Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman,
and today we're going to learn the right hand part for the B section of "Minuet in G Major" by Christian Petzold.
Let's get started by checking out the score.
Let's think about the form of "Minuet in G Major" for a minute.
In the previous lessons we've learned the A section, which we've seen repeats. So I'm going to mark A
with a simplified repeat sign.
And then we've got this B section, which we're going to start working on today.
You'll see this forward-facing repeat sign, which you always ignore when you first go by it,
and then when we get down to here this repeat sign teleports us back,
and we play the B section again.
So we also have a B section that repeats.
This is called binary form, an A section that repeats, then a B section that repeats.
All right, so let's check out the B section. Today we're working on the right hand part.
So here our first note, can you tell me the letter name for this note?
If you said B, you're correct. You can just use the top line of treble staff which is flag F.
Then we have one ledger line up
plus a step above that brings us to high treble B.
Now let's do a little more interval practice. I'm going to draw
lines between some notes, and
I'd like you to figure out
the intervals between these notes.
Okay, pause the video and wherever I've drawn a little yellow line,
figure out the interval. You can go ahead and write it in your own music, and then press play we'll look at the correct answer.
All right, here are all the intervals. We have a B to a G which is a third. Another B to G.
A to D, which is a fifth,
F-sharp to D which is a third,
G to E is a third, G to D is a fourth,
and C-sharp to A is a third.
One of the reasons I wanted to go through this is there are so many thirds it's
easy to get mixed up when there's something other than a third like this fifth,
or this fourth. So be especially careful on those two intervals when you go to learn this.
And that's exactly what we're going to do now.
I'd like you to pause the video and try and learn these notes.
Be careful of the rhythms.
Be careful of the notes, be careful of the fingerings.
There's one place right here where you'll be on a finger 1 for the D, and then finger 3 will cross over to the C-sharp
which will bring you into a kind of A major pentascale position for this last measure.
Pause to learn those four measures on your own, then press play and we'll look at it together.
Here's measures seventeen through twenty right hand alone. My finger 5 is starting on this high B. Again, because this is the end of a phrase I like to float my wrist up a little bit as I play that last note to make it more gentle,
and I think of decrescendoing a little bit on those last few notes to finish out that phrase beautifully.
Now if that matches what you played, great job.
If some things didn't quite sound the way that you played, then pause and work it out.
And then you can continue when you're ready.
Now let's look ahead to measure twenty-one.
Here we have some eighth notes stepping up. So notice
we're going to start on finger 1 and then we need finger 1 to come under to D to be able to make it all the way up that scale.
Now pause the video and try measures twenty-one starting finger 1 on A, practice measures twenty-one and twenty-two, then press play to go on.
Now let's look at measure twenty-three, where I'd like to add some articulations.
This sticky staccato that we talked about last time,
and you can put them over or under the note it doesn't matter.
And that will just make it sound a little more interesting right there.
Remember it's not
a super sharp or quick staccato.
It's kind of a
fat or sticky staccato.
Now I'd like you to pause the video and practice from measure twenty-one to the end of this line
right hand part
being careful of the fingerings, notes, and rhythms.
Press pause to practice this line, and then press play and we'll look at it together.
Now let's put all of these measures together. Starting in measure twenty-one, we get this:
Now if that matched what you played, great job.
If you need a little extra time to practice and figure it out, that's fine too.
When you're ready, let's go on and check out line three.
Now here what do you see in the dynamics?
If you'll remember back in measure twenty-four we have a decrescendo marking,
then here in measure twenty-five we see a mezzo piano.
So we're going to get a little more gentle here.
Notice the fingering. We have a 5, down to a 1.
That makes sense because this is the interval of the fifth,
but then we have to step down to F-sharp. Finger 2 is going to have to cross over to help us with that.
TI-TI TA
And then what interval do you see here from G up to the first note of measure twenty-six?
Can you tell me the name of this interval?
If you said a sixth, you're correct. So we have a fifth here in twenty-five,
then in measure twenty-six we go up a sixth.
Isn't that beautiful? I think that's just so beautiful.
And then we go up a fifth again, step down, step down, TI-TI TI-TI TA, and notice the fingering there 2 1,
and then 2 3 4, and again that's preparing you for the next measure.
2 1 2 3 4
Pause the video and practice measures twenty-five through twenty-eight, then press play to go on.
Now let's look at measures twenty-nine through thirty.
What do you notice in measure twenty-nine?
We have a scale going up.
Finger 1 starts on D.
Don't forget because of our key signature all F's are automatically F-sharp,
then finger 1 has to come under to G to keep going up.
1-& 2-& 3-&
and then what do you notice here on beat 2?
Aha, it's another ornament.
this time is it a mordant?
No.
Remember, a mordant has to have the slash through it.
This squiggle, if it doesn't have the slash, it's a trill.
Trills are different than mordants. This time
with a trill we generally start on the note above the note you see.
So since we see a B,
for a trill we're going to start on C,
and go back and forth quickly,
but then land on the B.
Now there's different ways to do trill you know. You could do it for a long time, but
often in baroque music we would just go back and forth twice quickly like this C B C B,
and up above the music you can see an example. That's written there as a courtesy.
You won't always see that written out for you. If you see a trill,
that's what you'll do. You'll take the note above the note you see and go back and forth. Now most people like
trilling with a 3 2 3 2,
and again, just like a mordant you wanna keep your hand really relaxed,
and just think of it as a wiggle,
you know?
You want to think gentle.
The louder you play the harder it will be.
Think really gentle,
keep your fingers close to the keys, and just think of wiggling back and forth with your hand.
Now I also like doing 3 1 3 1 with my thumb.
That actually is my favorite way to do a trill.
Like I said, most people prefer 3 2, I actually prefer 3 1.
You can try both ways.
I had a piano teacher who actually preferred 4 2 for trills, which I kind of find awkward.
But that was his favorite way.
There's different fingerings that you'll see different people use for trills.
So I would recommend trying out 3 2 or 3 1. Either one would be okay here. See what feels
the best to you. Pause the video
and work on this trill. You're just playing C B C B
In a quick wiggly kind of way.
Pause to work on your trill, and then press play to go on.
Now it's okay if your trill isn't perfect today. Of course it can take weeks, months, to perfect your trill.
I heard of a concert pianist who spent four hours every day practicing her trills.
And she had some of the best trills you've ever heard,
but she paid for it,
and you know she worked very hard to be able to have very liquid, fast, smooth, beautiful trills.
So hey, if she can spend four hours a day, you can spend five minutes a day
just working on your trills. Remember to keep your wrists relaxed.
Everything in a really good piano posture.
You could go up the keyboard like this
practicing trills and remember to stay relaxed and float after each one.
Now let's put that together with measure twenty-nine. We'd have this:
Now notice that when I get to this C I'm landing on a finger 4, and then for the trill I switch to a finger 3 because again, unless you like doing a 4 2 or a 4 3 trill, which also is possible,
but again most people are going to find 3 2 the most comfortable. So you're going to land on a 4, but then switch to a 3.
and then you can finish out the line like that.
Now, pause the video and work on measure twenty-nine to the end,
and then press play to go on.
Now this is so cool that you are doing all these ornaments now.
You can do mordants, you can do trills.
You're getting
to a pretty advanced fancy level with your playing. You could be really proud of that.
And just know that it's going to take some hard work to master this.
Let's hear all of the B section now.
Now crescendo.
And then that repeats.
Now, this week in your practicing work on just right hand alone in the B section, and of course you're also going to be
reviewing the hands together in the A section.
So simultaneously be polishing the A section while you also begin working on mastering the B section.
Most pianists I know are working on not just one piece at a time, but usually two or three pieces. So you can have lots of material
to be advancing your skills. Sometimes by working on another piece it will actually help you
with a different piece you're also working on.
All the learning you do can support one another.
Great work learning the right hand part for the B section of "Minuet in G Major".
Happy practicing and see you next time!
Can you imagine practicing trills for four hours a day?
That is some serious dedication!
You know, research has shown that to become a world expert in any skill or field
requires 10,000 total hours of focused practice.
Wow!
I did some math and to reach 10,000 hours that means 4 hours every day for seven years!
You mean if I can practice four hours a day for seven years I can become a world master at anything?
Four focused hours.
Oh I can focus.
Let's see, wait, how many years again?
Seven.
Right, so that means if I practice eight hours a day I can become a ninja master in just three and a half years!
I guess I better start practicing.
Hey, what do you want to become a world master at Princess?
I don't know, maybe dancing?
I also like writing, so maybe becoming an author!
Cool!
I bet you'd be an awesome world master at either of those.
Well, better start practicing!
Gotta love Scuba.