Recently I had a problem with my cell phone that required scrolling through settings to fix the issue. In settings, there were many default settings that were preset to run automatically while other options were just a click away from taking the programming in another direction. After a few minutes, the programming on my phone was aligned to what I wanted to happen. I had made a choice of not leaving the phone to accept a default setting.
By default playing happens all the time, although we don’t call it that. We refer to it as playing before thinking. For example, a conductor raises his arms to begin a piece. Does every player know what the first note should sound like? What is the dynamic? Are there any performance markings like marcato, staccato, tenuto, or accent/little diminuendo? What about the style and character of the first note? How is the first note physically produced starting with the kind of breath needed for the best tone? Where is the tongue placed? Is the attack clean and on pitch? Is the note followed by a rest? If so, what kind of ending is required? Is the player listening to avoid a glottal stopped sound? Or, does the first note connect to another note? There are so many things to consider before making a sound, but most students think little of these options and play before thinking. Leaving things to by default playing produces results that are not attractive.
A Tuner is Your Friend
A few years ago, I was invited to present a masterclass for middle school flutes. During the day my host became ill, and I was asked if I would step in for him and teach a group of beginning trumpeters. I agreed. It would only be 70 minutes! I asked what page they were on in their band method book, and we started on the first line. Splat, splat, splat on an ascending five-note scale. The beginning of each note was chipped or cracked. The duration of the notes was shaky and the note endings non-existent. I got out the tuner on my phone and asked who would like to volunteer to see it they could play one note and keep the needle on the tuner still. The first trumpeter tried. When he didn’t succeed, his classmates quickly got interested, and each wanted to give it a try. They now had a goal of what they wanted to happen, and the beginnings of the note vastly improved. Already they had learned to think before playing. Then, we worked to keep the needle still for duration of the note. This showed how to play with even air. Once they were successful on one note, they worked on two, three, four and five notes. Each time a student tried, he was cheered on by his classmates. By the end of the hour, each student had successfully played a clean five-note scale. They also wanted to download the tuning app so they could practice attacks at home. This is the power of thinking before playing. If a teacher never mentions what the goal is, there is never a plan so default playing takes over. Whatever comes out, comes out.
Breathing Prep
Since the flute and the tuba are the two instruments that require the fastest air flow, air management is an important topic for them. I fear we talk too much about the inhale and not enough about the exhale. One of my goals for middle school flutists is to be able to play two-octave scales up and down twice in one blow. Scales that originate in the right hand are much easier than those in the left hand because of the more difficult third-octave fingerings. The first time flutists try this, they will be unsuccessful because they will start playing before thinking and dump too much air on the first three notes. Planning before playing is an important goal. The breathing plan below illustrates a way to do this for a two-octave scale.
Where’s the Phrase?
Applied teachers require etude study as part of their curriculum. However, most students do not view etudes in a favorable light, treating them as technical torture that is repeated over and over again throughout the page or pages. On top of that, most etude books have some sort of key plan that includes the dreaded sharp keys. For sure, etudes are not considered music by many students.
The first etudes were written for keyboard or violin. The ones for keyboard often began in C major followed by the relative minor key. Then the keys progressed through major and minor keys of the Circle of Fifths. This key arrangement is shown in J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2. Other instrumental etudes copied from the keyboard and violin plans.
Most instrumental etudes were written in the Romantic era with a few exceptions. They are constructed in phrases of two, four, or eight bars. Having students mark the phrases (which are usually the same as the breathing places) before beginning work on them, leads to a more musical performance. Too many students approach breathing in etudes as I’ll breathe when my air runs out. This might mean breathing too soon or too late in the phrase structure.
Teaching students how to mark phrases is a time-consuming process but one that is well worth it. Initially, teachers should mark the phrases for students so they can begin to understand how much of music is written. Then have them play one phrase at a time followed by a rest or silence. When playing one phrase, the phrase or statement should sound logical to the listener. In an ensemble setting, play phrases in a ping pong style. For example, the flutes play phrases one, three, five, seven, and the clarinets phrases two, four, six and eight.
Phrases should be shaped in performance. To find the shape of a phrase, show students how to connect the note heads with a line as if coloring in a dot-to-dot coloring book. There are five common shapes: a mountain shape, a valley shape, a descending line, an ascending line, and a gruppetto. In a mountain shape, the most important note is the highest note, while in a valley shape, the most important note is the lowest note. The most important notes may be played a bit louder than the other notes and may be emphasized with a tenuto or increase of vibrato speed. With descending and ascending lines, the shaping will be soft to loud or loud to soft. Whatever the shape, having a plan with the air usage is a really good idea. Leaving a phrasing structure to default playing results in a mezzoforte performance.
Where’s the Beat?
Band and orchestra directors often raise the baton and hold it still for several moments to get everyone’s attention. This is good but only part of the answer. Directors also need to explain where to play on the beat – on the ictus. Ensembles with lesser skill levels often play before the beat rather than on the beat. Discussing where the ictus is can produce amazing improvement.
Time: Tempo, Meter, and Rhythm
Getting agreement on tempo is sometimes referred to as playing as an ensemble. Watching the baton and good listening habits are the key to success. Point out to those who are sitting in the back rows that they are hearing reflected sound which has a short delay. If students in the back row do not watch the baton, they will be late and slow the tempo of the ensemble. Discuss how to play railroad tracks, ritards, accelerandos, and fermatos. Everyone should be on the same page with these tempo changes.
After explaining to students that meter is indicated with two numbers resembling a fraction and what these numbers meant, an experienced band director I know further illustrated the concept by using outlandish and silly examples. He found that after students looked at 12/2, 57/1, and 2/128, they better understood the idea and 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 were easy in comparison.
The next concept to explore with students is simple (divided by 2s) and compound (divided by 3s) meter. Most students readily understand simple meter because they have had more experience with it. When they tap a foot, feeling the subdivision is as easy as down/up, down/up. Compound meter is more challenging because it is down, up, up which is certainly not a natural movement. One excellent Suzuki teacher had students clap on their laps for the first part of a beat, clap hands together for the second part, and then snap their fingers for the third. Doing these movements several times helps students assimilate the compound pulse. I often use the words step, tip, toe as if one is waltzing to explain compound rhythm. I find that many students simply play by ear in compound meter without understanding to how it works. Once again, this is playing without thinking or planning.
When working with rhythm, a good plan is show students how to check the subdivision of each beat. This reinforces the idea of the differences between simple and compound rhythm. Taking one rhythm and playing it in unison with the entire ensemble on each note of a scale helps players figure out how to match others.
Discussing the concepts mentioned above helps students have a goal in mind before playing. Begin with the breath and then move on to watching the baton’s ictus, listening to the three parts of a note – the attack, the duration, and the release. Encourage students to play with a plan and avoid by default playing.
