Product Description
Moonlight Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2 by BEETHOVEN
Movement I: Adagio Sostenuto
INCLUDED:
-Complete Movement in Original Key (C# minor) PLUS Complete Transposition to D minor
-Explanation of Diminished 7 Chords and Patterns used in the Moonlight Sonata
No more getting stuck and not being able to perform this piece!
Beethoven's Adagio Sostenuto from the Moonlight Sonata Op. 27, No. 2 is such a uniquely important piece that special consideration is provided here so that more students will be able to play this piece, and play it more artistically.
The transposed version in D minor is pure Beethoven--not one note changed or left out, complete with all hand positions and finger numbers. This edition is for adult piano students who want to play this incredibly beautiful and profound music without any simplification.
What this means is that students who are not yet ready for the original C# minor key have an option, without having to suffer through a simplification.
But for those students who are ready for the original key, it's here, too!
This publication helps an adult piano student play this iconic piece of music. All fundamental technical solutions (hand positions, finger numbers) are presented. An explanation of the arpeggio pattern that occurs in the second half of the piece is included, turning the most difficult passages into the most easily and clearly understood.
The Left Hand (LH) is pretty straight forward, and requires little explanation beyond bass staff note naming.
The Right Hand (RH) ranges from completely easy and intuitive to significantly challenging. Traditionally, much preparation time has been required to solve the technical issues ("fingering"). While there is merit in this activity, the danger is that the student will (1) never finish this activity, (2) arrive at less than optimum solutions. In my experience, preparation time is precious and finite, no matter how motivated the student.
As a result, I propose that the balance of preparation time shift away from "figuring out notes and fingerings" towards "rehearsal of the music towards the goal of successful performance".
Hand positions introduce the v which indicates one skipped key between thumb and index finger (fingers 1 and 2, either hand). vv (two v's), vvv (three v's) means two and three skipped keys between thumb (1) and 2, respectively.
The 7, 8, or 9 indicates the stretch between bottom and top fingers (1 and 5): interval of a7th, octave (8), or 9th, respectively.
Here's how to put this piece together:
Practice Session
1. Play LH alone all the way through
Practice Session
2. Play RH alone all the way through, referring to the Arpeggio explanation included on the last page.
Practice Sessions going forward
3. Play both hands together, one page only, cycling through all pages.
Soon, you'll be playing larger amounts of music, and this is great. Just keep including the single page activity until all the single pages are solid. The metaphor is painting walls inside a house: you don't want one wall (page one) to have lots of coats of paint, while another wall (page 8) receives little or no attention. Pick a different page each practice session.
Memorization is a by-product of correct preparation, and will occur naturally.
Good Luck!
Also available:
CLASSICAL PIANO LITERATURE, VOLUME ONE
Edited by Scott Camp, 2016
Contents
Minuet in G from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
Minuet in G from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
Minuet in G minor from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
Musette in D
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.