Tag: Suite Española

Technique Practice on Albéniz’s Sevilla

Published on by Leo GarciaLeave a comment

So you’ve practiced the passages using the tried and true metronome crawl up to tempo, you’ve done your visualizing, you’ve done your right hand and left hand alone, and you’re searching for yet another way to work on a troublesome passage or to give yourself an iron-clad safety net? Search no further! El_atardecer_sobre_Santa_María-1

I’m going to use a passage from Isaac Albéniz’s Sevilla to illustrate a very effective way to break down a trouble spot. This method is particularly great for passages with rhythmically equal notes. In the following example, you have a continuous string of 16th notes.

Scale Sevilla Example 1.jpg

STEP 1 – PAUSE, PREPARE, VISUALIZE, REPEAT

Provided you have arrived at your fingering of choice for both hands, practice the passage by playing the first group of 4 16ths, then pause AND prepare/plant the next right and left hand fingers on the upcoming note. Enjoy the notion that theoretically it will be impossible to miss this next note if both left and right hand fingers are prepared.

Scale Sevilla Example 2.jpg

Play the same group of notes with the same pause and preparation. When your fingers feel confident (I aim for 3-5 well executed and focused repetitions), proceed to the next group of four notes. During the pause, visualize the group of notes you are about to perform before playing them.

Scale Sevilla Example 3.jpg

Play the same group of notes with the same pause and preparation. When your fingers feel confident, proceed to the next group of four notes until you have gone through the entire passage.

STEP 2 – PAUSE, PREPARE, VISUALIZE

Now go through the passage in the same manner with the pause and preparation. Visualize the next group of 4 16th and play them. Pause, prepare, visualize though the passage. Move forward without repetitions.

Scale Sevilla Example 4.jpg

STEP 3 – PLAY

Now play through the passage without pause to assess your work. It has to feel good. Now that you are pumped, the fun can begin.

REPEAT STEPS 1-3 DISPLACED BY ONE NOTE

This time notice we are working with a new group of sixteenths displaced by one note.

Scale Sevilla Example 5.jpg

REPEAT STEPS 1-3 DISPLACED BY TWO NOTES

Scale Sevilla Example 6.jpg

REPEAT STEPS 1-3 DISPLACED BY THREE NOTES…

Hope this helps. Challenge yourself with groupings of 6 or 8 16ths or if you really have a lot of time and the passage is particularly troublesome, groups of 3 or 5 16ths. If you listen with focus and observe the behavior of your fingers with curiosity you will improve!