Schubert’s Three Marches Militaires were originally written for piano 4-hands (not a 4-handed pianist!). The first one is the most famous, and definitely the best!
Schubert’s Three Marches Militaires were originally written for piano 4-hands (not a 4-handed pianist!). The first one is the most famous, and definitely the best!
Shhhh! It’s Le Secret! Don’t tell anyone about this delightfully sprightly sweetmeat by Léonard Gautier, also known as Intermezzo Pizzicato No. 276 and written in 1916.
This is a gorgeous, idyllic, pastoral song by the excellently named Norwegian violinist and composer, Ole Bull. Those herd-girls must be having a really lovely Sunday!
My Bonnie lies over the ocean, My Bonnie lies over the sea, My Bonnie lies over the ocean, Oh bring back my Bonnie to me … a delightful traditional Scottish folk song.
Get ready to play the Rumbango by practising these rumbangolicious arpeggio exercises. Feel the groove of the syncopated rhythms and irregular beats!
This study is jam-packed full of violinistic nutrients … scales, arpeggios and lots of string crossings! And, there are 72 bowing and rhythm patterns to choose from!
The tide rises ever so slowly as you move up and up the chromatic scale to 3rd position on each string. Remember, a rising tide lifts all notes!!
Take a deep deep dive, descending chromatically in semitones (half steps) and then make sure you come back up for air! Oh, and don’t get eaten by any sharps!
With plenty of scale and arpeggio patterns, Harry Schloming’s Study No. 1 in C major is quite the workout …. a great way to get in shape, and to stay in shape!
This famous Viennese Waltz by Johann Strauss II was inspired by the river Danube, one of the longest rivers in Europe.
Sojourn in Spain with this scintillating Spanish Serenade by Carl Bohm. It’s full of sparkling staccatos, sprightly syncopations, and spectacular semiquavers!
Hans Sitt certainly knew how to write a good study! Take a trip to the land of 2nd Position and have a good look around in Study No. 21 from Book 2, Op. 32. Bon voyage!
2nd position is the friendly neighbour of 1st position … why not pop over for a chat and a cup of tea with these one octave scales and arpeggios in C, F, and Bb major!
The Easy Winners is one of Scott Joplin’s most popular piano rags. The title refers to athletes who can win a sporting event with no trouble at all! Easy-peasy!
A diminished 7th is a stack of minor thirds, each note being 3 semitones, or half steps, apart. All that minor thirdiness gives them a somewhat dark, ominous quality.
Adolf Grünwald’s Study No. 31 is a scale workout and a half in Eb major. There are lots of accidentals so make sure you know if you are whole stepping or half stepping!
Nancy by the Prince of Pipers, Tom Clough, could either depict his first wife tripping up and down the stairs, his squeaky wheelbarrow, or his favourite sheep!!
This lilting lament is a lovely duet for two violins … it’s also great for practising string crossings, producing syncopated rhythms, and playing in 3rd position!
This rambunctious Gopak - a spectacular, high-leaping Ukrainian dance - is from Modest Mussorgsky’s comic opera The Fair at Sorochyntsi, composed between 1874 and 1880.
Give yourself a second chance and play this lovely, lilting piece entirely in 2nd position! See how many second chances you need before it’s absolutely perfect!
Who would’ve thought doing laundry could be so much fun! This traditional tune is a vivacious jig that you can dance to whilst you wait for your socks to dry!
This vivacious Allegro in D by Handel is full of triumphant arpeggios, rip-roaring scales and sprightly staccato bowing … guaranteed to give you a spring in your step!
Nearly there, you can do it, it’s The Last Shift! This is great piece for practising 4th finger shifts, moving between 1st and 3rd position. Now, get back to work!
Hark! I hear the foe advancing … where are those Men of Harlech! This is a traditional Welsh song about the seven-year siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468.
Flex your pinky with this set of 4th finger exercises! Make sure it lands perfectly in tune every time, don’t let the other fingers lead you astray … naughty things!
