Over the years I have taught a number of pieces and there are some that are memorable for a number of reasons. Blues in Two is one of those. I remember very well three students who played it for an exam in 1999 - 2000, one of whom was my own daughter. These three pupils gained so much from playing this piece - exposure to the swing rhythm and the jazz blues style, the use of the pedal, the playing of some complicated rhythms and the use of a warm cantabile touch, amongst others. And since then, I have taught it many times and it never fails to impress these pupils and I still enjoy teaching and playing it myself too. It certainly must by one of Mike Cornick’s signature tunes with its use of the flattened third. I hope to see it in the ABRSM exam syllabus again some time soon. Mike Cornick has had other pieces in the ABRSM syllabus throughout the years.
W.C. Handy, the father of the blues, music legend birthplace in Florence, Alabama, USA. From Alamy.com
Blues in Two, Mike Cornic
Character/story of the piece - here the player will need to imagine that there are two different jazz instruments playing this piece, a saxophone in bars 1 – 8, a trumpet in bars 9 – 13 where the saxophone joins in for bars 14 – 16 and then the saxophone completes the piece on its own. The lilting cantabile melody and the use of the flattened third imbue the piece with a melancholic feel. There is an outburst of anger in bars 14 – 16 and following this, the piece concludes with an air of resignation.
Form - one could consider this piece to be in ternary form however the middle section, bars 9 – 16, commences with similar material to the opening. The only bars that are different melodically are bars 14 – 16.
Main part of the music- in my opinion the main part of the music occurs in bar 19 at mezzoforte level even though there is another mezzoforte marking present in bar 15. It would be wise for the player to commence playing bar 17 at mezzopiano level, as suggested by the composer.
Phrasing – the phrases in the outer sections should be considered in a question and answer format with, for example, bars 1 – 4 being the question and the answer being bars 5 – 8. However the middle section complete. The last two phrases are of different length because the final phrase starts on beat 2 of bar 21.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – the composer has suggested a tempo of q = 76 and I have suggested to players of this piece that 72 will be appropriate too. Obviously this piece must be played at a slower tempo otherwise the melancholic and slightly despairing quality will be lost. This may be a player’s first exposure to the swing rhythm and there should be a discussion about how the use of the swing rhythm effectively makes the piece in compound time. There may be a tendency to rush the triplet patterns. In bar 15 the quavers on the second beat could be played bordering on being straight to provide contrast with the swing rhythm.
Touch/Articulation – considering that this is a jazz piece, thinking in terms of particular melodic lines being played by different instruments is beneficial. This piece requires a warm and rich cantabile tone that is absolutely legato with weight being provided from the shoulder. Starting at bar 9, the player could provide the melodic line with some intensity so that it highlights the higher register and the use of a different instrument, such as the trumpet. Then at the start of the final phrase, the fingers become less intense so that the ending has a feeling of resignation.
Balance between the hands – essentially in this piece, the balance is to the RH considering that it contains the melody. However, there are a few instances where the hands blend together. This occurs in bars 15 and 16 and in the penultimate bar.
Use of the LH – although most of the time the LH has an accompaniment role, it contributes considerably to the character of the piece. In bars 2 and 4 for example, the LH should be played less than the remaining sound from the first beat. Nevertheless, in bar 8, the LH chord should not be played too quietly because the LH helps to lead into the following phrase. The LH notes on the first beat of the bar should be played with a degree of resonance so that the pedal sustains them. And, the LH chord that is played at the start of beat 2 for instance in bar 1 needs to be played a little quieter than the remaining sound. The final LH note requires careful control when it is played.
Dynamics – the loudest dynamic for this piece, mezzoforte, should not be exceeded at any time when playing this piece. The composer has marked in a number of crescendos and diminuendos and the player should strive to modify the positioning of some of them. In bars 3 – 4, the dynamics could for example, be a little quieter than those of the opening bars. And another suggestion, for example in bars 5 – 6, the loudest note could be the high C at the end of bar 5 rather than at the start of bar 6. The loudest note of the whole piece should be the second RH C in bar 19.
Rubato – this is definitely a feature of this piece but as is always the case, ‘less is more’ and there should be variation in its application. There will be occasions where it will be necessary for the player to ease the tempo so that it can be accelerated near the end of a phrase. Apart from the rit that the composer has written in, any rubato within a phrase must be balanced so that the phrase is played in correct time. To a certain extent the rubato helps to provide the music with a sense of spontaneity.
Pedal – if this piece is played without the pedal it would not have the same impact as when the pedal is used. In the beginning, changing at the start of every bar is appropriate. More frequent pedalling will be necessary in bars 14, 15, 19 to the end. A slight break at the beginning of the final bar will add a poignant touch to the music.
B B King in 2009. By Tom Beetz - https://www.flickr.com/photos/9967007@N07/6577873073, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19293981
Considerations
· there are a few instances where the hands will need to bring out the top or bottom notes of a chord as this is where the melody is.
· as is always the case, a change in the dynamics of the LH will make a considerable difference to the overall dynamics of the piece.
· the LH covers a significant area of the keyboard. The player must allow the hands to have sufficient space to move around with ease.
· at the end, the player should wait a few extra beats at the slowing speed so that most of the sound dies away before lifting their hands off the keys and placing them in their lap.
· considering the change in the melodic material in bars 19 to the end, the player must highlight these. The dynamics should not drop too much in bars 21 and 22 otherwise there will not be enough sound for the final bar at piano.
the player needs to feel the tension building towards the blue notes.
to keep the rhythm ‘tight’. the player should place a small accent at the beginning of the triplet pattern in bars 21 and 22.