Arabesque: B Section

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman, and in this lesson,
we're going to tackle learning the B section of Burgmüller's "Arabesque".
Let's get started by taking a look at the score.
By now you should have already learned the A section
right hand and left hand, and maybe you're even starting to work on that hands together.
Today we're going to work on the B section which begins here in measure twelve.
Will you take a look at the B section and just scan through and tell me what you notice about the B section.
Maybe you notice that the left hand now is playing the same rhythm that the right hand used to play.
Remember how the right hand goes:
the right hand has that TI-KI-TI-KI TI REST TI-KI-TI-KI TI REST rhythm. Now that rhythm's in the left hand TI-KI-TI-KI TI REST TI-KI-TI-KI TI REST.
So we're putting the melody down in the left hand, and our right hand has its own counter melody.
There'll actually be two melodies going on at the same time.
When that happens, we can call the secondary melody a counter melody.
It's like a melody that supports the other melody.
They work together to make the music.
Let's take a look at the rhythm of this right hand counter melody.
We have a dotted quarter note.
You may recall that a dotted quarter note is equal to 1 and a & beats.
So we'll count 1-& 2.
Remember, the 2 refers to the first half of beat 2, so we get all of beat 1, half of beat 2,
leaving the final & for this eighth note. 1-& 2-&
and that rhythm continues throughout this section.
Notice how the right hand has this 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&,
Can you try that with me? Let's count 1-& 2-& while we tap the rhythm of the right hand part.
Count out loud with me and tap.
Get ready, go.
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
And notice here it says dim, which stands for diminuendo.
Diminuendo means gradually getting softer. e means and.
poco ritardando
Poco ritardando means slow down a little bit. If you know Spanish or Italian, poco is a little. So, slow down a little bit
and get softer. Diminuendo e poco ritardando. So we'll go -& 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
And then you'll notice it goes back to the theme from our A section.
When you see these words 'a tempo' in the score, that means to go back to your original speed.
'A tempo' usually comes after a ritardando, and it's usually placed above both staves like this.
A tempo means back to your original full speed.
Okay now let's tap the rhythm of your left hand. So I've moved
here now I'm using my left hand, and we're going to tap the rhythm down here, which is like this: 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2 Let's try it together.
Will you try that with me?
Tap the rhythm of the left hand while we count the beat. Remember, we've got TI-KI-TI-KI TI REST,
but we're going to count the beat 1-& 2. Get ready.
I'll count 2 beats we'll start. 1 2
1-& 2 REST, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&,
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&.
gradually getting softer and slowing down there, and then we go back TA TA to the A section with those quarter note chords.
Now, let's try these two different rhythms, which by themselves may not be too hard,
but we're going to try it now hands together by tapping on the piano lid or your lap.
So now get both of your hands ready, and we're going to count the beat out loud.
You'll notice that on beat 1 they play together,
and then the left hand is going to continue with those sixteenth notes while the right hand holds like this: 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
So see how the right hands tapping on that & after beat 2 while the left hand is going 1-& 2
but the right hand is 1-& 2-&. Together 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&.
Now you try it with me. Let's count the beat and we're going to tap this crazy rhythm. Here we go.
I'll count 2 beats to get us ready, then we start. 1-& 2-&
1-& 2, count with me, 1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-&, 1-& 2, then we're back to the A theme.
Okay, now pause and rewind if you need more practice with that otherwise let's keep going.
Can you tell me the letter name of the first note the left hand plays here in measure twelve?
If you said G-sharp you're correct.
Remember, we're in the key of A minor,
and sometimes G becomes sharp if we use harmonic minor, and here in this measure we are in fact using harmonic minor. So we n ...