For this stage students should become confident at playing tenuto notes. They should also gain more experience in playing pieces that include a mixture of the articulations they have learned so far.
Activities
- Get students to experiment with tenuto sounds and actions at the piano, away from their pieces. Discuss with the student what techniques are required to make a tenuto sound.
- Play a phrase twice, changing the articulation the second time. Ask the student to describe what has changed. This helps develop listening and aural skills.
- Discuss how articulations can change the character or mood of a piece.
- Encourage the student to identify articulation in their pieces.
- Practice articulation techniques using scales, technical exercises, or favourite pieces the student has already mastered.
- Articulation Ivy can be used to help students remember the name and sound of different articulations learned up to and beyond this Stage. You can either introduce the additional styles or print two sets of cards and remove the ones the relevant articulations. For an extra level of difficulty ask students to play the style of articulation on their instrument using a simple scale or technical exercise they know.
piano TRACKS Project 