Beginner
บันทึกการเรียนรู้ ป.5 – ป.6
เรียนรู้เทคนิคพื้นฐานสไตล์เปียโนรัสเซีย Piano Career Academy ดำเนินการสอนโดยคุณ Ilinca Vartic การเล่นทั้งแขน เทคนิคการหมุนข้อมือ ข้อต่อต่างๆ การเล่นเป็นวลี เพิ่มเติมและปิดช่องโหว่ที่ผ่านมา ในคอร์สจะมีชิ้นแบบฝึกหัดระดับพื้นฐานสั้นๆ มากมายหลักร้อยบทเรียนจากหนังสือ The Russian School of Piano Playing Part 1 – 2 ในบทที่มีเนื้อหาเดียวกันอาจจะเลือกบันทึกไว้เพียงหนึ่งบท ในระหว่างนี้ก็ฝึกเล่นเพลงที่ชอบในระดับกลาง ฝึกเทคนิคในระดับ Intermediate ไปด้วย แต่ทำไม่ได้มากเพราะถูกจำกัดจำนวนการส่งงาน
No. 114 Chinese Song
Hi June,
You play it musically with great intonation. You play staccato evenly and lightly, without sounding shallow.
Keep up the excellent work!
No. 111 Study
Hi June,
Your playing sounds really good. You make the music lively and enjoyable! One thing you could try is using the pedal in the last four measures. You might like how it sounds without the pedal too, so give both ways a try and see which one you like.
Everything else is excellent!
No. 106 Russian Song
Hi June,
You must have found this quite easy. Your performance was flawless. You ‘sing’ the melody line spanning four measures with continuous movement and sound. The second part is played with a softer sound, contrasting with the first section.
Excellent job!
No. 104 The Sparrow
Hi June,
Your playing sounds really nice; I can see a little bird hopping around. Your staccato is nice and light. You did a good job getting louder in the second part. Maybe try getting even louder up to the highest note in measure 14, then get a bit softer after that. But what you’re doing already sounds good!
Keep up the good work!
No. 94 Television
Hi June,
No. 94 Television
Wow! You played both parts and recorded them really well! You made it look and sound so easy. You’re great at playing together. – Great ensemble skills. Every note was on time, and the music sounded fun and exciting.
Keep up the awesome work!
No. 93 Lullaby
Hi June,
No. 93 Lullaby
You played the lullaby really well! Your speed matches the lullaby feel, making it sound calm and nice. Even though you were a bit worried about how your hands move, they actually look great, making the music flow smoothly. Like when you played the two notes together with one hand movement, or when your hands smoothly move for the longer slurs like in m. 3 – m. 4 and the whole four measures in m. 7 to 12.
It’s great because it shows you understand how the music is built, and you know how to make it sound just right with different dynamics and tones.
Keep up the excellent work!
No. 91 The Rain is Drizzling
Hi June,
No. 91 The Rain is Drizzling
You play it beautifully with appropriate articulation that portrays light rain. You have applied crescendo and diminuendo nicely and effectively.
You mentioned how your wrists move while playing short notes. Just a little tip: How much your wrist moves depends on how fast the music is and how loud or quiet it is. This piece is fast, and it should sound light. So, you don’t need to move your wrist a lot, and you don’t have to play too loudly using your whole arm weight. Your playing already looks relaxed, and as long as you sense your muscles easing after each note, you’re on the right track. Don’t be overly concerned about the visibility of your wrist motions. What matters most is the overall feel and sound of your performance.
Keep up the excellent work!
No. 90 The Shepherd Plays
Hi June,
No. 90 The Shepherd Plays
Great job playing this piece! You know exactly where each phrase starts and finishes, making the melody sing really beautiful. I like how you finish the piece, listening to the sound getting quieter, showing how artistic you are.
I often have problems while playing songs with volume differences, because when I try to play notes softly sometimes one of the notes goes too quiet. Please tell me if there are any exercises for this.
It sounds like you are talking about the challenge of volume differences between the left-hand harmonic interval of D-A, I notice that the bass note D is not clear until m. 7. One way to improve this is by changing the fingering to 2-5, as suggested in the book. Right now, you’re using 1-5 fingers, which might result in the thumb producing a louder sound due to its natural characteristics – being shorter and larger. By using 2-5 fingering, your hand position becomes more angled and aligned with the arm, which will help you distribute weight more evenly.
If you want to continue using 1-5 fingering, try aligning your fifth finger with the arm, adjusting your hand position to create a more angled approach. This allows you to shift more weight onto the fifth finger, helping to balance the dynamic difference between fingers.
As for the exercise you’re asking about, to achieve an even sound between your fingers, try adjusting your hand position to a more comfortable and natural position. This adjustment can help create an even distribution of sound. Also, a key element in achieving consistent sound is to use your sense of hearing—listen carefully to the sounds you produce as you play.
No. 86 In My Little Garden
Hi June,
No. 86 In My Little Garden
You’re doing really well. You feel the music and make it sound nice. But there’s something I want to talk about.
In measures 1, 2, 5, and 6, you have the same note (C#) three times in a row. When you play them, instead of playing them with your fingers in an up-and-down motion, try playing them from the entire arm.
Pay close attention to how Ilinca plays these three notes in her video. After playing each note, she relaxes her hand from the wrist. She does it smoothly and gently. She uses her whole hand and arm, not only her finger. Her finger doesn’t go up and down.
If you try doing it like that, your music will sound even better. Everything else is very good.
Keep up the good work!
No. 76 Our Land
Hi June,
No. 76 Our Land
Good job, June! Your performance sounds a lot better without the pauses. Now, it sounds continuous and flowing. I especially like the way you build up tension (not the physical tension 😉) towards m. 16 and release it at m. 20. Your phrasing is pretty good.
Keep up the good work!
No. 74. My Little Cow
Hi June,
No. 74. My Little Cow
You played really well! Your music flowed smoothly, which is great.
I have a small tip for you. When you play the same notes twice in a row at the beginning of each phrase, try making the second note a bit louder than the first one. This will make the music feel like it’s moving forward. Also, try using your whole arm when you play those two notes, not just your fingers. This will help you control how loud or soft the sound is. Keep this in mind, listen to Ilinca’s demonstration again, and pay close attention to how she plays the first two notes.
Either way, your way of playing during your performance is very nice.
Swan Lake (Piece for dessert)
Hi June,
Swan Lake (Piece for dessert)
Great job on this piece! This piece must have been very easy for you after playing the intermediate-level sonatina last time.
Your execution of the entire piece was smooth, and the phrasing you applied to the music was delightful, creating a seamless and continuous melody.
Additionally, your sense of timing and rhythm was impeccable, keeping the piece flowing naturally from start to finish.
Keep up the fantastic work!
No. 57 A Russian Song
Hi June,
No. 57 A Russian Song
You make my job so easy. 😄 You playing is excellent. You pay attention to all the details including phrasing and dynamics, and articulations.
Keep up the good work!
No. 56 Peter’s Song
Hi June,
No. 56 Peter’s Song
You did a fantastic job playing in perfect sync with the accompaniment. Your sense of rhythm and musicality is impressive. To enhance the joyful character of the piece, try imagining a day when you had loads of fun and felt super happy. Let that feeling inspire your performance. In the second half of the piece where it gets louder (forte), try projecting the sound more to make it stand out and convey excitement.
Last week, you mentioned that your fingers aren’t strong enough. Since I’m not physically present with you, it’s a bit challenging for me to assess firsthand. However, from what I observe in the video, it appears that you are leaning slightly backward. Here’s a suggestion: Try sitting on a bench or chair a little farther away from the piano, and sit slightly higher so that you can easily put more weight onto the keys. When sitting on the bench, use only the front half or less of the bench, and keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Your feet have to be touching the floor firmly.
Here is the video on piano posture with pictures and video you can refer to. – Let me know if changing the sitting position made any difference.
The Piano Posture and The Energy of the Sound
The 5 Basic Elements Of A Correct Piano Posture
No. 52 Hungarian Folk Song
Hi June,
No. 52 Hungarian Folk Song
Your fundamentals are all good, and you play with a good sense of rhythm, especially in the syncopated passages.
Your sound quality is very good, as you play with excellent technique and use weight to produce a rich sound. You play the piece technically accurately. However, to fully capture the dynamic and energetic drive of the syncopated rhythm in the music, you may need to focus on adding more variation in your dynamic levels.
Currently, the overall impression is somewhat gentle and mellow. To change this, try applying different dynamic levels to each phrase, gradually increasing the energy and intensity as the music progresses, particularly in the second and the third phrases. This will help to create a more engaging and exciting atmosphere, with a stronger sense of rhythmic drive. Listen to Ilinca’s demonstration again and see how she applies different dynamic levels to each phrase.
Piece 1 ~7
Hello June!
Welcome to the feedback classroom! I am happy that you are starting from scratch even though you can play the ABRSM Grade 5 level repertoires. It is important to acquire good habits of playing the piano.
How should I call you? June or Wongvaris?
Piece 1 ~7 (all played with RH finger number 3)
You are doing a good job learning the whole-arm playing. You use the entire arm to press the key and relax your hand from the wrist, which is very good. Your relaxation motion is nice, changing the speed of relaxation according to the length of the note. Your hand position and hand shape are good.
I would like to point out a few things.
Before playing the first note, float your wrist and breathe in like singers do. Then breathe out as you press the first key.
Sound production is mostly good. However, make every sound even and create a deep sonority (approximately mf). Listen to your sound closely and press to the bottom of the key. Some notes are not as articulated as other notes right now.
I can’t see your feet but looks like your legs and feet are tucked under the piano bench. While you play the piano, feet support your body movement in order not to lose your balance. So it’s important to place your feet firmly on the floor. Sit only on the half of the bench. You can refer to the video and pictures how to sit at the piano in the following tutorials.
The 5 Basic Elements Of A Correct Piano Posture
The Piano Posture and The Energy of the Sound
Make sure you practice the LH also.
There is other young student at PCA. Her name is Akina and she started at the age of nine also (I think). She has been following the beginner course for the last couple of years and now she plays beautifully. You can check her out here.
PS: We are asking every member to submit only one piece per week regardless of the length of the piece. So next time, please just post one piece for feedback. Also, I am taking a summer break starting this week. Please read this post.
In the meantime, keep practicing. 😉 Looking forward to your next recording. 🙂
Only One Piece Per Week
Hi June and her dad,
Thank you for your enthusiasm and posting all the pieces that are covered in lesson 1 & 2. However, as I mentioned in the last feedback, every student is allowed to post only one piece per week, no matter how short the piece is. You can not make up for the missing weeks either. Today, I watched through your video but if you post more than one piece next time, I will not be able to write feedback until you post only one piece.
Piece No. 1 ~ No. 8 (RH & LH with 3rd finger only)
Your hand, both RH and LH, are nice and relaxed and your wrists are flexible. How you relax your hand and the wrist movement need to be corrected. Right now, you are swinging your wrist side to side on every note. You don’t have to move the wrist so much. After the quarter note or short note, just relax vertically, floating the wrist upward. After the half note or longer note, relax outwardly with a circular motion. The relaxation movement on the half note becomes slower than quarter note, expanding for two counts.
Piece No. 8 ~ No. 12 (RH & LH with 2nd, 3rd, 4th fingers.)
When you press the key with 3rd finger, your hand looks nice and relaxed most of the time. When you play with 2nd and 4th fingers, your hand becomes tense and the fingers are stuck together. This should be avoided. When one finger plays, all the other fingers are relaxed and loose just like when you play with 3rd finger.
The wrist relaxation has to be corrected in the same way that I explained above.
Motif from the Hungarian Rhapsody
Hi June,
Lovely to hear from you. I am happy to hear that you have been practicing regularly.
Motif from the Hungarian Rhapsody
Probably it was easy for you to play. Everything looks and sounds good. 🙂
No. 15 Rabbit
Hi June,
No. 15 Rabbit
You play it very well, producing a pleasant sound with a gentle key touch. Your relaxation wrist motion after the quarter note looks good. However, when you play the longer notes (the half notes and tied half notes) you are counting with the wrist, causing a short stroke of the wrist.
Right after playing the half note, lift your wrist in one large upward flowing motion, expanding for two counts. If you are playing the whole note, the relaxation motion becomes even slower, expanding for four counts.
If you observe a violin performance, you will notice how the bowing becomes longer and slower when a violinist plays long notes. You can compare your wrist relaxation motion for piano performance with the bowing of a violin performance.
No. 27 Study
Yuko Agata Farman7 months ago
Hi June,
No. 27 Study
Your performance is excellent! All the articulations are played properly and accurately. you play it with good phrasing too.
Looking forward to your next recording. You can move to legato playing (Lesson No. 8~) since you learned to play non-legato in an ergonomically correct way and you can already play pretty advanced pieces. 😉
No. 36 Crane
Hi June,
No. 36 Crane
You playing is outstanding. It must have been a piece of cake, wasn’t it? ☺️
This is a short piece, only eight measures long. No matter the length, always analyze the piece and be aware of the phrasing; where each phrase (like a sentence in written language) begins and ends and decide where you need to breathe (put punctuation like a comma or period).
This piece consists of four 2-measure phrase. The title and the words under it gives you a clue what the music is about. It is easy to consider that the piece is depicting the mother crane and her fledglings. Each phrase depicts the movement of the mother crane and her babies that are following her. (1st and 2nd measures of each phrase.) I would breathe (relax hand and lift it off the key briefly) after each phrase.
You are playing it everything legato, which is fine but you want to check the score closely. In this piece, there are lots of non-legato. Non-legato could give you an effect of the bird hopping.
Remember, music represents something or tells a story. As a musician, you have to know what you are trying to tell and find the most suitable articulations to communicate it.
Thank you for resubmitting this piece. Now it sounds fantastic! Your playing looks natural and relaxed too.
Looking forward to your next recording!
No. 39 Autumn
Hi June,
No. 39 Autumn
You play it very expressively! It sounds lovely. Your phrasing is wonderful also.
You are not far away from Ilinca’s hand movement. On the contrary, your hand movements are natural and relaxed.
Keep up the good work!
No. 45 Spring Song
Hi June,
No. 45 Spring Song
Your legato is fluid and continuous. You play it expressively and ‘calmly’ as indicated in the score.
As suggested in the video lesson, you can play the second section softer than the first section. When a melody or passage repeats, you can play the repeated part differently. 😉
No. 47 The Wind Blew on the Sea
Hi June,
No. 47 The Wind Blew on the Sea
Your playing is very expressive, illustrating the calm wind on the sea. 💯 Your playing movement is fluid and natural that matches the mood of this piece. Dynamic contrast is nice too.
Today is Song Kran festival in Thailand.
Did you participate in the festival? Did you get soaked? 😄
No. 49 Autumn Song
Hi June,
No. 49 Autumn Song
The piece is played very well, with a great sense of musical direction in shaping the phrase. Your hand movement is very fluid.
I have to point out that you are holding the second note B in m. 2 longer than intended. Probably you did it unconsciously and it is an easy fix.🙂
When practicing and submitting your performance, be sure to take advantage of the new self-assessment tool created by Ilinca. This tool is an excellent way to critically evaluate your own performance and identify areas for improvement.
You can download it from the following page.
How to Master a Piece on PCA: Practice Checklist and Self-Assessment Tool
