By Saud - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69338709
Lucky Duck Elissa Milne from Getting to Grade 3, Hal Leonard
Character/story of the piece – Elissa Milne has written many wonderful and engaging pieces and this piece; Lucky Duck is no exception. It is cheerful and infectious and would appeal to many players. Elissa Milne states at the beginning of the piece that it should be played ‘with a winning waddle’. Immediately this conjures up images of ducks wadding around the edges of a lake. In bars 1 - 8 the player could imagine that the duck is looking for another duck to play with. Following these bars, the duck is playing with another duck in bars 9 - 16. There is a slight altercation in bars 17 – 28 before the two ducks settle their differences in bars 29 to 38. In the final four bars, the ducks go their separate ways.
In addition to this story, the player should consider which instruments could play each part and in each section.
Form – it is hard to state what form this piece is in; it could be in binary form with sections A, B and C with these sections repeated on the second page. The composer has cleverly used similar material with modifications thus providing cohesion for the piece. Section A covers bars 1 – 8 and bars 21 – 28, Section B covers 9 – 16 and bars 29 – 36 and Section C covers bars 17 – 20 and bars 37 – 40. Section A doesn’t stray too from E flat major however in Section B the music seems to be in C minor and A flat major for brief periods. Section C has a declamatory character, and this is reinforced by being in E flat major.
Main part of the music – Elissa Milne provides excellent instructions throughout the piece regarding articulation and dynamics. The loudest part is at the start of the final phrase in bar 37 where fortissimo is marked. Overall, the final phrase has the loudest dynamics of the whole piece. The player must be careful to reserve the fortissimo dynamic for this final phrase.
Phrasing – this piece contains two phrases of four bars each in Sections A and B with only one phrase of four bars in Section C. In Sections A and B, the two phrases have a question-and-answer character with the second phrase ‘answering’ the first phrase. And, in some phrases there is a question-and-answer concept too. Because Section C contains only one phrase this contributes to the declamatory character that is projected at this point. Some phrases contain a lead-in to the subsequent phrase which helps connect one phrase to the following. It is interesting to note that the sixth phrase commences ahead of time, taking a little from the fifth phrase.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – there is a danger that this piece is played too fast; the speed that Elissa Milne has suggested is appropriate. If played too fast, the waddling, rambunctious character is not portrayed however if played too fast the music loses its playfulness. Considering that this piece is for a Grade 3 or 4 player, they would have played a piece with a swing rhythm prior to learning this piece. If not, the player should learn the piece by using compound rhythmic time names. Constant use will be required of the metronome because it will be very easy for the player to play patterns such as those int the end of bar 8 on the third beat rather than at the end of the second beat. There are some rhythmic patterns that the player could potentially find difficult – one has been mentioned, the pickup at the end of bar 4, the tied notes in bar 18, the upbeat entry in bar 20, bars 24 and 25 and bar 28.
By Mother duck taking the kids for a walk by Rob Farrow, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128890006
Touch/articulation – varying the touch in this piece will help to provide contrast and interest for the listener. The player must constantly swap between a tenuto touch on the detached crotchets, to a cantabile touch during the slurs to a more detached touch when playing the quavers. A degree of resonance is required in the L.H. when playing the single notes. As mentioned before, the articulation has been carefully provided by the composer and the piece should be played observing these articulation marks. Frequently the accented notes are part of a slur, and these need to be played in a different manner to the ones that stand on their own. Regarding the staccato notes, these occur on crotchets as well as quavers, and again the listener must be aware of the difference. Consistency in the playing of the L.H. staccato chords is vital.
Balance between the hands – as with touch and articulation, differing the balance between the hands offers interest for the listener. For the most part the balance is to the R.H., however at the ends of phrases such as bars 8, 12 and 16 the hands blend dynamically. The declamatory phrases should have equal balance throughout except for the final two bars.
Dynamics – again, Elissa Milne has provided comprehensive information concerning the suitable dynamics for the playing of the piece. The music is marked forte at the beginning, it may be advisable to start a little quieter so that the forte dynamic can be used in bar 7. Section B contains contrasting dynamics which help to highlight the changing melodic material. In bar 17, even though the forte dynamic is used, it would be advisable to commence a little quieter so that this dynamic can be used later in the phrase. Bars 21 – 28 should contain the quietest dynamics of the piece. There are many forte markings in this piece and the player must guard against playing with dynamics that are constantly too loud. A wide range of dynamics is used in this piece and the dynamic levels can change abruptly.
Rubato – any use of rubato would not be appropriate when playing this piece. To a certain extent the composer has written some rubato with the use of rests at the ends of many of the phrases.
Pedal – considering the numerous staccato and accented notes that are present in this piece, the application of any pedal would not be suitable for the character of the piece.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· Notes of the L.H. chords could be highlighted such as the descending melodic pattern in bars 9 and 10 and the lower notes in bars 15 and 16, for example.
· The accented notes should be considered as persuasive, not percussive.
· The player should consider how the use of different registers affects the character of the music.
· There is always at least one quite tricky ‘corner’ in an Elissa Milne piece; this occurs in the final two bars in Lucky Duck.
· The player should notice that the last note does not have an accent written below it.
· The articulation, at times, is quite complex.
· There is an improvisatory feel to the declamatory phrases.
· There is only one crescendo written in the whole piece.
· As is always the case, changes to the L.H.’s dynamics will make a considerable difference to the dynamics overall.
· The player should employ gestures when playing this piece.
· The accented notes are at times on the beat or off the beat.
· The highest note of a melodic pattern need not be the loudest.
· The player should notice that the last note is played on the beat.