Habits of a Successful STRING ORCHESTRA - giamusic.com · Tone, timbre, articulation, style,...

Habits of a Successful STRING ORCHESTRA

THe secreT is THe rigHT Hand

using fundaMenTals TiMe To iMprove Your orcHesTra’s Tone,

arTiculaTion, inTonaTion, rHYTHM and reading abiliTY

Christopher r. selby

in THis session, aTTendees will learn: • Strategies for developing better tone and articulation performance skills

• How to teach well-blended ensemble tone and its relationship to group intonation

• Exercises for teaching rhythmic bowings

• Strategies for teaching rhythmic literacy

GIA Publications, Inc.Chicago

2

Which hand tends to get the most attention, and why?

Students (and teachers) tend to focus on the left hand because that is the hand that

controls

! The Notes—including the wrong notes that they try to avoid

! The Intonation—including fixing those out of tune notes

! AKA: The more obvious musical components that tend to be important to kids.

Do teachers focus too much on the left hand? What does the right hand control?

! Tone, timbre, articulation, style, dynamics, phrasing, and most of the elements

related to rhythm.

! While robotic left hand precision is nice, the right hand controls the most

expressive elements in our music—the qualities that make music more human.

PART 1: Tone and Articulation Tone! The most forgotten part of string education. The musical component that

! Is the quality we love most about our instruments.

! Is connected to intonation, rhythm, articulation and dynamics.

! Is not mentioned once in the new national standards.

Why we forget to teach tone

In addition to being controlled by the wrong hand, Tone is not visibly depicted in notation. We use our scores to help us figure out what to teach: notes, rhythms,

bowings, dynamics, even tempo markings and musical words. But we forget what we

cannot see.

Breaking Tone Into Its Parts

! Reviewing and Improving the Bow Hand

! Teaching Tone and Articulation Performance Skills

! Developing Ensemble Tone and its relationship to intonation

3

STEP 1. Reviewing and Improving the Bow Hand—Every day is bow hand day.

1. Rest Position. Let the bow rest in the hand with the hair up. Guide students to

check the curvature and placement of their thumb and fingers.

2. “Go Fishing” to feel the weight of the bow in a relaxed and fluid right hand.

3. Practice taking the bow to the string without the pinky. This technique is

especially important for students with pinky problems.

Golden Rule: The bow is held up by the string, and it is held down by the bow

hand.

STEP 2. Teach students all of the important “tone terms.”

! Quality instrument, strings, and bow with clean hair that has a good coat of rosin

! All parts of the bow: balance point, upper and lower half, frog and tip

! Triangle of tone production: Bow speed, weight and contact point (where on the

string between the bridge and fingerboard.)

! Bow angle and rotation

STEP 3. Use Open Strings to teach basic tone production.

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I Tone and ArticulationOpen String Exercises

Even Tone - Frog to Tip

contact point, angle, weight, and speed.

Teacher Tips:The purpose of this exercise is to study the following basic bowing components without thinking about fingers or counting.

Bow Hold: A “flawless” bow hold has no visible problems or unnecessary tension; finger placement is correct; thumb and pinky are curved; knuckles are fluid.Contact Point: The bow is correctly placed on the string between the bridge and fingerboardBow Angle: The bow is perpendicular to the string and the stick is directly over the hair or rotated slightly toward the scroll of the instrument.Bow Placement: The correct part of the bow for producing the desired articu-lation —frog, balance point, middle, tip—is over the string.Bow weight and bow speed are balanced and produce an excellent tone that projects well.

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Teacher Tips:

the string.

STUDENT PAGE 1

STUDENT PAGE 1

4

Teacher Tips

• Students are to practice using the entire bow with a constant bow speed. Bow angles should be perpendicular to the string.

• Dig in more at the tip and less at the frog to compensate for the bow's tendency to be light at the tip.

• Move the bow closer to the bridge when digging in more, and closer to the finger board when digging in less.

Bowing Variations Here are a number of tools and strategies we use to efficiently and effectively teach tone, articulation, and rhythm combinations. We use the following sequence most often:

1. Select a rhythm or bowing that the students need to learn or review, possibly from the menu of options below, or make up your own.

2. Establish a tempo from a concert piece with the rhythms the students are playing.

3. Use the introduction to model the rhythms or articulations students are to learn. 4. Students play the Theme immediately after the teacher, demonstrating the

rhythm or articulation just modeled by the teacher or student leader. 5. Practice with and without the classroom metronome.

1I Tone and Articulation

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Grab and Release

Grab the string with the hair of the bow to begin each note with a crisp attack.


Crossings Strings


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With a flawless bow hold, play the open string without counting or keeping

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Grab the string with the hair of the bow to begin each note with a crisp attack.


Crossings Strings

2 Habits of a Successful String Musician - Violin

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Bowing VariationsPerform the theme using one of the rhythm or articulations from the variations below.

Introduction (teacher) Theme (student)

Basic Bow Strokes

Full Bow Exercises

Dotted Rhythms and Hooked Bows

5

Things to Remember

• Model how students are to sound • Assess student performance. Look for correct bow hold, direction, part of the

bow, good weight and speed to project well, and correct articulation Slurring Variations can be used to teach slurs and detaché (including sautillé)

• Use a metronome: Start with a slow tempo and gradually increase speed. • Use more weight on the slurs, and more bow on separate notes.

Velocity Etude for Bow Management While we use the velocity etude primarily for developing left hand speed, it has also been a good tool for teaching students to manage their bow speed. Students must pay attention to contact point, bow weight and speed to produce a good tone from the first note to the last.


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Bowing VariationsPerform the theme using one of the rhythm or articulations from the variations below.

Introduction (teacher) Theme (student)

Basic Bow Strokes

Full Bow Exercises

Dotted Rhythms and Hooked Bows


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Slurs6 Habits of a Successful String Musician - Violin

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19. Tetrachord Etude

Tuning Notes (Dorian Tetrachord) Etude

After learning the Etude with the Dorian tetrachord above, play it with one of the other tetrachords below.

Tetrachords: Major Dorian Phrygian Lydian Major (half pos.)

20. Velocity Etude

Perform as written first, and then perform with the different finger patterns (#2. Fn and #3. Ef) shown below.

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Velocity Etude Variations A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.

I. J. K. L. M. N.

O. P. Q. R.

21. Trills The trills on beats 2 and 4 are performed the same way.

6

Give students exercises and opportunities to learn how to finely tune their fingers Tuning Canons, Chords and Chorales teach students to listen, blend, and finely tune the notes and chords in each key. For overall balance, the lower instruments should be louder than the upper instruments, and no one should play so loudly that they cannot blend and finely tune their notes with the players around them. The tuning canon is a good way to begin class; as a warm up, students can focus on performing with good pitch and good tone


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Df Major

120. Tuning Canon 121. Tuning Chords 1. 2. 3. 4.

122. Scales and Arpeggios - One Octave

Two Octaves

Three Octaves

123. Dominant Arpeggio

124. Thirds - Lower Octave

Upper Octave

119VI Chorales

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STUDENT PAGE 40

STUDENT PAGE 40

128 Habits of a Successful String Musician - Conductor

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201. Chorale #10: Chorale from Emperor Concerto,Movt. 2 q = 42

STUDENT PAGE 42

7

Teaching Rhythmic Literacy and Sight Reading

The goal of teaching rhythm is to develop independent string musicians who can decipher, recall and perform written rhythms without the help of a teacher. We need to be careful how we respond to the most frequently asked question in music education: “How does this go?” If we are not careful, teachers can unintentionally create students that become rhythmically dependent upon the teacher or other players. All rhythm has two components: the pulse and the rhythm that goes over the pulse. The teacher must develop both components for a student to properly understand and perform rhythms. Pulse should always be taught and established first; students need to learn that there can be a pulse without a rhythm, but there is no such thing as good rhythm without a pulse.

Additional Sight Reading Exercises

45VII Rhythm Charts in a Musical Context

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B. Ties, Dotted Quarter Notes, and Eighth Rests208a. and b.

209a. and b.

210a. and b.

211a. and b.

212a. and b.

213a. and b.

For additional practice with ties, dotted quarter notes and eighth rest patterns, go to Part VIII Sight Reading Exercises 270–283.

47VII Rhythm Charts in a Musical Context

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D. Intermediate Triple Meter220a. and b.

221a. and b.

222a. and b.

223a. and b.

224a. and b.

225a. and b.

For additional practice with intermediate triple meter patterns, go to Part VIII Sight Reading Exercises 298–308.


VIII Sight-Reading by Level

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A. Quarter Notes and Rests; Eighth Notes

57VIII Sight-Reading by Level

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284.

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C. Syncopation

8

Getting Started 1. Establish and model the tempo and counting style students are to use during the

rhythmic example. Students are to count the pulse (not the rhythm of the music) out loud. After they demonstrate their ability to keep a steady pulse counting, they can begin performing the rhythm of the music with their bow hand while continuing to count out loud. Count using the smallest denomination used in the music; for example:

a. If the example is mostly quarters and half notes, count quarter notes (1, 2, 3, 4.)

b. If the example has dotted quarters and eighth-notes, count the pulse and division (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &)

c. Dotted eighths and sixteenth-notes: 1 e & a, 2 e & a, 3 e & a, 4 e & a 2. While counting out loud, students perform the rhythm exercises with their bow.

a. Air bow first. Students can get a preliminary feel of the rhythm as they count the pulse out loud. Longer notes should be bowed with a slow, sustained motion. The Teacher can check to make sure students are counting and watch the bows to assess who is struggling most.

b. After students demonstrate success with air bowing, have them count and bow the rhythm on an open string. Watch students closely to make sure they continue counting as they play; the students who don’t count will not know when to come in after long notes and rests.

c. When they are ready, have students look at the line with the pitches. Remind them to look at the key signature, and have them mentally practice (silently air bowing and putting fingers on the string) before the class plays together. This important step gives the non-readers with good ears a chance to practice reading without having the opportunity to listen to the person next to them.

d. Instruct students to perform the notes and rhythms on the second line with their bows. If they seem to need it, students may take the intermediate step of counting and playing pizzicato before playing the notes arco.

Counting Out Loud To genuinely understand a rhythm pattern, students must perform the rhythm while simultaneously keeping a consistent pulse somewhere else in their body. The biggest benefit to this strategy is that students are counting while they perform through long or dotted notes and rests, which is the most important time to count. Students will find it easier to “count in their head” (and they will beg their teachers to let them do this) because in truth, they temporarily stop counting during the toughest rhythms; instead, they should count out loud, especially when the rhythms are difficult. Modeling is encouraged, but avoid teaching rhythm through repetition. Hammering a rhythm over and over may clean up rhythmic inaccuracies, but the students are only learning to copy the teacher, and not learning to count and independently perform the rhythm. Each time a rhythm or exercise is repeated, the students with good ears and poor reading ability have less need to read. So, avoid repetition, and remember that the best time to teach rhythmic literacy is every time students are learning new exercises or music.

9

Take Students Through a Series of Rhythm Exercises that are sequenced in increasing difficulty. Also, practice musical sight reading exercises that gradually challenge students to play harder rhythms, in more advanced keys, and in higher positions and alternate clefs. A. Quarter Notes and Rests; Eighth Notes B. Ties, Dotted Quarters, and Eighth Rests C. Syncopation D. Intermediate Triple Meter

E. Triplets F. Simple Sixteenth Notes G. Dotted Eighth Notes and Sixteenth Rests H. Cut Time J. Advanced Triple Meter K. Irregular Meter

Final Thoughts

1. Make Time—fundamentals time—for teaching technique to your upper level students.

a. Fundamentals Time (50%) b. Concert Music Rehearsal (50%)

2. Determine the skills that students at each level should have, and plan how you

will go about teaching them these skills. a. Determine the skills for each level of orchestra you teach. b. Organize these skills into units.

i. Left Hand Unit: Finger Patterns, Shifting, Upper Positions ii. Tone and Articulation: Bow hand, basic tone projection, spiccato,

etc iii. Scales and Arpeggios iv. Theory and Creativity v. Concert Music

3. Create a Long Range plan that identifies the skills that will be addressed in each quarter.

10

Notes

11

Notes

Dr. Christopher Selby is the author of Habits of a Successful Orchestra Director, and co-author of the Habits of a Successful String Musician series, a collection string method books for middle and upper level orchestras published by GIA. He is an active clinician and conductor, and he has presented sessions at the Midwest Clinic, the 2016 NAfME National Conference, four American String Teacher Association (ASTA) National Conferences, and numerous state conferences across America. He currently directs the high school orchestras at the School of the Arts in Charleston, SC, where he led the school’s Symphony Orchestra to win the 2016 ASTA National Orchestra Festival’s top award of Grand Champion in the competitive public school division.

Dr. Selby earned his music education degree from the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut, and Masters and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in Orchestral Conducting from the University of South Carolina. Before taking his current job at the Charleston School of the Arts, Dr. Selby taught orchestra in traditional elementary, middle and high schools for eighteen years. He was the Orchestra Coordinator in Richland School District Two from 2001 to 2012, where he taught high school and supervised the district’s orchestra curriculum and instruction. Dr. Selby guest conducts at Regional and All-State Orchestras, and he currently serves on the Council for Orchestral Education in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). From 2012-2014, he was the Chair of the ASTA Committee on School Orchestras and Strings. Dr. Selby was the Executive Board President of the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA) from 2011-2013, and he is currently serving a second term as the President of the state’s Orchestra Division. He was named the SC ASTA Orchestra Teacher of the Year in 2009, and has written articles for NAfME and in ASTA’s American String Teacher.

Habits of a Successful Orchestra DirectorHelpful Tips and Practical Strategies for Improving String InstructionChristopher Selby • Scott Rush

Christopher Selby and his team have created a resource that is rich with practical strategies for developing a successful orchestra program. This book will inspire young and veteran orchestra directors looking for fresh ideas about teaching orchestra students of all ages to:

• Perform with refined intonation, expressive musicianship, and a beautiful tone• Develop advanced performance technique, rhythmic precision, and ensemble skills• Sight-read better, rehearse more efficiently in class, and practice better at home• Become orchestra leaders and take greater pride and ownership in your ensemble

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Habits of a Successful Orchestra Director is a comprehensive book designed to exponentially inspire as teaching skills grow. It will be a constant and essential companion throughout the career of any orchestra director.

Habits of a Successful String Musician A Comprehensive Curriculum for Use During Fundamentals Time

Christopher Selby • Scott Rush • Rich MoonHabits of a Successful String Musician is a field-tested, vital, and - most important - musical collection of almost 400 sequenced exercises for building fundamentals.Perfect to use with the entire string orchestra or solo player at virtually any skill level, this series contains carefully sequenced warm-ups, sight-reading etudes, rhythm vocabulary studies, chorales, tuning canons, and much more. In one place, this series collects everything an aspiring player needs to build fundamental musicianship skills and then be able to transfer those skills directly into the performance of great literature.

• Creates a method for teaching scales, arpeggios and thirds that simultaneously accommodates students of different ability levels.

• Organizes tone, rhythm and articulation patterns into a flexible and sequential series.• Creates finger pattern and velocity studies that address the most common problems encountered by intermediate orchestra students.• Provides beginning through advanced shifting exercises for students of every level.• Creates exercises for learning alternate clefs and higher positions.• Provides chorales for the development of intonation, tone quality, blend and musicianship.• Presents rhythm charts in a new format that allows transfer from timing and rhythm to pitches in a musical context.• Provides audition sight-reading in a classroom “full ensemble” format that is well planned in scope and sequence. There are over 130 sight-reading examples in this book.• Promotes the idea

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1. Tone and Articulation2. Finger Patterns and Lower Positions3. Shifting and Upper Positions4. Scales, Arpeggios and Thirds5. Chorales—14 musical gems ranging in difficulty from Grade 2 to 46. Rhythm Vocabulary--7. Sight Reading

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Habits of a Successful

StringMusician

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Christopher SelbyScott Rush

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