Any tips on Prokofiev: 6 Pieces from Cinderella op. 102, 6. Amoroso?

[priotrodon]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks on memorizing the Andante part? Is it true that the only choice is to repeat the passage over and over again until muscle memory forms? Thanks in advance.

Note: Please excuse me if I made any mistakes since this is my first time posting here. I'm also trying to attach the .pdf of the piece but can't seem to work it out.

[furr104]

Is it true that the only choice is to repeat the passage over and over again until muscle memory forms?

That's what I did when I studied it. Mostly because it's not a melody you can sing easily :/

[anacrusis]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks on memorizing the Andante part? Is it true that the only choice is to repeat the passage over and over again until muscle memory forms? Thanks in advance.

No, it is not true that is the only choice You'll be helped a lot if you analyze the harmony and chord progressions so you understand what he is doing and why. If you are not familiar with music theory yet, this is a good example why your knowledge of theory can help you a lot when memorizing.

It'll also help to learn how each position or group of notes you need to but your hands over look visually, so you memorize how everything looks. Aural memory (how the melody and accompaniment sound) also help you out.

[priotrodon]

Thank you for the replies.

As for anacrusis' reply, do you know where I might find a score labelled with the chord progressions? Or maybe, could you recommend a book (one which is easy to understand and free, preferably) to learn music theory like these from?

[anacrusis]

Thank you for the replies.

As for anacrusis' reply, do you know where I might find a score labelled with the chord progressions? Or maybe, could you recommend a book (one which is easy to understand and free, preferably) to learn music theory like these from?

No idea regarding the score, unfortunately You can probably find some beginners theory on youtube. Start with just learning how to recognize major and minor chords, analyze the score yourself and pencil in what you find. Just doing that will enable you to store large chunks of notes as one "item" in your memory. Example: "this is an E major chord in root position with an additional E on top" is easier to remember than "I have to play E, I have go down to play B, I have to go down play G#, I have to go down to play E, I have to go up to play G#, I have to go up to play B, I have to go up to play E". Even more so when the chords get more complicated.

[lelle]

If you start doing analysis work, and have bars you are confused by, you can always ask here and we can help you.

[priotrodon]

I haven't actually started to do analysis work, mainly because I think it's a hassle (LOL) and I think I'm progressing quite smoothly by just repetition.

For future reference, I have a question. With Prokofiev, especially, writes a lot of dissonance in his music. For example, at bar 34 first beat, he used E major and  D# major in one "cluster". And I can probably find many other examples where it's not that clear cut (at bar 53, maybe). I honestly still have some difficulty identifying borrowed/passing tones in this piece.

My question is, at which point do I stop grouping the chords? In my earlier example, do I group together the E major and D# major into a chord (with a name I don't know, if it's even possible)? Or do I separate them?

[lelle]

I haven't actually started to do analysis work, mainly because I think it's a hassle (LOL) and I think I'm progressing quite smoothly by just repetition.

For future reference, I have a question. With Prokofiev, especially, writes a lot of dissonance in his music. For example, at bar 34 first beat, he used E major and  D# major in one "cluster". And I can probably find many other examples where it's not that clear cut (at bar 53, maybe). I honestly still have some difficulty identifying borrowed/passing tones in this piece.

My question is, at which point do I stop grouping the chords? In my earlier example, do I group together the E major and D# major into a chord (with a name I don't know, if it's even possible)? Or do I separate them?

I think the way you are thinking about it right now is perfectly fine if you are still developing your analysis skills. "This beat mixes E major and D# major in *this* particular way" is still way easier to remember than memorizing each individual note without any kind of context. You've already identified a pattern of two chords and how he fits them together and just by doing that it basically helps you memorize like 75% of the bar.

I think you are on the right track with thinking about passing tones in bar 34. Sort of like what Mozart did, let's say he is in G major and goes to a melody note that is a D, then he first puts a C# (non chord tone) that resolves to the D: C#-D as decoration to make it expressive. In bar 34, Prokofiev tucks in D#, Fx, A# which resolve to E major chord tones E, G# B as decoration.

When it's not clear cut and difficult to analyze a simple explanation, I usually just memorize it by doing something like "here is that part that is not clear cut, it is overall an a minor chord, but he adds a D flat and and F here and here, and they resolve to this and this note in the next chord" just to make up an example.