Fur Elise

I’m generally very rigorous about following Neil’s instructions, since time and again I’ve come to understand why he does things the way he does. I’ve recently had a situation where I felt I had a good reason to do something a little differently from what…

• Last updated 2 years ago
• changing chapter order, context, control the events, controlling the events, CP, cross pollination, cross-pollinate, CTE, dosage, dose, doses, down-level, fragmenting, Fragmenting-Layering, fragments, Fur Elise, Fur Elise A Section, Fur Elise complexity, Fur Elise left hand, Fur Elise LH, Fur Elise order, hybrid, Laurie Richards, microdose, Neil Moore, out of context, re-teaching pieces, re-teaching songs, re-working pieces, re-working songs, single thought process, single thought processes, small doses, smaller dose, smaller doses, STP, technique for Fur Elise, up-level

This week I was asked the question, “How far does the Simply Music program take students, in comparison to AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) or Trinity standards?” Does anyone know the answer to the question? As a new teacher, I actually didn’t know, and I…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• achievement, AMEB, Ballade, Fur Elise, Fur Elise B section, Fur Elise C section, getting results, results, standard of musicianship

Just wanted to share with you a happy Simply Music experience. I have been teaching SM for about 3 years now. This year I entered 2 of my students in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod. Unfortunately, the piano section has preset boundaries as to what can be…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• AMEB, Australian Music Examinations Board, Ballade, competitions, concerts, eisteddfods, exams, Fur Elise, Gordon Harvey, medley, Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, Michigan School Vocal Music Association, Minuet in G, MSBOA, MSVMA, Neil Moore, Ode to Joy, playing-based

Just wondering when do triplets get introduced in the curriculum? For some reason I did not see them in RR. Are they mentioned later in context of a specific song? I believe the first time they appear is in Blues & Improv “hickory” rhythm. But…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• A Traveler's Tale, A Traveller's Tale, Amazing Grace, arr, arrangement, arrangements, B&I, blues, blues & improv, blues & improvisation, Blues and improv, blues and improv program, complex rhythm, difficult rhythm, FL6, FL7, FL9, Foundation 6, Foundation 7, Foundation 9, foundation level 6, foundation level 7, foundation level 9, Fur Elise, Fur Elise C section, Gordon Harvey, hickories, hickory, masters of the rhythm, reading, reading rhythm, reads rhythm, rhythm, rhythm streams, rhythm tracks, rhythm words, RR, teaching rhythm, tfmm, The Gaz, Time for More Music, time for music, Traveler's Tale, Traveller's Tale, triplet, triplets, using words in rhythm learning, voicing rhythms with words, Walk at 11, Walk at Eleven

I have a very talented student who has a keyboard and he learns songs from the tutorials on the keyboard, i.e. Fur Elise. The version he has learned is more difficult than the Fur Elise in Foundation 2. I’m afraid he won’t want to learn…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• cross pollination, Foundation 2 Fur Elise, Fur Elise, learning strategies, playing-based, playing-based tools

One of my Foundation 2 students was wondering re: Fur Elise if she could use just the RH (no LH) for the 3+3 (after the 9 E’s). She said she feels that may be simpler or easier. She did not argue as such, she was…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• 3+3, fingering, Fur Elise, Laurie Richards, technique for Fur Elise

Is there a significant advantage to using fingers 321 beginning with the 3 as opposed to beginning the first count with finger 1 (132132132) in the left hand of Fur Elise in Foundation Level 7? I just tried it. I find 321321 easier, particularly at…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• F7, fingering, Foundation 7, Fur Elise, Fur Elise left hand, Fur Elise LH, technique for Fur Elise

Some of my students struggle with hand positions (remembering where to put their hands) and others have no problem with it. I’m usually pretty good at self-diagnosis but not this time. What is this? For many of my students, the ones who practice consistently have…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• chester chills out, Fur Elise, hand positions, Laurie Richards, learning clues, Night Storm, practicing, self-generation, starting positions

Recital Question for Fur Elise (Level 9): Would you rather have the student just play one time in the beginning, or have it repeated like what it says in the music? It’s a lot of repeats to listen to. All the repeats is how it…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• F9, Foundation 9, Fur Elise, Fur Elise order, Fur Elise tempo

Regarding LH fingering in Fur Elise Level 7: I recall a training session with Nancy Reese in which she advised against using the 3 2 1 fingering. But I don’t fully trust my memory and I don’t remember enough about why. I’m about to teach…

• Last updated 7 years ago
• F7, fingering, fingering repeated notes, Foundation 7, Fur Elise, Gordon Harvey, Level 7, LH repeated notes