Solfa for ABRSM Aural Tests 4B, 5B

Aural tests at Grades 4 and 5 of ABRSM Grade Exams require that the pupil sing from score. Although at both these grades the notes will be in free time, singing at sight, even without the added complication of rhythm, is a skill that takes time to develop. Time is very much at a premium in instrumental lessons, so this test is often poorly-prepared. No doubt, the examining board hopes to encourage sight-singing from the earliest grades, even though it is not required in Grade 1-3 exams. However, if pupils come to the Grade 4 exam without previous experience, Test 4B is problematic.

A crash course in basic solfa can certainly help pupils, but the pitch-range required at Grade 4 does not correlate with the starting points of the more common solfa-for-beginners resources in this country. These start with the falling minor third, “so-mi”, next adding “la”, a tone up from “so”. Next comes “do-re-mi”, before adding the lower “ti” and “la” required by the Grade 4 test. This sequence is a developmental one, based on the singing of young children in British and North American cultures. Establishments which focus on solfa training for young children usually work on the premise that the youngsters will master the basics before they begin instrumental instruction.

The youngster preparing to take Grade 4 without a foundation in solfa-singing needs a different approach. Some years ago, I published several printed and pdf resources for beginner instrumentalists, encouraging them to sing, as well as play, the first five notes of a major scale Another resource “An Introduction to Solfa for Instrumentalists, Part 1” covered a major scale and the tonic chord. These were more suited to support self-help by the instrumentalist but they did not cover the precise requirements of the Grade 4 and Grade 5 aural tests. The need for instrumentalists to master these has now been made more pressing by the introduction of more advanced sight-singing tests at Grades 6-8, so I have prepared two resources tailor-made to the exam requirements. They can be found on the Resources for Instrumental Teachers page of www.fullpitcher.co.uk. The Grade 5 resource follows on from the material covered at Grade 4.

Piano: Absolute Beginners Can Improvise!

To some extent, improvisation is a state of mind. A lot of people feel they could never do it because they have a model in mind that is unattainable. When piano teachers adopt a creative approach to tuition, though, the pupil feels free to explore the simple resources to which they are exposed in the early days of tuition and it is more likely that they will continue to experiment when left to their own devices.

The latest addition to improvisation-based resources on www.fullpitcher.co.uk is an article suggesting simple improvisatory activities for absolute beginners. The important word here is ‘simple’ because, in truth, great music is essentially simple and the same resources can be used by players at different levels of ability and experience, with very different results.

The article quotes the Dalcroze teacher, Laura Campbell, whose book “Sketching at the Keyboard” won the ‘Music Teacher’ Magazine Music Education Award in 1983. That publication and its  follow-up, “Sketches for Improvisation” is full of examples of famous composers building their works from the same simple ideas suggested to the readers. These courses have been followed by ” child piano pupils, amateur adult piano pupils, professional music students and class teachers”. Highly recommended!

So, what I am saying is: don’t dismiss the ideas suggested at the following link because they are accessible to absolute beginners. There are things we can all learn by focusing on the basic building blocks of music from time to time.  :>)

See: Improvisation for Beginner Pianists.

Chalumeau Clarinets and Wider Opportunities

Most clarinet teachers will probably be aware that the clarinet was invented by one, Johann Christian Denner, in or about the year 1700, Denner having got the idea from examining examples of a simple single-reed instrument called a chalumeau. What they may not know is that there is an English company, based in Yorkshire, manufacturing a chalumeau today.

Hanson Music are manufacturing their chalumeau expressly for the Wider Opportunities scheme, through which whole classes are introduced to instrumental music-making. The Hanson Chalumeau project aims to:

1.Promote music making at an early stage and to equip pupils with sound foundations for future music making.

2.Provide an instrument which sounds good, is easy to play, is affordable and kid proof!

The chalumeau on which Denner started work was a single-reed instrument with a compass of nine notes, from the F below Middle C to the G above. It is believed , though, that these simple instruments were available in several keys. The Hanson Chalumeau has a similar range. but  in the key of C. There are no keys to press and the fingering is simple, so pupils can focus on learning the basics and making a beautiful sound, on an instrument that has a long tradition.

Being in the key of C, the Chalumeau combines easily with other instruments in the junior classroom: there are none of the complications of providing for a transposing instrument. It’s a great way to get a true clarinet sound in the junior ensemble without the ‘aggro’ – no broken springs, bent keys, sore thumbs or transposition perplexities! It may also prove attractive to disabled musicians unable to cope with the weight or complexity of the modern clarinet.

See: Hanson Music Chalumeau Project

New Accessible Instrument for Young Music-makers

This year was the first time since it began that I have not attended BETT, the UK’s big educational technology exhibition. I’ve been disappointed with it in recent years and thought, “I doubt I’ll miss anything”. Then, recently, I was sent information about an exciting new musical instrument, intended to enable any child to play music, which made it’s debut at the exhibition:

‘Skoog’ is a squashy cube. Technology within its soft tactile surface is linked to a computer. This converts the way Skoog is touched into musical sounds. The development project came to fruition largely as the result of reseach, led by Professor Nigel Osborne of the University of Edinburgh, in Scottish schools.  Nigel Osborne is also a professional composer, interested in all kinds of creative music-making and in improving access to music for disadvantaged groups.

The website describes the instrument thus:

“An expanding range of musical instrument sounds means that there’s sure to be something for everyone. Give a gentle squeeze on Skoog™ for a smooth swell of brass, or how about a subtle twist for a screeching over-blown flute? And with a different note on each side it’s a piece of cake to create chords and melodies.”

The Skoog has been commercially available from March 2010 and has received widespread interest from the education community.
A new company, Skoogmusic Ltd, has been spun out of the University to commercialise the instrument. See the website, www.skoogmusic.com

Richard Stoltzman & “Maid with the Flaxen Hair”

I had trouble deciphering the name of the publisher on the CD cover materials for the Windows 7 recording of Richard Stolzman playing Debussy’s “Maid with the Flaxen Hair”. Then, I thought to set the default software for opening it to my browser. This enlarged it slightly and I could make out the name of “Navona Records”. I visited their site and was delighted to find that they were offering a “New Year’s Gift”- downloads of the audio and sheet music of the piece and a video of Stoltzman talking about it. I don’t know how long it will be made available but here is the link:

http://www.navonarecords.com/holidaygift.html

Audrey

Recordings to Inspire Amateur Players

Just recently, I was delighted to find that Cramer Music have launched a new publication of  “The Classic Experience”,  for flute, wiith 2 CDs. This book of popular classical pieces now comes with recorded performances and practice tempo piano accompaniments. I do hope that, in the very near future, they will do the same for the clarinet version.

There is such a dearth of recorded wind music that is suitable for less advanced players to tackle for themselves! Yes, I know that there are now CDs to accompany ABRSM graded exam repertoire and various method books but this is a far cry from an expressive soundworld that will inspire pupils to explore music and make it their own, without worrying about what grade it might be. I can tell pupils that professional performers put just as much love and thought into preparing a simple tune as they do with advanced sonatas and concertos but they’re not going to believe me unless they can hear the  for themselves the magic of simple music beautifully rendered. One such moment for me was hearing Nigel Kennedy play at , I think it was, the Brit Awards. We had been treated to some amazing virtuoso performances, when along came Kennedy to play “Danny Boy” – breathtaking!

Flute players are a little better served than other wind players and I attribute this to the inspiration of James Galway. He had the courage to bring the flute ‘to the masses’ and to perform music of all kinds. Even so, my regular scout round the instrumental section HMV, et al, usually results in disappointment, even as regards flute. For clarinettists, there are a few pieces recorded by Emma Johnson and that’s about it! I was thrilled, though, when I installed Windows 7 to find that one of the audio samples was of Richard Stoltzman playing Debussy’s “Maid with the Flaxen Hair”. I don’t know how Microsoft came to select that – perhaps, it’s well-known  ‘on the other side of the pond’. I hadn’t come across it before.

Do you folks out there know of collections of simple music beautifully played on flute or clarinet that should be better known to teachers and pupils? If so, please share!

Singing with Children

Parents who are looking for ideas to develop family singing will find the Sing Up website a positive treasure trove! Sing Up is a Music Manifesto project to get children singing. It is aimed at parents/carers, teachers and music-leaders – anyone who values singing and wants to share this joyful activity with children. There is a special section of the site devoted to families. Here, parents will find information about music for different age groups, singing activities and games. The Song Bank currently contains 300+  songs with lyrics, audio tracks, printable/interactive songsheets and activities.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit http://www.singup.org and have fun!