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[Sue Lee's Piano Technique] 7 things you need to prepare for a piano competition

<7 things you need to prepare for a piano competition>




Before writing the 7 key points, I'm going to write down the characteristics of the student that stands out in today's evaluation.


<good points>​

*Students who can use their bodies freely and flexibly 

*Students who are good at dynamic

*Students who can feel the rhythm without shaking, whether on scale or in harmony

*Students who clearly utilize various instructions and articulations such as Ritardando, A tempo,  Staccato, Slur...

*Students who have a strong sound and can hear well

*Students who feel the change of harmony and build up well



<bad points>

*If you don't have a clear dynamic, so it sounds boring

*The body is stiff and only fingers move, so the sound is rough, and the scale collapses and keeps getting wrong

*In cases where musical expression is not revealed at all because they are only busy hitting

*When the rhythm is shaken by the melody. an uncontextual wobble that is hard to even see as Rubato.

*Loud touch, falling down

*If your fingers are weak, but you only turn your wrists to make the sound fall out and sound weak


<Summary of 7 methods>


1. Are you getting into the rhythm?

If you play the scale or if you get faster and urgent in the part where the harmony goes bam bam bam, you are more likely to be just hitting it. you should use metronome, but before that, you must be in the rhythm of the song yourself. if the tempo may be a bit slow, but the jury don't care at all unless it's too slow. It's much more important that the rhythm doesn't shake.


2. Is my body flexible?

In some cases, the whole body is solid and only the fingers move, and in this case, the sound is also solid, and especially when you play scales, you will feel great inconvenience because of the breaking and collapsing. Fingers need to be flexible, but in order for fingers to be free, the hands, wrists, arms, heads, and torso connected to the fingers must move flexibly together. 

Note: wrist techniques should be played very carefully. 

​

3. Is there a clear dynamic expression?

If the dynamic is clear (it's obvious that it's getting bigger and smaller) even if the technique is a little lacking, It makes you sounds different. Of course, high-quality performers require a much more delicate and dramatic expression, But if you're a beginner, it's enough to express the big dynamic only. think about adding salt and pepper on food. People are attracted to delicious things.

Let's never play blandly!!


​4. Let's move on when we make a mistake

Never hit again or put your hands down when you stumble and get it wrong. Just keep going there as if it's nothing. Small mistakes can be more artistic.


​5. Add ideas

Let's put at least one or two original ideas into the song. Of course, it is difficult to come up with ideas alone from the beginning, and it is good to collect interpretations from various performers. For example, try dynamic differently in the same repetition, mix non-regato, break the pedal, or add a soft pedal. 


6. Let's play the melody much clearer than you think.

You have to pull out the melody much louder and clearer than thinking. Of course, it is essential to keep the framing alive. Let's pay attention not only to the melody, which becomes the main point, but also to the small details.


​7. Let's focus on and express the changes in harmony

When you change from this chord to another chord, simply choose whether it's going to get bigger or smaller. In the case of advanced courses, let's express the changes of harmony in a more covert way. (Just think about it in various ways, getting bigger and smaller, getting wider, getting narrower, going up and down, etc.)



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