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PIANO PERSPECTIVES The Magazine for Piano Teachers
Teaching Tips: Preparing a
New! Teaching improvisation
By Jane Magrath
By Jane Magrath
student for a lower-advanced piano piece
The private music teacher as an entrepreneur
– 9 steps to get your students improvising
Piano Books
By Dave Isaacs
Using sight reading trainer
Music, character and moral
By Sally Cathcart
By Michael Griffin
in your piano teaching
development
EDITORIAL
for
PIANO TEACHERS
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TEACHING TIPS EDITORIAL
TEACHING TIPS: PREPARING A STUDENT FOR A LOWER-ADVANCED PIANO PIECE By Jane Magrath | July 20, 2018
Recently I received a thought-provoking question from a teacher working with some of the more advanced pieces in Masterwork Classics, Levels 8, 9, and 10. This person wrote: Question: I think I understand how to prepare students to play beginning and intermediate repertoire, to help them know how to practice a piece in the first week. But, how can that work with the more advanced repertoire—for example, pieces at Levels 8, 9, and 10? Answer: You hit the nail on the head in that the more difficult repertoire comes with increasingly complex textures, patterns, and harmonic structures. While there is no one way or formula for preparing students to play pieces from the more advanced literature, perhaps some guidelines can be helpful. To prepare a student to practice a new piece, the teacher should study the piece and prepare for that lesson. Pieces at this level usually are not ones which one’s natural instincts can take over, unless perhaps the teacher has taught it numerous times.
5. Look for any short patterns in the piece repetitions of musical ideas, chords, scale fragments - and mark them, so that the eye can clearly decipher the grouping visually and aurally. Let’s apply this to “The New Puppet – Shimmy,” a Level 8 piece that is included in Masterwork Classics, Level 8. See below for suggestions for introducing this to the student before week 1 and before week 2 of practice. The piece is provided in part below. BACKGROUND OF THE PIECE “Shimmy” is the second piece in Book 1 of three sets of Puppets by the Czech composer Bohuslav Martin?. The books contain brief sketches of 2-6 pages each, each depicting a puppet’s disposition or personality. A “shimmy” is a variety of a ragtime dance that was especially popular in the 1920’s. The entire body of the dancer would shake from the head down. One might expect, in a piano rendition of a shimmy, to hear strong accents and even accents on the off-beats. These are the first three pages of the score (which is four pages long): 48
New Puppet
STEPS IN THE PROCESS 1. Listen to the piece to gain an idea of the overall sound and character of the work.
(Shimmy)
Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959)
2. Discover the over-all structure of the piece, and then mark it in the music.
Œ &c Ó f &c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3. Organize the phrases by numbers of measures grouped together, and mark them. 4. Listen again to the piece on recording, to begin to work with an aural image of it, so that now it can help in the reading and eventually it can help in memorizing.
j ‰ ‰ œ œ œœ œ œ œ F 5 3
Moderato
2 5
1
& œ œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4
4
3
3
2
5 3
j œœ ‰ œ œ 5 2
j j ‰ ‰ j ‰ j ‰ j ‰ œœ œ œ b œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ 5 3
1
5 3
1
2
œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ
5
5 3
œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ
senza pedale
j j œ œ ‰ œ œœ ‰ œ œœ b œœ œ & œ œ
3
j œœ ‰ œ œœ b œœ œ
j ‰
2
œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ
œœ ‰
œœ œ œœ œœ œ
?
PIANO PERSPECTIVES
b œ œ œœ œ œ # œ œœ œœ # œœ œœ œ œJ ‰ 1
3
3
1
1
1
EDITORIAL
STEPS 1 & 2: LISTEN & MARK THE FORM (STRUCTURE). Listen to a recording of “Shimmy.” On first hearing, the piece seems to be in three sections: a large A, B, and then a return of section A. Then re-listen, and with the student, mark the sections of the piece. We’ve marked them on the score here (below) for the student to bring it alive visually on the page. Note that the piece begins with a one-measure introduction followed by the A section in measures 2-12. The B section can be considered to be in measures 13 – 21, and the return of the A section in measures 22-26. STEP 3: BREAK “SHIMMY” INTO PHRASE GROUPS. Finding and marking them is perhaps the most important aspect to help a student know how to practice. Breaking the piece into logical phrases, or “musical sentences,” brings the score alive. After listening to the piece or sections of the piece several times, and hearing the short sections in the ear, the student and teacher together decide which measures belong together. These are marked in the score with the student, before taking the piece home, and provide a guide for which groups to practice in shorter repetitions. See examples below. Now is the time for the student to take the piece home and work independently on it for the next week. Always, he should look for patterns and groupings in the piece. This is how the score may look with the sections and the phrase groupings marked. Note that two ways of noting phrase groups are included. The first way on page 1 included a line encompassing the entire phrase from beginning to end. The second way on pages 2 and 3 marks the beginning and the ending of the phrase groupings with open brackets. Choose the way that is best for you and your student.
A
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STEP 4: LISTEN STILL AGAIN. You may think, “Why would we listen still again?” Well, “Why not?” It helps to establish the sound of the piece in the student’s ear and prepare him or her for another preparatory stage. STEP 5: MARK SMALLER PATTERNS IN THE SCORE. This step can be discovered and marked by the student during his at home practice in week 1 and also marked in the music by student and teacher in lessons during weeks 2-3 of practice. Several of those indications are marked here in color.
A
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This link is to Radio Czechoslavakia in English and provides a fascinating introduction to Martinu’s background as a student and a composer and his sets of Puppets. “Shimmy” is performed at 23:00 on the radio broadcast. Jane Magrath is well known as an author, clinician, and pianist. Dr. Magrath’s work in the area of the standard classical teaching literature has been central to the revival of interest in this music throughout the country. She currently has more than 30 volumes published with Alfred Music, and her music editions are used widely throughout the U.S. and abroad.
6 TIPS TO BUILD A PARCTICE
THE PRIVATE MUSIC TEACHER AS AN ENTREPRENEUR: 6 TIPS TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A PRACTICE By Dave Isaacs
When I started teaching lessons, it seemed like an easy way to make casual money. After a few years I had three music store jobs and a handful of students of my own, and it was a pretty easy gig. The stores took care of the business, and as long as I showed up on time and kept my students happy I didn’t have to worry about much else. As my schedule filled up and things got more hectic, it became clear that in order for things to grow I would need to start making more money per lesson. If you’ve ever taught out of a neighborhood music store, you know that the store may take as much as 40-60% of the lesson fee. So while the store/school does the work of bringing in the students, you could potentially as much as double your money working independently. I kept the store gigs at first but started hanging up flyers anywhere I could. Grocery store bulletin boards were a good bet and I had a regular route. You can probably picture what they looked like, before everyone had computers and design apps. Handwritten in marker, with scored tabs along the bottom with my phone number, amongst the signs for garage sales and lost dogs. But, it worked, and my private teaching schedule started to grow. When I found myself working seven days a week to fit everybody in, I started to let the stores go and started running ads in the free neighborhood paper. However, it was a good seven years before I finally went out on my own full time.
I still didn’t have a place of my own. I gave lessons in my living room, but mostly taught lessons in the students’ homes. This allowed me to charge higher rates, but had a cost in the time and stress of travel. Five years later I had a packed schedule and students grouped by neighborhood on specific days. I was doing well, but I still got regular questions from parents about what I did for “real” work. Clearly, I had an image problem. Twenty years later, I have an established practice in Nashville in a dedicated space of my own. My referrals come from word of mouth and the internet, from artist managers and music industry professionals. At the age of 50, I finally feel like I’m running a business. But getting there took time and a series of many gradual steps. Most of all, it took a long time for me to begin to see myself as an entrepreneur running a small business. Once I did adopt that mindset, my clients began to see it as well, boosting my credibility and my income along with it. Here are some of the essentials as I see them for treating your teaching practice as a small business, and achieving the respect you deserve as a highly specialized professional—both from your clients and from yourself.
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1. STUDENTS ARE CLIENTS. Notice my use of the term “clients.” Your job is to teach—and the people you work with are indeed students—but ultimately they are paying you for your specialized expertise, just as they would an accountant or an attorney. This is a one-on-one relationship in which you are cultivating trust. Recognize your obligation to provide them with quality service to earn that trust. 2. IMAGE MATTERS. There’s a reason why the corporate world distinguishes between business and casual attire. Dressing for work projects a seriousness of purpose, a respect for the work, and a professional mindset. As a representative of a company, you are expected to present yourself in a way that reflects the corporate culture. Musicians in business are already at a disadvantage because of our (sometimes deserved) reputation. While I know many musicians with great minds for business, there’s a pervasive belief out there that we’re all wired for creativity and not professionalism. You don’t need to wear a business suit to present a professional image: if you’re a performer, your stage persona might be part of how you present yourself as a teacher. Just be aware that you are, in fact, “on stage” from the first interaction with a new student, and the way you look and speak reflects how seriously you take your work. 3. HAVE A BRAND. In a competitive field like music, you need to be distinctive, and teaching music is no different. There are easily hundreds if not thousands of people teaching guitar lessons in my adopted hometown of Nashville, but you don’t have to be in Music City to have lots of competition. In order to distinguish yourself, you need to give people a reason to come to you instead of someone else, and your skills as a musician are likely not enough. What makes you different? What do you offer that others don’t? It might be your approach, your personality, your musical skills, or some combination of the three. Take the time to define yourself and the image of your business, and let everything you put out there communicate that message. It probably goes without saying that every 21st century business has a website and a list of social media accounts to go with it. Taken collectively, these are your billboards in the online world, and they need to reflect your brand. Have a consistent image across all the platforms you use. Do you have a logo? Are you considering the impression that fonts and colors make? Companies spend thousands of dollars to come up with visuals that convey the image and spirit of the brand. Make sure all your materials send the message you want them to.
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4. HAVE A DEDICATED SPACE. I spent many years giving lessons in people’s homes, and there’s something to be said for providing the service. I’ve had a dedicated office for years now, and I wish I had made the move sooner. Along with the obvious time- and energy-saving benefits, having your own space makes you look more professional. Choosing to invest in an appropriate workspace sends a message that you’re serious about the work you do. Most of all, it allows you to have more control over the teaching environment, which is beneficial both in creating the learning environment and in reinforcing the image you want to project. Having a dedicated workspace is good for your own working mindset as well. When I walk into my office, I’m ready for work. The energy of the space itself helps me prepare mentally, and having all my tools and resources within reach makes for an effective work flow in teaching. Best of all, when I leave work, I’m actually leaving work. An entrepreneur is never really “off,” but it really helps productivity to be able to unplug at the end of the day. 5. MAKE SURE YOU GET PAID. I insist on getting paid in advance after the first session, and generally book lessons in blocks of four or more. This solidifies the commitment on both sides: the student is committing to come back, and you’re committing to be available. Decide on an appropriate cancellation policy! You probably already know all too well that some people are reliably unreliable, and that it’s easy for some of your clients to downplay the value of your time. You can always choose to make exceptions, but you should be paid for a no-show if you’ve held a slot for a week or more—after all, you could have booked someone else in that slot. Insist that your clients respect the value of your time, and by and large they will. Be sure to make the policy clear at the outset, and put it in writing—ideally on a letterhead with your logo. Also, be sure to price your services appropriately. After thirty years of teaching, two degrees in music, and 15 years of establishing myself in this community, it’s entirely appropriate for me to charge more for my time than someone with less experience and fewer qualifications. I might be one of the more expensive guitar teachers in town, but my prices reflect my reputation and reinforce my position as a specialist. At the same time, the numbers do reflect the community I work in and the needs and means of my potential clients. Find the “sweet spot” between those two (sometimes competing) factors.
6. KEEP RECORDS AND ITEMIZE! Familiarize yourself with tax laws. You may choose to remain independent contractor, or formalize your business into a corporation of some kind. Get the advice of a qualified accountant to determine which is right for you. Itemize every penny you invest in your business, and keep detailed records of your schedule and income. Modern resources like Google Calendar and Quickbooks are very helpful, but make sure you back everything up! Make sure you can be paid with a card, it helps ensure that you do actually get paid and makes it easy to keep records. I use Square and PayPal, and can look up transaction histories and download reports. This makes life much easier at tax time. If you do a lot of cash business, what you choose to report is between you and the government, but keep in mind that showing income as a business allows you to obtain credit to invest in equipment, or to rent or purchase a facility. Some people prefer to remain a little further “off the grid,” but understand the impact that will have on your professional image.
These are all hard-won lessons that have allowed me to build a casual side hustle into a reliable full-time living and professional presence. It’s never easy and can never be taken for granted, but the best part of being an entrepreneur is that you can always choose to aim higher. The harder you work, the more you can grow your business, and the sky’s the limit.
A career musician and teacher, Dave Isaacs has taught music for thirty years in private lessons, workshops, and college classrooms. Since moving to Nashville in 2005, he has become known in the music community as the “Guitar Guru of Music Row” for his work coaching performers and songwriters. He maintains a busy private studio teaching guitar, piano, theory, and musicianship in private and group settings.
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SIGHT-READING TRAINER
USING SIGHT-READING TRAINER IN YOUR PIANO TEACHING By Sally Cathcart
Our Sight-Reading Trainer app is a great addition to the piano teacher’s tool kit. Sally Cathcart, a consultant for the app, explains the thinking behind it and the benefits for piano teachers and their pupils. Playing a piece at sight, after just a few seconds to look at it, is a complex and multi-layered skill. Make no mistake, to sight-read even at the simplest Grade 1 level requires a high degree of prior understanding and practice. Good sight-readers have learnt to automate many of the basic responses necessary, so that any cognitive effort can be directed towards the less familiar elements of the score. When they sight-read, pianists need to be working independently as musicians. Do they know how basic rhythm patterns sound? Is pitch recognition automatic? Are they able to grasp the meaning behind the notes and find the mood and character? The ability to do all these tasks indicates pianists whose musicianship skills are developing in parallel with their performance abilities. RAPID-FIRE RESPONSE TO FAMILIAR PATTERNS As I argued in a previous ABRSM blog post, we know that good readers of unknown music have thousands of patterns – rhythm, pitch, tonality, metre – stored deep in the brain. These have developed over time through repeated and frequent exposure and use. The brain has literally wired up to recognise patterns and is able to retrieve them instantly.
So, efficient sight-reading skills are connected to rapidfire responses to familiar patterns. If your students are reluctant to work at sight-reading between lessons it might be that they don’t have enough of these rapidfire responses embedded. They will be overwhelmed by what they don’t know or understand. The whole process will feel rather serious and, when that happens, avoidance is often the most comfortable route. HOW SIGHT-READING TRAINER CAN HELP ABRSM’s Sight-Reading Trainer app is designed to help break down these perceived barriers. Through using it pianists can develop their reading skills in a systematic and sequential way. What’s more, it’s all done playfully so the learning is both light and engaging. Guiding the player through all the activities is ‘Pam’. She celebrates your achievements with you, encourages you to go back and have another go at a game, and gives helpful advice when it’s time to attempt the full piece of sight-reading. Each sight-reading piece in the app – 31 per grade, composed by Alan Bullard – can be unlocked through playing three games:
• Rhythm Match • Pitch Patterns • Quick Fire Five/What’s the Difference? Let’s look at each one in turn to see how they can help your pupils develop those rapid-fire responses.
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PITCH PATTERNS The Pitch Patterns game focuses on a second important element in sight-reading: pitch recognition. There is a lot to be said for separating the two elements of rhythm and pitch, as it helps us distinguish whether there is a weakness in both or just one. Pitch Patterns focuses on the quick recognition of the pitch elements of written notation. The game quickly shows up any weaknesses pupils have in this area. The sight-reading piece is seen complete for the first time, but with a highlighted section. This section is the focus of the Pitch Pattern activity, during which pupils have to absorb all the different elements, including pitch names and fingering, before answering some questions.
RHYTHM MATCH Have a look at the rhythm that follows. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being easy), how easy was this to read? If you’re a teacher it was probably 1 – you were able to take in all the information in one glance and hear it instantly.
NOW WHAT ABOUT THIS RHYTHM?
This probably proved harder and you might have needed to work out where the beats were and the subdivisions. The Rhythm Match game is designed to get pupils instantly recognising and matching pattern with sound, just like you were able to with the first rhythm. In the game, four rhythms from the related piece of sight-reading are shown and three are played, one by one. As you hear a rhythm you match it to the notated version on the app. The results can give us useful feedback about what our pupils have or haven’t absorbed from our teaching. If they struggle with elements of the game, then that’s a useful indicator that it’s time to go back to some basic work. Rhythm flashcards might be one way of encouraging pupils to use rhythm language (ta and ti-ti) or metrical counting. Building on this, some improvisation and composition work might help to consolidate learning. A firm sense of rhythm is fundamental to all our musicmaking and the Rhythm Match game can be a valuable tool in helping this to develop.
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Again, this has the potential to provide us with useful teaching feedback. Do they know the starting notes or have an efficient strategy for doing so? Can they transfer the shapes and patterns of the notation onto the piano? Have they noticed the key signature? Can they look at the broader picture and feel what fingering will work? It’s likely that initially some pupils will find this quite challenging but things should improve as they develop a better understanding of the strategies needed. The final game to play, before the sight-reading is unlocked, might be Quick Fire Five or What’s the Difference? – either one might pop up. Both are designed to get pupils looking at the piece holistically within a limited time. QUICK FIRE FIVE In this game, the complete piece of sight-reading appears for pupils to look through. When the music disappears, some statements appear and pupils have to use their short-term memory to correctly identify whether they are true or false. For example, ‘the key signature had two sharps’ or ‘there was a perfect cadence at the end’. It can take a few goes for pupils to realise the sort of things they need to scan for. With only a few seconds to answer each question it is inevitable that a certain amount of guessing might take place. This is to be encouraged as good sight-readers often guess or simplify what they can’t read in time. Once again, this game gives us very useful teaching information. It might show up a weakness in recognising key signatures, or a lack of awareness of musical details including phrases, dynamics and mood. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? What’s the Difference? is a variation on Quick Fire Five and appears several times at each grade. This time, two versions of the sight-reading piece appear on one page. However, the lower one has elements that have
changed or are missing. So a clef might have been altered, dynamics changed around or notes moved.
• Can they play a scale in the key of a piece using
Again, this is designed to encourage quick and efficient scanning of the piece, as the two versions of the music are shown for a limited amount of time. When they disappear, players are given four possible changes, from which they choose two.
• Can Grade 5 pupils play a perfect/imperfect
THE VALUE OF INSTANT FEEDBACK An important feature of every game is the instant feedback. Players know straight away if they have made the right or wrong response. What’s more, they can have another go at getting the correct answer. This is a really powerful tool and you will notice just how quickly pupils improve their responses.
the same rhythm?
cadence in the key of a piece?
• Ask them to write down all the dynamics, in the order they appear.
• Can they improvise a melody using some of the key ingredients of a piece?
Finally, it’s important to remember that a pupil’s sightreading is only as good or as bad as their reading skills. If your pupils continue to struggle with their reading skills then maybe it’s time for you to re-assess how you teach this crucial skill.
Sally Cathcart is co-founder and director of The Curious Piano Teachers. She has many years of experience both as a piano teacher and as a classroom music teacher.
GIVING FURTHER SUPPORT So, Sight-Reading Trainer helps pianists to improve their sight-reading by focusing on core skills. Used systematically, it has the potential to be very beneficial. It will also provide teachers with insights into what pupils do and don’t understand. It isn’t the complete solution though, and there are lots more things that you can do to support this sight-reading activity. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
ABRSM Sight-Reading Trainer covers the sightreading element of Piano exams at Grades 1 to 5 and is available on the App Store and Google Play. It helps pupils develop the skills to quickly spot the features, patterns and characteristics in music before they play it, and contains 155 brand new piano sight-reading pieces. Find out more at abrsm.org/sight-reading-trainer.
• Ask pupils to write down from memory one or two rhythms from piece.
• Can they improvise a two-bar rhythm as a response?
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TEACHING IMPROVISATION
NEW! TEACHING IMPROVISATION – 9 STEPS TO GET YOUR STUDENTS IMPROVISING By Dr. Jessica Quiñones
This step-by-step guide is designed to help you introduce basic improvisation in your lessons and offers a structured framework that can be easily modified for pupils of all levels. There is often a core belief amongst students that are new to improvisation that they should pick up their instrument and it ‘should just happen’; that musical ideas will spring forth easily, naturally, be perfectly articulated and be ‘innate’. Pitting their sounds against what might be heard from the improvisations of their favourite modern masters (think Wynton Marsalis, Ian Anderson, Anoushka Shankar) it is often the case that students experience ‘frustration’ and doubts about their ‘inability to improvise’ based on such comparisons.
10 PIANO PERSPECTIVES
However, frustrating first encounters with improvisation could be easily remedied with a simple change in approach. This would acknowledge that underneath all of that musical sense of ‘flow and ease’ from great improvisers are years of structured and methodical training to get to that musical point of seemingly innate freedom. As Pablo Picasso said ‘Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist’. An ethos that encourages artistic discipline as the path to creative freedom is not too dissimilar to how teaching improvisation might also be used. Here the key lies in offering students a structured framework with familiar melodic material as a starting point to eventually ‘branch out’, ‘break free’ and ‘jump from’ set frameworks in time.
HOW TO BEGIN This step-by-step guide offers a structured approach specifically designed for students with a musical background based in notational learning methods. Equally, it is far from an approach that expects virtuosic improvisation to ‘just happen’. It allows the student to become familiar with both rhythmic and melodic improvisation in a gentle and pragmatic way. While this is not meant to be a comprehensive means to introduce all facets of the art, by the end of these nine exercises your student will be able to manipulate the rhythmic and melodic content of a repeated set sequence with both subdivision and pitch changes from inside and outside the given key. Please note: It might be the case that the student needs to quickly notate these exercises to have a ‘visual aid’ in the early stages. This should not be discouraged, if it is useful. Over time it is hoped that the student will be able to do these exercises ‘by ear’.
It might be that the rhythm your pupils chooses does not ‘line up’ evenly with a full scale– that’s ok. Simply have them keep repeating their chosen scale to make it ‘fit’. The overall idea here is that the rhythmic pattern combined with the scale sequence is not too complicated to continually repeat.
EXAMPLE 2: CHANGE ONE BEAT IN EACH BAR ONLY Ask your student to choose one beat in each bar to subdivide into smaller time values. The pitches will not change, only the rhythm. Repeat this a number of times, choosing different beats to subdivide. You will notice that a) the student will have to play with a steady sense of pulse to keep the rhythm intact while subdividing and b) have to learn to ‘keep track’ of where beats 1-4 are in each bar to know where the division of the two bars lie.
EXAMPLE 3: SWAP ONLY ONE PITCH IN THE SCALE FOR ANOTHER While keeping the original rhythmic pattern from Example 1 intact, the student will ‘swap’ one note of the scale for another note in the same scale. Have the student repeat this a number of times, choosing a different pitch to change each time. You will notice that the student will have to know the scale sequence comfortably in order to not lose their place when swapping notes around.
EXAMPLE 4: SWAP ONE PITCH IN EACH BAR FOR ANOTHER While keeping the original rhythmic pattern from Example 1 intact, the student will swap notes in the scale similarly as was done in Example 3. This time though they will do this twice over the two bars instead (i.e. once in each bar). Again, have the student keep the rhythm intact and have them repeat this a number of times until they are comfortable keeping the melodic changes flowing. With practice can they swap more than two pitches?
EXAMPLE 5: COMBINE RHYTHMIC AND MELODIC CHANGES TOGETHER While keeping the original rhythmic pattern from Example 1 intact, have the student chose one note to subdivide rhythmically in each bar, as was done in Example 2. This time, also swap the pitch for that note, too.
EDITORIAL
EXAMPLE 1: CHOOSE A SCALE AND RHYTHMIC SEQUENCE Ask your student to play a familiar scale in an easily repeated rhythmic pattern over two bars. Here for ease of explanation, I have kept it simple with an ascending F major scale played over two common time bars of crotchets. In the case of an advanced student, the chosen sequence might consist of quavers, semiquavers, triplets, or even a mixed combination of these.
EXAMPLE 6: SWAP ONE PITCH IN THE SCALE FOR ANOTHER OUTSIDE THE KEY Have the student go back to both their original rhythmic pattern and scale sequence that they chose in Example 1. Using that same material again, have the student choose one note to add in the scale that is outside the given key signature.
EXAMPLE 7: SWAP ONE PITCH IN EACH BAR FOR ANOTHER OUTSIDE THE KEY The same steps apply as in Example 6 but two notes outside the key are used instead. With practice can they do this swap more than twice in each bar?
EXAMPLE 8: COMBINE RHYTHMIC CHANGES AND NON-SCALE PITCHES TOGETHER The same steps apply as in Example 7 but have the student also combine any non-scale pitches they use with rhythmic subdivision. With practice can they make these changes more than twice?
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EXAMPLE 9: COMBINE BOTH RHYTHMIC CHANGES AND SWAP PITCHES USING THOSE FROM BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE KEY Ask your student to go back to both their original rhythmic pattern and scale sequence that they chose in Example 1. Using that same material again, have the student swap pitches in the melodic sequence to those that are both found inside and outside the key. This time, also use rhythmic subdivision to divide these chosen pitches into smaller time values, as in previous exercises.
THE NEXT STEPS: As your students gain confidence, the exercises outlined in this method would easily transfer to simple tunes (i.e. Jingle Bells, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Hot Cross Buns, Baa-baa Black Sheep). Ideally the student would work their way through each of these steps again, using the given framework. Additionally, such practice fosters a ‘safety net’ for more radical exploration of tonality and rhythm in the future—all ingredients for building improvisational freedom for your students.
Dr. Jessica Quiñones, an American flautist, educator, performer and academic based in the UK. More of her writings on music performance can be found at www.JQflute.com/blog. She’s also found on Twitter and Instagram at @JQflute.
12 SHORT PIANO SOLOS Composed by Martha Mier.
Book 1: Late Elementary to Early Intermediate Composers first began writing character pieces in the Romantic period as a personal, inward-looking form of musical expression, on a smaller scale than sonatas of the Classical period. These new character pieces emulate this important art form and are carefully graded for students at the late elementary to early intermediate level. Some are bold in character, while others are lyrical and introspective. These moods are suggested by each title. Titles: The Balance Beam • The Challenge • Gentle Ocean Waves • Gospel Sing • A Moment in Time • My Heart Sings • The Organ Grinder • Reflection • Sea Treasures • The Secret • Song of the Matador • Wind Chimes. 47768 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 2: Intermediate to Late Intermediate These moods are suggested by each title. Titles: Beneath the Stars • A Brief Interlude • Elegant Dance • A Faded Memory • Hummingbirds at Play • Majestic Iceberg • My Heart’s Secret • The Old Diary • The Promise • Reverie • Summer Love • Tranquility. 47769 ........................................................... $16.00
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12 EARLY ELEMENTARY ARRANGEMENTS OF CLASSICAL THEMES AND FOLK SONGS Arranged by Melody Bober.
Book 1 Grand Favorites for Piano, Book 1 contains arrangements of best-loved classical themes and folk favorites. The pieces in this six-book series have the distinctive Bober sound and are fun to play, in addition to helping pianists progress technically and musically. Whether performed on a concert grand, a digital piano, or the family upright, these solos will truly sound “grand.” Titles: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep • Barcarolle (Offenbach) • Brother John • Go Tell Aunt Rhody • Hot Cross Buns • Humpty Dumpty • Lazy Mary • Morning Mood (Grieg) • Musette (J. S. Bach) • Rage over a Lost Penny (Beethoven) • Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke) • William Tell Overture (Rossini). 47751 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 2 Titles: Aura Lee • Autumn (Vivaldi) • Baby Bumblebee • Bill Grogan’s Goat • The Can-Can (Offenbach) • Hickory, Dickory, Dock • Jazzy Old MacDonald • Largo (Dvorak) • The Little Man in the Woods (Humperdinck) • Snake Dance • Theme from The London Symphony (Haydn) • Where Has My Little Dog Gone? 47752 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 3 Titles: Alouette • Anvil Chorus (Verdi) • Aria (J. S. Bach) • Chopsticks • For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow • Fur Elise (Beethoven) • London Bridge • Looby Loo • Love Somebody • March militaire (Schubert) • Marche Slav (Tchaikovsky) • Theme from Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major (Haydn). 47753 ........................................................... $16.00
A STAR IS BORN
Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Alfred Music presents a piano/vocal/guitar songbook featuring the soundtrack to 2018’s box-office hit, starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Original, full-color photography and movie artwork within this beautifully packaged portfolio help provide a glimpse into the music and visual aesthetic of a Hollywood classic’s third remake. Titles: Black Eyes • La Vie en Rose • Maybe It’s Time • Alibi • Shallow • Music to My Eyes • Diggin’ My Grave • Always Remember Us This Way • Look What I Found • Heal Me • I Don’t Know What Love Is • Is That Alright? • Why Did You Do That? • Hair Body Face • Before I Cry • Too Far Gone • I’ll Never Love Again. 47776 ........................................................... $50.00
SMALLFOOT Composed by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick. This collection for piano, vocals, and guitar features seven songs from 2018’s beautifully animated film, Smallfoot. Complete with lyrics, chord symbols, and notation, each arrangement preserves the rock, pop, or hip-hop feel of the original song. Full-color artwork and screenshots from the movie are also included. Titles: Finally Free • Let It Lie • Moment of Truth • Percy’s Pressure • Perfection • Wonderful Life • Wonderful Questions. 47774 ........................................................... $40.00
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10 BIG PHAT BAND CLASSICS RECOMPOSED by Gordon Goodwin for Piano. Composed by Gordon Goodwin.
Intermediate; Late Intermediate This book contains piano solo adaptations of jazz band composer Gordon Goodwin’s most popular Big Phat Band titles. Musically challenging but technically accessible, these piano pieces capture the essence of the Big Phat Band versions. The spirit of each composition can be heard in the videos of Gordon Goodwin playing each piece while providing learning and performance tips, available online. Titles: Settle Down • Everlasting • Samba del Gringo • The Jazz Police • I Remember • Maynard & Waynard • Backrow Politics • An American Elegy • Brother Bones • Hunting Wabbits. 46819 ........................................................... $19.00
TOM GEROU 12 OF HIS ORIGINAL PIANO SOLOS Composed by Tom Gerou.
Book 1: Early Elementary The Best of Tom Gerou, Book 1, is a collection of 12 early elementary to elementary solos for students, each with an optional teacher/parent duet part. The piano works in this series were selected from a variety of collections and sheets and were compiled into graded collections. The pieces include Tom’s favorites, contest selections, and established student-pleasers throughout the years. Performers will find a well-balanced assortment of solos reflecting different moods, sounds, styles, and musical challenges. Titles: Call It the Blues • Dalmatians! • Fantastic Tales • Halloween Costumes • Inch-by-Inch • My Best Friend • No School Today • The Rich Hound Dog • Please Stay, Chihuahua • Rainbows for You • Whiskers and Fins • Without My Games. 47357 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 2: Early Intermediate; Late Elementary The Best of Tom Gerou, Book 2, is a collection of 11 late elementary to early intermediate solos for students. The piano works in this series were selected from a variety of collections and sheets and were compiled into graded collections. The pieces include Tom’s Favorites, contest selections, and established student-pleasers throughout the years. Performers will find a well-balanced assortment of solos reflecting different moods, sounds, styles, and musical challenges. Titles: Around the Great Falls • Feline Dreams • Fiddlers’ Hoedown • The Furless Sphynx • Gentle Thoughts • The Headless Horseman • Oh, What an Alley Cat • Song of Sacagawea • Tongue Twister • Uptown News • Welcome Aboard. 47358 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 3: Intermediate; Late Intermediate The Best of Tom Gerou, Book 3, is a collection of 12 intermediate to late intermediate solos for students. The piano works in this series were selected from a variety of collections and sheets and were compiled into graded collections. The pieces include Tom’s favorites, contest selections, and established student-pleasers throughout the years. Performers will find a well-balanced assortment of solos reflecting different moods, sounds, styles, and musical challenges. Titles: Attack of the White Grizzly • Autumn Rain • Barcarolle • Columbia River Waltz • A Golden Gate Afternoon • Hope • Joy • Letter from the One at Sea • March of the Roman Legionaries • Northern Lights • Prairie Winds • The Rough Rider. 47359 ........................................................... $18.00
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EDITORIAL
PIANO SEASCAPES by Pam Wedgwood. Piano Seascapes is a stunning collection of 12 original piano pieces that have been inspired by images of the sea and its surroundings. By best-selling composer Pam Wedgwood, this book is suitable for intermediate-level players and is accompanied by a beautiful pull-out poster of images providing the visual inspiration for each piece. 0571541062 ................................................ $25.00
PIANO STUDIES FOR TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT – A COMPREHENSIVE ANTHOLOGY OF ETUDES, EXERCISES, SCALES, ARPEGGIOS, AND CADENCES. Edited by Gayle Kowalchyk and E. L. Lancaster.
Volume 1: Piano – Early Intermediate; Intermediate Designed for pianists who are moving into early intermediate to intermediate levels of study, this book features three sections. The first section includes etudes for the development of specific skills. The second section features selected Hanon exercises. Reference pages for scales, arpeggios, and cadences make up the final section. The book is especially useful for college and university piano students who are not piano performance majors (secondary pianists). 46137 ........................................................... $30.00
Volume 2: Piano – Early Advanced; Late Intermediate Designed for pianists who are moving into late intermediate to early advanced levels of study, this book features three sections. The first section includes etudes for the development of specific skills. The second section features selected Hanon exercises. Reference pages for scales, arpeggios, and cadences make up the final section. The book is especially useful for college and university piano students who are not piano performance majors (secondary pianists). 46138 ........................................................... $30.00
THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD Composed by James Newton Howard.
Piano and Voice This remarkable collection features piano solo arrangements of selections from composer James Newton Howard’s brilliant film score to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Presenting the major musical themes within this second Harry Potter series prequel about J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, the hauntingly beautiful pieces are packaged with full-color artwork from the movie. Titles: Salamander Eyes • Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald • Dumbledore’s Theme • Fantastic Beasts Theme • Leta’s Theme. 47836 ........................................................... $26.00
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EDITORIAL SOLO XTREME – 9 X-TRAORDINARY AND CHALLENGING PIANO PIECES. The term “xtreme” is often used in sports to indicate feats that go beyond the ordinary. The pieces in the Solo Xtreme series were written to encourage piano students to achieve similar feats. Pieces in this series move beyond single-line melodies that stay in one location, challenging students instead to move around the keyboard, cross hand-over-hand, use a variety of articulations, play harmonic intervals and accidentals, and use the pedal to create color and moods. At the same time, they expand technique and musicianship.
Book 1: Early Elementary; Elementary
Book 4: Early Intermediate; Intermediate
Titles: Beach Fun! • Blues Band • Chitchat • Enchanted Forest Waltz • Hot Salsa! • Irish Fiddlin’ • Kitesurfing • The Old Typewriter • Pizza to Go.
Titles: Blues Harmony • Gallop Across the Plains • Kilkenny Jig • Lakeside Tranquility • Mountain Grandeur • Nocturne • Ragtime Escapade • Trieste Tarantella.
46097 ........................................................... $16.00
47086 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 2: Early Intermediate; Late Elementary
Book 5: Intermediate; Late Intermediate
Titles: Bike Trek • Evening Sail • Goosebump Boogie • Holiday Bells • La Celebracion • Night Whispers • Stealth Mode • Steps to a Mystery • Taco Time!
Titles: Bassline Boogie • The Expedition • Intrepid Journey • Legends • Midnight Malaguena • Rags to Riches • Starry Night • Winter Solstice • Wonderland of Snow.
46098 ........................................................... $16.00
47087 ........................................................... $16.00
Book 3: Early Intermediate; Late Elementary
Book 6: Early Advanced; Late Intermediate
Titles: Festival Rag • Gentle Rain • Moonlight Skate • Ride Like the Wind • Roaming River • Rollerblade Race • Saturday Stomp • Sonoran Sunset • Twilight Echoes.
Titles: Carnivale! • Island Jazz • Lazy Day • Prelude in E Minor • Scherzo • Soliloquy • Storia d’amore • Tempest.
46099 ........................................................... $16.00
47088 ........................................................... $16.00
NEW FROM TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON: GRADED EXAM BOOKS (INITIAL-GRADE 8) • Feature eight to ten specially arranged pieces and original compositions for each grade • Include full technical work requirements for the grade • Accompanied by audio downloads at every grade TCL018625 Initial ....................... $14.00
TCL018632 Grade 1 .................. $15.00 TCL018649 Grade 2 .................. $16.00
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TCL018656 Grade 3 .................. $18.00
TCL018687 Grade 6 .................. $23.00
TCL018670 Grade 5 .................. $20.00
TCL018700 Grade 8 .................. $31.00
TCL018663 Grade 4 .................. $19.00
TCL018694 Grade 7 .................. $27.00
MUSIC, CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
MUSIC, CHARACTER AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT Michael Griffin
In 2015 the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at Birmingham University called for character education to be embedded in the UK curriculum. The report linked strong character traits such as resilience and perseverance to higher educational achievement, employability, and social, emotional, and physical health. Character matters. It is critical for personal happiness, maintaining relationships, and essential for an ordered society. Character strengths help people to thrive and become the best version of themselves. But how is it taught, cultivated and nurtured? The family is the first place where moral cultivation begins. If adults wish to raise children of good character, they should start by showing them through their own actions.
Children may not listen to their parents, but they never fail to imitate them. –J ames A. Baldwin, 1924 –1987, American, social critic.
UK Education secretary Nicky Morgan, in her quest to help schools teach character, says one way is to learn a musical instrument. Supporting her claim, the Jubilee Centre study found that students involved in choir/ music or drama performed significantly better on character tests than any other school-based extracurricular activity. There is nothing new in this modernday appeal for character education to be embedded in schools, nor in the relationship between character formation and musical learning. The great thinkers Rousseau, Kant, and John Locke viewed the aim of education to enable children to think for themselves with the aim of becoming virtuous. The views of Confucius, Pythagoras and Aristotle are also worth
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noting. Confucius (551–479 BC) believed the real purpose of education was, rather than to get a job, to become a better person. The cultivation of the self should be a daily renovation, and is a life-long process, requiring constant work and practice. A zitherist, Confucius considered music education indispensable for character cultivation:
Wouldst thou know if a people be well-governed, if its laws be good or bad? Examine the music it practises. Because of the deep influence music exerts on a person, and the change it produces on manners and customs, the ancient kings appointed it as one of the subjects of instruction A man who is not good, what can he have to do with music? Confucius suggested that the teaching of music, along with poetry, history and ritual, be the foundation for teaching moral behaviour. This involved integrating songs and music into the curriculum that reinforced Chinese (Confucian) values and moral virtue. His view has support throughout history, for instance from Napoleon Bonaparte: “A moral book might change a person’s mind but not his heart, and therefore, not his ways. However, a piece of moral music would change his heart, and where the heart goes the mind will follow and the person’s ways will change”. To be a person of character is a choice from less virtuous alternatives. Accordingly, moral choice would be arrived at through a change of heart influenced by music. Like Confucius, English philosopher Roger Scruton equates a decline in musical taste with a decline in morals, arguing that “beauty should be restored to its traditional position in music.”
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In China, Confucianism is undergoing a renaissance, particularly evident in education. A major reason modern-day Chinese parents value learning a musical instrument is that it provides a vehicle for visible application, thoroughness and commitment. Likewise, Aristotle (385-322 BC) believed that character is formed by doing. One can only learn about commitment by being committed to a cause. One learns to delay gratification by exercising the patience and experiencing the discomfort that comes with the wait. Aristotle believed that the development of character strengths took time, being taught and learned through opportunity and practice. The repetition of the act becomes a habit, evident in thoughts, feelings, and actions, resulting in consistent patterns of action.
Human excellence, in morality as in musicality, comes about as a result of habit. –A ristotle, Book II of the Nicomachean Ethics
Therefore, a person cannot be considered a ‘good person deep down’ unless character traits are in action. Aristotle’s teacher – Plato, believed that music permeated the recesses of the soul nurturing goodness, but that improper music had a “dangerous capacity to inspire lawlessness and boldness”. Pythagoras (570-490 BC) may well be the first person on record who employed music as a therapeutic agent. He believed that beauty and truth combined in music, and could “quell the passions of the soul”. In his philosophy, medicine and therapy were based on music. Pythagoras believed that an appreciation of beauty aided recovery from illness, a position now supported by modern-day research. He called the medicine obtained through music purification. Hence, music played an important part in Pythagorean education because music could purify manners, character, and physical ailments. Those who committed crimes were prescribed “pipe and harmony” to shape the mind so that it became cultured again. At night, Pythagoreans sang certain songs to induce sleep and sweet dreams. In the morning, they sang different songs to awaken and prepare for the day. Sometimes the music was instrumental, played on the lyre alone. Pythagoras considered the study of music essential for a rational understanding of God and nature. Therefore, in Ancient Greek society, the primary goal of studying music was for learning moral behavior. If education is about integrating thought, Pythagoras and the Greek thinkers who followed him led the way.
Contrast this regard for music by the Ancient Greeks and classical China to the Roman Empire that followed. Music was not valued beyond entertainment, and became peripheral in education and culture. Rather than arts, science, and intellectual thought, Rome’s focus was conquest and pleasure. One of the main reasons attributed for the decline of the Roman Empire was a decline in moral character. If only they had listened to Confucius.
Music is the only one of all the arts that does not corrupt the mind. –M ontesquieu, 1689 – 1759, French Philosopher
ago, Plato believed that “music training is a more potent instrument than any other”. Hopefully the world will again give music the place it deserves in education. There are positive signs. In April, 2015 it was announced that for the first time in USA education history, music will be a core subject in draft federal education policy (Every Child Achieves Act of 2015). Listening to music has long been argued as a method for developing children’s listening skills. Listening to classical music boosts concentration, self-discipline, listening power, social intelligence, and aspiration. Good music cultivates the mind. Equally, another study found that listening to music with lyrics about alcohol makes people more likely to drink. Yet another study found a link between music embodying aggression, sex and violence, with antisocial behaviour. Music influences behaviour. These studies might serve to argue against the popular contention that there is no such thing as good or bad music.
Next to the Word of God, music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts and spirits. – St Augustine of Hippo There is no definitive set of character traits, but consider perseverance, commitment, and selfdiscipline. Character is the X factor in expert performance. Many people desire to learn music but give up too early without ever fully exploring their potential. Often, the reason given is lack of talent. A more likely explanation is the lack of character traits required for the challenge. Being a musician is a testament to character. Almost 2500 years
Michael Griffin is an educator, author, speaker, and pianist. He is the author of ‘Learning Strategies for Musical Success’. His website is professional-development.com.au. All of Michael Griffin’s titles are available from Devirramusic.com.au
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$1
40
fo r t h e s et + FREE G IFT
Mikrokosmos Bartók
Bartók’s Mikrokosmos is one of the milestones in the pedagogical piano repertoire – and yet it is also far more than a “classical” piano primer. These 153 piano pieces, organised in ascending order of difficulty, engage not only with technical aspects of piano playing, but also with the fundamentals of composition – from “Ostinato”, “Free variations” and “Imitation and inversion” concerning compositional technique, to programmatic ideas as in “From the diary of a fly” or the famous “Six dances in Bulgarian rhythm” that form the passionate close of this unique work. This Henle Urtext Edition is based on the corresponding volume of the Bartók Complete Edition that is currently inpreparation, and also includes specific practical comments and tips concerning Bartók’s own performances. Furthermore, the six volumes of the first edition, which first appeared in 1940, are here gathered together in three practical double volumes that offer both beginners and advanced pianists a perfect introduction to this work. Mikrokosmos Volumes I-II Piano Solo HN1408..................... $55.00
Mikrokosmos Volumes III-IV Piano Solo HN1409 ................. $65.00 Mikrokosmos Volumes V-VI Piano Solo HN1410.................. $65.00
Oxford book of Lent and Easter Organ Music of Manuals The Oxford Book of Lent and Easter Organ Music for Manuals comprises a diverse collection of seasonal organ music for manuals only, covering the Church’s year from Lent to Pentecost. The pieces are drawn internationally from across the centuries and include a mixture of established repertoire, attractive new arrangements, and two newly commissioned pieces. The collection is technically accessible and provides approachable repertoire for all church musicians, making it an attractive companion to The Oxford Book of Lent and Easter Organ Music. 9780193517646 ........................................... $39.00
Oxford Book of Christmas Organ Music for Manuals A diverse collection of seasonal organ music for manuals only, covering the church’s year from Advent to Epiphany. The pieces are drawn internationally from across the centuries and include a mixture of established repertoire, attractive new arrangements, and four newly commissioned pieces. The collection is technically accessible and provides approachable repertoire for all church musicians, making it an attractive companion to The Oxford Book of Christmas Organ Music. 9780193517677 ........................................... $39.00
Piano Sketches Duets Book 1 6 easy pieces for piano four-hands 9780193517653 ........................................... $25.00
Piano Sketches Duets Book 2 5 easy to intermediate pieces for piano four-hands 9780193517660 ........................................... $23.00
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for
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