Technical Exercises

Technical exercises doesn’t always simply mean practicing scales and chords in the “Technical” book. In fact, I like to incorporate technical exercises within the pieces the student is learning because it is more musical (so more fun to play and listen to), but also it’s in context of the actual skill I want my student to achieve.

As an example, I’ve produced a list of technical exercises I would work with a student if he or she were to learn a piece from the RCM repertoire. What are some other techniques and strategies from your teaching point of view?

Piece 1: Calico Cat, by Helen Marlais, Preparatory B

Identify the key and warm up with the A minor penta-scale (hands separately and in various octaves). Work through the slur-staccato re-occurring phrasing found in mm. 1 with flexible wrist movement. Direct student to look for similar patterns in both music clefs and practice.

Discuss the tonic triad and ask to identify where else this chord appears - practicing firstly in broken form, then in solid form until secured. In mm. 9 -15 where the rhythmic pattern changes, ask student to count out-loud and clap before attempting to (re)play the A minor chord pattern in new rhythm.

Identify and explain the accent notation and practice “arm drop” and elbow following-through for strong, short notes such as in mm. 4 and 8.

Piece 2: Mist, by Clifford Poole, Level 1

Assuming we’ve identified the key and that LH plays in both treble and bass clef, we will discuss the LH chords and practice how each chord moves in relation to each other (ex. mm. 1 chord shifts one note down for the entire chord, and then back up in mm.3)

I’d play the piece with pedal and ask him to pay attention to the pedal marks and mimic my depressions and lifts with his overlapped hands. Once familiar with the piece, I’d ask that he practice hands separately with the pedal, to enforce that hand and foot are 2 independent movements which must work together.

Identify RH phrasing is every 4 measures, and practice wrist circles. Firstly “in the air”, then once familiar with the stepping/skipping of notes, with the actual notes.

Piece 3: Sonatina in C Major, op. 36, no. 1 (first movement), by  Muzio Clementi, Level 3

At this level, the student should be working on multi-octave C major scales and broken/solid triads. He’d warm up with these, then identify this pattern in the piece. Prompt him to find similar patterns later in the piece (mm. 24).

Practice wrist rotation found in mm. 7 for RH and mm. 9 in LH where patterns require zig-zag intervals. Ask student to identify additional similar patterns as homework.

Building on the forearm rotation gesture in level 1, practice reoccurring octave slurs such as mm. 9 and 11. Then practice wrist rotation from above exercise for LH in mm. 9 with forearm rotation in RH to enforce agility and independent hand movement.

Piece 4: The Happy  Farmer, by Robert Schumann, Level 4

In mm. 9 onwards where RH has two separate “voices”, discuss and practice by playing only the bottom triad notes and touching the keys to the melody (assuming we’ve identified where the melody reoccurs throughout), then switching by playing the melody while touching the keys to the bottom triads.

In mm. 3 LH, where the thumb plays B flat and A in neighbouring notes, discuss and explore fingering options with student. Practice and explain why what’s written is the best option.

Practice solid triads in F major, of various scale degrees and inversions. Explore playing thumb, 2nd or 3rd finger strongest in each chord and explain how 5th finger is typically weaker and prompt student to practice leaning weight of hand/arm towards 5th finger rather than thumb when playing solid chords in this piece.