Title Slide "Rhythm, pitch, harmony and the guitarist s ear"

Transcription

1 Title Slide "Rhythm, pitch, harmony and the guitarist s ear" RGT 99 teachers conference by Les Hatton V ersio n 1.0: 04/S ep t/1999 C o p y rig ht, L.Hatto n, 1999

2 Overview Examination performance Rhythm Pitch, harmony and voice leading Specific learning difficulties Pulling it all together RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 2) OC Copy right, 1999

3 RGT exam perform ance (exam ined by LH) Relativ e examination performance Scales / arps C hords Rhyt hm Lead Spoken Aural Specialism Ex am category RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 3) OC Copy right, 1999

4 Aural exam ination This consists of a combination of:- Repeating a rhythmby clapping Clapping along with a melody Repeating a phrase on the guitar Recognising intervals and cadences Recognising chord types RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 4) OC Copy right, 1999

5 Overview Examination performance Rhythm Pitch, harmony and voice leading Specific learning difficulties Pulling it all together RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 5) OC Copy right, 1999

6 Teaching rhythm Fundamentals:- Dance, movement, clapping Coordinating multiple rhythms Ideas fromdrumtutoring Triplets Rhythmic difficulties Very common not just in people with recognised difficulties such as dysphasic conditions. Very fewguitarists managed to clap a rhythm correctly in exams. RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 6) OC Copy right, 1999

7 Overview Examination performance Rhythm Pitch, harmony and voice leading Specific learning difficulties Pulling it all together RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 7) OC Copy right, 1999

8 The fundam entals of pitch Development of intervals Unison and octave 1:1 and 2:1 Dominant 3:2 Major third 4:3 More complex intervals Pitch difficulties Again very common not just in people with recognised difficulties. Guitarists often say wrong interval in exams. RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 8) OC Copy right, 1999

9 Part of the problem? Improvisation Chords Melody Harmonisation RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 9) OC Copy right, 1999

10 Im proving pitch awareness Singing Riffs after then before Scales after then before Arpeggios after then before, (ideally you should be able to sing everything you play, within range). Sight singing Pitch difficulties Singing and levels, (phase locking) Males are usually too embarrassed. The ear and the voice are tightly coupled RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 10) OC Copy right, 1999

11 The basics of harm ony Notes The structure of chords Voicing and the voice Harmony difficulties The plectrum, (a blunt instrument) The guitar is a lousy instrument to learn harmony Guitarists understand very little of fundamental harmony, (for example naming the notes of a scale). RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 11) OC Copy right, 1999

12 The structure of chords Basics Three kinds of chord, major, minor and dominant. They are built frommajor 3rds and Minor 3rds. RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 12) OC Copy right, 1999

13 Triads Three notes, therefore two intervals There are 2x2 possible ways of arranging two intervals from M3 and m3:- Major = M3+m3 Minor = m3 + M3 Diminished = m3 + m3 (naturally occurs in major and minor scales) Augmented = M3 + M3 (naturally occurs only in minor scale) RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 13) OC Copy right, 1999

14 Triads Semitones 1 0 Major Minor Diminished Augment ed RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 14) OC Copy right, 1999

15 4-note chords four notes, therefore three intervals There are 2x2x2 possible ways of arranging three intervals fromm3 and m3, (using C as an example):- C 7 = M3+m3+m3 Cm7 = m3+m3+m3 Cmaj7 = M3+m3+M3 Cm maj7 = m3+m3+m3 Cdim7 = m3+m3+m3 C+7 = M3+M3+M3 Cm7 b5 = m3+m3+m3 Cm7+5 = M3+M3+m3 RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 15) OC Copy right, 1999

16 4-note chords Semitones 2 0 Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 m Major 7 Diminished 7 Augment ed 7 m7 flat 5 m7 aug 5 RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 16) OC Copy right, 1999

17 Progressions and voices I - II - V - I for example, I - IIm7 - V7 - I (e.g. Bach prelude #1 in C) Voice 1: C-C-B-C Voice 2: E-F-F-E Voice 3: G-A-G-G RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 17) OC Copy right, 1999

18 String singing I - II - V - I Nowplay on the guitar C-Dm7-G7-C Voice 1: C-C-B-C Voice 2: E-F-F-E Voice 3: G-A-G-G (Each voice is a string) RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 18) OC Copy right, 1999

19 Teaching the ear String singing Guitarists often have difficulties hearing when a note is missing in a chord Guitarists often cannot hear the notes which are present Remedy Play sequence Choose a string and sing it playing the sequence Immediately play the sequence again and you will hear the note clearly. RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 19) OC Copy right, 1999

20 A bit more jazzy - rhythm changes I - VI-II - V - I Nowplay on the guitar Cmaj7-Am9-Dm11-G13-Cmaj7 Voice 1: B-C-D-D-B Voice 2: E-E-G-F-E Voice 3: G-A-A-G-G Voice 4: B-G-F-B-C Altogether now... RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 20) OC Copy right, 1999

21 Useful things for every m usician to know TTSTTTS (Major scale separations) M,m,m,M,M,m,d (diatonic triads in major scale) M7,m7,m7,M7,D7,m7,dm7b5 (diatonic 4-note chords in major scale) m,d,a,m,m,m,d (diatonic triads in harmonic minor) RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 21) OC Copy right, 1999

22 Overview Examination performance Rhythm Pitch, harmony and voice leading Specific learning difficulties Pulling it all together RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 22) OC Copy right, 1999

23 Specific learning difficulties to watch for Dyslexia Often confuse scales. Does not appear to affect pitch or rhythmin general Unusually common Important to distinguish fromidleness Dysphasia Both pitch and rhythmprove difficult for dysphasics. (Speech may be slightly impaired). RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 23) OC Copy right, 1999

24 Useful teaching techniques Dyslexia Use other ways of encoding. E.g. vocal cues for left hand strings; E = 3,5,4 and so on. Dysphasia Verbal cues often useful especially for maintaining rhythm. Just slog away - every bit of progress is worth it for the effects on the pupil. RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 24) OC Copy right, 1999

25 Overview Examination performance Rhythm Pitch, harmony and voice leading Specific learning difficulties Pulling it all together RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 25) OC Copy right, 1999

26 Things we could im prove Much more attention paid to the ear and not the fingers Don t assume people have natural rhythm Pitch and rhythm can both be taught unless there are specific medical reasons why not We should teach the basics of music, e.g. key signatures and diatonic triads The RGT exams could usefully include a harmonisation section - examiner plays a melody and examinee plays chords after listening a couple of times RGT 99: v. 1.0, 04/Sept/1999, (slide 26) OC Copy right, 1999