Greetings!
Last time I discussed how I introduced intonation to 6th graders. It was based on the idea of teaching them what to listen for, and how to react to it, and also based on the premise that they must learn to make this important musical decision for themselves ("Am I in tune? Here's what I need to do to get in tune"). It was mostly based on the work of Ed Lisk, with some visual aids thrown in. It took most of the class period to do after our warm up/technique building and scales work. But it was worth it. After that, what we chose to do was not so different, in many respects, from what you would do with a more advanced band. We incorporated tuning into our daily routine.The Daily Routine
We chose to wait to tune until after our warm up and scales routine. This is similar to what the two directors do with their bands, except that we of course spend much more time with the beginners on technique building, sound building, and scale work. A daily routine might look something like this:
Warm Up from the Method Book
Scales (However many they knew at the time, which I had them play in the circle of 4ths one after another)
Chorale (Run it once)
Tune
Chorale (For Real)
Music
I'll get to the split chorale thing in just a second. First let's talk about the tuning exercise.
Reinforcing the Steps to Play in Tune
The tuning exercise itself was nothing spectacular, but I'll go ahead and run it down. The one I use is different from what the teachers I work with use. It's based on one of Ed Lisk's models. Essentially, we want to teach them who to listen for in addition to how to respond to waves in the sound. Two of the classes have multiple instrument groups in the same period, and when I worked with all the groups at once I would use a two phase tuning procedures.
In the first phase, only section leaders tune, starting with the lowest voice and working gradually to the highest voice. Once all the section leaders are in tune, then you cut off and start over with the lowest voice, but this time you bring in the rest of the section members, one at a time, and add one section at a time, until everyone is in.
Throughout the process you are reinforcing the steps to tuning discussed in the previous post to help them think their way through the process, particularly if you notice they're not making changes within the first few seconds of holding the note. This is important for section leaders and members.
The reason this works is because it teaches each student not only what to do when they hear waves, but also who they are responsible for listening to. Principal players must listen down to the lowest voice, while all other members must listen and match the principal player in their section.
It also provides a great model for the group when the section leaders are in tune, because then you can note that if the entire group is perfectly in tune, they will sound just as good, but with more volume.
The down side is that it takes time, especially when they're first learning the procedure. The first day we worked on intonation, it took most of the class period. The second day we reviewed the steps to tuning while also introducing this new procedure. It took a good chunk of time, but not as long as the first day. They were simply applying the skill in a different context.
I was worried that the tuning procedure I chose to use was too time consuming, but I stuck with it, and within a week we were zipping right through it. And boy was it worth it! Their listening skills improved quite a bit, and though they were not in tune on every note when they played their concert music, it was still much better than what they were doing previously. That also means that now when they're out of tune, it's painfully obvious to everyone, not just the teachers.
In the first phase, only section leaders tune, starting with the lowest voice and working gradually to the highest voice. Once all the section leaders are in tune, then you cut off and start over with the lowest voice, but this time you bring in the rest of the section members, one at a time, and add one section at a time, until everyone is in.
Throughout the process you are reinforcing the steps to tuning discussed in the previous post to help them think their way through the process, particularly if you notice they're not making changes within the first few seconds of holding the note. This is important for section leaders and members.
The reason this works is because it teaches each student not only what to do when they hear waves, but also who they are responsible for listening to. Principal players must listen down to the lowest voice, while all other members must listen and match the principal player in their section.
It also provides a great model for the group when the section leaders are in tune, because then you can note that if the entire group is perfectly in tune, they will sound just as good, but with more volume.
The down side is that it takes time, especially when they're first learning the procedure. The first day we worked on intonation, it took most of the class period. The second day we reviewed the steps to tuning while also introducing this new procedure. It took a good chunk of time, but not as long as the first day. They were simply applying the skill in a different context.
I was worried that the tuning procedure I chose to use was too time consuming, but I stuck with it, and within a week we were zipping right through it. And boy was it worth it! Their listening skills improved quite a bit, and though they were not in tune on every note when they played their concert music, it was still much better than what they were doing previously. That also means that now when they're out of tune, it's painfully obvious to everyone, not just the teachers.
Using a Chorale
It's pretty common practice in bands with good intonation to use a chorale and to work on it every day as if it were a concert piece. Essential Elements 2000 incorporates chorales into its daily warm up sections. We didn't start using a chorale until about the time we introduced their contest music, and when we did it was not from the Essential Elements book.
We're using one of the Davenport Chorales, written by Mike Davenport. The big pedagogical feature is that everyone can see every part (the score, in other words) so they can learn who is important at different times. The chorales are also sequenced so that you can give them progressively more complex chorales to learn from. The one they're using is short and simple, both rhythmically and harmonically.
This allows us to more easily address balance and blend. With our low brass class we can balance the tuba, euphonium, and trombone sections. In woodwind class it's the saxophones (which we now have baritone, tenor, and three altos), clarinets and flutes. Then we have our high brass class. Horns were started later in the year, and are often on their own. When they're there I ask them to balance the trumpets, but when it's just the trumpets I take the opportunity to address how parts are balanced (with the higher numbers fitting their sound into the lower numbers).
The other thing I'll do on a regular basis is to have them play the chorale one time before we tune. I'll ask them to listen and remember what that sounds like. After we tune (regardless of what the tuning procedure is) we'll go back and play it again to see how much it has improved. My hope is that if they hear the difference it will motivate them intrinsically to want to play in tune all the time.
Advanced Intonation Skills?
For at least a few weeks now I have started and continued working with one percussionist in each class, so I know the tuning procedures have changed for the students (and the procedure depends on which of the teachers is running the class). But as we have continued to address this concept and reinforce the skills with them, they have continued to improve. The head director, my cooperating teacher, noted that their intonation is really good for beginning 6th graders. I'm proud that I introduced this musical skill to two of the three classes, and that the methods of both introducing it and reinforcing it have worked out as well as they have.
Don't get me wrong, they're not perfect at it, but they're pretty good and are still improving.
Of course there are other things that players must learn to do to play their parts in tune with the band aside from just getting in tune at the beginning. These students are also matching pitch better in their concert music, but we haven't necessarily taught them the skills to make adjustments as they play.
By adjustments, I mean "lipping up/down", "rolling in/out", "more/less mouthpiece" etc. etc. Eventually students must know the pitch tendencies for their instrument and know how to compensate for that without changing the length of their instrument.
But I'm not sure when you do that. It seems strange to me that you would ask beginners to monkey with things like their embouchure that early on, even for this purpose. I asked the teachers I am under about this, and when you introduce those skills, and they explained that they choose not to discuss that with their students at all.
I know that I knew a little about that as a high school student. My brass teachers would tell students what small adjustments to make when it wasn't a matter of the instrument's length. But the band I'm student teaching with is also very successful and has a very good ensemble sound without necessarily doing those things.
Regardless of your opinion on it, I know it can be done. At least with high school students. I suppose it's a decision you have to make in terms of whether or not to go there with students and at what point do you start introducing those skills, and how to do you teach them, etc.
But do you discuss these advanced intonation skills with beginners? I don't know, to be honest. I don't think you do, but I could be wrong.
What pedagogy have you used or seen used to teach students about intonation? I'd love to dialog about it in the comment section. Thank you again for reading, and until next time, take care!
Musically yours,
Mr. Cooper
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