Grade 4

F. Price - Ticklin’ Toes

Florence Price’s catchy Ticklin’ Toes is based on African-American dances, its syncopated rhythms and off-beat accompaniment patterns creating a lively, playful mood. Despite the editor’s caveat that players might prefer a slower tempo to the given crotchet = 138, a fast tempo is required to bring the music fully to life. A foolproof recipe for success in controlling fast tempos is an initial bout of very slow practice, ensuring complete accuracy in notes, rhythms and fingerings, followed by short bursts of the music at ever-faster tempos punctuated by deliberate stops or pauses. This might involve practising beat by beat to start with, then bar by bar, phrase by phrase and section by section. Once the reflexes for fast playing have been established, ongoing occasional slow practice is an excellent tool for maintaining control.

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