  It centers around middle C hands separate.  I love how students can gain confidence composing by just having to create a short motif to "fill in the blanks." Its the perfect activity for hesitant composers because of the guided process.

Halloween Piano Improvisation Tutorial Videos

I love these leveled tutorial videos for creating spooky music  at rebeccaspianokeys.com for more experienced elementary, intermediate or advanced students. They are perfect for piano lab or at home exploration because Rebecca gives specific step by step tips and instructions for success with musical samples throughout.

Level 1 introduces interval qualities including minor and tritones to be used in a hands separate "conversation" style spooky improv.

Level 2 includes more hands together playing including minor alberti bass style chords.

Level 3 describes the process of adding more expressive details including dynamics, tempo changes, pitch, etc.

Although Forrest Kinney's Create First Improvisation was not created specifically for Halloween, these improvisation video can be used to create music with a spooky Halloween flavor.

Create First Secret Dance Solo

Related Posts: 

Halloween Group Lesson Plans

Halloween Piano Challenge: Don't Scare Me Surprise Me!

Online Note Naming and Interval Piano Practice Games

Two important skills for reading new music quickly include identifying notes and intervals with speed and accuracy. This month's group lesson focus and piano studio challenge is for student's to level up their note naming and/or interval id skills by earning a new 60 second challenge badge.

In addition to practicing with TonicTutor.com or racing to say and play the note naming sheets in their folders, students can try some of these online games to sharpen their skills.

Games to Practice Note ID and Intervals

Music Theory.net Piano Key Names

Classics for Kids Note Names 

Teoria.com  Interval ID (Choose, Major and Perfect, Ascending, No Accidentals)

Teoria.com  Grand Staff Note ID

Teoria.com   Note ID w/ Ledger Lines

Pedaplus.com  Note ID 

Pedaplus.com  Note ID on Keyboard

Pedaplus.com  Interval ID

TonicTutor.com Note ID (Piano Keys, Seeds, Lasers, Note Bird, Note Snap and Stars)

TonicTutor.com Interval ID (Jungle Journey, Mini Monster, Interval Memory, Lollipops, Baseball)

Challenge Badge Levels

Prep

• Letter names of white keys on the piano (ABCDEFG)

Level 1

• Letter names of notes on the staff from Bass F to Treble G (Bronze)

Level 2 

• Letter names of notes on the staff from Bass C to Treble C (Silver)

Level 3

• Letter names of notes on the staff from Bass G to Treble F (Gold)

Level 4 

• Letter names of notes on the staff from 2 ledger lines above and below the staff (Master)
• Identify distance only of white keys 2nds-octaves on keyboard and staff

Level 5

• Letter names of notes on the staff from 4 ledger lines above and below the staff (Doctorate)
• Identify distance and quality of white key intervals 2nds-octaves on the staff

Helpful Videos:

Piano Safari Staff Notes with Skips Alphabet

Colourful Keys Landmark Notes

Piano Anne Ledger Line Notes 

Piano Anne Video: What are Major and Perfect Intervals?

 

Steps for Choosing Piano Fingering to Create Legato Lines

 Steps for Selecting Appropriate Piano Fingering

Choosing correct fingering can help you play legato phrases without awkward finger twists, leaps or tension. These steps are helpful in playing Simplified Hymns but can apply to other piano music as well.

1. Identify and mark the melodic phrases in the song. 

• Use the words and punctuation as your clues.
• Most phrases for hymns are 2-4 measures in length.

2. "Block" the Left Hand notes one phrase at a time.

3. Identify phrases including notes larger than a 5 finger span.

4. Write in the fingering at the beginning of each phrase.

• Remember, "Thou shalt not finger hop" (within the phrase).
• "Floating off" (a delicate hop) to a new position between phrases is okay.

5.  Decide which fingering technique works the best.

•  Expansion- open hand wider than 5 finger position
•  Contraction- close hand smaller than 5 finger position
•  Finger Crossing - tuck thumb under or cross fingers over as in scale playing
•  Finger Substitution- replace one finger with another while playing repeated notes

Listen carefully as you play with your selected fingering to make sure it doesn't have create awkward accented notes. Write in the fingering you have chosen and follow it consistently as you practice.

Elementary Music Theory Terms and Signs Videos

Following are a few of my favorite videos for introducing piano students to new concepts using a flipped learning approach during piano lab.

 Elementary Music Theory Terms and Signs Videos

PR Tempo - animated video defining tempo 

PR Forte Piano- animated video illustrating piano and forte dynamics

Mr. H Legato  - tutorial with example of legato and staccato piano excerpts

PR Crescendo Decrescendo - animated video illustrating crescendo and decrescendo

PR Presto Largo- animated video illustrating tempo terms Presto and Largo

CK Tempo Marks - brief definitions and memory aids for Allegro, Allegretto, Moderato, Andante

CK Dynamics- brief definitions of pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff

Pianote What are Dynamics - musical examples of how adding dynamics adds musicality

What are the 3 P's? 

How Quizlet Can Help You Master Piano Theory Terms and Signs

Using Quizlet in the Music Studio 

Music Flashcards have a been a familiar tool in piano lessons for me since I was a child.  I loved the satisfaction of beating my personal record time identifying note names chords and music terms. Quizlet allows you to create free flashcard sets to learn almost any topic from Spanish vocabulary to human anatomy.  You can also tap into the existing sets others have created. There are several different ways to study that make this online flashcard tool even more effective than traditional paper flashcard sets.  I love how the various options allow you to study in the way that works best for you including starring a small number of cards to review, playing in flashcard, game or quiz mode with varying formats (multiple choice, match, type answer, etc.).

A Fun Way to Get Piano Students "Hooked" on Chords

Playing piano chord progressions may be considered a necessary evil for some music students, but with the aid of HookTheory.com the mundane becomes marvelous!