Bamford - Dance of the Toads
Background
Dance of the Toads is set for the Grade 1 class of the HKSMS (Hong Kong Schools Music Festival) 2012.
There appears to be no information about the little-known composer, Lesley Bamford, but this little piece is great fun for beginning pianists. It was published in 1938 by the ABRSM in Original Pianoforte Pieces Book 1.
Find out how to play and teach this piece in the more detailed sections on:
Pupil Match & Suitability
Style & Tempo
Phrasing & Articulation
Tone & Texture
Technique
Fingering
Pedalling
Teaching Strategies
Practice Tips
Troubleshooting
Final Performance
Pupil Match & Suitability
This is a good choice for students who play their best when they are able to imagine the character of the music through visualising a scene suggested by the title.
Dance of the Toads could easily capture the imagination and it has lots of detail in articulation to bring the music alive.
Small hands will find the piece easily manageable.
Style & Tempo
The tempo is marked moderato and so the piece should not be taken too fast. Bear in mind that toads walk - they do not hop like frogs!
Around crotchet = 120 will give enough sense of movement to show a feel for the dance. However a tempo much less than this will seem dull , so interpret the 'moderato' marking as the top end of that tempo category.
Phrasing & Articulation
The dynamics help to define the phrasing, with each four-bar phrase to be played at a slightly different level. The final bars are a little codetta. Care should be taken to give exactly the correct timing of rests here.
Where the RH has the tune, the LH might be played lightly detached. This is not only effective in characterising the music, but it is also easier than trying to keep a LH legato against a detached RH line.
Tone & Texture
Dynamic variety is important to give interest and also to define the phrasing. The student should adhere closely to the detail in the score.
Dynamic grading is also needed to give the phrasing musical shape, allowing the sound to grow slightly through the phrases and then to die away a little at the end of each phrase.
The LH part at Bar 9, followed by the RH imitation, is the loudest section and there should be a clear contrast at Bar 13, which is quieter.
Remember the accent on the final chord!
Technique
The dynamics asked for are ideal for beginners - not too quiet and not too loud helps to encourage subtle variety without making too many demands on the developing technique.
Big contrasts are unnecessary here and, in any case, asking a small child to play with a big forte can often result in bouncing the hand, producing a harsh tone.
The main technical demand to be worked on are achieving the articulation variety and balancing the hands sensitively.
Fingering
The fingering in the ABRSM edition is sound and makes the piece easy to learn if it is adhered to carefully.
Point out the places where the hands have to move to a different position on the keys and insist on each phrase starting with the correct fingers.
Pedalling
Pedalling is unnecessary in this piece.
Teaching Strategies
Begin by playing the piece for your student. It is always a good idea to know what a piece sounds like first, if it is to be learned for a performance - it is important for the student to discover how a piece sounds for themselves but not on this occasion!
Point out what is easy about the piece first, for example the repetition of the beginning at Bar 3, with just a slightly different ending at Bar 4. Also there are many repeated rhythms, eg Bars 5 - 6 are like Bars 1 - 2.
Make the student aware of the RH imitating the LH at Bars 11 - 12 and spot the difference at the end of the phrase.
Be sure to give lots of help in lessons with the ending, to achieve correct timing of the rests
Practice Tips
The piece lends itself to being practised in sections. Start with Bars 1 - 2, separate hand but putting in the LH, D at the end of Bar 2. Then practise Bars 3 - 4, noticing the similarity and difference.
Practise these bars with hands together, then move on to the next phrase, and so on.
Plenty of time needs to be allowed for learning the second half of the piece, especially beginning at Bar 13, because the final phrase must be made secure.
Troubleshooting
The piece needs to be rhythmically precise, with secure continuity between phrases.
The only tricky rhythm is at Bar 6 - 7, RH, so try the strategy of playing together: first you play the RH and let the student supply the missing beat 3, by playing the LH note, A. Then you play the LH, A while the student plays the RH.
Final Performance
An excellent performance will give a sense of character as well as being well controlled in tone. The detail in articulation and in dynamics will be effective and the pace will be suitable, with flawless fluency and accuracy maintained.
A good performance will be accurate and will show some of the expressive detail, but without, perhaps the more balanced and poised tone control to be heard in an excellent performance.
A sound performance will demonstrate secure knowledge of notes and rhythms but may need more attention to detail and the tone might not yet be evenly controlled.