Fundamental Music Instruction

Transcription

1 Fundamental Music Instruction

2 Welcome to the Fundamental Music Instruction First Songs for Band a beginner s starter kit. The goal of this booklet (and the Supplement Book) is to help the very beginning student explore the first sounds, begin a study of basic rhythmic playing, learn to play in a smooth, pleasing fashion and master several notes appropriate for this level of study. To make the most progress possible, a student must find a quiet place to practice and get in the habit of truly listening to the sounds being produced. Learning to critique one s sound is the best tool for building a lasting mastery of musicianship on every level. The music in this book is sequential from initial sounds to songs that are appropriate for the first performance. It is designed to go along with the Supplementary Workbook so students should work through both books together many concepts are repeated from book to book to help reinforce important aspects of musical development. Ed Kelly, Fundamental Music Instruction Administrator

3 ASSEMBLY AND CARE OF THE SAXOPHONE Congratulations on your choice of instruments You are playing one of the most expressive of all wind instruments. Your saxophone assembly includes a few main parts of your instrument The main body The neck Mouthpiece Reed Ligature (the gizmo that clamps the reed onto the mouthpiece) The first thing to be aware of is that some of the keywork (rods, keys etc.) can get bent. Normal light pressure is fine, but if you have to force anything things could get bent out of whack. During any of the assembly, if you are in doubt, wait until you are with the teacher. GREASE THE NECK CORK, NECK STRAP Before assembling the saxophone, the neck cork must be given a thin coat of cork grease prior to placing the mouthpiece in position. Apply cork grease onto the cork each time the instrument is assembled for the first week and then only as needed thereafter. Place the neck strap over your neck. With right hand grasp the bell of the instrument to remove the saxophone from the case. Hook the neck strap to the strap ring and adjust the strap so that the weight of the saxophone is on the strap. Make sure that the screw at the top has been loosened to allow the neck tenon to fit into the top of the body. Note that there are usually two screws at the top. One of them has a square hole next to it which is used to hold a lyre (marching band music stand). You need the other screw. Holding the neck in your other hand, slide it down into the body. A slight twisting motion might help. If this is very stiff you could try a small blob of oil or cork grease, but if it really does not want to go in, don t force it - take the saxophone back to the shop or to a good repairer. Check that the loop of the (octave) key mechanism on the neck fits over the extending octave pin at the top of the body. These should end up being very close but not quite touching. The middle of the back of the neck should be lined up with the extending pin. Neck Screw

4 Placing the reed on the mouthpiece: Pick up the mouthpiece and loosen the ligature. Wet a reed in your mouth, being very careful not to chip the very delicate thin end Place the reed on the flat table of the mouthpiece with the curved end (the thin delicate bit) so that it lines up exactly with the curved tip of the mouthpiece. Slide the ligature over the reed, (being very careful again not to damage the tip), until it is approximately halfway between the end of the shaved part of the reed and the bottom (straight thick) end. Tighten the ligature screws so that it is just tight enough to hold the reed so that it cannot slip around Push the mouthpiece onto the cork at the end of the saxophone neck, being careful not to catch the tip of the reed on anything. You may use a twisting motion to help get the mouthpiece firmly on the neck. How far you push the mouthpiece on depends on the tuning of the saxophone, so for now don t worry, just make sure it is covering more than half of the cork and is a firm fit. Lastly, adjust the sax to you. Many parts are adjustable and the idea is for the sax to come to you, not you twist to get to it. The parts that adjust are the Neck Strap up and down, the Sax Neck goes left and right and the Mouthpiece spins f side to side so you can set your head angle without bending your neck at all. Let the Neck Strap take the weight of the Saxophone.

5 Your Mouth and Making a Sound Start with the neck and mouthpiece only. It is easier to set your mouth with just the mouthpiece to practice blowing and the neck gives you a nice handle. Your teeth will touch the top of the Mouthpiece and your top lip is used to seal around it so air does not get out. Your bottom lip covers your bottom teeth and acts as a cushion between the Reed and bottom teeth. You put the mouthpiece in your mouth so your teeth touch at ¼ of an inch and your lip will look like it goes to the middle of the incline, top of the mouthpiece. Applying a moderate amount of pressure to the reed, blow into the mouthpiece. You should hear a note when you blow. You want to try a get it steady and strong with just the mouthpiece and neck before putting the Neck on the Sax Body. Your Left Hand The left hand thumb goes on the back of the sax on a thumb rest. The next 3 fingers go on the buttons opposite the thumb. Many Saxes have 3 big white buttons with one little one he 3 fingers go on these bigger 3 buttons. Some Saxes have an extra big white button above where the 3 fingers go. You can tell by looking and counting how many white buttons you see in the left hand area. If you see a total of 5, skip the first one, put your index finger one the second one, skip the little 3rd one and put the next 2 fingers on the last 2 buttons. It should pretty much fit your hand and will be very natural after a few sessions. You pinky will just hover over a complicated key with 4 gold buttons and rollers between them humb, 1, 2, 3 is the left hand. Your Right Hand The right hand is easy. Your thumb goes in the thumb rest on the inside close to you, and finger go 1, 2, 3 on the only 3 white buttons in a row on the opposite side of your thumb. Your hand can pretty much find these keys without even looking. Your pinky will hover over 2 gold key with roller

6 Your First Notes Once you have your hands in place, put your left hand index finger down and close just the one button. Make sure you only close this one button. You are pressing a B note. Following the same set up you used for the neck and mouthpiece only, play this note (B) If the B does not come out, a few things could be wrong. You might have your left hand too high and be touching a side key that will make you squeak. Another way to check your left hand placement is to make sure your ring finger is on the bottom of the white buttons, and then put your middle finger on the next button up, then skip the little one and place your index finger on the next button, leaving the top button or leaver open. If this sounds complicated, check the pictures again and know you will only have to think about this for a few times and it will fall right into place after a few practice sessions. Other issues could be the way the neck and body are working together. The neck might need to be adjusted for the little key on the neck to work right. If it is open, even a little, it will make the note want to play too high. This little key could have a damaged little pad on it all together too. This is a simple repair and will need to be fixed before you can go on. If the sax has not been checked out, there could be adjustment problems, even on new saxes. When in doubt, blame the sax and get it checked out. Once you know the sax is working right you can really get focused on playing with confidence.

7 Alto Sax. First Songs for Band Preliminary Songs & # 4 4 w w w w & # w w w w & # w w w w & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

8 2 Try to play the first 7 notes in 1 breath! This section of the song is called a phrase, and should be played in a smooth and connected style (Legato) - see the explanation below. # Inch Worm & G A G A G A w A G A G G w A w A This marking is a "Quarter # Rest". It means to be silent for & œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ Vitamin A # Inch Worm 2 & 1 beat (or 1 tap of your foot). w w w Articulation Simply put - this means to begin each note with a sound the tongue makes that clearly starts every tone. To start (without the mouthpiece) pronounce words like DON or DAWN or DONE. The place where the tip of the tongue touches the mouth in pronouncing these words is the proper placement for Legato articulation. Next try a sound using the tongue and the mouthpiece, breathe as you did when starting without the tongue and simply move the tongue as you would to pronounce Dada.

9 B A G Song Section 3 It takes 3 & # w w w w w w & # w w Hot Cross Buns & # w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

10 4 Apache Warrior & # œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w French Song & #. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w. Christmas Chimes & # w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó w

11 5 Mary Had a Little Lamb & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Down by the Station & # œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Gotcha Cha Cha & # œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ

12 6 Hot Cross Buns & # w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Apache Warrior & # œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ w Mary Had a Little Lamb & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style. Belt Level Awarded

13 G A B C Song Section 7 March & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Indian Song 1/2 Scale & #. œ œ œ œ. Rockin' & # œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

14 8 Whose on First & #. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers Polka & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ

15 9 Ladders & # œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œœ œ œ w Looney Tunes & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Circular Motion & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

16 10 Indian Song & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Rockin' & # œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Whose on First & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

17 G A B C D Song Section 11 Oats Peas and Beans & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Rain Rain & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Joyful Joyful & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ

18 12 Jingle Bells & # 1. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. 2. œ œ œ œ w Dreydle Dreydle & #. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w. Old English Song & # œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

19 13 Small World & #.. œ. œ w. œ. œ w & #. œ. œ œ œ w w w. Sweetly Sings the Donkey & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ & # œ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ w

20 14 Good King Wenceslas & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 5 Note Scale & # w w w w w œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w 4 3 Cuckoo & # 4 3 œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ. œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ. & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ. 4

21 15 Rain Rain & # 4 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Joyful Joyful & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. j œ Good King Wenceslas & # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style. Belt Level Awarded

22 Elements of Music Whole Note: Four beats OR Four evenly timed taps of your foot Half Note: Two beats OR Two evenly timed taps of your foot Quarter Note: One beats OR One note for each evenly timed foot tap E C A F Grass Eat Cows All Fine Does Boy Good Every Always Fine Do Boys Good Some helpful terms: Allegro: a quick and lively tempo Andante: a moderate tempo Adagio: a slow and relaxed tempo Piano (p): soft Mezzo forte (mf ): medium loud Forte (f ): loud Fortissimo (ff ): very loud Fermata: hold note for longer than its value Sharp sign: raise note 1 half tone Natural sign: note returns to unchanged pitch Flat sign: lower note 1 half tone