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    musicianship

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    5 views44 pages

    Lancaster Musicianship

    Uploaded by

    elinlau0
    musicianship

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Chapter 8: Developing Musicaltyin Blementary Students | 223 Gem te en ine sre sd naturally play musically, while others achieve ‘only correct notes and chythm on their own, Stil others enjoy displaying their technical skills ‘without demonstrating an interest in playing musically. For the nore innate students, the teacher's jb is to make them aware oftheir musical instincts so they can use them effectively. For those who do not play musically itis the teacher's job to teach and develop musicality Ten elementary students can communicate musically. Avital frst step isto help students learn to produce a musical, xptesive sound and to solve technical difficulties that might interfre with musical communication, Ii that which lies beyond correct notes and rhythm that makes music come alive. Some pices may not be perfected or polished to a performance level, put from the very iret leson, teachers can make sure that al piece ar played musically in some way. One piece might be reassigned fora faster tempo, another fora louder dynamic, 8 third made mote exciting with greater varity in articulation, an tl another piee may be ‘mademore musical by adding the pedal. In addition to learning and playing repertoire pieces, there aw’ many other experiences that contribute to musical playing Students can become musical ntheir plying as follows + by discovering that music communicates mood or emotion and creates character or personality in sound + by learning how to listen to their own plying + byunderstanding the construction of the music (musi literacy or theory) + by ereatng their own music + by playing in ensembles ‘Tut Rote oF Moon, EMOTION AND CHARACTER {Inaction to developing the technica skills necessary fo producinga good sound a the piano, students must associate mood, emotion and/or character with each piece as critical element in achieving a musial performance. A good performance tll story or paints picture Teachers can coach a musical performance, giving suggestions about interpretation, musical style and fxprestion, but students must understand mood. emotion, and chaacter for performances to become more than programmed perfection. In the early stages of learning, understanding the composer's musical intent begins with imagay. In “Giant Vines Growing” (See example 8.1), the frst thee lines move from the low register ofthe piano to the high register. The ast line also moves fiom avery low C to a very high C. This movement on the keyboard represents the growing of he vine from a sed inthe _grours to very tl plant. The dynamics which begin with mp anc rach fPby the end of the thied line charactrie the lage size of the plant, \When pieces are approached through the imagination, musical playing s encouraged asa resultof that image. 224 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING. Example 8.1 “Gian Vines Growing” p15 Hom A Day in he ung, by lon George GIANT VINES GROWING “Many beginning pices are very simple so the teacher must sllthe sound of the pieces to students. “A Secret” (se example 82) uses onl two diferent notes forthe whole piece and consists almost entirely of quarter notes. Students will play more musialy if teachers draw from the students experiences with secrets (fom the known tothe unknown). The fllowing. ‘Questions can stimulate the students imagination and make the piece more interesting: + Doyyu speak loudly or whisper when telling 2 secret? + Doyyou get clase to. persons ear when you tella secret? + Tsitfun toe secrets? ‘+ To whom do you like to tel secret? ‘+ Do you feel special when someone tells youa secret? (Chapter 8: Developing Musialty in Elementary Students | 225 Example 82°, Secret p 16 rom The MT: Time to Begin, by Cl, Goss nd Holand Cm Cee id x =F 1. Learning about P “This simple piece wll come to life through such questions. Students might play the piece more softly and keep the fingers very close to the keys because they can imagine themselves telling or hearing a secret ‘To show that they love the sound of music, no matter how simple, and to encourage that, same love and excitement in students, teachers can offer enthusiastic comments about pices + "Ljust ove this piece” ‘+ “This is my favorite piece in this book” ‘+ "Doesn't this piece sound exciting?” ‘+ "Lihink this piece sounds just like a beautiful, peaceful summer day? It is sometimes dificult to evoke an image with pieces that have generic titles such as sonatin, variation or suite. When the ttle ofa piece i a characterltempo indication such as. Allegro, Andante, ot Adagio, fr example, teacher can initiate discussion about the composer's intentions for the mood. Students are more likely to pinpoint the music's character if they develop a large repertory of descriptive words forthe mood, emotion, or character. Instead of limiting the definition of Allegro to “lively” students can be led to se words suchas joyful, bright, cheeefl excited, radiant, ecstatic, jovial, or festive. Each piece exhibits characteristics 226 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING that suggest its own special descriptive word or words. Once a word ischosen, then a story ‘might unfold, If jovial” seems to be the best descriptive word for apiece of music with a generic ttle, additional words and image, such as jolly, party, dancing, ce cheering, help lead students to an explicit image. ‘Teachers can prepare a list of descriptive nouns, adjectives and vert, such as those that follow to help students develop a variety of touches interpret the dynamics, or fee the phrases. busy dinry joyful sarcastic spin busting — | dragging — | mocking | scampe stroke caress fearsome | pet smudge teasing cradle fost powerful | snap teeing crash fossy prancing | sneaky tornado cushion grand questioning | sparkly warm Here are some cther ways a teacher might capture the imagination of students ‘+ Describe a piece asa rubber band that stretches with tension and eases back. ‘+ Ask students to iron phrases to get the wrinkles out ‘+ Askstudents to playa if picking up a feather, to ge a delicate sound ‘+ Ask students to push onthe key as if it were made of rubber, to get fll sound, ‘+ Make up words or sentences for musical phrases 4+ Make pa story about apiece + Ask students to move to piece, a the teacher plays it, ‘Tut Rote oF AuRAL DEVELOPMENT ‘The ability to listen critically to one's own playing isthe single most important skill needed for ‘creating a beautiful sound and developing musical playing. Music is heard and goes beyond ‘what is een onthe page and wht i physically accomplished atthe keyboard ‘The primary purpose of ear development isto help students listen toand judge their own playing for acuracy, musical content and quality of sound. When students heat and listen to musical elements, they are mote likely to observe those things and play them accurately. Far development promotes inner hearing, which directs physical motions, thereby teaching students to heat inwardly and play what they see, When students develep audiaton (to hear and comprehend music inthe mind!) they become good readers and independent leatnes, “They then know when they are playing the correct pitches and rhythms and are able to detect, their own errors. Too often, teachers focus on technical proficiency, or precision and perfection, Gordon isa or Mac Leaning < pening > ‘Chapter 8: Developing Musicalty in Elementary Students | 227 erroneously thinking that musical playing will result, When students listen, precision and perfection ae postive by-products. Other advantages include the ability to create beautiful sounds artistic playing, and the ability to learn music quickly and accurately. Therefore, beginning a lesson with activities that “tune-up the ears” seems as logical as beginning the lesson with technical exercises or hearing a practiced piece. Such ear-training activites direct the student to hear accurately what is being learned. Systematic and regular aural experiences ensue that tis sil develops in a continuous fasion Playing by Ear When students play familie songs by er, they are learning to develop the ear in the most natural way. Students must know the melody for songs they will play by ear. When teachers “ig faite ngs fr stent to play by eat, students need to berold the following: + where to begin + the fist interval ‘+ which keys they will use to play the song At fist the easiest songs are those that can be played entirely on Back keys. Late, these songs can be transposed tothe white Keys. uch pieces (and their starting pitches) inchude "Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (F-sharp),“Hot Cross Buns" (B-flat flat) and “The Farmer in the Dell" (C-sharp) [Next familiar songs that stay within the fve-inger position can be played by ear, These ‘would include "When the Saints Go Marching tn’ “Ode to Joy" (om Beethoven's Ninth ‘Symphony) and “Tingle Bells” (chorus). After students have learned the entre sale, they can play songs with 2 wider melodic range. Some stadents may not be able to play the complete song.at first. These students can be asked to play only missing measures rather than the entice melody. For example, a student could be given the following as a practice assignment and asked to play the missing measures by eat (se example 8:3), ample 83 enter in pling ya Away in a Manger ares Mray 228 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING When students are playing pieces with simple tonic, dominant and subdominant accompaniments, they an also begin to learn to harmonize melodies by ear. Many familie songs like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” "Merrily We Roll Along” or "London Bridge” can be harmonized ‘with tonic and dominant. A fist, students can simply harmonize wih tonic and dominant single tones. Thea they can play the open Sth ofthe tonie and move the bottom note down a ‘half step forminga oth of the Vo15 chord, or add a major 2nd below the top note ofthe Sth tO ‘suggest the same chord. Late, ful toni and dominant V6/S chords canbe played. -zample 4 Fore fon nd dominant for elementary hamenaaton| Tonle Dominant Tonle Dominant 1 W Sees might ist be gen the melody and some harmonies an ase o complete the sssing harmonies year ee example 83) sample neglect ei meion Skip to My Lou 7 7 melodies that can be harmonized with tonic, dominant and subdominant include "When the Saints Go Marching In” “Amazing Grace” and “Bingo” Listening to the Sound ‘Young students who are asked, “What kind of sound do you want?” before they begin to play will learn to imagine the sound ofthe musi through audition. Overtime the brain will begin to develop an aulto-y image of the sound and a vsual image ofthe physical motions required to make that sound cn the piano, This active listening gradually results in sn ease of playing since the brain has enoagh advance notice to tell the body the physical motions required to make (Chapter 8: Developing Musicalityn Elementary Students | 2297 ‘that sound on the piano. The physical esponse tothe notation ako becomes more automatic ‘Asa result, technical difficulties and physical tension are reduced. The physical response also includes the elements that make the sound musical Teachers who ask questions such a, "Did your playing sound loud (sof)?" of, "Did you play withthe sound you wanted?” produce students who listen to their own playing using critical listening sil. Other thought-provoking questions include the following ‘+ Can you make your playing sound jus ike mine? ‘+ How many phrases did you hear when I played? How many di you hear when you played? + Which ofthese two performances sounds better? Why? + Did your staccatos sound short and snappy? + Did you hear the ends ofthe phrases? + Did you hear the melody or the accompaniment more? + Did your eighth notes all sound the same? + Did you hear the sound getting louder in this line? ‘The same approach to listening and questioning can help students correct their own mistakes, Teachers can ask, "What interval is this” followed by," What interval dd you play?” ‘or “What does this rhythm Sound lke?” and then, “What rhythm did you play? Because many students may not know what constitutes an appropriate musical sound, teachers should model good musical sounds by playing regulary or by using compact disk recordings inthe lessons to demonstrat the students’ music. Teachers an also play student's piece in any ofa number of inappropriate ways, such as the following: + byaccenting the fist beat of each measure + byraccentng the last nots of phrases + byperforming lullaby loudly Students can then critique the musical result Students can be asked to playa piece or a phase with no dynami: change and then with exaggerated dynamics. They wil hear that musi is more intresting when dynamics ae used, The same procedure canbe used for articulations Ear Development Drawn from the Student's Study Pieces Ear training is most effective when the drills are drawn from the pieces and concepts students are learning and playing. For example, in the Beginning pages of feds Premier Piano Course, Lesson Book 1A, students learn about “higher” and “lower” Two pieces that reinforce these ‘concepts are almost identical, except that one piece goes up and the other goes down (see ‘examples 4.30 and 4.32 on pages 115 and 116). The teacher can ply one ofthe pieces while the 230 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING student looksat the scores ofboth pices (but not at the Keyboard) and then tls which pice ‘was played. This simple exercise reinforces the concept of higher and lower and prepares the stent to ply the pieces accurately ‘Teachers can play the lines from the second page of "The Greatest Show on Earth (see ‘example 8.6) one ata time in any order, begining on the frst measure ofeach system. The students idenify which in was played. Each ine of musi in this piece has similar characteristics but is diferert from the others. This equirs students to listen tothe playing and observe the score carefully ‘Example 8.6 “The Greatest how on ant (xe) 9.35 om ‘Aled’ Bos Pan Libro eson Book 18 by Palmer, Manus nd Lethco Another ‘ype of ear-development activity that uses the student's Iterature isan editing game, Prior tothe lesson, the teacher rewrites a portion ofa piece on a dry-erase board oF ‘manuscript paper, changing the piece by adding or deleting certain elements. ‘The student follows the reaitten score while the teacher plays it several times. The frst time it splayed cxaclyas it was rewritten. With each subsequent playing, one thing is changed. The student finds the change and corrects it inthe score. Through several play-throughs, one change each Chapter 8: Developing Muscalityin lementary Students | 231 time, the piece eventually returns tits original form. Changes shouldbe basic and simple, but ‘an increase in difficulty asthe student advances, The first four measures of “My Robot” (see example 8.7 might be rewritten to look like example 83. ‘Example 8.7 My Robt (rm, 1-1, p55 km Ales Basi Pano Libra, eson Book 1A by Palmer, anus and ethan Moderately fast Sf Conce | made a fine 1o-ol, Madehim of 2 Kich-en pot ‘Example 8 Altered version of ‘My Robo on. -8) Slowly Teacher Student first playing playsas notated inthe | listens and follows the altered score altered sore second plying plays forte changes pin m. 1 to f ‘hired playing plays mm. 1-2legato | erasesstaccatos and writs phrase mark fourth playing playsmm.3-4legato | erasesstaccatos and writes phrase mark Sith playing plays moderately fast | changes“slowly” to “fast” sixth playing plays m.4 as inthe changes notation to two original version ‘quarter notes and aha note 232 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING ‘As the student progresses, more sophisticated elementsin the score can bealtered. The first ‘our measures of ‘When Our Band Goes Marching By!” (ee example 89) might be rewriten, ‘o look like example 8.10 ‘Example 89 “when Ou: Sand Goes Marching By” (mm. 1-8), 6 fom Ales Base Plano bray, Lesion Book 1B by Paet Manis ad eco March tempo : {Wn or and gee mat np f, ‘xample 8.10 Alte vesion of "When Our Band Goes Marching By" (re. I~) ‘Teacher Student first paying plays as notated in listens and follows the altered sore altered score second playing plays m.4asinthe changes the RH notation to original version whole note (F) ‘play the rhythm ofm.1 | changes the notation to fasinthe original version | (QJ J) plays the rhythm of m.3 | changes the notation of asinthe original version | m.3to(J J) (Chapter 8: Developing Musialty in Elementary Students | 233, Listening and Responding Physically ‘Using the body to express whats heard helps build music into the body and makes car-training fun, Some simple examples for elementary students include the following: ‘Teacher plays music in & time and accents the first beat ofeach measure plays a piece and changes dynamics from Toud to soft at unexpected times ‘plays musi, changing from legato to staccato at unexpected times ‘Student ‘walks tothe beat and claps onthe fist ‘eat of each measure moves (walks, svays, jogs) making large, energetic body motions when the music isloud and small, gentle motions when the music is soft walks with sliding steps when the music islegato and with tiptoe steps when the plays series of tonic and dominant chords, changing from tonic to dominant tor daminant to tonic at unexpected times shape of phrases inthe following ways: Feeling hearing and responding to phrases ar can help stents hear beginnings and endings of phrases and help them feel the length and ‘makes body motions tothe chord that isheatd to reflect the tension (and sus pense) ofthe dominant chords and more | axe motions forthe tonic chords re essential parts of musical plying. Teachers ‘Teacher Student ‘plays loud and soft phrases alternately play ascending and descending phrases plays short, familar song, making the phrases clear raises hisher arms atthe end ofeach ‘walks with large steps for loud phrases and emall steps for soft phesees ‘walk forwaed when phrases ascend and ‘backward when phrases descend phrase |" improvises music in which the phrases ae ratvely long and very clearly Aelneated plays a picce from the student’ reper ‘making beautifully shaped pheases describes the shape and length ofthe phrases with arm mations, changing arm each time a new phrase begins pallsa string out of an imaginary (or real ball of string for each phrase 1234 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING. Singing “The most natural way to begin melodic ear-trainingis through singing, When students ears to sing their pieces, phrasing, memory and legato playing are all facilitated, Beginning leone may include singing feria songs withthe teacher F zame shdents have trouble matching the pitches of the songs, teachers can spend a portion of every leson singing with them, ‘The teacher can ask the student to sing any pitch and then match hisher voice to the students. From that pitch the teacher changes the pitch one step either up or down, asking the student to copy. After several lessons, the teacher will be able to lead the student tothe pitches ofthe songs. Students who ae given this opportunity to Fearn to match pitch in this gradual way wil key be comfortable singing inthe future. ‘Once students can match the pitches ofthe songs, they wil be ready to match the teacter’s pitch and can begin to sing back short melodic fragments using a single syllable such as “a” ‘The frst short melodies might be similar to the fllowing examples. a 3 ‘When student! voces are able to match pitcher that are used in the pieces and execies they are playing, teachers can ask students to sing the pieces and exercises that are in the students singing range, Singing the lyrics of pieces sa natural way to incorporate singing ino. the lesson and practice. Inthe piece “Position G” (see example 8.11), only the fs ine is inthe “young student's vocal range, but the second line could be sung two octaves higher. Example 8.11 Poston Gp. 50 tom Aes Bsc Panola, Lesson Book 1A by Palmer Manus ad eto Playing in G Postion (Chapter 8: Developing Musicalty in Elementary Students | 235 Ear-Training Drills ar-training drills will assure that all aspects of aural development are covered. At the clementary levels itis dificult to extrapolate enough eae-training material rom playing e listening and movement activities, singing, and from the students repertoire. Some beginning ‘methods include eartraining books that drill concepts being studied. Ear taining activities can be devised from the methods and materials being taught. [At the elementary level, aural drills are useful for learning the following concepts: + Iowan high + rhythm patterns + Joud and sot «intervals + short and long (articulation) + chords + fast and slow (tempo) + major and minor sounds ‘The teacher can select eartraining drills that will prepare for the musical ideas in the student's future repertoire. For example, a teacher might use a rhythm patter from a future piece fra clapping dil, Teachers ace to consider the following when presenting ear-taining drills to students: + Directions for adil should state clealy what students are listening for and how they ate to identify + All drills shouldbe presented a minimum of two times + Pitch drills should be played slowly in the middle register of the piano, + Iisimportant for students to experience individual intervals (and chords) through playing and listening before being asked to distinguish between them, + Tohelp students distinguish between pais of intervals (or chords), they should be played both blocked and broken as well a ascending and descending. ++ Adominant chord (V) willbe more easly ecognized by ene ifthe 7h ofthe chord is included, {+ Identification of specific intervals chords, or major and minor sounds may be facilitated through imagery and descriptive words such as rough, smooth, peaceful, happy, spooky, mysterious, angry, and dark. ‘Teachers should stop an aural drill activity as son asthe students accuracy falters. When such difficulties occur, teachers can assume that one o more of the following has happened: ‘+ Theteacher didnot sufficiently gain the student’ attention at the beginning ofthe activity (teachers can simply sa, listen” before each new example) +The sequencing of the activity was incorrect +The activity was too complex. + Theexample was presented to0 quickly + The student needed to hear the example again, 236 | PROFESSIONAL PIANO TEACHING. Because individual students learn in different ways, they can be allowed to respond to ills in various ways including the fllowing: + respond verbally to questions + demi by name what they hear + choose corel from several options + write the answer + sing the response 4+ lap-backtp-back or play-back what they hear + move to what they hgar Categories of Aural Dri “There ae several categorie of exrtraining drills that canbe applied to a variety of music ements. Ldntifyng things that are the same o diferent; choosing the correct faseard for ‘whats heard clapping, tapping o plying back whats hears countingand rhythmic notation sre ome methods that canbe used to promote aural development. Sameand Different. From the frst lesson, teachers can pay pairs of short musical ideasor clap pairsof short shythms and ask students fo tell whether the two examples sound the same or diferent. Students can

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