TEACHER WORKBOOK HOW TO MEMORISE A PIECE OF MUSIC away from the piano! The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 1 19
CONTENTS Introduction To Your 21-Day Challenge! 3 Part 1 Analysis 8 Part 2 Activities On The Timer 9 Part 3 Scribble On The Score 11 Part 4 Create Post-It Rhythms 12 Part 5 Improvise On Post-It Rhythm Patterns 13 Part 6 Ask What & How Questions 14 Part 7 Two Further Ideas To Explore 15 Part 8 Quirky Idea 17 What The Curious Piano Teacher Does Next 18 Links For Further Reading 19 What you ll need: 1 A set of coloured pens We love the 10 pack STAEDTLER Triplus Fineliner pens 2 A set of coloured post-it notes We love the POST-IT LINED NOTES 3 A fresh new notebook A place to do memorisation activities and jot down ideas for the workbook you ll create and turn into a PDF 4 Envelope and stamp (to post us your accountability letter) Send to: The Curious Piano Teachers 4-5 Inverness Mews London W2 3JQ 5 Printer at the ready For printing out scores, your accountability letter, etc. The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 2 19
INTRODUCTION to your 21-day challenge THE STORY BEHIND THE IDEA Back in April, I read a blog article by Michael Hyatt called How to become a morning person. Now for someone, like me, who has never considered themselves to be a morning person I was intrigued. Not least because the reasons listed for being a morning person were pretty compelling. (A link to this blog post can be found on p19). But here s the thing. Towards the bottom of this blog post there was a 21-day challenge: commit to rising at 5am for 21 days because according to many psychologists, this is how long it takes to form a habit. 70 days later, I m still getting up at 5am and walking 3.5 miles. I ve discovered that it s an amazing way to kick-start a productive and fulfilling day. What s more, a piano teacher in the USA joined me in the challenge - she s still doing it too and has realised similar benefits. I invite you to try it! Now research carried out at UCL in 2010 suggests that, in reality, it takes closer to 66 days to form a new routine. (Link on p 19). Either way, I reckon that the idea of doing something outside our normal routine for 3 weeks sounds a lot more manageable than 9 weeks - and that in itself can help us get some traction. So to help you kick-start a productive summer routine, which has the potential to become your permanent routine, I m going to invite you to commit to the following goals for a 21-day period to finish no later than 31 July. (That means you need to get going no later than 11 July!) The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 3 19
THE 21-DAY CHALLENGE WHAT YOU WILL DO 1 Learn Menuett in F from memory away from the piano and perform it from memory to a pupil/friend/spouse/colleague 2 Learn Little Mouse from memory away from the piano and perform it from memory to a pupil/friend/spouse/colleague 3 Video record yourself performing at least ONE of these pieces from memory and post it on the private Facebook group no later than Friday 31 July 4 Create a workbook on How to analyse and memorise Little Mouse away from the piano and post on the private Facebook group (PDF) no later than Friday 31 July My why Your 21-day challenge will not always feel easy. And if you re not crystal clear on WHY you re doing WHAT you re doing, what s a stake and what you re trying to accomplish, you re going to want to quit. So ensure that you have a really deep understanding of what these changes, brought about by an accomplished goal, would make possible for you. (It might be something as simple as creating a consistent routine to help you get the most out of the monthly Curiosity Boxes by taking consistent action, scheduling in time each day to take *specific & focused* action - even if that s only 15 minutes daily). Success goes to the people who are willing to persist - Michael Hyatt - The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 4 19
DO THIS NOW IDENTIFY YOUR WHY : Write down WHY it s important for you to achieve this month s 21-day challenge: And I love this quote: Discipline is the ability to make yourself do something you don t want to do in order to get a result you really want to get - Andy Andrews - The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 5 19
NEED A BIT OF WHY INSPIRATION? WE VE GOT YOU COVERED! Struggling to find a really good reason WHY you should commit to the 21-day challenge? As you know, we ve already suggested that you create a workbook on How to analyse and memorise Little Mouse away from the piano - see your What you will do list on page 4. Well, Elissa Milne (composer of Little Mouse and a brand new member on our Team of Experts at The Curious Piano Teachers) will personally review your workbook! That is not an opportunity that comes along every day! What s more this very cute piece of music has only ever been published in Australia - so chances are you ve never seen it before which means it s a brand new piece to add to your teaching repertoire. (We ll let you figure out what level of pupil you might give this piece to). In order for your workbook to be personally reviewed by Elissa, you MUST submit it by 31 July 2015. Elissa will choose her favourite workbook and the author of this favourited workbook will receive a voucher for dinner for two* (perfect for a summer evening!) *We ll hand-pick somewhere that offers an amazing experience, close to where you live The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 6 19
IN SUMMARY, HERE S WHAT I m COMMITTING TO: 1 Scheduling a time, onto my calendar (you ll find a copy of this inside the July Curiosity Box) daily for 21 consecutive days, to work towards my goals (listed above) with a positive mindset. 2 Writing down my goal for each day (i.e. getting clear on what I want to achieve) and then writing down my reflections regarding the outcome (we suggest that you build in time to allow yourself to jot down these reflections immediately after completing your daily goal). 3 Being persistent and achieving these goals (no matter how much I feel like giving up). WE KNOW THAT HAVING ACCOUNTABILITY CAN HELP So we ve provided you with an accountability letter that you can print, complete, sign and post to us at The Curious Piano Teachers, 4-5 Inverness Mews, London, W2 3JQ - to arrive no later than Monday 13 July. Find this NOW inside the July Curiosity Box and TAKE ACTION! The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 7 19
PART 1 ANALYSIS Print off the Menuett in F (which you ll find in the document called Scores in the July Curiosity Box) and get started by answering the following questions. The empty spaces at the bottom will allow you to create a few of your own questions Remember! The whole point is that you don t play this piece until you ve memorised it away from the piano! Question Answer How many bars? What s the structure? What s the time signature? What's the key? How often does it modulate? Where does it modulate? To what key(s) does it modulate? What's happening with phrasing? LH rhythm - what do you notice? What are the highest & lowest notes of each section (RH)? What are the highest & lowest notes of each section (LH)? The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 8 19
PART 2 ACTIVITIES ON THE TIMER ACTIVITY #1 THIRTY minutes - set a timer on your phone/ipad for 30 mins 1 Look at the given pattern below your pattern from starting note go up skip down step down step down step up step for example Sequence ascending by step in key of F Major F A G F E F - G Bb A G F G - A C Bb A G A etc. 2 Repeat the pattern ascending by step based on the notes of the F major scale (a tonal sequence), saying the letter names aloud with your eyes closed - so you have to remember the pattern! 3 Your starting note is the tonic (F); continue the sequence until you say the set of letter names that you started with (F AGFEF) 4 Repeat this activity in the following TWO keys: C major & G minor (harmonic) 5 Write the letter names in your notebook (for each key) 6 Choose one key and write the pitches on manuscript paper without referring to the letter names you ve written in your notebook 7 Finally, in your chosen key, decide on a consistent fingering pattern and play this tonal sequence on the piano (without referring to anything you ve written on paper!) in quavers (3/4) hands together 2 octaves apart. RECORD YOURSELF to assess how fluently and accurately you can play this. The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 9 19
ACTIVITY #2 FIFTEEN MINUTES - set a timer on your phone/ipad for 15 mins 1 Sing a major scale, repeating each note 3 times - do this without the piano 2 Now sing (starting on tonic) and play piano (starting on mediant) - you re harmonising a 3rd apart 3 Sing a harmonic minor scale, repeating each note 3 times - do this without the piano 4 Now sing (starting on tonic) and play piano (starting on submediant) - you re harmonising a 6th apart ACTIVITY #3 FIVe/TEN MINUTES (delete as applicable) It s your turn to create an activity for yourself and write down the steps The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 10 19
PART 3 SCRIBBLE ON THE SCORE 1 Print off a few copies of the score (Menuett in F) and get set with those coloured pens 2 Create a few more to do items at the bottom of the chart Our Tip Rather than showing every element (below) on the same copy of the score, use a few copies. For example, on one copy only show the phrasing and one melodic pattern. That way it won t look too cluttered and confusing! Tick here when you re done Here s what to do Add phrase marks Circle bars which consist entirely of repeated notes Circle the RH bars which use this melodic pattern: up skip down step down step down step up step Circle the RH bars which use this melodic pattern: up skip down FIVE steps Show where the bass line moves in step Circle all triad patterns (F stave) Look at the first note of every bar (LH of A section): write the scale degree below it and then sing The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 11 19
PART 4 CREATE POST-IT RHYTHMS You ll need six of those cool post-it notes now 1 Identify the SIX different rhythm patterns that occur in Menuett in F (each pattern lasts one full bar) 2 Write each pattern as a Post-It Rhythm on a post-it note 3 Duplicate these post-it rhythms (you ll now have 12 post-it notes) 4 Arrange your Post-It Rhythms to create a 4-bar rhythm 5 What s the metronome marking of the piece? 6 Set a metronome to the minimum recommended tempo, count two bars in and (still counting) tap the rhythm 7 One-by-one turn over the cards and (still counting aloud) tap your Post- It Rhythm from memory 7 When all cards are turned over, write out the rhythm from memory 8 On a scale of 1-10, how challenging did you find this task? 1: easy peasy lemon squeezy 10: need to lie down in a dark room 9 Now double the number of cards (8 cards) and repeat this activity - setting a metronome to the maximum recommended tempo 10 How did this 8-bar memory challenge compare with the 4-bar one (on a scale of 1-10)? The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 12 19
PART 5 IMPROVISE ON POST-IT RHYTHM PATTERNS 1 Using the Post-It Rhythm patterns, improvise 4 bars by tapping (sitting at the piano) 2 Immediately, improvise a melody at the piano which imitates the rhythm pattern you ve just improvised (choose one of the following keys: F major, C major or G minor) - in other words, you re remembering the rhythm you ve just improvised whilst improvising a melody in a particular key! 3 Continue this for a few minutes (maybe set a timer for 2-3 minutes?) 4 Record yourself and listen back - how accurately did you imitate the tapped rhythms at the piano? how well did you maintain a steady tempo without hesitations? (Write down your reflections in your notebook) How might you develop the complexity of this task further - either for yourself or for a pupil? Now DO the activity you ve suggested! The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 13 19
PART 6 ASK WHAT & HOW? QUESTIONS - use notebook 1 What can I draw on from the activities (above) to help me memorise the RH of the A section away from the piano? Refer back and make a note of all relevant areas (for example: rhythm cards) IDEA #1 write the rhythm from memory (A section RH) 2 How can I co-ordinate both hands? IDEA #2 where repeated notes appear as crotchets in both hands: play as dotted minims and identify the type of interval between these notes (for example, bar 2: Bb- D compound major 3rd) 3 How can I remember the LH pattern in bars 6-8 (LH) IDEA #3 bar 6: descending C major triad bar 7: descending B diminished triad bar 8: octave pattern (tonic of new key*) *new key at end of A section: C major (dominant key) Now ask your questions (and share on the Facebook forum) WHAT? HOW? The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 14 19
PART 7 TWO further IDEAS TO EXPLORE Here we ve included direct quotes from an article by Graham Fitch - and whom we re honoured to have on our fab Team of Experts at The Curious Piano Teachers! We highly recommend that you read the full article by Graham here: http://www.grahamfitch.com/articles.htm#1 IDEA #1 TRANSPOSING In his students edition of Chopin Study op. 10 no. 1, Alfred Cortot suggests that, after the work has been perfected, playing in every key while keeping the fingerings of the key of C will prove excellent practice. Testing the memory by means of transposition is certainly excellent practice, but it is not necessary to use all twelve keys. Two or three different keys will suffice, and only for sections of the work that prove especially troublesome. Testing the memory in this way will enhance one s understanding of the harmonic functions and the patterns of the music in general that one may miss or take for granted in the original key. Action Question Play Menuett in F in TWO different keys from memory How much of the score can you write out, in a different key, from memory away from the piano? The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 15 19
IDEA #2 VISUALISATION This technique has been hailed in many fields, especially sports science, medicine, and holistic therapies. For musicians preparing for a performance, the idea is to imagine yourself playing in as vivid detail as possible, while at the same time feeling the emotions evoked by the music, as well as a calm state of mind in the presence of examiners or an audience. Imagine yourself feeling calm, confident and relaxed just before the examination or before you go onstage. Hear yourself playing the music, and see your hands and fingers execute their tasks as though through the lens of a video camera. Use all of your senses as vividly as possible. Scientists believe that this technique creates neural pathways in the brain which are followed in actual performance. Many memory slips happen because of negative self-talk. Thoughts such as Don t forget! or I shall be glad when this is over are negative ones. Action 1 Action 2 In your notebook, make notes on the vivid detail Play Menuett in F from memory, recording your performance, having FIRST applied Graham s visualisation technique. Action 3 Write your reflections after performing from memory to camera (and watch back). To what extent did you overcome negative self-talk? The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 16 19
PART 8 QUIRKY IDEA You ll find a copy of the score for Menuett in F (in the Scores document inside the July Curiosity Box) where some notes have been replaced by boxes. This was created in Sibelius which is notation software: http://www.sibelius.com/home/index_flash.html If you don t have Sibelius you might try this instead using an A3 copy of the full score: 1 Use tip-ex to delete notes from the score 2 In it s place, draw a box - or use the really quirky idea of paper roll shape stamps (which, as you can imagine, is LOTS more fun for pupils!) http://mamapapabubba.com/2013/05/28/paper-roll-shape-stamps/ 3 Now, fill in the blanks using the numbered system of letter names 4 For example, if the first LH note of bar 9 was omitted the answer would be: F#3 What is meant by the numbered system of letter names? - The lowest note on the piano is A1 - The highest note on the piano is C8 - The first RH note of Menuett in F is F5 - The first LH note of Menuett in F is F3 Benefits It s a systematic way which can help pupils identify WHICH note they use on the piano. A very helpful concept, particularly for pupils who consistently play music at the wrong octave! The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 17 19
WHAT THE CURIOUS PIANO TEACHER DOES NEXT 1. Once you ve done lots of memory-preparation, play Menuett in F from memory & record your performance. 2. Listen/watch back and evaluate your level of accuracy. Reflect, and create an action plan to implement improvement. 3. Now create your own workbook based on Elissa s composition Little Mouse using what s been done in this workbook as a starting point for inspiration! The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 18 19
LINKS FOR FURTHER READING 21-DAY CHALLENGE 21-DAY CHALLENGE http://michaelhyatt.com/how-to-become-a-morning-person.html 21-DAY CHALLENGE http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/hbrc/2012/06/29/busting-the-21-days-habitformation-myth/ http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/02/how-long-it-takes-to-form-a-newhabit/ GRAHAM FITCH PRACTISING THE PIANO http://www.practisingthepiano.com/the-analytic-memory/ GRAHAM FITCH PRACTISING THE PIANO http://www.practisingthepiano.com/memory-tips-using-one-finger/ GRAHAM FITCH PRACTISING THE PIANO http://www.practisingthepiano.com/tools-for-memorisation/ The Curious Piano Teachers 2015 19 19