September 10, 2025 (Lesson 5 of 8)

PRACTICE PLAN!

  • ❤️FIRST PRIORITY

  • 💛SECOND PRIORITY

  • 💜THIRD PRIORITY

  • 💚FOURTH PRIORITY

RCM this

💛RCM Technical Requirements Level 03

  1. Contrary motion: hands alone practice first, then together.

    1. See the items in the green highlighted area on page 10

💚Four Star: Level 3

  1. Clap Backs (better!)

  2. Play Backs (practice playing the tonic triad and then recognizing one of the three notes)

  3. Interval flashcards?

    1. Finish set 3.

💚Prelude No. 4 in F Major by Elvina Pearce (L. 3, Etude)

  1. Video:

    1. Measures 25-30: follow the instruction in the video

💛Arabesque, op. 100, no. 2 by Burgmuller (L. 3, Etude)

  1. Notes

    1. please practice with the new video in Newzik titled last three measures 9/5

    2. At least 5 min.

💚Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114 by Christian Petzold (1677-1733) (L. 3, A)

  1. Review

    1. Entire piece with once NFPER focus per session.

    2. Practice starting from two random spots per session (continue for 3-5)

💜Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5, no. 1. II. Romanze, attr. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) (L. 3, B)

  1. Measures 35 to the end:

    1. See the pink markings in the last three measures of a piece. Hold the notes for their full value and rest on the last cord slightly longer so that we feel the ending of the piece.

  2. Review the rest of the piece once each day.

💚THEORY_03_03 Rhythm

  1. Prepare 34-35

🖤Musette in D Major, BWV Anh. 126, attr. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (L. 3, A)

🖤Sonatina in G Major, Anh. 5, no. 1. Moderato, attr. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) (L. 3, B)

🖤“Sight-Reading 2B”

(Approx. 3-5 min each day)

  1. Continue from page 37 of 90 (of the PDF)

  2. Be sure to move forward through mistakes - don’t correct them until you finish the exercise - then fix them in your MIND first before you try the entire thing again.

  3. PRACTICE SIGHT-READING NO FASTER THAN M.M. 50 PER QUARTER NOTE.

🎨 Color-Focus Practice (NFPER)

At the top of your music, write NFPER using the following color system:

  • N – Notes – correct pitches and accidentals (🟥 Red)

  • F – Fingering – consistent, effective finger choices (🟧 Orange)

  • P – Position – hand shape, posture, and keyboard geography (🟨 Yellow)

  • E – Expression – phrasing, dynamics, articulation, tone, etc. (🟩 Green)

  • R – Rhythm – steady pulse, accurate timing, and rests (🟦 Blue)

✅ If you're only recording audio, just use NER.

Step-by-Step Practice Flow

  1. Record your section once — video is best, but audio is fine too.

  2. Listen back with one color/goal in mind.

  3. As you listen, mark your music using that color anywhere it needs improvement.

  4. Repeat for each remaining color, one at a time, until all five have been addressed.

  5. Choose a small “spot” section from your markings — just a few measures or a tricky passage.

“Spot” until it’s solid

  • ✅ 3 times in a row correctly, or

  • ✅ 5 total correct repetitions, then move on.

  1. Focus on one or two colors at a time while practicing that spot.

  2. Use the troubleshooting checklist below if you're stuck.

🔧 Troubleshooting Tips

🎯 If you’ve tried to fix something three times in-a-row and it’s still not working, don’t just repeat it — troubleshoot:

  • Do you need to slow down?

  • Should you practice hands alone?

  • Could you make the spot even smaller?

  • Would technical exercises help (staccato, accents, etc.)?

  • Do you need to think ahead more clearly?

REVIEW PIECES:

💚Bird in the Bebop by Wynn-Anne Rossi (L. 2, Etude)

  1. O Christmas Tree

  2. Etude in F Major, Op. 190, No. 27 by Christian Louis Heinrich Köhler (L. 2, Etude)

  3. 💚A Ditty of Yimeng Mountain (2. C)

  4. 💚Minuet in A Minor by Purcell (2, A)

  5. 💚Rhyme Time (2. B)

  6. 💚The Snake by Renée Christopher (L. 1, C)

  7. 💚Andante in G Minor by Georg Philip Telemann (L. 1, A)

  8. 💚Detectives by Christine Donkin (L. 1, Etude)

  9. 💚💜Angelfish (L. 1, B)

  10. 💚Celebration by Ann Crosby Gaudet (L. 1, Etude)

  11. 💜💚💚 The Calico Cat by Helen Marlais (b. 1966) (Prep B)

  12. 💚💚💚Freddie the Frog by Anne Crosby-Gaudet (b. 1968) (Prep B)

  13. 💚💚💚Allegro in C Major op. 1 no. 4 by Alexander Reinagle (1756-1809) (L. A)

  14. 💚💚💚A Skating Waltz by Boris Berlin (1907-2001) (L. A)

  15. 💚💚💚What’s That Noise by Martha Mier (b. 1936) L. A)

RCM LEVEL 1 EXAM: May 29th 11:01 am

List A: Andante

List B: Angelfish

List C: The Snake

Etude: Detectives

Recital May 19th: 3 pm (or 1 pm if possible)

Angelfish

Detectives

The Snake

Andante

Celebration