Lessons 221–240

Piano Unit 12

Lesson 221 Arabesque

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the A section of "Arabesque" by Friedrich Burgmüller
  • New terms: arabesque, scherzando, leggiero, sforzando
  • Review first and second endings

Lesson 222 Arabesque: Left Hand

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the A section of "Arabesque" hands together
  • Review chord analysis
  • Tips for balancing melody and chords

Lesson 223 Arabesque: B Section

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the B section of "Arabesque"
  • New terms: countermelody, a tempo

Lesson 224 Two-octave Minor Scales and Arpeggios in A, D & G

What You’ll Learn

  • Correct technique and fingerings for playing two-octave scales and arpeggios in A, D, and G minor
  • Review Ladder of Fourths

Lesson 225 Arabesque: Coda

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the coda of "Arabesque"
  • Practice tips on playing fast notes clean and even
  • Tips on using dynamics to create an exciting performance

Lesson 226 Diatonic Chords in Minor Keys

What You’ll Learn

  • How to identify, play, and improvise with diatonic chords in A natural and harmonic minor
  • New term: augmented

Lesson 227 Greensleeves

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the English folk melody "Greensleeves"
  • Review pickup beat and counting rhythms in 6/8 meter

Lesson 228 Greensleeves: Accompaniment

What You’ll Learn

  • How to improvise an accompaniment for "Greensleeves" using chord symbols

Lesson 229 C Minor Scales & Arpeggio

What You’ll Learn

  • Correct technique and fingerings for playing two-octave scales and arpeggios in A, D, and G minor
  • Review Ladder of Fourths

Lesson 230 Diatonic Chords & Inversions in C Minor

What You’ll Learn

  • How to identify, play, and improvise with diatonic chords in C natural and harmonic minor
  • Review chord inversions

Lesson 231 Ballade

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the A section of "Ballade" by Burgmüller
  • New terms: con brio, misterioso

Lesson 232 Ballade: B Section

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the B section of "Ballade" by Burgmüller
  • Practice techniques for voicing melody over accompaniment
  • New terms: dolce, animato

Lesson 233 Ballade: Coda

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the Coda section of "Ballade" by Burgmüller
  • Practice tools for working on fast sections

Lesson 234 Two-octave Scales & Arpeggios: G, D & A Major

What You’ll Learn

  • Correct technique and fingerings for playing two-octave scales and arpeggios in G, D, and A major
  • Review expert practice tips and strategies for mastering scales and arpeggios

Lesson 235 Composition Project

What You’ll Learn

  • Step-by-step tools for creating your own original composition
  • Review question and answer phrases, parallel phrases, and contrasting phrases
  • Pro tips for notating and turning your musical ideas into an artistic composition

Lesson 236 Musette in D: A Section

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the A section of "Musette in D" by Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Review technique for executing staccatos and slurs

Lesson 237 Musette in D: B Section: RH

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play the right hand part of the B section of "Musette in D"
  • How to approach articulation in a Baroque-style piece

Lesson 238 Musette in D: B Section: LH

What You’ll Learn

  • Practice strategies for mastering the B section of "Musette in D" hands together
  • New term: rounded binary form

Lesson 239 Blues Scale in D

What You’ll Learn

  • How to play a 2-octave blues scale in D
  • Practice improvising using the D blues scale over a 12-bar blues accompaniment

Lesson 240 12-Bar Blues

What You’ll Learn

  • How to improvise using the famous "12-bar blues" chord progression
  • Explore several common blues piano accompaniment patterns for the left hand
  • New term: bar = measure