There’s More to Playing the Piano


Chapter 28 - Style

While not strictly a music theory topic, an appreciation of musical style is important for understanding composers and their repertoire. The table opposite necessarily contains some sweeping generalisations, but should provide some insight into musical style and some useful vocabulary to describe music from the various eras. Some of the ideas (counterpoint, terraced dynamics, blue notes) may be new to you. It is worth looking up the meaning of these phrases or, even better, discussing them with your piano teacher. All the characteristics noted here relate to piano music. This is because music exam...

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Sonatine

Ravel wrote the first movement of the Sonatine in 1903 for a magazine competition run by a magazine but wasn't awarded the prize as he was the only entrant and had exceeded the length restriction! Fortunately for posterity, Ravel soon added a second and a third movement in 1905 and... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 5 in C Minor

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Pianist and captain of The Piano Boat, Masayuki Tayama, gives a guided tour of Beethoven’s fifth sonata in C minor, Op. 10 No. 1. In these fourteen videos, Masa explores background, style, interpretation, technical challenges and practice methods for each of the three movements.... Read >>


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Sonata Pathétique in C Minor

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If you have ever struggled with Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata, this series of 11 videos is designed to help you solve some of the main technical and interpretative problems the work poses so that you will be better able to bring out the drama and intensity of the music as you... Read >>


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