Monday, March 25, 2013

Encore!

Most students love a showy encore piece, even if they aren't playing an encore.  Something that's fast and difficult, and impressive?  What's not to like?

I've found several pieces from Robert Vandall that fit the bill, but none better than his Encore Toccata.


This early intermediate piece features a "very fast" tempo marking and the staccato and accents that are indicative of a toccata.  In the beginning and at various points the hands take turns playing eighth notes on the same key.  There are also legato broken chord sections that break up the staccato, but not the speed of the piece.  I recommend watching the video below; the student does a great job.

Quick Look:
This piece is in the key of G, though no key signature is used
4/4 time signature
6 pages
whole, half, quarter, eighth notes and rests, chords and triads
staccato, legato, pedal, accent, accidentals, crescendo, diminuendo,
At different points in the piece, both hands are in the same clef.
The notes and concepts themselves aren't terribly difficult, but executing them with the speed and clarity needed increases the difficulty of the piece.  

(This is not my student or my video.)
 

This piece is available at Sheet Music Plus for $3.95.

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