Categoriearchief: English

Aanbevolen, Componeren, English, Geen categorie, Muziek

Recording pianotrio ‘Waterfall’

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This is a recent recording of my trio ‘Waterfall’ in Brazil at the ‘Casa de Musica de Ouro Branco’ with Ana Paula Machado Simões (piano) and two colleagues violin and cello.

Ana also wrote a very nice blog about my Piano Trios. You can read it below the Youtube video.

(translation from Portuguese, part of blog):

“Piano Trios for Young Players (by Heleen Verleur): Heleen Verleur is a Dutch pianist and composer. Her collection *Piano Trios for Young Beginners* comprises three volumes, the first of which is the most accessible, and enables pupils entering the pre-intermediate level (playing, for example, the first pieces in Schumann’s *Album for the Young*) to play alongside other pupils. The pieces are designed for three students of a similar standard and are very well written. They explore a range of technical and musical elements, such as various articulations, dynamic contrasts, contrasting tempos and characters, and diverse timbres. Through them, students will learn to listen to one another and to interact musically. The instruments interact very well with one another and the pieces sound like ‘real repertoire’, rather than exercises or simplified arrangements. They have evocative titles that aid interpretation. I have been using them with my pupils and highly recommend them! They are the most accessible pieces I am presenting here today and are an excellent introduction to the world of chamber music. You can purchase the PDF directly from the composer; she is always very friendly and helpful. Her contact email is: heleenverleur111@gmail.com. You can find out more about the materials and listen to recordings at: https://www.heleenverleur.org/five-easy-pieces-for-piano-trio/“

Original in Portuguese:

Música de Câmara para Alunos Intermediários

Aanbevolen, Componeren, English, Lessen, Muziek

Pianotrio in A Minor

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This trio has been written for https://www.festivalalmeremuziek.nl/

When you scroll down, you can listen to the audio/video and also seperate parts can be found. I also added an extra violin, you can find the score when you scroll completely down.

Piano Trio in Am 1. Prelude – Full ScoreDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 2. Largo – Full ScoreDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 3. Accelerando – Full ScoreDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 1. Prelude – Violoncello – VioloncelloDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 1. Prelude – Vl – VlDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 2. Largo – Vc – VcDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 2. Largo – Vl – VlDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 3. Accelerando – Violoncello – VioloncelloDownloaden
Piano Trio in Am 3. Accelerando – Vl – VlDownloaden

For more Piano Trios for Young Players:

Piano Trios for Young Players book 1, 2 & 3
Piano Trio in Am 1. Prelude extra vl – Vl 2Downloaden
Piano Trio in Am 2 Largo plus tweede viool – Vl 2Downloaden
Piano Trio in Am 3. Accelerando plus 2e viool – Vl 2Downloaden
Aanbevolen, Componeren, English, Lessen, Muziek, Persoonlijk

Cat Pieces: 12 minimal improvisations

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This booklet was created in response to a need for pieces that aren’t too difficult but also encourage improvisation on piano.

At the end of each piece, the student is asked to try improvising on their own.

First impression:

3. The uncaught mouse

The teacher can assist with this; for example, the teacher can play the chords while the student improvises, or vice versa. If this goes well, you can try doing both at the same time. But don’t make it too difficult! It’s important that the left hand can continue playing without getting confused! Just a few added notes in the right hand are perfectly fine.

Chord symbols have been added, as they can help explain a bit about triads. When improvising, it’s helpful to know which (chord) notes sound better than others… And even if you don’t know anything about chords yet, you’ll see that some bars are apparently the same! You can circle the same chords with a color, for example. It helps you memorize the piece “schematically.”

This book is for everyone who loves cats. And even if you don’t love cats, I hope you’ll still have some fun playing these pieces!

(On this page all audio samples of the book ‘Cat Pieces’ will arrive.)

1. Cat on the piano
2. Walking
3. The uncaught mouse
5. Meow
6. Playing
8. Cat Nap
10. Sun bathing
11. Daydreaming
12. Purring
Cover book ‘Cat Pieces’
Inhoud boek

Nou vooruit: als je al tot hier gekomen bent, mag je er één gratis downloaden! 🙂

8. Cat nap – Full ScoreDownloaden
Aanbevolen, Componeren, English, Muziek

Pianotrio’s in Brazilië

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Toch leuk om dan ineens een mail uit Brazilië te krijgen:

“Is there a digital version of the books Piano Trios for Young Players that I could purchase? I am a piano teacher from Brazil and tried ordering them from Amazon, but it was never shipped and the order got cancelled… I would love using them with my students!”

Wel suf dat het werd gecancelled, maar inmiddels heb ik ze ook digitaal.

Piano Trios for Young Players

Aanbevolen, Componeren, English, Muziek, Suzuki

Latvia-Riga Suzuki Piano Days

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Very lucky to have been one of 45 teachers attending the 1st official European Suzuki Piano Days in Riga Latvia. Organizers Kristine Ravine, Michelle Post, Sylvain Pénard and Anna Sibley had magical powers and everything went very smooth, from the first morning with kids and teachers performing various parts of ‘Carnaval des animaux’ from C.Saint-Saëns in a both original and funny way!

I had the honour of playing the National Anthem of Latvia in my own arrangement with four Latvian teachers, and using my ‘Waves’ with seven other teachers during a group session.

45 teachers from 17 countries felt deeply connected to one another. I know I will keep in touch with many of them. New friendships were made, old friends hugged again, all senses were involved in learning, group piano playing, technique classes, reading, intense and fun discussions with exchanges of ideas.

You can hear fragments of them in the audio appendix (recorded with the simple dictating function of my Iphone)

Latvian National Anthem arrangement H.Verleur
Waves for three pianists (here with more)/H.Verleur
Group of Suzuki teachers 2025 Riga
An illustration at the front door of the Jugendstil Museum in Riga
Quatre-mains & Improvisation
Aanbevolen, Algemeen, English, Muziek

Noten lezen (2) Note reading

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Inleiding

In boek 1 zaten voornamelijk noten tussen de lijnen (“even” noten).

Dit was om de tertsen goed te leren onderscheiden. Vanaf nu gaan we hierop voortbouwen. De tertsen worden “ingekleurd” met “oneven” lijn-noten.

In dit tweede boekje komen de noten door de lijn in de vorm van toonladdertjes aan bod. De even noten vormen hierbij het raamwerk, en geven steun bij het lezen van de oneven noten. Het is als bij een kleurplaat: de even noten zijn de afbeelding, het inkleuren wordt gedaan met de oneven noten. Het gaat om de snelle herkenning van de noten, het moet uiteindelijk volkomen geautomatiseerd zijn.

Bij de meeste oefeningen heb ik de stokken weggelaten, zodat de leerling zich helemaal kan focussen op de hoogte. Ritme wordt een ander boekje!

Aan het eind van het boek is nog een apart hoofdstuk over meer intervallen. Dit kan desgewenst ook eerder worden doorgenomen

Introduction

In book 1 there were mainly “even” notes (between the lines), to learn to recognize the interval third. The beginning pianist is invited to discover a larger range of the keyboard. One doesn’t always count from the middle C or one specific note. The result is a better orientation.

In this follow-up booklet 2 also the notes on the lines (“odd” notes) will be used in short pieces with scale patterns. The even notes form the

Framework making the reading of the odd notes easier. It’s like a colouring picture: first there is a drawing, then the drawing is colored with odd notes. It’s all about fast recognition of the notes, and the more automatically this goes, the better!

I have omitted the sticks for most exercises, so that the student can fully focus on the height. Rhythm becomes a new book!

In the appendix there is a separate chapter on more intervals. This can also be discussed earlier if desired.

Heleen Verleur, april 2024