Categoriearchief: English

Pianotrio’s in Brazilië

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

Latvia-Riga Suzuki Piano Days

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

Noten lezen (2) Note reading

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

Maple Leaf Rag

Some time ago I arranged this Maple Leaf Rag I for five (right) hands on piano. It is big fun (and possible!) to play it on one piano, but if you have the luxury to use multiple pianos, this is also possible.

Tips for playing on one piano:

  • alle stand at the piano, with your right sight towards the piano
  • before you start, check that everyone has enough space
  • enjoy & laugh!

Other pieces I arranged for five hands on one piano:

Anitra’s Tanz/Grieg

Die Forelle/Schubert

William Tell/Rossini

Habanera/Bizet

Eine kleine Nachtmusik/Mozart

Train/Verleur: Intercity (movie)