Pianistic Sketches for Students

A few weeks ago I went to the Conservatory (here in Qro) and the Principal of the children section told me they needed new piano pieces for students, so he asked me to write some short and easy pieces, (he didn't say how many) I made 6 but I may write more later.I made this keeping in mind many students have no real piano, only keyboards, but I did encourage the use of the pedal, at least in formal performance.

You'll note a "Difficulty Level" indicated in all scores, I made a quick difficulty rank where 0 is nothing but sitting in front of the keyboard, and 10 is something like Prokofiev Piano 2nd piano Concert... (might be 11 or 12 by really crazy modern stuff)

A quick description:

1 Una Viejesita (An Old Woman) Slow piece with the melancholy of an old person who remember deeply miss his old but good days.

2 Sueño de Jacaranda, (A Jacaranda Dream) Jacaranda is a tree with purple flowers.

3 Un Colibrí (A hummingbird) Fast, agile, beautiful. (I think I had to stop increasing the difficulty level here, otherwise no student would play my pieces)

4 Tiquitín (A little Boy) I go back to very, very starter level.

5 Siesta (Nap) I think the lesson to learn on this piece is only one: Patience

6 Sofisticación (Sophistication) I wanted to introduce some more complex harmony for those who feel they are good already but always within the same basic stuff, the chords are not too large, but I think they're a good introduction to get out of so-called perfect chords.

7 Añoranza (Yearning)^newOn this one I wanted the student begins to have a wider usage of the keyboard, to expand his world to lower octaves.

8 En el Jardín (In the Garden)^new Something more or less like the 1st piece, but a bit faster with larger structure.

9 El Alhajero (The Jewel Case)^newIs time to introduce semi-fast passages with 3ths, (bar 7) I did write the fingering.

10 Sofisticación II (Sophistication II)^new My intention with these "Sophistication" is little by little to teach a quick idea of how to play piano in fine restaurant, a sort of smooth jazz, but in a very slowly process, for now is only matter of addind 6ths, 7ths, 9ths. The 1st Sophistication was fast arpeggios almost like steady chords, now are more "visible" arpeggios.

(Forgive the too hammered arpeggios, I will record the all later)

11 Ímpetu (Impetus)^new Ok, to be honest i think I made this one for myself, I was playing a sort of "warming up" improvisation and I turned it into a piece, I guess this one works as an encouragement for the student, like saying "ok you may not be able to play this right now, but if you continue, you surely will"

That's all for the moment, I will write more later...

Pianistic Sketches for Students

EDIT:

I have added 5 more pieces (7-11)

What a lovely idea, well done for even being considered for composing for a consertiore! I haven't listened to them all yet, but considering these are works for children, they are a bit difficult. How old would the children be?

Also they are a little serious.

Nice work, Sys! I could play some of these! :lol:

--Una Viejesita: wow! This is excellent: a simple, somewhat humdrum, weighed down tune, flowing into that beautiful, reminiscing tune at measures 23-46...ohhhh, that was heartbreaking. :happytears: Beautiful! With your permission, I would like to have the sheet music to this!

--Sueno (don't know how to put the whatchamacallit over the n to make the "nya" sound :() de Jacaranda: Hmmm...I dunno about this one :hmmm: On the one hand, there's a really nice flow to the piece, but on the other, the melody feels so...static that the constant repetition of it kind of made me motion sick :sick: It's not a bad piece, by any means, it's just not something I'm crazy about :sleep: But good job nonetheless.

--Un Colibri: Sheesh, good thing you stopped the difficulty level here :o This looks extremely difficult, and it's only a 3.8?! ... :ermm: Anyhoo, the music is really nice here: I feel that it doesn't overstay its welcome with its super quick speed, and there's a good slow-down contrast. Nice!

--Tiquitin: It's a nice, pleasant tune, but I think it is perhaps a little too simple. At least you toned the difficulty down so normal human beings could play it, haha. At least breaking up those chords upon the repeat of that phrase at the end there would have added a diversity to the exercise, but also some freeing up of the music here.

--Siesta: I'm not a big fan of the style here: repeating the same chord 6 times per a phrase for the whole song just seems ... lazy (!!!). I realize that's the point here, but still ... I think I'd fall asleep playing it, and listening to it makes me want to take a permanent nap O_O There's got to be another way to be relaxing without being tedious, right?

--Sofisticacion: Way cool! This reminds me of a sort of noir film, where the leading man and lady have a serious talk. It's a perfectly descriptive name for the piece, true, but ... it's perhaps a little too direct. This is not just a exercise here, after all, these pieces are legitimate art! :nod: But anyway, the piece itself is wonderfully imaginative and soul-full. Every chord had a certain magic to it. Excellent!

Thanks for sharing these with us, I'm most impressed! ;) I will 10/10 for the ones I consider very good here (The first one and the last one, namely), and favorite it.

TheWannabeChopin

I don't know if I have a different brain or what, but since very child I use to like more the serious music, in minor tonality, and I tent to consider "too silly" when is not serious enough .... ? for instance I don't like Mozart because always sounds "too silly" for me, (except the Requiem) I even had an small fight with my violin teacher because she put me a Mozart piece, I said "that's too silly" and she said "what ? you don't like Mozart ?"

So, I perfectly understand what you said about being "serious" for children, but I have several "excuses" haha..

1, Being child doesn't mean being silly or fool. 2, Funny stuff can be found easily, but if the student desires to become a professional he needs to be used to play and to "feel" more serious music WIHTOUT getting depressed, only do a good performance. 3, The personal life of the composer (me) will be always shown on his music, there's no way to "pretend" be someone else while composing, 4, The children has the whole day to have fun, why not to play something like this from time to time ....

I'm not sure but I think this will be used for children and not so children, 13-20 y/o, that are in really basic level anyway. The difficulty ? they are not difficult at all for me, I wrote them all in a couple of days, and I played them instantly, according to my own judgement and my onw ranking method I have about Level 8 on piano, and that's only because I still can't play prokofiev well....

BUt but..... please don't let those fast notes scare you, hahahaha, this difficulty is on your mind only, (where is always actually, not in fingers)

Serge, Thanks for listening and comment, you can print all pieces if you want, (as long as you don't delete my name on those haha)

Sueño is not to get sick, you read carefully first, once you understand it as Bm, Bm/A, GM7, Em etc it will become very easy.

The humming bird ..... I say it again, don't let those notes scare you, is nothing than a very comfortable draw for both hands, that you study SLOW until you understand the harmony (again, you just consieve it as this:

Melody: A, G#, F#, G#, . A, G#, F#, G#, . B, A, G#, A, . B, A, G#, A, . etc

Bass L. A------------------- etc

I asure you, is extremly easy for the hummingbird to move his wings that fast

Tiquitin, I made that one thinking on those really really reaaaaaally basic students, if is boring, ... why don't they play more ?

Siesta, I suposse is the kinda Coldplay no ? repetitive is a main aspect here, until you feel and ambient instead of listening notes...

Sophistication: I think I made that thinking in teaching someone fast quick Restorant-Pianist lessons, maybe one of those students will be good enough someday to play with me Piano-Sax on a cool elegant Restaurant at 9:30-11:30PM ....

If I recieve complains from the teachers on the conservatory "this is too hard" "this is too serious" I will have to go and teach how, because ... if someone has troubles playing this, those are harmony knowledge troubles, and I've seen that problem a lot, who can someone memorize the hummingbird with knowing basic harmony ? note by note ? How can someone memorize a poem in a language he doesn't speak ? letter by letter ? .... certainly not, is word by word, phrase by phrase .... is the same case here.

By the way Serge, ... how could you add so many faces on your post ? are not 5 maximum ?

By the way Serge, ... how could you add so many faces on your post ? are not 5 maximum ?

Magic :)

Sueño is not to get sick, you read carefully first, once you understand it as Bm, Bm/A, GM7, Em etc it will become very easy.

The humming bird ..... I say it again, don't let those notes scare you, is nothing than a very comfortable draw for both hands, that you study SLOW until you understand the harmony (again, you just consieve it as this:

Melody: A, G#, F#, G#, . A, G#, F#, G#, . B, A, G#, A, . B, A, G#, A, . etc

Bass L. A------------------- etc

I asure you, is extremly easy for the hummingbird to move his wings that fast

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the pieces are quite playable, and after some practice, I think I could play them...it's just that musically-speaking, they're so dense I get motion-sickness listening to them :lol: I'm very prone to motion-sickness, see. Can't read in the car, can't take too many super quick notes... I hate that about me :( I need moar ginger root! :evil:

Again, I really like what you've done here! :happy:

Ooo sorry, I'll remember you if I write more, to write a slow one you can play fine...

Like the "Old Woman" one ? or maybe the "Sophistication" ? but tell me you can play something more that Tiquitin

This is awesome, Daniel! Your harmonic language is quite beautiful, and it reminds me at times of scenes from Studio Ghibli films. I wanted to hear a little more harmonic figuration in both A Little Boy and Nap, but all of these are solid pieces with an Erik Satie-like simplicity, and I think that's a good thing for pedagogical purposes. I hope you write some more to fill in the gap between Jacaranda Dream and Hummingbird!

I've probably asked this before, but what do you use for engraving? The scores look great!

Thanks Black,

I think Sibelius 6 did it all about the looking of the score, I only specified a few "page break" or "middle of system" for some bars, but basicaly Sibelius did it all.

Something between Jacaranda and Hummingbird ? but only in matters of diffuculty or what do you mean with "fill the gap" ?

You know, this is good, to listen suggestions even requests, tell me what would you like to have as hypothetical studets, faster, slower, wider ranges, shorter in lenght, with more diffucult Key signatures etc etc...

I'm not sure but I recall I made one of those in a diferent key, (I think it was B Major the Hummingbird) but I changed it to make it easier....

Very nice work on these! A few comments:

1. The accompaniment pattern in the bass is a bit repetitive. I would've loved to have heard some more variance in there.

2. Jacaranda feels that it is going somewhere - but it doesn't quite go there at all. It almost has an etude like feel to it. Have you thought about adding to this one?

3. The B section starting at measure 25 seems to me to conflict with the overall flow and idea of this movement. I think one nice solution to this would've been to have the implied melody in your A section play out in whole tones while the wonderful pattern you have in the right hand is shared amongst the two hands. Know what I mean? You can create contrast that way - while still keeping a continuous feel that this movement seems to call for.

4. This movement really let me down. I was so hoping for Debussy - style development this piece. You set the start up so simple and end even simply. The ending really leaves me unconvinced and unfulfilled.

5. :hmmm: I'm noticing something as I listen to all of these movements with the score visible for each one - I'll state this at the end. This movement, again, doesn't quite do it for me. I feel like it's missing something. I understand that you are going for simplicity in your texture - but I'm not sure that should equate to you not working your material in better ways. This is pretty much just melody over harmony - which isn't exactly exciting to listen to (or play). I would definitely recommend researching some of the repertoire available to students a little more - to get a good idea of how to remain simple while providing interest.

6. The theme for this is hauntingly beautiful. Again, this one suffers from lack of development. The music seems to call for MORE.

All in all, I think these works have potential. In case nobody noticed, you did something that very few composers on this forum do: you used the same motive in each and every one of these. At times, this was noticeable but at other times - it wasn't. Was this intentional?

Something between Jacaranda and Hummingbird ? but only in matters of diffuculty or what do you mean with "fill the gap" ?

Yep, I meant in terms of difficulty.

Ok, Black I'll see what I can doo...

Jason, Thanks.

The music seems to call for MORE.

The Music does call for more in all pieces, developing ideas, modulating theme etc, but I didn't want to add more difficulty and lenght, this is the first time I do something like this, I don't know many students pieces made by wiser composers, (I think I jumped that part when I studied) but I didn't know how to make them "better" without make them more difficult and longer...

The 1st one really satisfies me within its' simpleness,

the 2nd, I don't know what is that "somewhere" it didn't go, I only would like to use left hand for more harmony elements instead 5th only, but I think it is difficult enough that way, so the student don't worry about different patterns within the piece, only remember it as B, A, G, E etc.... Also I missed the rest of the low keys, but you know, many don't have 88 keys.

3th, you know, the middle section of the hummingbird could be much better, I agree, but I'm sure the students hands must have a rest, it is obvious the middle part is to rest only. I had difficulties with this part because I wanted to write something more, but ..... is it not difficult enough already ? so the transition to go back to the fast tempo doesn't satisfies me completely (that E Major 6) but I didn't want to expend many days writing this.

EDIT: No way I put the right hand draw in the left hand, I don't want students to distroy me piece

4, If it let you down is because you better than that, (of course you are) many of you here are better than that, "tiquitin" means a little boy, but very little, 3-5 y/o, so Imagine a 3-5 y/o playing this.... It would be quite good pianist already no ? hahahaha

5 of course is nothing but melody over harmony, and a few moves on harmony too, just GM7, F#m7 A6 and D just to end. IF I see the students getting this done in a few hours I will surely write better, things, but if what you mean that this also could be much better developed, I agree.

6 OF COURSE it needs more, I could write pages and pages of this, as a nightclub improv .... but again, I worry students won't memorize more that these few chords in the audition performance.

Considering many many students don't go out of Beyer, this will be refreshing, but I'm open to recommendations about other composer pieces for students, maybe they save me from this job hahaha, who do you recommend me Jason, I only know about he Bartok Microcosmos but I haven't studied it maybe I could only say to the Conservatory guy, "check these pieces, there's no need to write more"

Jason, I think what you need here is patient haha, I'm sure the children's parents will be very satisfied by seeing their sons playing this, what you expected to see is in Levels 4-7 I think...... but there are many pieces and sotatas within these levels, more basic stuff is what was needed, That's what I understood...

Now, if parents complain, I will redirect to complains to the Principal hahahahaha

I learned your "Old Woman" song on piano, after downloading the sheet music. I love it! :phones:

Ok, Thank you for playing my music, try the next one

EDIT:

Oh I forgot the motion problem, well try the sophistication...

English:

have been delighted. From a musical standpoint, though some are quite repetitvas, are far richer than the average piano exercises that let you beginners. Of course, the main disadvantage is that you can not reach and touch make students without proper guidance, can develop bad habits in the process (especially considering that in every brand of pedal you used, which can become bad habit if you have pianos bad or keyboard)What I loved was the first impression one gets from the music and score. Conveniently used these two factors becomes a great psychological incentive for the student.I loved especially the Hummingbird, very impressionistic. In fact I am glad that you've made "difficult" Here you can use modern teaching methods based on an analysis of the part, learning to separate hands, in sections joined together with notes, completing cycles and using "chord attacks "to build fast arpeggios and quickly start working on the interpretation of the piece. For more information on these terms would recommend you read your "Fundamentals of Piano Practice" DC Chang. We're free in English and Spanish. While not the ultimate authority, is a very good book to start learning how to learn piano (sorry for the repetitive tautology) and also has very good references.The same goes for the others, except Tiquilin. Simple in technical terms, but it is very good exercise for learning 'Mental Practice ", a skill that until recently was thought only of" Genius "but now known to be highly trainable. Chang's book has more information in the subjet.

Español:

Me han encantado. Desde un punto de vista músical, si bien algunas son bastante repetitvas, son muchísimo más ricas que el promedio de los ejercicios de piano que se le dejan a los principiantes. Claro, la principal desventaja es que no puedes llegar y hacer que los alumnos toquen sin guía adecuada; pueden desarrollar malos habitos en el proceso (sobretodo teniendo en cuenta que en todas utilizaste marca de pedal, lo cual puede volverse mal habito si se tienen pianos en mal estado o teclados)Lo que más me encantó fue la primera impresión que uno se hace de la música y de la partitura. Convenientemente usados estos dos factores se vuelve un grandioso aliciente psicológico para el alumno.Amé especialmente la del Colibrí, muy impresionista. De hecho me alegro de que la hayas hecho "dificil", Acá puedes usar los métodos de enseñanza modernos partiendo por un analisis de la pieza, aprendiendola a manos separadas, por secciones unidas con notas en común, completando ciclos y usando "ataques de acorde" para construir velozmente los arpegios y rápidamente comenzar a trabajar en la interpretación de la pieza. Para mayor informacion sobre estos terminos te recomendaria leerte "Fundamentals of Piano Practice" de C.C. Chang. Lo encuentras gratis en inglés y español. Si bien, no es la ultima autoridad, es un libro muy bueno para empezar a aprender a como aprender piano (perdon por el pleonasmo reiterativo) y tambien tiene muy buenas referencias.Lo mismo va para las demás, excepto Tiquilin. Es sencilla en terminos técnicos, pero es muy buen ejercicio para aprender "Ejecución Mental", una habilidad que hasta hace poco se creia que era sólo de "Genios" pero que ahora se sabe que es altamente entrenable. El libro de Chang tiene más información al respecto.Greetings.

Did you use a translator ?

Thank you for your extense comment, you did understand they main purpose of these pieces, I included the Pedal in all because I've seen they (the students in the particular conservatory those piece were written to) don't use the pedal until many years later, with works can't be played without it, The pedal is an excellent resource and can make a simple piece sound beautiful, (the easiest ones I set it as "optional")

In short words this supposed to be some fast refreshing scape from the tedious Beyer they use, now I don't know how succesful have been these pieces, if they play it, if teachers rejected them, and if they are being used what's the effect on the students, all those things remain as in question mark... (That's why I haven't written more)

I'll see if I can get that book you mention...

... and is Tiquitin, not Tiquilin, that sounded like something else

UPDATE

I have added 5 more pieces to this opus (7-11)

(let's forget I said it was for "Children" let's make it just "Students" :D )

Yet again, most impressive work --

7) Yearning --

Fascinating -- when I look at this piece only abstractly, it's very pleasant, although the feeling of yearning is definitely there, at least to my ears. But when I look at it in a more concrete, literal way, it's even more telling to me. The beginning is sort of like a constant beat-down of hope -- the more "certain" rhythms of the quarter notes in the right hand are constantly interrupted by "less-certain" poly-rhythms. When you think of it like someone murmuring a personal soliloquy, this makes sense to me. The poly rhythms on the ending off-beat sound like sighing.

Then in the middle at measure 20, you literally have "unisons" in the right hand as the piece reaches a climax, perhaps meaning to convey that wish of "togetherness" this person wants, but ultimately dashed by the cluster at measure 23. After this, the man is even more uncertain and haunted than ever (the poly-rhythms are more present now, and the "second voice" could either be interpreted as his own self putting him down, or what he imagines his unrequited love would say if learning of his feelings). I'm probably just over-thinking this in my typical, Serge-y fashion, but I felt that this was only deceptively simple ... as usual with these pieces :nod: (To me, they have all the soul of Chopin's Etude Opuses. Opusi?)

8) The Garden --

A really catchy melody here -- this has more of a "Secret Garden" vibe to it more than a happy tea-party vibe :lol: To me, that's a good thing. And I see the harmonic resemblance to the Old Woman theme, especially in measures like 8 & 9 in the left hand.

The feel is generally happy to me, with maybe a tinge of sadness -- not a profound sadness, more like a "dropped my piece of tasty gum" sadness. It's like a strange, happy dream where you're acting like a complete child, and you're searching for something you lost -- maybe the entrance to the garden? :P Haha -- and it looks you found it at measure 45 (after a build-up at measure 29), and had a happy ending!

9) The Jewel Case --

Wow ... Thank you! ... :blush:

Yes ... this is very ... "me." It has a certain quirkiness in the jerkiness of the rhythm, as well as some of the progressions, (especially at measures 3-5) ... and yet there's that certain bitterness in the background of the generally-merry tone. *I don't know why, but measure 10 is my favorite line :blink: Interesting. Measure 15 was also really nice*

(And thank you for naming it "The Jewel Case" instead of "The Nut Case" :lol: That's much more flattering :shifty:)

I ... love it :happytears: Thank you!

10) Sophistication 2

God, those arpeggios are sultry. There's something very brazen, though slick, about it -- like a woman brushing her bristling nails against her lover's face :sweat:

11) Impetus

Indeed, it'd be a pretty impressive piece to execute -- the voicing makes it a lot harder than the previous ones. But ironically, musically-speaking, this is my least favorite of the bunch! But it's not bad -- the melody is pretty good, and I really enjoyed the climax at measure 57. But it seemed a little more ... one dimensional to me, in a way, than your other works here. And it's also kind of a shock to the system -- after all the visually stimulating pieces before, this one seems more left-brained. Maybe it's just me.

Daniel, I'm in love with this work as a whole. I think a musician can be too busy trying to come up with the next step to further complicate their work, while forgetting to also make music at its rawer essence -- and even forgetting to make the music enjoyable. There is more than one way in which musicians need to grow, after all.

Thanks for sharing! :phones:

Ooo what can we do to make people's imagination work like that, I'm sure many wouldn't imagine a thing ... they're dry.. (poor people)

The problem in the Sophistication II is in the recording, the arpeggios are too hammered, I'm just waiting to finish this opus (I plan to write about 40 minutes if this, that is about 12-15 more pieces) and then I will record them all in a real piano.

Yes "In the Garden" is like "The Secret Garden" you start see in flowers, first in look very happy, the thoughts begin...

Strange to me what you say about the Impetus, is my favorite so far ...... :dunno:

In Impetus the melody line is too accented (wrong velocities there... )

I write the pieces and then I think in the title, (in Spanish), I'm not sure if "Jewel Case" sounds as good as "Alhajero" which is a cute little box with engraved art, where you can save not only jewels but other small stuff that usually are stored for having memories.

Also, I plan to show all this to a Piano teacher I know, she's a pro piano player, and is being teaching piano for... 20-30 years ? ... Actually, I think is better to show what i've done so far and know what she thinks to the rest I plan to write to improve or feature what is needed.

Thanks for Listening.

WOW these pieces are delicious !!!!!!!!!!!

great work !!

im not a pianist and have not read the replies, but it seems to me that some pieces are not so simple and maybe too long (the texture is often the same for all the time...).

but these are details, the way you write and the melodic inspiration is impressive

Thanks, well, these are for students but aren't a Piano Method by themselves, the exercises must prepare for this, actually these pieces are to "prove" what the student have learned, usually the student is capable to play something more that exercises but unable to play piano pieces by known composers, there's some kinda hollow space in the repertory, this opus was commissioned to me to fill that space * and give the students with low-mediums level something else to play that boring Beyer. (That if someday I'am the "chief" of that conservatory, I will burn all the Beyer books in front of all students, and they'll all love me for that :laugh: )

Thanks for listening

EDIT:

* without using Mozart, that's Gerber Music