Key Points: Pieces 40 & 41

 

• Piece 40 is a beautiful piece but slightly complicated by the fact that you have long slow minims with fast quavers. Work on the quavers separately until you are confident with them.

• Piece 41 is tricky. You must play this slowly to start with. Take bits of it at a time and work on them separately until you are confident. You will be tempted to play it fast too early. Resist the temptation.

• In Piece 40 there is a marking of 'Cantabile' so once you've learned the notes make the piece 'sing'.

• Piece 41 is energetic and fast. It's worth working hard on this because it will be able to help you speed up your playing (and your confidence).

Remember:

• As always start by doing a bowhold check, do a whole bow warm up, playing the scale of D major and G major. This is so easy to do and really helps you check your tuning.

• To get going pluck through each piece once or twice.

• Then try with the bow the Student's Track until you feel confident to move on to the duets.

• Go from plucking to bowing and back to plucking until you are confidently bowing each piece.

• Don't be in any rush to 'get it right straight away' - being patient will pay off in the long run.

• Go over previous videos if you think something's not right.

• Most 'horrible' sounds occur because of a tense right hand causing the bow to 'tremble,' 'bounce' or be 'scratchy'.