Piano lesson note (10/25/05)

Tonic key: the one which has a base quality, creates a sense of resolution
Dominant key: the one which has a leading quality to the tonic, gives a sense of direction
Sub-dominant key: the one which creates a sense of uncertainty

If tonic is noted as 1, then the dominant is typically the 5th, and subdominant is the 4th. That’s why the cadence is typically 1-4-5-1. And in classical works, most of the chords are consisted of 1/4/5’s. But sometimes there can be alternative dominant and sub-dominant keys, such as 1-2-7-1.
Tips on practice: focus in the problematic bar but completing a phrase with the context before and after, repeat and be patient. Don’t let your brain interfere with your hands too much, just listen and trust your body to do the right things after it gets accustomed to the pattern after repetitions. It is about to use your left brain!
Homework:
1) Bethovan Sonatina in G Major, second half
2) Bach Prelude in D Minor, second half

Piano lesson note (10/18/05)

Rules of the 1-4-5-1 cadence:

1) The 5th is always major, regardless of whether the cadence is in major or minor, because of the leading tone

2) The 5th chord should progress down relative to the 4th

Read notes in groups of chords or patterns, and fully position hands before playing each group/bar

For a minor piece, the cadence can be in the corresponding major, e.g. D minor -> F major

For a major piece, the ending is in the tonic or dominant major.

Analyze notes by marking each bar with chords, and pay attention to the progression.

The French style with keys: recognize the absolute pitch of each key

The German style: sort of transposing everything to C major and D minor

Try to sing along when play each key, so get familiar with the pitch.

Each key actually produces different ambience, and the selection of key matters to a song. Typically when you have a melody formed in your head, the key is already determined. If it’s a song, the key also needs to match the singer’s voice.