Topic: Pedagogy - Instrumental Range
Children may begin singing when they are toddlers, but they need to be taught to play musical instruments. It’s true the very young can imitate drums by beating on anything that resonates and can pick out tunes on a piano by trial and error. [1] However, there’s nothing intuitive about playing a trumpet or clarinet. Even the talented need direction: E. T. Mensah remembered a Scotsman taught him the correct way to play saxophone, [2] while Victor Uwaifo had to be shown the standard tuning for a guitar. [3]
Beginning band books devoted their first pages to instructions specific to each instrument on topics like assembling an instrument and posture. Most left it to the music teacher to help students make their initial sounds. Vernon Leidig and Lennie Niehaus were the first [4] to suggest novices begin by working with the mouthpiece alone. After telling trumpet players to
"Place lips together naturally one against the other -- formed the syllable ‘Dim’."
Then, while keeping the "corners of the lips firm and cheeks firmly against the teeth and gums," they were told to "produce a clear steady buzz with lips alone." Next, they were allowed to "set mouthpiece only, on the lips as close to the center as possible" and blow. [5]
Given the difficulty of putting the process into words, others copied their use of the word "buzz" and recommendation to begin with the mouthpiece. [6] Harry Haines and John McEntyre added the suggestion that after buzzing and before using the mouthpiece alone, one "practice pulsing." [7]
The next step was blowing into an instrument. John Kinyon’s team said students will produce one of three notes on a trumpet when no valve was pressed: middle C, G, or upper C. After the band director told them which was natural for them, the book gave instructions on how to adjust to play G. [8]
The selection of G wasn’t made for the comfort of trumpet players. Band instruction manuals began with three notes, either E-F-G, F-G-A, or C-D-E. Since the group had to play in unison, the choice probably was one that fit the largest number of players. Thus, while clarinets and cornets began with simple key signatures, trombones began with D-E flat-F. [9]
Band books came in several volumes, but band directors like the one I had in the 1950s changed to sheet music as quickly as possible. Music publishers, who sold arrangements to public schools, established a rough classification system that indicated which items were appropriate for which students. Works intended for beginning students mainly used quarter and half notes, within a limited range of pitches. [10]
"Kumbaya" was ideal for some of the same reasons it had been useful for vocal-music textbook editors. It was in the public domain, so cost nothing to reprint. As originally published, the melody used only six notes of the scale with no sharps or flats. While it had some eighth notes, most were quarter and half notes. Further, if one played it slowly, the eighth note became a quarter note. The only problem was the opening C-F-G pattern was not as easy for a beginner as a melody that moved one tone at a time.
One young girl who posted a video of herself playing clarinet wrote she was "using c,e,g,a,f,d." She was able to do so without looking at music.
Trumpets differed from clarinets because they only had three keys. As suggested above, the same fingering pattern was used for different notes, and the pitch was achieved by varying the size of the lip opening. For "Kumbaya," the C and G were both open (no keys pressed), and the E and G both used the first and second valves.
Clarinets repeated the fingering by register, so the same fingers were used for both middle C and upper C. Which sound was heard was determined by pressing a small key near the top. The change began with B, and moving from the orchestra A to B was called crossing the break.
Until young students developed the proper facial muscles, they had problems hitting notes on the trumpet, or, if hitting them, sustaining them. Clarinet reeds were less forgiving than brass mouthpieces: when a note wasn’t played properly, the reed squeaked. Lori Baruth said the noise usually was caused by clamping down on the mouthpiece, but also might come from leaving a key partly pressed or a reed in poor condition. [11] The first two were more likely to occur in the upper register.
Sandy Feldstein and Larry Clark began Yamaha’s clarinet version of "Kumbaya" on F so it rose to high D. They had introduced the break earlier, and were using "Kumbaya" as a way to drill clarinet players. The simple opening chord of every phrase, F-A-upper C crossed the break. To emphasize the range, clarinets ended by playing the final kumbaya on the G and F below middle C.
John O’Reilly worked with Feldstein on an earlier Yamaha method book. For Accent of Achievement, he worked with a man who had played clarinet as a child. Their clarinet book started "Kumbaya" on low F while the trumpet book began on F. Half-way through the clarinet part changed and played in unison with the trumpet. The song was included on the page devoted to "crossing the break" because playing lines one and three, which were the same, in two octaves demonstrated the use of the register key. [12]
The two Essential Elements editions used the same F-A-upper C opening chord as Yamaha. Standard of Excellence and Jim Evans used the original middle C-E-G pattern and stayed below the break. [13]
Kylie Sanders posted a video of her version of "Kumbaya" on clarinet. She noted: "So many high notes!! I made it though!!" If the girl were using a book like Yamaha Advantage or Essential Elements, she had a hard time with the upper C, and squeaked the first time she descended from D to C at the end of the first line. She had no problems with the one interval descent from C to B flat to D to G in the second line. When she repeated the first line, she was more relaxed and did not squeak.
Performers
Yamaha Advantage for B-flat clarinet
Vocal Soloist: none
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Group: B-flat clarinet
Rhythm Accompaniment: none
Kylie Sanders and unidentified clarinet player
Vocal Soloist: none
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Soloist: B-flat clarinet
Instrumental Accompaniment: none
Rhythm Accompaniment: none
Credits
Yamaha Advantage for B-flat clarinet
African Folk Song
Kylie Sanders and unidentified clarinet player
None given
Notes on Lyrics
There were none
Notes on Music
Yamaha Advantage for B-flat clarinet
Opening Phrase: 1-3-5
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: largo
Key Signature: one flat
Kylie Sanders and unidentified clarinet player
Opening Phrase: 1-3-5
Tempo: slow
Basic Structure: played the melody through one time
Notes on Performance
Unidentified clarinet player
Location: played in her living room
Microphones: none
Clothing: navy blue school sweater
Kylie Sanders
Location: played in her living room
Microphones: none
Clothing: pink sleeveless top
Notes on Movement
Unidentified clarinet player
The young girl stood with her head bent down. One person observed she hadn’t yet mastered how to hold the instrument. [14]
Kylie Sanders
Sanders sat in a flat-bottomed chair, looked straight ahead at the music stand, and kept time with her right foot. She was still young enough that she needed to read the music and take a breath with each note.
Notes on Performers
Feldstein began playing drums when he was in elementary school and, by high school, was studying percussion in New York City. His music degrees were from the State University of New York at Potsdam, where he later taught, and Columbia University. After graduating, he worked as education director for Alfred Publishing. [15] He and John O’Reilly edited the first Yamaha band method book for them in 1988. [16] Feldstein then got involved with digital projects for Warner Brothers, and organized his own company, PlayinTime Productions. [17] In 1999, he was hired as president of Carl Fischer, the publisher of the current Yamaha method book. [18] PlayinTime’s website contained the digital files for Yamaha Advantage.
His co-editor, Larry Clark, was the son of a Florida band directory. He began playing trombone. After earning a music degree from Florida State University, Clark taught band in a Tampa middle school before going to James Madison University. Syracuse University hired him to direct its marching band. Warner Brothers then recruited him, and Feldstein took him to Carl Fischer where he became vice president. Clark continued to arrange music, including currently popular songs for high school band half time programs. In 2015 he did one for Bartow, Florida, High School that "transforms the football field into a pinball machine, and Clark’s musical arrangements include The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’ as well as themes from such video games as ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘The Legend of Zelda’." [19]
When "Kumbaya" was recorded, Sanders was in sixth grade. The next year she was in the East Jackson Middle School band in Commerce, Georgia, and part of the district honor band. [20]
I could find nothing on the person who uploaded the other video.
Availability
Yamaha Advantage for B-flat clarinet
Book: "Kum Ba Yah." 32 in The Yamaha Advantage. Book 1. Clarinet. Edited by Sandy Feldstein and Larry Clark. New York: Carl Fischer, 2001. Books also were available for flute, oboe, other clarinets, various saxophones, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, baritone horn, trombone, tuba, electric bass, and combined percussion.
Unidentified clarinet player
YouTube: "Kum ba yah clarinet." Uploaded by fa8le1 on 5 February 2013.
Kylie Sanders
YouTube: "Kum bah yah on clarinet!!" Uploaded by Kylie Sanders on 14 May 2017.
End Notes
1. Arnold Gesell and Frances L. Ilg. The Child from Five to Ten. New York: Harper and Row, 1946. 83.
2. For more on E. T. Mensah, see the post for 29 April 2018.
3. For more on Victor Uwaifo, see the post for 6 May 2018.
4. See Notes on Sample in post for 27 June 2018 for details on how I determined the "first" band book to do something.
5. Vernon Leidig and Lennie Niehaus. Visual Band Method. Book 1. Bb Trumpet (Cornet). Norwalk, California: Highland Etling Publishing, 1964. 3. Band books were careful to present the same material on the same page for every instrument.
6. For instance, Art C. Jenson used the same words in Learning Unlimited. Level One. Trumpet/Cornet. Winona, Minnesota: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1973. 5.
7. Harry H. Haines and J. R. McEntyre. Division of Beat. Book 1, Cornet/Trumpet, Baritone TC. San Antonio: Southern Music Company, 1980. 4.
8. John Kinyon, Richard Berg, and George Frederick McKay. The Band-Booster. Book 1. Bb Cornet (Trumpet). New York: Remick Music Corporation, 1960. 5.
9. Ed Sueta. Band Method. Book 1. Trombone. Rockaway, New Jersey: Macie Publishing Company, 1974.
10. The Safe Music website said level 1 was characterized by "very basic rhythms with restricted ranges" ("Band Difficulty Gradings"). The Music44 site said, in level 1 "mainly quarter note values and longer are used, with eighth notes occasionally. Limited number of pitches used" ("What is the Grade Level on a Piece of Music?")
11. Lori Baruth said the squeak was "usually an unintended high partial." "No More Squeaks! How To Successfully Diagnose and Treat Issues on the Clarinet." Kentucky Music Educator’s Association Conference. 2013. She listed other reasons all related to embouchure, breathing, or fingering.
12. "Kum Ba Yah." 30 in Accent on Achievement. Book 1. Bb Clarinet. Edited by John O’Reilly and Mark Williams. Van Nuys, California: Alfred Music, 1997. It came with a CD. Details on this version and Mark Williams appeared in the post for 26 August 2018.
13. Publishing details for band books containing "Kumbaya" were provided in the post for 27 June 2017.
14. Hadley Nichols wrote "that’s not even how to hold it." Comment posted to YouTube, 2017. People generally refrained from making critical comments on YouTube videos by children and young adolescents. The other comment by Emily Kristine was more typical: "Cute!" (Posted to You Tube, 2014)
15. Lauren Vogel Weiss. "Sandy Feldstein." Percussive Arts Society website.
16. Sandy Feldstein and John O’Reilly. Yamaha Band Student. Book 1. Bb Trumpet/Cornet. Van Nuys, California: Alfred Publishing Company, 1988.
17. Weiss.
18. "Sandy Feldstein." PlayinTime Advantage website.
19. Gary White. "Lakeland Resident Is Prolific Composer, Arranger of Music for School Bands." The [Lakeland, Florida] Ledger website, 6 September 2015.
20. "Congratulations to Our 11 EJMs Students Who Made District Honor Band!!!" East Jackson Middle School Eagle Band website.
No comments:
Post a Comment