Lesson Overview

Hey there, everyone. Welcome to this lesson!

Today, we're going to be looking at Adele's great song, "Make You Feel My Love."

Originally a song by Bob Dylan, believe it or not, but Adele definitely took it to a completely new level with her stupendous vocal performance. It's a really wonderful version, and this is what we're going to focus on today.

We have a nice piano arrangement at Grade 1, so it's definitely a big jump. If you did the debut grade, you'll notice a few more challenges, especially with the rhythm in this song.

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Key Signature

1. Understanding the Key Signature

• Take a look at the key signature.
• B flat is now present, which means all the B notes you play will be flattened because the key is F major.

2. Legato Technique

• The first thing to focus on is getting a sense of the legato.

• We want a nice, smooth, romantic feel to this piece.

• Using the Pedal:

  • Try to use the pedal without making the sound messy.
  • For example, when playing the left hand, you don't want to keep the pedal down into the next chord, as it creates a horrible wash.

Practice this pedaling technique:

• Notice how I go up and down.

It's really important:

• Learning how to pedal correctly is essential to becoming a good pianist.

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Rhythm and Timing

3. Analyzing the Rhythm

Let's take a look at the rhythm because I think this is quite important.

We have:

• One, two, three.
• One, two, three.
• And one, two, three.
• And one, two, three, four, two, three.

4. Emphasizing the Chords

• Don't be scared to emphasize the rhythm, it's important!
• I personally like to make the chords in bar seven slightly more staccato to add punctuation and rhythm.

Switching Techniques:

• We transition from legato to syncopation.
• Notice that last chord; it's just before the downbeat of the next measure.

5. Understanding Pop Music Features

• This is a very important rhythmic feature in pop music.
• The harmony often comes just before the downbeat.

Listening Practice:

• As you listen to other pop songs, start feeling the groove. Typically, the feel is on the 2 and the 4, as opposed to classical music pieces like a Mozart symphony.

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Vocal Mimicking and Complex Rhythms

6. Vocal Mimicry in the Music

Now, let's look at the next part starting from bar nine, where the music mimics the vocal:

• "When the rain is blowing in your face"

Listen to Adele's version. Instead of reading the notes metronomically, get a feel for how she sings.

7. Complex Rhythms Ahead

• As we move toward the end of the song, the rhythms become more complex.
• In bar 14, you'll even encounter a dotted rhythm.

Practice Tip:

• With a little practice, those tricky rhythms will soon feel comfortable!

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Structure and Practice Techniques

8. Structure of the Music

• Don't forget to check the repeat marks.

Ask your teacher to explain the first time bar and second time bar; this will help you understand how the music is structured.

9. Practice Techniques

Here's my personal practice process:

• Analyze the Hands Separately:
  • Look at each hand to identify any difficult parts.
• If something jumps out as hard, zoom in on that portion and break it down:
  • Master those tricky spots to improve your playing.

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Final Touches

10. Final Practice Tips

• For this piece, try to understand and master the rhythms:
  • 1 and 3 down to 2 and 4 (using major and minor thirds).

Left Hand Practice:

• Use nothing but steps going up: 4, 2, 1, and 3.

11. Melody and Finger Technique

• Practice the melody separately using strong fingers (2, 3, and the thumb) to produce a singing tone.

12. Recap and Encouragement

• To recap, let's keep a nice soft legato touch throughout the piece.
• Aim for gentleness, no bashing!

I hope you have fun with it. It's a great song. Your friends will want to sing along, and as you progress through the grades, you'll have more of Adele's music to look forward to playing.

Good luck, and have a great time!