More Challenging
C list
Music does not have to be jazz to involve the word or concept of 'groove'. It is the underlying character and nature of the piece's rhythmic flow, such as the difference between the feel of a waltz, a march, a tango, and so on. Shruthi Rakasekay ~ Virginia Hall (C1) makes a feature of the regular insistent quaver rhythms heard in the opening bar. Virginia Hall's character, as a renowned spy, may well have been the inspiration for this morse code-like groove, which underpins the entire piece. Creating a solid, consistently quiet and rhythmic tone requires plenty of control, and will be responsible for the level of success in performance.
As with Virginia Hall, Martha Mier ~ Sneaky Business (C2) is reliant upon the creation and maintenance of (in this case) the swing groove. Realising the textures is also an important facet of the performance here - in particular the sustained semibreves and the full-length minims in the left hand.
A great bit of duet writing is Jane Sebba ~ Latin Laughter (C7). A solid Latin groove, provided initially by the secondo part, is paramount. It shouldn't be too difficult to achieve that in the primo part, with the help of the accompaniment and through the repeated sequential phrases. Being confident with keyboard geography is a must for some of the leaping around.
Barbara Snow ~ Jazzy Dragon (C8) is a great piece, if perhaps somewhat challenging for many grade 1 pupils. Its swing feel is musically quite sophisticated, and it requires plenty of work in order to get that groove absolutely solid, so that the off-beat rhythms hit the spot exactly! There are plenty of opportunities here for having fun in the lessons with all kinds of games and exercises played together.
Chee-Hwa Tan ~ At the Seaside (C13) is a mysterious affair - slightly more spooky, with its whole tone tonality, rather than warm and welcoming. That aside, it will make an interesting piece for someone with the right musical curiosity.