To play with musical intent, we need to look at the music and analyze the score. Just as we warm up our bodies, we need …read more
Starting a New Piece
Doing the Ironing
With a new piece, we need to work out our musical shape before playing. If we don’t direct our arms what to do, we may …read more
Is it a Sicilienne?
Perhaps the new piece is a Sicilienne. What is a Sicilienne? The Sicilienne has a distinctive dotted rhythm. Fintan sings the basic sicilienne r… New …read more
Is it a Gigue?
Perhaps it is a gigue. The gigue has a distinctive musical character, a cheery, uplifting character. We often find a gigue as the last movement …read more
Mozart Sonatas
Let’s look at some Mozart sonatas. Take for instance the little Bb sonata. Mozart marks it in four beats in a bar, but the feel …read more