How has the 24 Little Melodic Etudes helped me develop as a musician?

Marcel Moyse, 24 Petites Études Mélodiques avec Variations., p.1.

24 little Melodic Etudes has helped me learn how to understand proper musical grammar, and helped me develop as a musician by being more expressive. For example, the phrase of this first exercise is developed by a pattern of repeating sequences with ascending notes. Moyse instructed students to play pp-p, p-mf, and then mf to crescendo from measures 1-6. Moyse’s intent was to inform students that they should increase their dynamics on these sequences, and I took this lesson to heart.

In addition, Moyse added some appoggiaturas in this exercise. In this exercise, I learned how to emphasize the principal notes and dissonances to produce a varied texture. Specifically, the appoggiaturas of note ‘E’ in measure 2, note ‘F’ in measure 4, note ‘G’ in measure 6, note ‘E’ in measure 10, note ‘F’ in measure 12, note ‘G’ in measure 12, and note ‘D’ in the last measure.

In measures 7-8, Moyse used different structures to prolong the whole phrase and then return to the main theme at the beginning. Therefore, I learned that I could use decrescendo, rubato, or vibrato to show the different colors of phrases.

In last two measures, there is a cadence which consists of different chords that provide musical punctuation at the end of phrases or sentences. Here, Moyse instructed students on the importance of the cadence. For the variation part, I have learned to focus on developing the expressive melodic phrasing and principal contour needed to be heard in the variation.

In conclusion, 24 Little Melodic Etudes is a useful book which governs the construction of musical phrases. These exercises have greatly assisted me in learning the ability to “speak” in a “musical language,” understand phrase structures as a musician, and become more expressive because of it.