Three Sets of Beginning-Level Instrumental Skills

1) Basic Instrument-Mechanical Skills

a) Posture
b) Breathing*
c) MP Assembly (Clarinet & Saxophone)
d) Embouchure* & MP Sound (Flute, Clar., Sax., H/M Brass, Tuba)
e) Tonguing* (Reeds, others)
f) Inst. Assembly (Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Snare/Bell Kit)
g) Hand Position/Carriage (Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Cornet, Horn,
Trombone, Euph., Tuba, Snare/Mallet Grip,
Vln./Vla: R & LH, Vc: R & LH, Bass: R & LH)
h) First Pitches & 3-note songs
*) Daily Warm-up of Mechanics: Breathing, Embouchure, and Tonguing

2) Musical Skills
a) Rhythmic Elements
1) Steady Beat/Tempo
2) Meter (Groupings of beats)
3) Patterns
a) Figures and rests with one or more beats (2, 3, and 4 beats)
b) Subdivisions of the beat in duple (8th-notes, 16th-note combos)
c) Syncopation w/ eighth-notes in duple meter
d) Subdivisions of the beat in triple (8th-notes, 16th-note combos)
e) Syncopation w/ eighth-notes in triple meter
*) Instrumentally, reinforce proper basic tonguing technique:
a) Starting pitches w/light tongue.
b) Ending pitches with air, not tongue.
b) Tonal Elements
1) Resting tone (Do)
2) Patterns over chord progressions and in modes.
a) Chords and Functions. Ordered: Tonic, dominant, subdominant.
b) Modes Ordered: Maj., min., dor., mixolydian, phrygian, lydian
*) Instrumentally, reinforce characteristic instrument timbre:
a) Firm embouchure + fast air = Good Tone
b) Legato before staccato
c) Loud before soft
c) Expressive Elements
1) Loud/Soft
2) Sudden Dynamic Change
3) Gradual Dynamic Change
*) Instrumentally, reinforce equal air support at all dynamic levels
4) Articulation
*) Instrumentally, reinforce LAH, DAH, Dah, Dot
5) Phrase Shape

3) Notational Reading Skills

a) Using Tonal Flash Cards
b) Using Rhythm Slides
c) Counting Systems
d) Using the method book
Five-Ways to Work a Line
Supplementary material