Introduction by Bruce Berr
e all have our own favorite pieces
we like to teach. Of course, as time passes, we encounter
new music and some of our favorites fade away for a while. But
just like good friends, it does seem that we link up again with
certain ones; our interest gets renewed by either a novel aspect
of the music we didn't perceive before, or the realization that
a particular piece would resonate just perfectly with a particular
student.
I enjoyed discovering which pieces our three authors chose to discuss in this issue. Fortunately, this repertoire spans from elementary to advanced levels, so there is a wide variety of application. As you read about their ideas on this music, however, it will be clear that one pedagogical principle runs throughout all three essays regardless of level: the non-negotiable need for students to physically experience novel rhythmic patterns in some activity apart from the repertoire before attempting to read and play these rhythms in context. Rhythm preparation reigns for students of all ages and levels.
Thanks to our website (at keyboard companion.com), you can
also hear some performances of the pieces that were discussed.
Ed. note: The print-magazine version of this Department has additional articles by Ingrid Clarfield and Ivan Frazier. Those articles do not contain any multimedia, so they are not included in the website version.
Article by Linda Kazmirski
o you remember your first few years
of piano lessons? Do you recall the names of your favorite
pieces that you loved to play as a child-the pieces you couldn't
keep yourself from playing? (OK, the pieces that your mom asked
or rather begged you to stop playing!) Chances are great
that the rhythms are what grabbed your attention!
I recall a tarantella that I still have at my fingertips. There was something tantalizing about the sound, the rhythms, and the overall flow that kept me at the piano playing the music over and over. I'm sure that my family could hum the melody in their sleep. I loved the piece so much that I hid the notes from my younger sister, but that is another story.
As teachers, we often choose our favorite teaching pieces from standard classical literature and yet there is so much supplementary literature to choose from! Two of my favorite supplementary teaching pieces are Catherine Rollin's "Salsa Blues" (from her collection entitled The Great Frontier!) and Nancy Faber's "American Frontier". Both pieces have catchy rhythms and themes to capture the imagination, and they both will motivate students to become better musicians.
"Salsa Blues" is a late elementary piece that has a spicy Mexican flavor that may offer a change from the student's daily musical fare. The piece is built on a I - IV - V pattern in the key of C, and the spice comes from the recurring rhythmic pattern. To prepare the student for a successful encounter with "Salsa Blues" (see example 1 on page 27), I assign the following rhythmic pattern a week before the student sees the score. Since the majority of this piece is based on the pattern below, I want my students to feel this rhythm before they attempt to play it.
Feeling the rhythm is an important goal in teaching students to become independent learners. I want them to see notation and perceive what the sound will be. One way to achieve this is to ask students to imitate the above rhythm through various methods: We echo "Chicken taco and a side of beans," then clap; we use maracas and we move to the above rhythm. No, not all at onceand please forgive my lyrics. The importance of the eighth rest and its relationship in the pattern is discussed as well. Students are sent home clapping and counting, and chanting to reinforce this new pattern.
The following week we review the rhythmic pattern and compare the homework with the rhythm found in mm. 1 and 2 of "Salsa Blues." Then the hunt begins for this recurring rhythmic pattern: How many times does it appear throughout the music? Is it always the same? We also explore the melodic repetition as well as the form. This leads the student to realize the beauty of rhythmic (as well as melodic) repetition. This is truly a fun piece to play.
"American Frontier" by Nancy Faber is a mid-intermediate level piece that paints a colorful picture of the vast expanses the first settlers encountered as they headed west. The piece has the lovely lilt that is often found in 6/8 meter, as well as changing meters which add to the overall excitement of the piece.
Once again, preparation begins before the student sees the score. We review basic rhythmic patterns in 6/8 and then continue with subdivisions of the eighth note. Students occasionally need to be reminded that 6/8 has a feeling of two beats per measure. The term "upbeat" and its relationship to beat one are discussed. In addition, students practice feeling a steady pulse in 6/8 to prepare for the upbeat.
Next comes the score. We identify, clap, and count the various rhythmic patterns, focusing on the feeling of two beats per measure. And then, just when we are getting comfortable, comes the exception to the rule! Mm. 1-10 have a feeling of two beats per measure. But at measure 11, surprise! The measure is grouped into three beats in a hemiola-like fashion! By m. 12, the feeling of two returns. Students readily accept this change and can apply it almost at once as long as they can experience the rhythmic change ahead of time.
The development section is rhythmically straightforward-the main theme returns, and the last four measures have an extra kick as the piece changes to 5/8 with an immediate return to 6/8 in the following measure. This change opens the door for a discussion of asymmetrical meter and whether to feel 5/8 as a grouping of 2+3 or 3+2 .
As the tempo marking in "American Frontier" might say-"Allegro con spirito." Your students will feel good after performing this delightful piece of music!
Because of space limitations I have focused only on the rhythmic aspects of each piece; the form, articulation, dynamics, and phrasing are for you and your students to discover. I believe that rhythmic patterns should be learned so thoroughly that they become second nature. With thorough preparation the student sees the notation and immediately perceives how it should feel and sound. An added bonus is that our audience will appreciate the exuberance that is depicted in our students' performances of "Salsa Blues" and "American Frontier."
LINDA MEYER KAZMIRSKI has taught music to the young at heart for more than 16 years. In addition to teaching private piano lessons, she has also taught general music at the elementary school level as well as applied piano at the college level. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University.