Showing posts with label Recorder tone production. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recorder tone production. Show all posts

Monday, September 10, 2012

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

QUOTE:
“There is only one real happiness in life, and that is the happiness of creating.”
AUTHOR: Frederick Delius
MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“Its more fun to create something yourself then to create something 
  yourself then to have someone else create it for you.”








COMPOSER
CHOPIN


Sonata No. 2 in B flat, Op. 35, 
Movement 3 
(Funeral March)




"Funeral March"
Orchestrated Version 
by Edward Elgar

SONATA: 
This is an instrumental genre in several movements for a soloist or an ensemble. The original usage of the term implied a composition that was to be played rather than sung.  Later the term came to be understood as a four movement piece with each movement having a different speeds and characters but still all of the movements having a similar cohesiveness that joined them.

MOVEMENT: 
A movement is a part of a larger musical composition with each one in the piece often having a different character or mood so that it could be played as a complete song on its own. 



GENERAL MUSIC
01.  MUSICAL ALPHABET GRAPHING
02.  MEMORIZING THE MUSICAL ALPHABET FORWARD AND BACKWARDS 

03.  RECORDER INTRODUCTION
.......a.  FOLLOWING THE CONDUCTOR 
............1)  SILENT DIRECTIONS
............2)  TEAMWORK
.......b.  POSTURE AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO BREATHING
.......c.  SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW THE RECORDER WORKS
............1)  IT IS AN INSTRUMENT MADE OUT OF A TUBE WITH HOLES IN IT
............2)  COVERING HOLES IN CONSECUTIVE ORDER LENGTHENS THE TUBE
.................a)  THE LONGER THE TUBE THE LOWER THE SOUND
............3)  SOUND IS PRODUCED BY BLOWING AIR DOWN THE TUBE WITH THE SPEED 
                 OF THE AIR HITTING THE SIDES OF THE TUBE TO CREATE THE 
                 VIBRATIONS 
........d. BLOWING THE RECORDER
.............1)  GOOD VERSUS BAD SOUNDS
..................a)  PLAY THE RECORDER WITHOUT THE FINGERS TO ISOLATE THE 
                       BLOWING MECHANISM FROM THE FINGERING MECHANISM IN ORDER 
                       TO LEARN HOW TO TO PULL A GOOD TONE OUT OF THE INSTRUMENT
..................b)  BAD SOUNDS HEARD ON THE RECORDER CAN STEM FROM EITHER 
                       POOR BLOWING TECHNIQUE, POOR FINGERING, OR COMBINATIONS 
                       OF BOTH
..................c)  USING THE "ECHO" TECHNIQUE TEACHER PLAYS RHYTHMIC 
                       PASSAGES THAT ARE REPEATED BY THE CLASS (SOME PASSAGES THAT 
                       THE CLASS ECHOES HAVE GOOD SOUNDS AND SOME BAD ON PURPOSE)
..................d)  AFTER THE "ECHO" EXERCISE STUDENTS DISCUSS THEIR  
                       EXPERIENCES ON THE PRODUCTION OF GOOD AND BAD SOUNDS  
                       (PROPER BREATHING, USE OF THE TONGUE, OVER USING THE MOUTH, 
                       PUFFING THE CHEEKS, BLOWING TOO HARD VS WHISPER AIR)
..................e)  DISCUSSION AND PRACTICE OF TONGUE ARTICULATIONS TO PRODUCE  
                       EACH SINGLE SOUND
........e. PUTTING FINGERS DOWN ON THE RECORDER INTRODUCTION (TO BE  
            REVIEWED AND/OR CONTINUED TOMORROW)
           
ADV. STRINGS
01.  BURGUNDIAN CAROL
.......a.  LISTEN TO THE MUSIC
.......b.  GO OVER THE DIRECTIONS
.......c.  REVIEW FINGERING
.......d.  SIGHT READ
02.  ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL
.......a.  GO OVER THE DIFFICULT FAST PASSAGES AND SHOW HOW TO PLAY THE 
            BOTH PASSAGES USING A SHORT-CUT UNTIL THE ENTIRE PASSAGE IS 
            LEARNED AT THE ORIGINAL SPEED (TEMPO)
.............1)  TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THESE PASSAGES FAST, THESE PASSAGES NEED 
                  TO BE PULLED OUT OF THE MUSIC AND PLAYED SLOWLY AND 
                  REPEATEDLY A LITTLE FASTER AND FASTER (A METRONOME CAN HELP 
                  WITH THIS) UNTIL LEARNED
.............2)  THIS "SHORT-CUT" IS USED WHEN PLAYING THE ENTIRE PIECE FROM 
                  BEGINNING TO END WITHOUT STOPPING FOR CONTINUITY UNTIL THE 
                  ORIGINAL PASSAGES ARE TOTALLY LEARNED AT THE PERFORMANCE 
                  SPEED

BEG. STRINGS
01.  LEFT HAND PIZZICATO: CYCLE OF STRINGS EXERCISE USING EACH FINGER 
       PLUCKING EACH STRING 4X IN THE CYCLE
02.  LEFT HAND PIZZICATO SONGS
.......a.  CRIPPLE CREEK
............1)  GO OVER (EXPLAIN) THE MUSIC NOTATION IN THE MUSIC
.................a)  QUARTER NOTES/QUARTER NOTE RESTS
.................b)  METER (TIME SIGNATURE)
.................c)  BAR LINES and MEASURES
.................d)  TREBLE or "G" CLEF
.................e)  MUSICAL ROAD SIGNS: REPEAT SIGNS and TERMS: D.C. (DA CAPO: THE 
                      TOP) and CODA (SPECIAL ENDING TAGGED TO THE END OF THE PIECE)
.................f)  PITCH NOTE READING OF THE OPEN STRING NOTES and RELATING 
                      THEM TO COLORS (BLUE: G/ RED: D/ YELLOW: A GREEN: E)
............2)  STUDENTS READ THE NOTE NAMES and COUNT OUT LOUD WHILE   
                 LISTENING TO THE MUSIC
............3) STUDENTS READ THE NOTE NAMES and COUNT OUR LOUD WHILE LISTENING AND
                 PLAYING THE NOTES USING LEFT HAND PIZZICATO TO THE MUSIC
.................a)  STUDENTS PIZZICATO WITH 1ST FINGER, THEN PLAY AGAIN WITH THE 
                      2ND FINGER, AND THEN TWO MORE TIMES USING THE REMAINDER  OF 
                      THE FINGERS
.......b.  BATMAN
............1)  SIGHT READ (TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

THURSDAY; SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2, 3, 6:
COMPOSER: Chopin Waltz in Eb Opus 18-1 "Grande Valse"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQ-6_OIds4&feature=related

OBJECTIVE: Intro to Recorder: Beautiful and Ugly Sounds/Articulation/Putting Fingers Down
(Periods 2,3,6):
1. Quote by Irving Berlin/famous popular and Broadway musical composer of the early 20th century.
2. Solfege Roll: Review solfege hand signals adding "Sol." Teacher asks with hand signals: Sol-Mi-La-Sol-Mi ("Mar-y did you finish your quote?")/Student answers with hand signals: Sol-Mi-La-Sol-Mi ("Yes I did") and show the quote to me.
3. HOW UGLY SOUNDS ARE CREATED and VARIOUS REASONS FOR SQUEAKY SOUNDS:
The reason I instruct my students to not put any fingers down yet is because I want them to concentrate first on the production of tone. To fix an ugly sound, first you must determine what caused it. If no fingers are being used in the production of the sound then it is very likely that the cause is associated in some way with the breathing (air control) apparatus.
4. HOW MUCH AIR IS NEEDED TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT:
Unlike their modern relatives, the woodwind family, the recorders use small amounts of air in their production of pitched tones. These instruments are not capable of producing a good sound when too much air is blown into them. Too much air results in high, squeaky noises instead of distinct pitches. A good rule to think about, when playing the recorder, is never "blow" on it but instead "whisper" into it.
5. ROLE OF POSTURE AND BREATHING:
The speed of the air entering the recorder needs to be controlled and regulated because changes in air speed cause the intonation of the pitches to be altered. Steady streams of air (air speed) need to be going through the instrument in order to keep the sound from becoming wave-like or bumpy sounding. So, good breath control is essential for good intonation and beautiful tone quality. Breath control is directly related to proper posture. Mechanisms in the body responsible for breathing (lungs, diaphram muscle, etc.) can not work at their optimum best when a person has poor posture. Consequently, poor posture not only affects recorder playing, it most importantly, affects the health of the body. I like to connect the idea of air going through the body to water going through a garden hose: If a garden hose is bent or has a kink in it, does the water run smoothly through it? Poor posture does not allow the air to flow as freely through the body forcing the body to work harder then it should to circulate the air. If you overwork the body parts for long periods of time they may not last as long.
5. WHEN TO BREATHE:
When people talk they breathe at the end of phrases (like using a "comma"). Excessive breathing while talking makes the speech sound "choppy" and uncontrolled not to mention physically uncomfortable for the person who is speaking and irritating for the person who is listening to it. Musicians breathe in phrases just like people breathe in speech. To breathe in phrases, the air taken into the body must be portioned out (not let out all at once) so that there is enough air to produce a beautiful sound on each note. In order to do that the places the player breathes in the music must be planned ahead of time. Using a car and gasoline as an example: If you plan a trip through the desert and you don't want to run out of gas, you plan where you will be filling up your gas tank. If you plan incorrectly you will run out of gas. Just as a car will "sputter" as it is running out of gas, so will the sound of the instrument as the player runs out of air because the air stream becomes uncontrolled and thus "choppy" sounding.
7. IMPORTANCE OF ARTICULATION:
Articulation is how sounds are stopped and started. We articulate when we speak as we use our tongue to start certain sounds (consonances) behind our teeth to form words. Musical instruments are in a way imitations of the human voice; they also use articulation in production of their sounds. An example of a good articulated sound is when a triangle is struck. If the instrument is struck incorrectly, the result will be a vibration of sound that is weak (not pleasing to hear) but if it is struck correctly, the vibration will ring for a long period of time and create a beautiful tone. In recorder playing, separate individual sounds are started with the tongue softly (too hard produces sounds anywhere from harsh to squeaky) touching behind (not on) the upper teeth using a "dah" or "tah" tongue position. When playing in groups, instrumental performers playing the same parts need to articulate (and also breathe) the same way at the same time so the group can be heard by the audience as a single instrument.
7. A LITTLE SCIENCE ABOUT THE RECORDER:
A recorder is a tube that sound waves go through. The longer the tube the lower it will sound. When holes are covered on the recorder, the size of the tube changes altering the pitch. In reality each different fingering combination is a different size tube so the instrument is actually many sized tubes all in one. If those different size tubes were separated and placed side by side they would like the different sized pipes in a pipe organ (only smaller of course).


BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5:
OBJECTIVE: LEFT PIZZICATO and SET-UP OF VIOLIN LEFT POSITION/NOTE READING QUARTERS and OPEN STRINGS
THIS LESSON IS CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY:
1. TUNE
2. Left hand: finger springs; how fingers push down strings to start sounds.
a. Starting with left hand thumb placed under the curve of the neck (called 5th position) in a backwards "C" position, students depress the pad of the index finger (called 1st finger) down onto the "G" string in a "spring-like" motion four times (4x) silently then repeat the same on the"D" string 4x, "A" then "E" strings.
b. Repeat the same exercise again using the pad of the middle finger (called the 2nd finger), 3rd finger or "ring finger" and then finally using the 4th finger or "pinky" finger (the hardest finger to use or as I call it, "the dreaded 4th finger").
c. When using the 4th finger, if it can not reach the "G" string comfortably do not stretch it. Instead make more room for it by bring the left arm under the violin more. If when doing that the left arm feels stiff or in pain, try adjusting the violin angle slightly to the left.
d. Try to perform these "spring-like" finger actions by feel; without looking at the hand.
3. Add onto the previous step by performing a "plucking" or pulling the string-type motion called "pizzicato" or "pizz" for short. Pizzicato is the Italian musical term tht means to pluck the string instead of using the bow.
a. To pizzicato: push down the left index finger pad onto the string and start the beginning of the "spring" motion (as we did before) then add a motion where you pull that finger away from the string to let it vibrate. Before performing the next pizzicato place the finger pad on the string (which stops the previous action's vibration) then restart: PLACE, PUSH DOWN, PULL
4. CYCLE OF STRINGS: Left hand pizzicato is practiced 4x on each string starting on the "G" string using the first finger then using the 2nd, 3rd, and lastly the 4th finger. Adjustment of the violin angle may have to occur when plucking the "G" string with the 4th finger.
5. Left pizzicato and open string note reading to song "Cripple Creek."
a. Looking at open string notes (music notation) on the music chart posted (notes are color coated by string (BLUE"G," RED or PINK "D," YELLOW "A" and GREEN will be "E") students are to look at how high or low the notes are [as to their location on the staff (lines and spaces that notes sit on)] placed and comparing that to their violin string sounds determine the names: EX: Lowest color is "BLUE" and lowest violin string is "G."
b. Quarter note concept and notation are introduced (quarter notes are worth one beat of the heart). There are two types of beats: ones you hear and feel and ones that you only feel. The ones you only feel are called "rests" and they are notes that are not played, or silent notes.
c. Students are instructed to read the quarter notes saying the sound of "tah" and patsch (pat the knee with the hand) for quarter beats that are felt and heard and saying "rest" while creating a silent beat by waving the arm out and in for the beats that are only felt.
d. Repeat the above activity except change the tahs to the appropriate note name of the open string it represents.
e.. This activity is then transfered to the violin where the students are instructed to read (sing) the note letter names and rests out loud (as they occur ) while plucking the appropriate string using left hand pizzicato. All this is done to the recording.(The violin is said to be the "imitation of the human voice" so singing (hearing) the music in your head is essential before playing it on the violin.)
f. A music "road map" direction (or what I like to call "music punctuation") for repeats (repeat sign) is introduced (a double bar with 2 dots) and the term "staff" (five lines and 4 spaces) is explained.
g. Tomorrow: open strings reviewed with song "Batman."

ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4:
OBJECTIVE: Preparation for Harvest Day performance on October 28th/Hoedown music
1. TUNE

2. "Hoedown": Class plays entirely to format: INTRO/ "A" 2x / "B" 2x / "A" 2x / CODA
3. "Orange Blossom Special":
a. Review the beginning (train sound) of "Orange Blossom Special" using fingered (perfect 5th) double stops (which slide back and forth 1/2 step) and left hand pizzicato open "E" string. Make sure the bow executes the 1/2 step slide on the same bow as the previous note.
b. Start at the beginning of the piece; count out the first 2 measures [which are silent rests: 1234, 2234) and then practice the next 4 measures. Again review the concept of perfect 5ths.
c. Go over note names and fingerings of the passages to be played.
d. Before playing the next section, work out its rhythm by counting out loud. Giving silly words to standard patterns of sound (rhythm) helps to conceptualize the rhythm before playing it.e. Review fingerings/note names then play. e. Next section is a repeat of a previous section already taught in class. So, go back to the begining and try to put all of the previous sections learned together.