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Railroad Blues David Blackwell Grade 2 ABRSM 2023 – 2024
Character/story of the piece – the opening statement in the Teaching Notes on Piano Exam Pieces 2023 – 2024 ABRSM is ‘this rail journey, with its laid-back seeing rhythms and regular crotchet beat, is far removed from modern-day high-speed travel, yet there is nonetheless a sense that the destination will be reached with patience on the part of the traveller’. Clearly the title provides inspiration as to how the piece should be interpreted. The piece is based on a 12-bar blues pattern and this should be discussed with the player. The melodic patterns should be thought of in relation to instrumentation as well as imagining that there are two trains represented in the music with one closer and the other further away, with both moving closer together at the end of each section. These trains are ‘talking’ to each other with the exchanges constantly moving from one to the other. Perhaps the jazz instruments represented in this piece could be a trumpet and a saxophone. The LH, which provides the steady accompaniment, is played by the double bass and this provides a lumbering quality to the music. The music could sound a little monotonous, which although is partly the point of the piece, there must be variety in touch, dynamics, balance and so on, so that the listener’s interest is maintained.
Form – as discussed, this piece is based on the 12-bar blues pattern with one additional bar, which is at the beginning. The piece is in binary form with the melodic material repeated in the second section however, one of the melodic patterns is chordal rather than singular notes. The piece is in G major however there is use of ‘blue’ notes which imbues the music with a minor character at times.
Main part of the music – this occurs at the end as instructed by the composer. David Blackwell has indicated that the dynamics in the final bar should be played at fortissimo. There is a danger that these final chords may be played harshly, therefore the arm, shoulder and elbow should be incorporated into the playing of them. The player should ensure that the chord pattern in the penultimate bar and the first note of the final bar should be played with a diminuendo. The sudden change to fortissimo will be very effective and dramatic.
Phrasing – the first section contains three phrases; all are four bars long with the exception of the first bar which has an additional bar which serves as the introduction for the piece. The second section again contains three phrases, all of these phrases are four bars long. The phrasing in this piece is episodic, no two phrases balance each other.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – there is a danger that familiarity with this piece may result in the player performing the piece at too fast a tempo. The suggested speed of c.104 is appropriate; the tempo will of course, contribute to the character of the piece. This may be the first occasion that the player has been exposed to a compound rhythm that is written in a simple time signature. The rhythms must be fully understood and the frequent tapping out of these rhythms, is to be advised. All too often the playing of the LH does not remain constant, the LH adjusts for the RH. It should be discussed with the player that the LH must be played with a constant speed. Some players could possibly find the playing of the triplet, for example in bar 3, a little difficult. The last note of the triplet could be, for example, played with the LH third beat chord. In addition to this, the final two chords require careful attention to ensure that they are played within beat 2 as well as being evenly played.
Touch/Articulation – the contrast of the imagined instruments being played will supply the player with the ideas of the touch that should be employed. The first instrument, the trumpet, plays in bars 2, 4, 6 and so on. Here the player should project an intense, slightly brittle sound with the use of intense and rather energetic fingers. However, the second instrument, the saxophone as in bars 3, 5 and 7 should be played with a more resonant and cantabile touch as this will project the different sound quality of the instruments being played. In bars 12 – 13 and 24 – 25, the chords should be played as legato as possible. Some players may find this a little difficult in the first set considering the RH G must be held throughout bar 12. The LH should be played with a degree of resonance, with fingers close to the keys with a curved hand-shape and with a slight separation from one chord to the following. To differentiate the instrumentation, the player should gently lift between one melodic pattern and the next.
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Balance between the hands – the balance should be to the RH considering that it contains the melodic patterns, however the player could alter the balance to also help with the differentiation of the instrumentation. In bars 12 – 14 and bars 24 – 26 the hands should be played with equal balance between the hands. The upper notes of the LH chords should be highlighted except in the LH in bars 24 and 25 where the lower notes should be highlighted.
Dynamics – the dynamics of this piece should be colourful and dramatic. Sudden changes in dynamics is appropriate as well. The player must be careful to ensure that the sound does not become harsh and strident, so it is important to look for areas where the dynamics can be lessened. All the phrases should have a feeling of overall momentum and the dynamics are an integral part for allowing this to occur. The loudest part of the first section, at a forte level, should occur in bar 11. A larger range of dynamics should be exploited in the second section. Nearer the end of the piece, the dynamics should have less difference; it is as if the trains are closer together.
Agogic features – in my opinion there should be no changes to the tempo of this piece at all because to a certain extent the composer has written the slowing down at the end of each section in a rhythmic manner.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· There is a danger that the player may lift the RH minim too soon in bars such as bar 2.
· There should be no accent on the first RH note of bar 11 and 23.
· Because of the repetition in this piece the dynamics should be quite vivid and changeable.
· There should be focus on the changing notes in the LH chords in bars 9 – 11 and bars 21 – 23. These notes indicate to the listener that there will be different melodic material played.
· The LH dictates the dynamics. The last chord of many bars is crucial for the direction and dynamics of the music.
· There is a danger that the chords may split.
· There are times where the last note of the triplet should be emphasised; this will depend on the dynamics and direction of the phrase at that point.
· The player must always be aware of how the swing rhythm is being played.
· The player must ensure that their thumbs are not being played too close to the edge of the keys.
· In bars 11 and 23 the player should leave the LH suspended above the keys as this will provide an air of expectancy.
· The first bar sets the scene; the player could highlight the top changing notes in these L.H. chords.
· There should be no accent when the R.H. D is played in bar 11.
· If possible, there should be a contrast in the playing of bars 12-13 and bars 24-25. Bars 12 and 13 should sound more legato than bars 24 and 25.
· The L.H. patterns provide a ‘rumbling’ character to the music.
· The player should use a significant gesture when lifting off the R.H. G in bar 24.
· The final chords must sound abrupt, as if they are ‘butting’ in.
References
Teaching Notes on Piano Exam Pieces ABRSM published 2022