making beginning recorder fun and fulfilling wmea making beginning... · making beginning recorder...

MakingBeginningRecorderFunandFulfilling

Dr.PaulCribaripcribari@msn.com

Thissessionisgenerouslysponsoredby

WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecorder

Formanyelementarymusiceducators,soundsofthesopranorecordermay

symbolizetheantithesisofwhytheyenteredthefieldofmusiceducationinthefirstplace—harshsqueaks,out-of-tunesquawks,andbrash,overblownnoteschaoticallyricochetingthroughacrowdedroom.Despitetheseall-too-familiarsounds,thehistoryoftherecordertellsaverydifferentstory.Historicallyknownastheflautodolce,or“sweetflute,”therecorderwasformerlytheinstrumentofroyaltyandthemusicaleliteandwasknownforitscleartoneandlyricalmelodies.Today,wewilllookforwaystohelpstudentsdrawoutthemorepleasingsoundsoftherecorderthroughavarietystrategiesdesignedtoobviatetheshrillsoundsthathaveunfortunatelybecomesocloselyassociatedwithstudentrecorderperformances.BeginningActivities

Beforestudentsareabletomakepleasingsoundsontherecorder,theymustdeveloptheproperexecutiveskillsnecessarytomanipulatetheinstrument.Theseexecutiveskillsincludeposture,handposition,armposition,andholdingtheinstrumentcorrectly.Inmyclass,wespendtwotothreeclassperiodsinactivitiesdesignedtopreparethebodyandbreathfortherecorder.Activitiesincludeblowingping-pongballsonadrumhead,blowingintoairpipeswithStyrofoamballs,andfoggingoverimaginarywindowsonacoldday.3Dplansfortheairpipesareavailableat:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:221063SupportFinger

InBrigitteWarner’sbookOrffSchulwerk:ApplicationsfortheClassroom(1991,pp.225-226),sheadvocatesfortheuseofa“supportfinger.”Inthistechniquetheringfingeroftherighthandisusedtostabilizetheinstrument.Thisalleviatestheweightoftheinstrumentfromthelefthandandfreesittosealtheholesinamorerelaxedmanner.Foracompletelistoffingeringchartsandtheorderinwhichtheywerepresented,refertoAppendixD.FirstNotesSequenceofNotes

Many,ifnotmost,recordermethodsbeginwiththefamiliarB-A-Gsequence.Warner(1991)pointedoutthatmanyofthesemi-re-dobasedmelodiescontainastrongsupertonic,suggestingstrongdominant-toniccadences.Thesecadencesthusnecessitateaccompanimentsthatstudentsmaynotbepreparedforfromacurricularstandpoint.

Therefore,recorderinstructioninmyschoolbeginswiththepitchesC’-A-D’.Therationaleforthisapproachisthatitestablishesasol-mi-lapitchsetthatisconsistentwiththepentatonicscalesusedinfirst,second,andthirdgrade.This

WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecordersequencealsopreparesstudentsfortransposition,whichisacomponentofthethird-grademusiccurriculumatmyschool.OpeningActivities

Itcanbeachallengetogetkidsupandrunningontherecorderwhentheyonlyknowoneortwonotes.Ontheotherhand,drillingthesesamenotesoverandoverquicklybecomestedious.Itisthereforeimportantthatearlyrecorderexperiencesaremusical.

“Canon#1a”p.91MusicforChildren,VolumeI:Pentatonic

Thissimplepiecegivessomestudentsanopportunitytoplayrecorderwhiletheotherstudentsplaythemorecomplexmelodyatthebarredinstruments.Atfirsttherecorderpartfunctionsasaformofcolorpart:

Soon,weadaptthisparttobeabasicmelodicostinato:

Thisconceptcanbeappliedinmoresophisticatedpiecesaswell.SeetheB

sectionofMusicforChildren,VolumeII:MajorDroneBass/Triads,p.9,n.2asanexample.Ihaveusedthisadaptationwithmyfourthgraders.AnotheravenueforbeginningrecorderwithmoresophisticatedchildrencanbefoundintheI/VpiecesfromVolumeIIIofMusicforChildren.

WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecorder“TenShortPiecesforDancing”(Adapted)MusicforChildren,VolumeV:Major–DominantandSubdominantTriads

ModificationsofMelody“TwoInstrumentalPieces”MusicforChildren,VolumeII:Major-DroneBass/Triadsp.94,n.8

Themelodyofthispieceistoochallengingformanychildrentoplayontherecorder–particularlygiventhetempoofthepiece.Throughmodification,however,thispieceisagoodintroductionoflowE-D-Conthesopranorecorder.

Thisadaptationcanstandalone,orbepairedwiththeoriginalmelodyplayed

onthebarredinstruments.

Ofcourse,ourultimategoalinteachingrecorderistohavestudentsplayingfullmelodies.OneofthefirstmelodiesthatIintroduceisthefirstofthe“KleineKanons”inStückefürFlöteundTrommel.Intheoriginalscore,thispieceisinthekeyofCandspanstheoctaveofGtoG’.ItransposethispiecetoGformystudentssotheyarenotrequiredtoplayoverthebreak.

WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecorder“Kanon#1”(Transposed)GunildKeetmanStückefürFlöteundTrommel