Unit 5: Introducing Music Performance - Learning Aim A

Skills Audit

• Rate how good you think you currently are at the following skills lists by selecting the number and bolding and underlining it (1 is low and 4 is high)

Techniques:

·     Accuracy of pitch                                       1         2       3       4       NA

·     Rhythm and timing                                    1         2       3       4       NA

·     Technical exercises to improve your            1         2       3       4       NA

technique (e.g. scales/warm-ups etc.)

·     Expression and dynamics                           1         2       3       4       NA

·     Phrasing                                                   1         2       3       4       NA

·     Range                                                       1        2       3       4       NA

·     Sight reading/singing                                 1         2       3       4       NA

·     Improvisation                                            1         2       3       4       NA

·     Breath control                                           1          2       3       4       NA

·     Confidence                                                1         2       3       4       NA

·     Following an accompaniment                      1         2       3       4       NA

·     Learning repertoire                                    1         2       3       4       NA

·     Musical interaction                                     1         2       3       4       NA

Interpretation Skills:

    Emphasis                                                              1      2       3       4     NA                    

·     Accurate interpretation and reproduction of style     1      2       3       4     NA       

    awareness and appreciation of accompaniment

·     Physical expression                                               1      2       3       4     NA                    

·     Communication in performance                              1      2       3       4     NA                   

     with other musicians and the audience

·     Expression and use of dynamics                             1      2       3       4     NA                    

·     Projection                                                             1      2       3       4     NA                    

·     Focus                                                                   1      2       3       4     NA                    

·     Musicality/sensitivity                                              1      2       3       4     NA                    

·     stage presence.                                                     1      2       3       4     NA                     
    Strengths: My performance strengths are my concentration and determination to play things right and my rhythm skills. I can pick up rhythms quite quickly and I focus on making the music sound accurate.

• Look at your scoring and then pick some skills that you will now try to develop further.
• List the skills you have chosen to develop and explain at least one specific way in which you will develop each skill:

• Skill I need to develop…	Ways you plan to develop this skill SMART
  Expression and use of dynamics	I need to vary the way I play the pieces I play and whether i need to play it with dramatic expression or calmly.
  reading music and sight reading	I need to learn to read piano notes on a sheet. I will achieve this by the start of June.
  Improvisation	I need to be able to make the piece my own by adding extra notes or a melodic part through chords. I will achieve this by the time i finish my first piece.
  Accuracy of pitch and coordination	Sometimes my fingers slip and I play the wrong notes. To improve this I will work on playing the music I practise slower at first and then build up the speed.

Session 1

I have chosen my first performance piece, it it Skyfall. I have learnt the chords on playing all the verses but I need to learn how to do the chorus. I need to be more fluent while playing the verse because I need to use my left hand to play a bass to it. With Mr Gower I have been practising Skyfall.

Session 2

Recently I have learnt the chorus to Skyfall with some help. All I just need to do is just to keep practicing the piece to be able to play it perfectly and so that my hands go to the right place and not play the wrong chord or notes. This week I played it much slower to help me play it accurately. While playing the piece I will try to put expression on while playing.

Session 3 

After a few weeks of playing skyfall i have become even better than i used to be. Now i can play throughout the song from intro to the last verse but i need to work on the bridge i have been practising on emphasis on the notes and chords to give an effect especially during the intro because it's slower than the rest of the song.

Session 4

I have gone through the song with Mr. Gower and while i was playing he was singing and I had one slip up where i was changing from the chorus to the next verse because the chorus is a lot slower than the rest of the song. I will keep working on changing between sections.

Session 5

I have slowed down the introduction to make it more dramatic and have been practising slowly adding the bass line. It is tricky as the rhythm is hard with the right hand chords.

Session 6

In my lesson this week I showed that can now play the intro and verse confidently and have got the bass line in for the verse without any gaps. I will record this in next lesson.

Session 7 - recording

This recording was much better than the last one as I added the chords at the beginning but i noticed that my fingers had slipped a bit at some parts. I need to play much slower in practise sessions and build it up more gradually towards performing it for learning aim B and polish up the rest of the piece.