Introduction: the “Sonatina” A sonatina is a musical composition resembling a mini-sonata. Where a sonata is considered a sophisticated and relatively complex piece of music, a sonatina is a lot shorter, lighter in character, and less technically-demanding. In fact, composers …
Introduction Planning to do your RCM guitar exam but not sure what exactly you will be graded on and how? You’ve come to the right place! This guide will tell you what each section of the exam is worth to …
Overview Over the years, Canada has produced its own share of pianistic talent. While some of these pianists have managed to gain world-wide fame and leave a lasting legacy in the world of music, others are still relatively young and …
Introduction A trill is one of the most common musical ornaments and can sound beautiful when done well. If you are not confident about your understanding of what a trill is or how to play it correctly, look no further. …
Introduction Chopin is known to have written a total of 27 etudes, most of which are contained in Op. 25 and Op. 10 of his works. In this article, I chose 3 of these 27 that are generally considered the …
Introduction Most people know of Chopin as the famous Romantic-era composer, but what about Chopin the pianist? Just how good was he at the piano and what were perhaps some peculiarities of his piano playing? Because there was no sound-recording …
Introduction Let’s get something straight – when we talk about “easy” Beethoven sonatas, we are of course talking about easy relative the rest of his sonatas, of which he is known to have written about 32. The first two sonatas …
Introduction If your child is studying music in Canada (or the U.S. to a lesser extent), chances are you have heard about RCM (Royal Conservatory) exams. But what exactly are these exams and are they the right choice for your …
The short answer Yes, RCM allows students to skip level exams, but think carefully about your reason for wanting to do this. The fact is, there are no short-cuts for developing proper technique at your instrument and a proper understanding …
Introduction This is a question that all parents who want to get their little ones involved in music ask themselves at one point or another. Being a music school, you can imagine that we have come across this question on …
