Topic: Pedagogy - Instrumental Tempo
Band members learn the tempo of a piece of music is set by the conductor, and that, regardless of what’s written on their sheet music, they must follow his baton and play with the group. This was why Isaih Boone, mentioned in the post for 4 July 2017, counted out the beat when he was teaching clarinet players to sight read. They were supposed to get the notes and durations from the music, and the pacing from him.
Band method books typically mentioned three speeds: moderato, andante which was slower than moderato, and allegro which was faster. Although some theorists tried to specify ranges of speed measured by a metronome in beats per minute for each Italian term, band book editors used relative definitions. For instance, Bruce Pearson defined moderato as "moderate speed" and andante as "moderately slow" in Standard of Excellence. [1]
Pearson’s explanation of allegro as "quick and lively" [2] introduced a different element, that tempo markings in fact signified the style of attacking notes. Taking a recording and altering the speed didn’t transform a moderato piece into an allegro; it just became a faster version of itself.
Students intuited the meanings of the terms from the examples they played. Pearson’s first moderato pieces were Mozart’s arrangement of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy" theme. "Ach! Du Lieber Augustine" was the first allegro work, and "Sakura" the first marked andante.
Only one modern book took a different approach to tempo, Band Expressions. Robert and Susan Smith’s team introduced rock as a musical style on page 21, and began using stylistic adjectives in the upper left corner of the staff where tempo comments appeared. On page 24, they used the words "Joyous!" and "Moderately bright." Even then, they got no faster than "Lively!" on page 39 of the 51 pages of lessons. [3]
A number of band books introduced the much slower "largo" after the basic tempos had been learned. The "Largo" theme from Dvorak’s From the New World symphony was often the first example. Pearson followed it with a "Chorale" by Lowell Mason and "Kumbaya," which was to be played softly.
Maintaining a slow tempo was difficult because it exposed problems with tone control. Timothy Broege warned conductors who were considering using his level-two [4] version of "Kumbaya" that the "slow and sustained" opening required "well-supported tone from all players." [5]
Most of his "Performance Notes" dealt with tempo. He told band teachers, "as the music builds toward the key change at m. 42, care should be taken to avoid playing at a faster tempo that the opening quarter-note = 80," [6] which fell into andante range. He made the additional suggestion that "singing the tune in unison is good preparation for rehearsing the music." [7]
Performers
Standard of Excellence for trumpet/cornet
Vocal Soloist: none
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Soloist: none
Instrumental Group: trumpets and cornets
Instrumental Accompaniment: none
Rhythm Accompaniment: none
Timothy Broege
Vocal Soloist: none
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Soloists: none
Instrumental Group: flute, oboe, various clarinets, various saxophones, bassoon, trumpets, French horn, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, marimba, bells, chimes
Rhythm Accompaniment: floor tom-tom, bass drum, snare drum, timpani, suspended and ride cymbals, tambourine, triangle
Credits
Standard of Excellence for trumpet/cornet
African Folk Song
Timothy Broege
Traditional Spiritual. Arranged by Timothy Broege
© 2004 Music Works
"Among African-American spirituals, Kum Ba Yah is one of the most widely known and loved, included in many church hymnals. The tune was also an anthem of the American civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Its simple diatontic eloquence - the tune is nothing but a six-pitch hexachord - and prayfulness have been inspiration to millions the world over." [8]
Notes on Lyrics
There were none
Notes on Music
Standard of Excellence for trumpet/cornet
Opening Phrase: 1-3-5
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: largo
Key Signature: no flats or sharps for B-flat trumpet
Dynamics: marked "p"
Basic Structure: one verse, with no variations for B-flat trumpet
Timothy Broege
Open Phrase: 1-3-5
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: slow and sustained, quarter note = 80 beats per minute
Basic Structure: "repeated statements of the tune with varied accompaniments for each statement. The tune is heard in both major and minor modes, and moves from an initial pitch-center of Bb major, through D major, culminating in a rapturous and triumphant Eb major" [9]
Audience Perceptions
Standard of Excellence ranked after the Essential Elements books in the number of comments made on Amazon’s retail website. One person, who identified himself as a kid who "taught myself to play!," wrote:
"I was so eager to get this book! [. . .] I would recommend this book for anybody who would like to learn the trumpet by themselves from the very beginning. The first day I got this book, I was playing many songs and now I can play scales and much longer songs." [10]
Another young musician remembered:
"I was required to study out of this book when I first started playing the trumpet. I got really good really fast because of it. It’s got pictures and shows a kind of step by step guide to learning the trumpet. You only get new notes when you’re ready to learn new notes with this book. It taught me everything I know about music theory and because of that I can pick up almost any instrument and start playing." [11]
The book’s use of familiar tunes was appreciated by parents, who could use them to gauge their children’s progress. One remarked:
"Great book for beginners! My child can now play hot cross buns till the cows come home. Clear and easy to read/learn." [12]
Another echoed Joseph Maddy’s comments quoted in the post for 27 June 2017:
"Had to purchase for my son’s band at school. [. . .] There are a few tunes in there he loves to play so to me, if he is interested in playing the music in here - it’s a big plus!" [13]
I couldn’t find any versions of Broege’s arrangement on YouTube or Amazon.
Notes on Performers
Pearson began playing clarinet in a Minnesota small city [14] some 35 miles northwest of Minneapolis. [15] After graduating from Saint Cloud State University in 1964, [16] he taught in public schools. His book, which he described as "performance-centered," [17] drew upon notes he kept about "what students at each level could and couldn’t do." [18]
Broege studied composition at Northwestern University and taught music in both Chicago and his native New Jersey until 1980. He was the organist at First Presbyterian Church in Belmar, New Jersey, and at Elberon Memorial Church, in Elberon, New Jersey. He later taught privately in Bradley Beach, New Jersey. [18]
Availability
Standard of Excellence for trumpet/cornet
Book: "Kum Ba Yah." 35 in Standard of Excellence. Book 1. Bb Trumpet/Cornet. Edited by Bruce Pearson. San Diego: Neil A. Kjos Music Company, 1993. It came with a CD. Books also were available for oboe, flute, various clarinets, various saxophones, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, piano, guitar, electric bass, drums and mallet percussion, and timpani and auxiliary percussion.
Timothy Broege
Sheet Music: "Kum Ba Yah." Milwaukee: Music Works, 2004. Distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation, Milwaukee. Score came with a CD.
End Notes
1. Pearson. 28.
2. Pearson. 28.
3. Robert W. Smith and Susan L. Smith. Band Expressions. Book 1. Trumpet. Van Nuys, California: Alfred Publishing Company, 2003.
4. The Safe Music website defined Level 2 as easy, "arranged for 2nd-3rd year players with semi-fluent technique, these pieces have intermediate rhythms with some syncopation, duplet and triplet rhythms. The ranges are less restricted, and some changing meter work is introduced." ("Band Difficulty Gradings")
5. Timothy Broege. "Performance Notes."
6. Broege, Notes.
7. Broege, Notes.
8. Broege, Notes.
9. Broege, Notes.
10. A Kid’s Review. Comment posted to Amazon on 9 July 2010.
11. B. L. Schneider. Comment posted to Amazon on 19 September 2011.
12. Amazon Customer. Comment posted to Amazon on 6 November 2013.
13. ashct04. Comment posted to Amazon on 9 September 2016.
14. Dutch Wikipedia. "Bruce Pearson."
15. Wikipedia. "Elk River, Minnesota."
16. "Outstanding Alumni: Bruce Pearson." Saint Cloud State University’s Department of Music website.
17. "Standard of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method." Bruce Pearson Music website.
18. "Bruce Pearson." National Association of Music Merchants website
19. "Timothy Broege - Biography." His website.
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