Bartók: Mikrokosmos Volume 3 BB 105 Sz.107

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Title	Level	YouTube
Comments

67. Thirds against a Single Voice	B1	♫
Listen carefully to both thirds and single voice balance of thirds is important. Keep the crescendo from the beginning to the 7th bar like singing.

68. Hungarian Dance	B1	♫
Piano (I) … Listen carefully to the transition of the inner sounds of the left hand. A very beautiful melody. Piano (II) … Enjoy interacting with piano I. Play left hand fifth accompaniment like as a drone. Imagine a low-pitched stringed instrument playing a dance accompaniment.

69. Study in Chords	B1	♫
When playing ・chords (accompaniment) – fix the figure of your hands ・melody – cantabile

70. Melody against Double Notes	B1	♫
Exercises in playing continuously double notes with different degree. Enjoy the bitonal sounds.

71. Thirds	B1	♫
Let’s find the right balance of sounds.

72. Dragon’s Dance	B1	♫
Clarify articulations. Inner parts repeats closing and away like dragon’s move. Oriental & exotic

73. Sixths and Triads	B2	♫
Keep your figure of hands and be careful about a balance of sounds.

74. Hungarian Matchmaking Song	B1	♫
Do you know where the melody is?

75. Triplets	B1	♫
Note that triplets tend to have a faster tempo when you play. [1]-[8] Listen carefully to the sustained sounds. At the moment when the sounds overlap, you can enjoy the sound of the harmonies. [18] Accents can help you play step by step in the crescendo to mf.

76. In Three Parts	B1	♫
Considering the balance of 3 independent voices. – especially please try & check better volume balance on your left hand. [10]-[11] You should breathe firmly at the end of slur.

77. Little Study	B1	♫
Be sure to follow the finger numbers as it is a practice to spread your fingers. [1]-[4] / [5]-[8] / [9]-[13] / [14]-[18] You should breathe firmly at the end of slur, however, don’t forget to understand it is one phrase.

78. Five-tone Scale	B1	♫
Follow the finger numbers. [1]-[12] There is one phrase every four bars. Do not lower your wrist in the middle of the phrase. [20] – [end] The melody moves to the left hand, so play it clearly.

79. Hommage à J. S. B.	B2	♫
It reminds any preludes of “The Well-Tempered Clavier” [1]-[8] Let’s enjoy of the rhythm of Sarabande by making the best use of the accent. Broken chords of sixteen notes continue, however, don’t flutter. (With the rhythm of Sarabande in mind) Try playing each chord (not broken), and first understand the transition of the chord. You can see that the chords are tightly closed in the order of 5th → 4th → 3rd. [9]-[12] Also note the transition of chords here. Let’s use rit. + cresc. to liven up towards [13]. [13]-[end] The same sound with ♯ (right hand) → ♮ (left hand) overlap so that they do not collide well. Adjacent / collision sounds in semitones do not occur directly, but there is a slight disagreement as reverberation. Exquisite balance, I like this song. I talked too much.

80. Hommage à R. Sch.	B2	♫
It seems that R.Sch. = Schumann, but there are some opinions that it is not like Schumann. .….. Is that really so?? I thought that there were many dotted rhythms like Schumann when glanced at the score. On the other hand, as I mentioned at beginning, some people say that “it is not like Schumann” in the reference book, so I have reviewed Schumann’s piano piece again, but many such dotted rhythms were used … (and relentlessly). The dotted rhythm can also create a sense of activity and dynamism, and depending on the scene, it can be heard that the rhythm collapses suddenly or becomes unstable. And speaking of Schumann’s characteristic, I think it’s a 6-degree pitch! (let’s dig into the story of the musical expression of 6th pitch again), but 6th pitch appears quite a lot in this song. (For example, [1]. It’s all progressing at 6 degrees.) After all, I conclude that this song has a Schumann character. The sound is a little creepy, but as the piacevole at the beginning says, it’s never heavy and not horrible. Let’s try to play with loveliness and lightness. I hope to put it in “Kinderszenen”. I talked too much…

81. Wandering	B2	♫
It keeps moving between major and minor. [1]-[7]/[8]-[14]…The roles of the left and right hands are replaced. Play “pp” – “mp” separately. Let’s think about the volume so that the volume is not insufficient at the time of pp. Note the subtle differences in accidentals,carefully read the score.

82. Scherzo	B2	♫
Maybe not get used to 7/8 time, but thinking as follows makes it easier→7/8 time = 4/8 time(2/8+2/8) + 3/8 time. [17]- Play while feeling the change in time signature. If you can add accents exactly, it will be clear when the time signature changes.

83. Melody with Interruptions	B2	♫
A song with an element of pedaling practice when the point the tune is interrupted. Let’s step on the pedal while the sound just before stepping on the pedal remains. It is necessary to play the tune with a slur and the tune with a tenuto as completely different things. Clarify phrase breaks. Let’s make a clear difference between the dissonant sounding part like [1] and [4], and the marcato part that appears after that. For that purpose, use legato firmly on the part with the slur.

84. Merriment	B2	♫
Pedaling is at the same time as the sound. Be especially careful when re-stepping on. Raise the pedal just before the end of the melody so that the sound of the previous tune does not remain. Firmly perform fine pedal work in [7] [8] [11]. Let’s slow down the tempo and check the timing of raising and lowering the pedal. For [1] [2] and [12] [13], you should practice rhythm. At first, practice without ties, and when you get the rhythm accurately, put on ties. As the title suggests, I’m particularly happy at the beginning, and I want to play with a crisp rhythm.

85. Broken Chords	B2	♫
As the title suggests, this song has the character of a practice for distributed chords. After [6], play a melody through both hands. Note the wrists of both hands are continuous movements. It is advisable to be careful not to vary the sound quality of the 3rd and 4th beats. [28] ~: Let’s climb comfortably toward [34] using cresc. and accents. Even in places where a dynamics are not mentioned, the phrase will be organized by naturally changing the volume according to the top and bottom of the sound.

86. Two Major Pentachords	B2	♫
After practicing with one hand at a time, you will be surprised at the difference in sound when you put them together with both hands. After that, if you play one hand at a time again, you will be noticed at the beauty of the melody in each major. If you combine (a part of) two types of pure major scales, you can enjoy a sound that is a bit different from “dissonance”. [19] ~: Make sure that whole note in sf do not run out of breath. The whole note on the left doesn’t say sf, but it’s the same. [29] ~: Let’s play cresc. to overwrite the attenuation of each note toward the last ff.

87. Variations	B2	♫
The subject is faithfully varied. It is divided into motifs [1]-[3], [4]-[6], [7] [8], [9] [10], [11]-[13]. Let’s find a motif that has changed from the first and second variations. The harmony of second variation (the part of the 3/4 time in [41]) that changes subtly with the accidental is beautiful. Especially where there is a description of dolce, I want you to enjoy it with a dolce feeling. The sound is so straightforward that it feels like a surprise.

88. Duet for Pipes	B2	♫
What kind of pipes do you imagine? The tone is very difficult. The piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound by striking the strings, and it is not possible to gradually change the momentum of the sound by breathing or to add inflection by playing with a bow. Basically, it is an instrument that you cannot do anything after the sound comes out. Then, if you pay close attention to the “moment when you hit the keyboard”, you can see that there are various elements in the momentary movement, such as the speed at which the finger is lowered, the angle of the fingertip, and the weight placed on the arm. I thought about touch as follows. Wind instrument on the right: A flute with a high-pitched, thin and light sound. Wind instrument on the left: The sound is low and thick. It’s not so heavy, but it has a thick outline. I want to play the right hand with a light and transparent sound, so I don’t put too much weight on my arm and raise my fingertips a little. Put a little weight on your left hand and make your fingertips a little flat. The keystroke speed is a little slower than that of the right hand for soft sound. After [23], the place where you play with triplets is a little lively so that you can enjoy the interaction of the players of the two instruments. The left hand also increases the keystroke speed a little so that the outline of the sound can be seen.

89. In Four Parts (1)	B2	♫
It is a simple practice in four parts. In the part where you want to hear sop. firmly, turn down the volume of the other 3 voices. [7] [8]: It is beautiful that the four voices fold in the same rhythm in order from the top.

90. In Russian Style	B2	♫
I’m worried about where the relentless repetition of the same rhythm will go and how long it will last. It’s a song in which the same rhythm swirls and falls into a kind of trance. Sing the shouts repeatedly, like an old Russian work song. Expressing the pain of poor workers, such as work that never ends even if they do it, pain, giving up, etc. However, let’s play powerfully with the rhythm so as not to be late. Work songs are also there to inspire oneself to work hard.

91. Chromatic Invention (1)	B2-C1	♫
★ Play (a part of) the chromatic scale in the song ★ Shrink / expand the palm in the same position ★ Detailed and accurate position movement There are many accidentals, which makes it more difficult for people who are not good at it. Since there are chromatic scales everywhere, it is necessary to adjust the spread of the fingers. When you play a semitone next to each other, your fingers are very close to each other, so be sure to play with accurate keystroke. First, practice one hand at a time (preferably singing) and listen to both voices. Only when you can play each melody without delay, practice together with both hands. This song also seems to be dissonant at first glance, and it sounds beautiful when you can hear the sound of both voices evenly. It’s a good song.

92. Chromatic Invention (2)	B2-C1	♫
★ Play (a part of) the chromatic scale in the song ★ Shrink / expand the palm in the same position ★ Detailed and accurate position movement Ummm ~~~ To be honest, this song is difficult. Accurate reading of accidentals following 91 is mandatory, and in contrast to 91 you must play with Allegro. It’s hard. It is required to accurately play the inserted chromatic scale with adjacent fingers. However, Bartok’s designated finger number attached to this song makes a lot of sense, and playing it exactly will be effective, and you will be convinced as you practice. I think the great thing about Mikrokosmos is the rationality of the finger numbers. As long as you can move the position of your hand accurately (this is the point) by eliminating unnecessary and unreasonable movements as much as possible, you can play the phrase at that place using a simple finger number. If you can understand where the hand position is the same / where it changes, you can play comfortably afterwards. As with 91, practice this song one hand at a time so that you can play it smoothly, and then match it with both hands. [20] ~: ff is instructed. There are many places where you cross your hands and play the bass with your right hand. Be careful not to turn down the volume. It’s a good idea to move your weight a little in the same direction as your hand and play.

93. In Four Parts (2)	B2	♫
★ Listening/playing all parts well ★Introduction of polyphonic melody/work Play with the image of string quartet. I want you to make half notes and dotted half notes resonate well and keep the sound. Practice each part separately（with singing）and let’s play a four parts ensemble after you can listen all parts well.

94. Once Upon a Time…	B2	♫
★Listening/playing all parts well ★”Singing” a long phrase “Once upon a time, once upon a time …” is the beginning of the story. [7][9][10]The upper voice of the left hand, beautifully descending stepwise. Relax a little on the second note and play the melody like a sigh. [15]〜 The introductory theme appears. The theme in left hand is e moll. [20]〜 The first half motif fold up as if being dragged to another place.But in[27], the melody becomes ”p” and the changed theme ends powerlessly……it looks like this, and at the end comes with f.

95. Fox Song	B2	♫
★Expressing changes in accompaniment (for each scene) ★Expressing phrases/dynamics with lyrics or words It is divided into a) of piano solo and b) of playing and singing (accompaniment and singing part). Playing and singing is maybe a few difficult, let’s try and enjoy the content of the song. The relationship between lyrics and phrases, and the relationship between lyrics and dynamics can also be seen, which should be a reference for performances. In both a)and b), savor the beautiful accompaniment with a little darkness after the middle stage(after mark”mf”).

96. Jolts	B2	♫
★Expressing a long phrase Although the title is “Jolts”, it’s more like a work that doesn’t go smoothly (I can see the goal and I want to get there) rather than it’s rattling and shaking. But instruction is “cantabile”. Because of bumpy sound and the melodies that do not match the 3/4 time signature（There are groups of ♪♪♪×2. It make feel 6/8 time）, we get awkward. I want to express the “Jolts” in a smooth flow with as much cantabile as possible without playing clearly over. [4][10][18][28]Don’t play dotted half note with tie properly. Count the beats firmly with ♪ or ♩.