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By Christopher Norton

Urban surfer (From Techno Treat Keyboard)
Key: C major


  • This piece should be played very precisely and in strict time
  • Keep the left hand crotchets quite short
  • Slightly accent the first note of all the right hand figures
  • Bar 2/3: really play rh legato, with the wrist rising on the octave drop in bar 3
  • Bars 28/29: add more and more arm weight towards the last ff chord
  • Think of the lh as non-legato strings, the rh as woodwind


Static (From Techno Treat Keyboard)
Key: E minor
  • Bars 1-4: think of each rh chord with a tenuto mark
  • Bars 5-8: lh chords also tenuto
  • Go to a real pp by the end of bar 14
  • Pedal the last chord (pedal down on the 1st beat of bar 28
  • Try to sub-divide the semiquavers, particularly when playing the figure from bar 13


Here Come The Mysterons
(From Techno Treat Keyboard)
Key: E minor (really E Phyrgian!)
  • Make sure each rh phrase is really legato
  • Bar 11, 15 etc: put a slight accent on the first semiquaver each time
  • Bar 17: tenuto on each rh note
  • Use some pedal throughout – in bar 3 for example, on the last lh crotchet
  • Pedal all lh crotchets in the last line, as well as after the last chord


Don’t touch that dial
(From Techno Treat Keyboard)
Key: A minor
  • Genuinely staccato lh where marked – keep it light
  • Bars 2/3: follow the rh articulation scrupulously!
  • Pedal the minims in line 4
  • Bars 24-32: don’t accent the rh chord after the staccato chord
  • Pedal after the last rh note in bar 34


Questing
(From Smooth Groove Keyboard)
Key: A minor
  • Play very lyrically, with a singing rh
  • Bars 4,5: the lh melody should also "sing"
  • Start mp, so that the mf in bar 10 really seems a level "up"
  • Singing 3rds from bar 14 and bar 30 – make sure both notes sound together!
  • An ethereal ending..


Part of the machinery
(From Smooth Groove Keyboard)
Key: A minor
  • Really drop the arm and wrist on the rh accents
  • Play the slurs as written, particularly the 2-note slurs
  • Bar 3: practice the lh figure, sub-dividing the semiquavers – tap all 16 semiquavers with your rh while playing (or tapping) the lh rhythm
  • Don’t rush the final semiquaver of the group in bar 3!
  • Bar 11: Try pedalling the third and 6th lh chords
  • Ditto for rh bar 27


Becalmed
(From Smooth Groove Keyboard)
Key: G minor
  • Use some pedal throughout
  • Start really mp so that the crescendo to f in bar 6 is more dramatic
  • Follow the phrasing carefully
  • The rh should really "sing"
  • Keep the lh smooth and don’t accent thumb notes unnecessarily
  • Enjoy the pp at the very end


Gatecrasher
(From Smooth Groove Keyboard)
Key: G major
  • Slightly accent each crotchet beat of the lh and make the upper notes slightly louder
  • Start f in the rh; the accents (bar 7 for example) should be quite pronounced
  • Try pedaling every crotchet beat of bar 13
  • No pedal on the tremolandos except for the final bar!


Smokin’ armadillos
(From Country Comfort Keyboard)
Key: A major
  • Play in strict time throughout
  • Bar 4: put a slight accent on lh E
  • Bar 8: put a slight accent on lh E
  • Bar 15: enjoy the accents in both hands!
  • Make sure both notes of rh thirds sound really together


Home cooking (From Country Comfort Keyboard)
Key: A major
  • Some pedal throughout, but not on 1st 2 chords of rh and similar places
  • Make sure you follow the dynamics, the diminuendo in bar 2 for example
  • Bars 9-12: pedal each lh chord
  • Be really legato where indicated
  • Get slightly quieter in the last 3 bars


Big Jim
(From Country Comfort Keyboard)
Key: Eb major
  • 2 quavers = triplet
  • Be sure to use 2 fingering on lh where indicated 5
  • Use the rh fingering as marked throughout
  • Bar 17:this can be a really extrovert f!
  • Put a really solid ff accent on the last note


Arkansas harp’n’soul (Country Comfort Keyboard)
Key: D major
  • Follow the rh phrasing as closely as possible – it will automatically create accents that help to define the style
  • Slightly accent the 1st of all rh 2-note slurs
  • Bar 13: practice the lh by itself so that you find the best fingering
  • Bar 13 (again!): practice hands together at a slow tempo
  • Bars 21-24: try to make the rh thirds all the same dynamic – f – and make sure they sound together!
  • Enjoy the crescendo in the last line and be wildly extrovert on the final chord


Outward bound
(From Celtic Melt for Keyboard)
Key: D minor
  • Bars 1-4: be scrupulous with staccatos in lh and slurs in rh
  • Bars 10-13: slightly emphasise the lowest note of the rh chords
  • Be genuinely mp in bar 10, genuinely f in bar 14
  • Bar 25: do change fingers as marked (last 2 notes of lh)


The old boys’ session
(From Celtic Melt for keyboard)
Key: G major
  • Dotted crotchet, semiquaver = triplet
  • Bars 3,4: drop with the arm and wrist onto the rh accents
  • Slightly diminuendo on the slurs in bars 1-3 and similar
  • Bars 9-11: do accent the rh as marked
  • Bars 18-21: stay legato in the rh


Mists among the stones
(From Celtic Melt for keyboard)
Key: E minor
  • Pedal more or less throughout on half bars
  • A very singing rh melody
  • Lh very legato throughout, don’t crescendo if it isn’t marked
  • Bar 11: be genuinely mf – it’s the loudest the piece gets!
  • Place all notes together, real pp on the last bar


Murphy’s magic
(From Celtic Melt for keyboard)
Key: D minor
  • Play with real brio, genuine f
  • Bars 1-4: follow the rh phrasing
  • It may help to accent each crotchet beat with a stamp of the heel!
  • Pedal from bar 13 on (each lh crotchet)
  • Create a beautiful sonority with the help of the pedal on the last 2 bars


Funki stuff
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
  • Key: E minor
  • Strict time playing throughout – practice with a metronome!
  • Do play the lh as written in bars 1-12 – all accents, slurs and staccato
  • Start mp as marked – you have a long way to travel to the f in bar 13
  • Be legato when required – rh in bar 13 for example
  • Follow the dynamics for maximum dramatic effect


Gameshow
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
Key: F minor
  • Swing playing – triplet feel
  • Legato rh where marked, with the last note of each phrase short (eg bar 10)
  • Play the semiquavers in bar 18 as marked (not swung)
  • Bars 26-30: the chords are like big band brass chords
  • The last glissando would probably finish about middle C (white notes only!)


Fight master
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
Key: A minor
  • Don’t play the lh crotchets too short – a little air between them, but not full length
  • Bars 2-9: nicely legato rh melody
  • Bars 10-17: some pedal here
  • Bar 18: a slight accent on the beginning of the rh phrase (and elsewhere)
  • Disappear to almost nothing at the end


Centipede
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
Key: E minor
  • This is a creepy-crawly piece!
  • Build inexorably from bar 3 to bar 7
  • Bars 11-14: pedal on the half bar
  • Follow all articulation carefully to get maximum hundred-legged effect!
  • Really diminuendo on the last line
  • Pedal down after the last chord has been played


Steadicam
(From R’n’b Ripple for keyboard)
Key: C major
  • Use the pedal throughout this piece
  • Accents on rh 1st note in bars1, 3 should be copied to all similar phrases
  • Put lh chords down with all notes together, top note slightly predominating
  • Shape the rh phrases and play all slurs as marked, particularly 2-note slurs
  • Probably pedal each lh chord bars 9-15


Pulse rate
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
Key: C minor
  • Real staccato where indicated
  • Shape the rh phrases as in bar 2
  • Do the crescendos in the lh in bars 3, 4 etc
  • Pedal should be used particularly in bars 11-18
  • Strict time-playing throughout – practice with a metronome


In circles
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
Key: F minor
  • A very lyrical style, pedalled throughout
  • A warm tone for the rh melody
  • Start quietly, really p, so that the f sounds really quite loud!
  • Think of the underlying semiquavers – try tapping 16 semiquavers with the lh and tapping the rh melody (bars 1-4) with the rh
  • Strict time-playing throughout


Taking flight
(From Chunky Phunky for keyboard)
Key: A minor
  • A very rhythmic style, with an underlying semiquaver pulse – tap 16 semiquavers (at a slower tempo!) with your lh, tap the rh rhythm. Then reverse the procedure (lh rhythm, rh 16 semiquavers)
  • Make the crescendo in bar 4 and similar quite dramatic
  • Bar 11: make lh mf
  • Pedal lh chords bars 12-14 and on repeat
  • Follow the dynamics – they go from mp to ff!


Christopher Norton
Leeds, UK
1st April 2003

 

 

 
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