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.