Musicarta is streaming on Twitch TV! Bookmark keyboardcomposing and check the schedule for your local times!

Every pop-styles keyboard player has a selection of well-rehearsed ‘ornaments’ (or  ‘grace note figures’) – to decorate a melody with. The Snake Dance melody, with its oriental flavour, is an ideal place to start building your collection.

Here is a performance which, for demonstration purposes, has ornaments on nearly every note – far more than you would ever actually play.

Even with the music, at normal playing speed it’s not easy to see what’s going on.

Here's a slow-motion performance video.

More practical is this slow-motion 'worm's-eye view' video you might find useful.

Pick one or two 'ornaments' at a time and start working on them. Don't try to get them all into your performance at once!

An ornamented performance with thirds

Here's an ornamented with-thirds performance.

The ornamented thirds video performance has an introduction, grace notes and a novelty ending – all elements which you can incorporate into your own variations.

Now consolidate your performance repertoire with some Snake Dance medleys to ornament.

Musicarta is streaming on Twitch TV! Bookmark keyboardcomposing and check the schedule for your local times!