HOMESCHOOL BAND
"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul." Johann Sebastian Bach
|
|
|
Senior Band
same songs - keep up the good work and remember to check the listening tracks on the side of this page (or at the bottom if you are using your phone) Intermediate practice to the bottom of page 6 see Harold's note below about intervals Beginner practice to the bottom of page 8 pay attention to the orange boxes at the top of each page remember - good posture improves your playing - counting (the time signature) is important Extra info Your hands are very important when playing. You need to pay attention to how you position them to create good habits. Check the front of your books for some of that. Clarinets, Saxes and flutes- pinkies above the keys in a relaxed position. You'll need them ready to use the extra keys. Supplies Reed instruments - you should have 3 reeds on the go all the time. use them in a rotation. Throw out any cracked or chipped reeds. We recommend Rico Royal or Van Doren. These are a little cheaper by the box but they are a small investment. Music - Folders, binders or bags - You need something to transport your music in and keep it all together in good shape. We reuse the books so it would be nice if they came back to us in good condition, Cork grease - clarinets and Saxophones Slide grease - trombone valve oil - trumpet Cleaning supplies make sure you have what your instrument needs. Treat your instrument well and it should last you a life time! Instrument stands - not a necessity but nice to have.
0 Comments
Hello My Lovely Musicians!
As we're going through September, It's a must to make good habits. Practice the things we go over in class, not just the pieces of music, but also things such as posture and waiting position. I find it very helpful to also practice with my music stand and seat in as close of a position as in class (hardish chair, with music stand up). And the more regularly you practice, the bigger the habits will become. Remember, practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent. If you have questions that come up during your practice time at home, don't be afraid to ask about it in class. Question of the week! (one for each group) Seniors- you can get 1 point per song that helps you remember intervals (e.g. Mary had a little lamb is a 2nd) unison- second- third- fourth- fifth- sixth- seventh- octave- Intermediates- you can get 1 point per definition (e.g. Largo means slow) Diminuendo- Presto- Forte- Accent- Fermata- Morendo- Tutti- Syncopation- Beginners- you can get 1 point per correct answer Beats in a whole note- Beats in a quarter rest- Musical name for the symbol that looks like a comma- Beats in a bar of music (so far)- Beats in a half note- Beats in a whole rest- Symbol used to tell when the music is over- Name of numbers at the beginning of the music- ~Harold I hope everyone's week is going well!
I was going to post about tonguing..... However the notes I took a picture of turned out WAY too blurry to use! Next week I guess. Regarding the question of the week, we have discovered that the prize of candy is not applicable to everyone anymore. It worked well last year, but this year it's not quite the same. So, instead of doing a prize that way, I'm going to be using a point system. That way I could post harder questions worth more points, and easier ones worth a little less. Right now it will be individual, but maybe we could form teams in the next couple weeks. Maybe by instruments, that way we can have some players from different years in one team. At each concert, I'll be able to award you/your team with a larger prize based on the total number of points. What do you think? Any ideas?(that's not the question of the week) The actual Question of the Week is this: Last week I asked you the family of your instrument. Now that you know what that family is, I want you to use that knowledge to go a little deeper. How many instruments from your instrument's family regularly play in an orchestra? (3 points) (This link might be useful) > https://www.orsymphony.org/learning-community/resources/ < For a bonus 2 points What family of instruments is not normally in a band but is in an orchestra? ~Harold Week and some good sounds are coming from the "band room"!
Senior Band Favorite Things is coming along nicely! Jingle Bells - now that you know what part you will be playing you might want to highlight your part just to make it easier to read. It Don't Mean a Thing Mission Impossible Don't forget to practice scales - especially the keys we're playing the above pieces in. Intermediate band Breath control - work on long tones - play each note as long as you can with the best sound possible. This should improve your TONE as well as increase your diaphragm control. Practice to the bottom of page 4, practice that green line on page 4 until you can't play it wrong! Clarinets practice those high notes. Even if you just play the low note and add your octave key. You CAN play the high ones! If you own reading glasses please wear them at class! Beginner band Congratulations we've played our first tune. Practice up to page 7 - pay special attention to page 4 and 5 this new language will get easier, faster, if you practice EVERY day. Percussionists - you are are second in command - learn to "see" the conductor out of the corner of your eye and stay with him. Check out the orange boxes at the top of the pages to remind your self of the new things we learn each week. You might want to refer to the glossary at the back of the book as well. Keep up the great work everyone! We are off to a great start. Although we have a small group in each class, the instruments are balanced and you have the added bonus of more personal instruction than you might get in a larger class! Of course, there is always room for more so keep spreading the news. We will accept beginning students until the end of September!
If you look back at past posts (September/October) you'll notice lots of great information. I'll try and repeat things from time to time, but don't hesitate to check this site out. In the top right corner you'll see some "menu" lines. Here you'll find links to videos, our info etc. On the right side of the page there is other interesting links. Some may require our attention so don't hesitate to comment if you find a broken link or if you have any questions. We only have a short time with you each week so here are some ideas to make the best use of that time. Please come a few minutes before your class. Set up your instrument, suck on those reeds, and blow a few notes to make sure everything is warmed up and working. Use the bathroom before class so you don't miss out on anything. Did you know? The Standard of Excellence Band Method has Theory books that go with each level. If you want to do those for extra school work Harold or I would be glad to mark them for you. You can buy them from Long and McQuade or order them from Amazon. If you miss a class check back here and we should have posted what we have covered. This week Senior Band - Continue to work on the pieces and the scales that go with them. I didn't get a chance to write down that blues scale but I'll get it from Harold later. Favorite Things It don't Mean a Thing Jingle Bells Mission Impossible Intermediate Band - We will cover about 1 page each week. Make sure those pages are perfect before moving ahead, Please don't work ahead more than 1 page ever. Page 1 and 2 Beginner Band - We will cover about 2 pages per week. Work on each piece until you have it perfect! Page 1 and 2 All of you should have a goal of 30 minutes practice every day. You didn't learn to read by practicing once a week, music is the same you need to practice every day. Beginners should be at about 10 minutes or more right now. You are building new muscles and learning a new language, have patience you are doing well!!! Hello all my wonderful musicians!
It is a new year and I (and I hope you as well) am looking forward towards the future year with great hopes of grandeur. I hope you feel welcome and are excited to give your all for what is turning out to be a great set of bands. I have some information for you to kick the year off. If I miss anything, feel free to comment, or send an email. ~Seniors~ We spoke about the blues scale in class. If you want a reminder, it goes 1, flat 3, 4, flat 5, 5, flat 7, 8 If you want to write out the scales you can do so using the FREE STAFF PAPER button to the right.(there's also a button below that has all 12 printed out for you but that's no fun) These are great scales for improvising overtop of solo ad lib sections. As we're going to be doing a lot of jazz this year, I HIGHLY recommend getting familiar with the blues scales. On the right of your screen there are buttons that will give you access to the music we're performing this year. (If the music is not there, check back in a day or two) It's a great idea to listen to the music as it is really part of learning it. Plus you can practice with it to check your tuning and timing. Last year I worked with Sebastian in the area of conducting. If anyone wants to try that this year I'll consider it. Come chat with me if you think that might be fun. ~Intermediates~ Now that you are a bit further along than last year, I need you all to be pulling up your musical socks and practicing a bit more than you already have been. I recommend 30-45 minutes per day. But more is always appreciated. As you are the second group in the day, you can feel free to begin setting up while the seniors are still playing. They won't bite. ~Beginners~ WELCOME! I know the first weeks can be scary, but have no fear, we'll be playing real music faster than you can say demisemihemidemisemiquaver. Just like the intermediates, I would like to invite you to come into class a little before the intermediates are finished and be ready to go right when they finish. I will pause in between to gather my own thoughts and scores, so that give you time to get seated and ready to play too! There is a lot of talking for the first bit, because we're learning a lot of stuff, so try to be patient as I explain things, and if you have an answer to a question, try to raise your hand (I know you're homeschoolers) We're all in this together, but we all learn at different speeds, so if it seems like I'm going slow, it's probably because someone needs a bit more time to learn the concept. And thank you so much for your hard work cleaning up after our class is done, I really do appreciate it! ~Everyone~ If you are not a percussionist you are not to touch the percussion equipment. If you really would like to try something I totally understand and I am more than happy to assist you in that, but please ask for my help. There is actually a danger to yourself as well as the instruments if they are not treated correctly. If you would like to challenge yourself in the areas of theory, or ear training or read up on totally useful info regarding everyday life (that last one might not exactly be true) You can check out a great tool called Teoria, it's down below. Let's have a super successful year. HAVE FUN. Question of the week!: Don't worry I didn't forget. There are four main families of instruments. Which one does yours belong to? ~Harold Squire |
Angela Squire
|