Transcript Instrumental Technique - Teacher Presentation

For use with WJEC
Performing Arts GCSE
Unit 1 and Unit 3 Task 1
Music - Instrumental
INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE
Task 1 - Keep your posture relaxed
(standing)
Stand with your back straight. Keeping your:
ears directly over your shoulders
shoulders over your hips
feet apart facing five minutes to one
hands holding / supporting your instrument or on the
keys.
With the rest of the class, demonstrate and compare how
playing different instruments is affected by good and bad
posture when standing.
Task 2 - Keep your posture relaxed
(sitting)
Stand with your back straight. Keeping your:
ears directly over your shoulders
shoulders over your hips
feet firmly on the floor
heels just behind the front legs of the chair
hands holding / supporting your instrument or on the
keys.
With the rest of the class, demonstrate and compare how
playing different instruments is affected by good and bad
posture when sitting.
Task 3 - Breathing
(wind and brass instruments)
Always start with breathing warm ups to develop your
technique. Here is one exercise for you to try:
Make sure you are completely relaxed.
Exhale to empty the lungs completely.
Breathe in and allow the tummy muscles to relax outwards, and feel
your ribs expand outwards.
Play a single note and keep your ribs pushed outwards for as long as
possible.
Don't change the note in pitch or volume, work on a consistent and rich
sound.
Task 4 - Breathing
(wind and brass instruments)
Continue with breathing exercises when rehearsing to
develop your technique. Here is one exercise for you to try:
Make sure you are completely relaxed.
Exhale to empty the lungs completely.
Breathe in and allow the tummy muscles to relax outwards, and feel
your ribs expand outwards.
Play a single note and keep your ribs pushed outwards for a count of 10,
the next time extend to 15, 20.
Repeat the exercise but using a specific phrase out of a piece.
Task 5 – Phrasing
You should aim to phrase by following score markings;
these are usually marked with a phrasing mark, rests in the
melody or cadence point.
Decide on a piece you already know.
Focus on playing the piece with attention to phrasing
marks and then disregarding them (you may create your
own phrasing markings).
Discuss with others how this affects the overall
performance.
Listen to recordings of other instrumentalists and mark on
a copy how they give attention to phrasing.
Task 6
Creating a good sound
All instruments have an unique sound / tone; you must
always focus on creating the best possible ‘quality of
sound’. This will only develop with plenty rehearsal and
time!
In a group, demonstrate a good / poor sound on your own
instrument to others and ask the group to comment on the
sound.
They could comment on how the two sounds were different.
What is required on a specific instrument to create a good
sound?
Task 7 – Pitch warm up
Learn a simple melody in a group in unison.
Divide all the notes between all the different instruments
in the group, only one note per instrument at a time.
Try and perform as a group.
What is hard and easy about this task?
Try and vary the tempo and dynamics during the piece.