Monday, October 18, 2010

WHAT WE DID TODAY #1-33: MONDAY; OCTOBER 18, 2010

GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2,3,6 
COMPOSER: BACH: Invention #1 in C Major 
played by the famous pianist Glenn Gould)
1. Term Invention:
.....a. In music, an invention is a short composition (usually for a keyboard instrument) with two or three part counterpoint.
.....b. Counterpoint is where two or more melodic strands occur simultaneously in separate voices.
..........1)The term comes from the Latin punctus contra punctum (note against note).
.....c. These "Inventions" were originally written by Bach as exercises for the musical education of his students.
OBJECTIVE: NOTE READING ON THE KEYBOARD/NOTE READING BY STEP-WISE MOTION
1. QUOTE AUTHOR: Irving Berlin 
.....a. Famous American composer of Broadway musicals and popular music of the early 20th Century
"There's No Business Like Show Business" by Irving Berlin

2. SOLFEGE: Using different patterns we have been working on in class students will answer the teacher back (as we have done before) this time using which ever pattern the teacher uses:
.....a. SOL-MI
.....b. SOL-MI-LA
.....c. DO-RE-MI
.....d. MI-RE-DO
3. NOTE READING BY STEP-WISE MOTION:
.....a. Students given music notation of 2 holiday songs that we played on recorder last week.
.....b. As we were taught last week, students are to place the note names down on their own music by themselves.
.....c. We reviewed as necessary for those who needed it.
.....d Students were to have their music with notes named checked by the teacher individually then instructed to go to keyboard to play them:
.........1)JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS
.........2)JINGLE BELLS
.....e. On the top of the music sheet, for each song, is a small keyboard chart showing where the keys are located.
.........1)Students are to place the right hand fingers on the keys in advance before playing so they can use their eyes to watch the music instead of their fingers.
4. For students finishing early, they are to go back to the packet of keyboard songs to be played by finger numbers (a continuation of what we did last week) working on songs starting from "America" and "Yankee Doodle" then moving on to the next piece.
.....a. Each student works at their own pace; at their ability level.
TOMORROW THE TEACHER WILL CHECK TO SEE THAT EVERYONE CAN PLAY THE SONGS FROM THOSE SHEETS WE WORKED ON TODAY.

BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: 
OBJECTIVE: PREPARATION FOR HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE/DOUBLE STOPPING 
1. TUNE 
2. DO-RE-MI-FA/FA-MI-RE-DO (0 1 23 - 32 1 0) 1x each string at UH of bow; repeat again at LH of the bow
.....a. Using this pattern on two consecutive strings forms a major scale
.....b. Teacher demonstrates "G" major scale, "D" major scale, "A" major scale
.....c. We will start learning these scales as our warm-ups
3. Review names of notes on each string using the musical alphabet
4. HOLIDAY SONG: GOOD KING WENCESLAS
.....a. Review note reading by stepwise motion
.....b. Review fingering
.....c. Separated the music into small passages and practiced them slowly
.....d. Tried to play the music with the accompaniment as teacher pointed to notes
.....e. Practice technique:
..........1)Everyone played the notes that were only on the "G" string (blue notes) while tracking (but not playing) the "D" string (red) notes with the accompaniment
..........2)After practicing and getting comfortable with this, we reversed the exercise playing the "D" string notes while tracking the "G" string notes
..........3)We had a suggestion from a student to divide half the class where one group plays the "G" string notes and the others the "D" string notes against the recorded accompaniment. So, we tried it and it was a good suggestion.
..........4)Lastly, we played a the notes with the accompaniment.
This technique is used to teach continuity; to help students to keep their focus from the beginning to the end of a piece without allowing nerves to take over when mistakes are made.

VIOLIN PERIOD 4: 
OBJECTIVE: Preparation for: Harvest Day performance on October 28th/Holiday Program December 9th
1. TUNE
2. MUSIC STANDS WERE SET-UP
3. REVIEW SONGS FOR THE HARVEST FESTIVAL
.....a. HOEDOWN

.....b. ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL
..........1)Lower parts had trouble keeping the beat steady so they were asked to play alone with the accompaniment as the violins listened to see if they were keeping the beat.
.....c. DE COLORES
4. COVENTRY CAROL (during HR)
.....a. Worked with advanced violins on the melody

.....b. Added the beginning violins to the melody part
5. HAVA NAGILA (during HR)
.....a. Introduced this piece to the advanced violins
.....b. Played the recording for the students with the beginning violins playing the harmony and myself playing the melody
.....c. Showed the advanced violins how to play the first 5 notes which uses an interval of C# to Bb that we pulled out and practiced separately.
.....d. We worked on the first phrase and will continue working on this.