NOTES L2: 1 2 3 4 5 | L3: 1 | L4 | Other
Theme from the Overture
Key: A minor
Chords in piece: Am, Dm, E7
Timing: 4/4
BPM: 76–108
Andante: moderately slow
There is a ‘p’ and ‘pp’ for dynamics.
mf: mezzo forte, or medium loud.
fermata: a mark over a note or rest that is to be lengthened by an unspecified amount.
Pay attention to accent marks and ties. The piece ends on a fermata, slowing down with ritardando.
Ritardando (or rit.): is an indication to gradually decrease the tempo of the music (opposite of accelerando).
The piece says… ‘Andante’ which is 76-108, and means moderately slow. BUT…if you look up moderately slow, 86-97 is returned. Okay.
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Key: E minor
Chords in piece: Em, Am, B7
Timing: 4/4
BPM: 92-98
Andante Moderato: between andante and moderato (92–98 bpm).
Definitely pay attention to the phrasing, with the ties. Good pedaling is essential to this piece, too. I honestly didn’t find this piece overly difficult, which is surprising, because it sounds awesome.
mp (mezzo-piano): means moderately quiet—more
fermata: a mark over a note or rest that is to be lengthened by an unspecified amount.
morendo: means dying away. Fading?
Technique: At the end of the piece, you do cross your left hand over your right hand, and hold that fermata.
Waltz in G Minor
Key: G minor
Chords in piece: Gm, Cm, D7
Timing: 3/4
BPM: 84-96
Moderately Slow? Okay.
Waltz tempo??? Have I mentioned I hate piano notation? It’s ambiguous, arbitrary, and leaves beginners wondering what and how to play the piece. I wish lesson books would stop using these terms, alone. At least add what it means.
This piece has required pedaling and phrasing to really make it sound great, but…even without pedaling, it sounds pretty good. I like to play the treble 8va, sometimes…it sounds cool.
Fine: marks the end of a composition.
D.C. al Fine: means repeat from the beginning.
mf (mezzo-forte): meaning moderately loud—more
Poco Ritardando: it’s a gentle slowing-down, not an abrupt one.
Bourlesq, LMozart
Key: G
Chords in piece: G, C, D
Timing: 2/4
BPM: 120–156
Allegro: fast, quick, and bright.
This piece is simple, but fun to play.
D.C. al Fine: means repeat from the beginning.
Fine: marks the end of a composition.
Ritardando (or rit.) is an indication to gradually decrease the tempo of the music (opposite of accelerando).
Theme from Musetta’s Waltz
Key: C
Chords in piece: C, Em, F, others? Alfred doesn’t list them.
Timing: 3/4
BPM: 86-97
Yet another ambiguous term: Moderately Slow. Alfred, just give me the BPMs. Jeezus. Beyond the notation, this piece is really nice. This was the first piece I played that I thought sounded really sophisticated.
p: abbreviation of piano meaning soft.
mf (mezzo-forte): meaning moderately loud—more
Poco Ritardando it’s a gentle slowing-down, not an abrupt one.
Ritardando (or rit.) is an indication to gradually decrease the tempo of the music (opposite of accelerando).
a tempo: to resume the speed of the piece
>: Accent mark – Indicates that the marked note should have an emphasized beginning and then taper off rather quickly. This mark is correctly known by classically trained musicians as marcato, though it is usually simply referred to as an accent.
fermata: a mark over a note or rest that is to be lengthened by an unspecified amount.
Watch for the fermata
NOTE: Between the slurs and pedaling, this piece is more complicated than it appears.
Technique: There’s some tricky finger work. Be prepared to shift finger position on the same note. Just pay attention to the suggested finger positions, and you’ll do fine.
Recording: Something strange I have noticed, I did fine recording this…when I was recording each piece, individually. BUT…when I started grouping pieces into sets of 5, it has become very difficult to play perfectly. Arrggg.