3

CONTENTSCONTENTSArches in the Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Arches Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Five-Finger Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Little Pischna No. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Little Pischna No. 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Voicing: The Divided Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Voicing Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Trills and Mordents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8The Short Trill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8The Mordent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Common Articulations (Touches) in Baroque and Classical Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Warm-Up Patterns in C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9C Major Scales in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . . . . .9Chord Progression and Variations in C . . . . . . . .10Dominant Seventh Chords in C

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Arpeggio Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Arpeggio Exercise in C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Hearing Two Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Rotation Exercise (Right Hand), Czerny . . . . . . . .12Rotation Exercise (Left Hand), Czerny . . . . . . . . .12

Scale Forms in C Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13C Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic) . .13

Voicing: Imitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Voicing: Multiple Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Warm-Up Patterns in G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

G Major Scales in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . . . . 15Chord Progression and Variations in G . . . . . . . .16Dominant Seventh Chords in G

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Arpeggio Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Arpeggio Exercise in G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Cantabile (“Singing”) Melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Crossing Over the Left-Hand Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Arpeggio Etude (Excerpt), Duvernoy . . . . . . . . . . .18Scale Forms in G Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

G Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic) . .19Imitation: Cantabile (“Singing”) Motives . . . . . . . . . .20

Follow Me (Excerpt), Bertini, Arr . Bachus . . . . . .20Velocity (Speed) in G Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Speeding in G Major (Excerpt), Gurlitt . . . . . . . . .21Warm-Up Patterns in D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

D Major Scales in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . . . .22Chord Progression and Variations in D . . . . . . . .23Dominant Seventh Chords in D

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Arpeggio Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Arpeggio Exercise in D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Moving Smoothly in D Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Racing in D Major, Duvernoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Scale Forms in D Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26D Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic). .26

Alternating Touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Allegretto in D Minor, Sartorio, Arr . Bachus . . . . .27

Balancing Melody and Repeated Chords . . . . . . . . . . . .28Expressive Etude (Excerpt), Gurlitt . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Arpeggios Divided between the Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Arpeggio Etude, Gurlitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Voicing: Four Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Etude in Four Voices, Duvernoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Warm-Up Patterns in A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

A Major Scales in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . . . . .32Chord Progression and Variations in A . . . . . . . .33Dominant Seventh Chords in A

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Arpeggio Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Arpeggio Exercise in A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Compound Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Velocity Etude in A Major, Sartorio . . . . . . . . . . . .35

The Outer Fingers (3-4-5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Voicing Etude in A Major, Sartorio . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Scale Forms in A Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37A Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic) . .37

Melody and Repeated Chords (One Hand) . . . . . . . . . .38Divided Hand Etude, Streabbog . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Warm-Up Patterns in F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39F Major Scales in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . . . . .39Chord Progression and Variations in F . . . . . . . .40Dominant Seventh Chords in F

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Arpeggio Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Arpeggio Exercise in F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Alberti Bass Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Etude in F Major (Excerpt), Czerny . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Warm-Up Patterns in B-flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43B-flat Major Scale in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . .43Chord Progression and Variations in B-flat . . . . . . .43Dominant Seventh Chords in B-flat

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Arpeggio Exercise in B-flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Melodious (Legato) Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Etude in B-flat Major (Excerpt), Czerny . . . . . . . .45

More about Alternating Touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Warm-Up Patterns in E-flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

E-flat Major Scale in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . .47Chord Progression and Variation in E-flat. . . . . . .47

Velocity (Speed) in E-flat Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Etude in E-flat Major, Czerny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Warm-Up Patterns in E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49E Major Scales in Progressive Rhythms . . . . . . . . .49Chord Progression and Variations in E . . . . . . . .50Dominant Seventh Chords in E

(Broken and Blocked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Broken Chords and Inversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Arpeggio Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Arpeggio Exercise in E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Closed and Open Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Divided Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Etude in E Major, Czerny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Scale Forms in E Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

E Minor Scales (Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic) . .53Left-Hand Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Left-Hand Etude, Köhler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54More Voicing: Four Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Running with Four Voices (Excerpt), Czerny, Arr . Bachus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Grouping Staccatos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Scherzando, Gurlitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

7

Voicing: The Divided Hand

Voicing in piano music refers to the way lines are balanced. In orchestras and choirs, different instruments or singers are given various parts while pianists must show the separate lines (or voices) through contrast in dynamics and tone colors.

Voicing requires that individual fingers of the same hand perform separate tasks, such as one finger holding down a key while other fingers play.

g It may be helpful to think of each hand as having an outer hand (fingers 3-4-5) and an inner hand (fingers 1-2-3).

g Finger 3 helps direct the weight to either side of the hand.

Voicing Exercise

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Play the top voice as legato as possible and the other voices detached. Direct weight to the RH outer hand.

Finger 3 weighting the inner hand (fingers 1-2-3)

Finger 3 weighting the outer hand (fingers 3-4-5)

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Arpeggio Prep

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Forearm moving horizontally (LH)

Wrist is turned (LH)

g Move the forearm in a smooth horizontal motion as finger 1 crosses under the hand.

g Do not turn the wrist as finger 1 crosses under the hand.

g Keeping the hand shape, use a continuous forearm motion, without turning the wrist.

g First play hands separately in q rhythm. Repeat as written in q–––

q rhythm.

g Align the forearm with finger 3 to begin. Lightly touch the elbow (with other hand) to keep it stationery, allowing the wrist to pivot as the forearm aligns with the finger that is playing.

Arpeggio Exercise in D

Broken Chords and Inversions

Repeat in minor by lowering all F’s a half step.

28

Balancing Melody and Repeated Chords

Repeated notes and chords require careful listening on the piano because there will be a crescendo created by the repetition. Begin repeated notes softly and listen for dynamic control.

When repeated notes are in an inner voice, keep the weight constant on the outer notes. Use finger substitution to make a continuous legato.

Voicing Warm-Up (from Op. 141, No. 8, Cornelius Gurlitt)

Cornelius Gurlitt (1820–1901) Op. 51, No. 3

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g Blend the repeated chords into a murmuring background for the LH motives. Allow the keys to push the fingers up, to ride the keys up and down.

g Keep the left upper arm and elbow relaxed when crossing over.

Miniature, p. 22

36

Arnoldo Sartorio (1853–1936)

Voicing Etude in A Major

The Outer Fingers (3-4-5)

The outer fingers (especially fingers 4 and 5) in each hand provide major support in piano playing. Finger 5 has its own muscle in the palm of the hand that must be activated and connected with the arms.

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Finding the muscle for finger 5:

g With your palm facing upward, point finger 5 to the ceiling, watching and feeling the muscle work.

g Keeping that muscle activated, balance finger 5 on a key (supported by the forearm and triceps.)

g Then relax the knuckle of finger 5, keeping the nail joint firm. Adjust the arms until comfortable.

g In Voicing Etude in A Major, balance on finger 5 (support finger), which allows the other fingers to move freely.

g In the double notes such as in RH, m. 5 and LH, m. 6, first play the outer fingers alone. Keep the weight on the outer fingers when adding the inner voice. Play the four eighth notes in one motion of the arm.

Relaxed finger 5 knuckle

Tense finger 5 knuckle, pressed

Finger 5 muscle

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