Middle School ensemble sound

One approach to developing intonation awareness, color, balance, and blend

Ryan Johnstone – Canyon Vista Middle School

[email protected]

DEVELOPING MIDDLE SCHOOL ENSEMBLE

SOUND: A MULTI-YEAR GUIDE

BEFORE WE START…

• Very little of this is original!

• The goal of the session is to provide you with a practical system to use in developing

better ensemble quality

• This is one approach!

TODAY’S PRESENTATION

Part 1

Philosophy/Goal

Definitions and Improving the Basics

The “What”

System – The “How”

Part 2

The “When”

Beginners – Basic Outline

Middle School – Basic Outline

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – THE GOAL

SAME – to conform in every

detail; not different

THE “SYSTEM”

The Power of 4

4 “Ts”

The “What”

1 – Tone 2 – Tuning

3 – Time 4 – Touch

4 Levels of Listening

The “How”

1 – Individual 2 – Section

3 – Color Group 4 – Full Ensemble

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – “THE 4 TS”

Tone Tuning

Time Touch

SAME

MATCHING ASPECTS OF TONE

TONE

Quality?

Volume?

FYI - Related

closely to Tuning

Clarity?

Resonance?

MATCHING TUNING

• Tone is the #1 factor

• Centered

• Clear

• Resonant

• Full/Rich – aka “a range of overtones”

• “You can’t tune a bad sound”

• Length of Instrument is second factor

MATCHING TIME

• Pulse/Tempo and Subdivision

• Rhythm – “The Math of Music”

• Start and end together

• Also related to tuning – moving out of time or rhythm creates dissonance and discord that

is not intended by the composer

MATCHING TOUCH

• Touch is the most “abstract” of the 4 Ts

• Articulation – consistent use of syllables, clarity and strength of note fronts

• Style – matching note lengths, energy - rhythm and articulation must be locked in first

• Nuance – “notes marked the same should sound the same!”

• Phrasing – breathing, cresc/decresc while maintaining other elements – especially tone

IMPROVING TONE AND INTONATION THROUGH

BREATHING EXERCISES

• Breathing Exercises

• It’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it!

• Basic Exercise – 4 in, 4 out; 2 in, 4 out; 1 in, 4 out – metronome @ 80ish

• Right hand is visual aid for air flow – smooth hand=smooth air/tone

• Angle of arm to face should match air direction for the instrument being played

• Left hand on navel to check for proper expansion

• A few guidelines for breathing:

• First exercises can involve counting and doing movements only

• Fill and empty completely – no air left behind

• Blow out with your “band face” - embouchure

• Relax on inhale, energize on the exhale

• Maintain relaxation even as the amount of time available to breath decreases


SINGING

• Singing

• Vital Point: Resonance is not created in the instrument; it is created in the open spaces of our heads

• Again: It’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it!

• Use a source: Harmony Director or Section/Individual with great resonance and tone

• Students hum the pitch and strive to feel the vibration in the forehead (mouth will need to be tall on the inside – molars apart)

• Analogies:

• “Hive of bees.”

• “Feel as though the sound is being projected from your forehead.”

• “Hide your yawn”

• While humming, signal students to open to an “Ahh” syllable (Some vowel sounds may need to be adjusted to match the voice of a certain range or instrument – clarinets should sing “EEE”


SINGING

• Have students add the consonant of your choosing – T or D: students should strive

to get to the vowel quickly without overly emphasizing the consonant

• A few guidelines for singing:

• Teeth should be open enough to fit the width of two fingers between the upper

and lower front teeth – Opera, not country

• At note end, avoid stopping the sound with the glottal muscles. Instead, allow

the sound to end naturally as it would on the instrument. Students should strive

for a “relaxed look of disbelief” and maintain this relaxed face and vowel shape

for several beats after the note has ended.

• Do not abandon other fundamentals such as posture, breathing, etc. while

singing! Stack the fundamentals!

• Start with one pitch and advance to basic lines (scales, long tones,

familiar/simple melodies, etc.)

IMPROVING TIME

• Rhythm

• The greatest gift is literacy! Have a system and stick to it!

• Rhythm Bee

• Pulse/Tempo and Subdivision

• Count, Clap, Tap

• Subdivision Exercise

IMPROVING TOUCH

• Golden Rule – Matching Air Stream = Matching Sound

• Articulation Exercise

• Daily attention to note fronts and ends

• Focus on air – practice air only; model correct airstreams, have students echo back

• Sing/vocalize syllables – tongues retreat quickly; hand under chin to check for

extraneous jaw movement

• Continue to enforce ALL fundamentals

IMPROVING TOUCH

• Style Matching

• Rhythm and articulation quality must be locked in first

• Match air strength, shape, and quality – model vs. group

• Make sure students are looking at style/articulation exercise while playing so that the

reinforcement is there for when it occurs in the music

• Phrasing

• Basic: 8 beats of air only with cresc. 4 and decresc. 4

• Intermediate: Symmetrical long tone hairpins without distortion of tone, pitch, or balance

• Advanced: Adding phrase shape to familiar long tone or other fundamental exercise

• Expose to asymmetrical rise/fall as an advanced concept or as music calls for it

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – THE “HOW”

The Four Levels of Listening Students: Listen louder than you play!

Insist that all exercises are listening exercises and

engage and challenge students to talk about what they

hear.

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – LEVELS OF LISTENING

Individual

(Me)

Section

(My Next of Kin)

Color Groups

(My Relatives)

Full Ensemble

(All My Friends and Family)

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – LEVEL 1 - INDIVIDUAL

• The most basic level

• Reserved for mostly 6th grade

• The individual must be right!

• Hearing oneself as an individual while performing in a large ensemble is usually due to a lapse in one of the 4 Ts!

• THINK ABOUT IT!

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – LEVEL 2 - SECTION

• Section speaks as one instrument – “Sound like one ________”

• Matching as duets and trios, left and right, player to player, tone clone concept

• Play “Telephone”

• Having each section achieve this at 100% is a lofty goal for middle school – it must be a focus

• Proficiency here leads to a superior band sound at this age/ability level

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – LEVEL 3 – COLOR

GROUPINGS OR SECTION TO SECTION

• Examples:

• Trumpet/Flute

• Trumpet/Clarinet

• Trumpet/Saxophone

• Horn/Clarinet

• Horn/Saxophone

• Trombone/Saxophone

• Euphonium/Bassoon

• Tuba/Low Reed



• Color Groups – Another Approach (Brian Beck)

• “Dark Woodland Creatures” give the ensemble warmth, a primary source of resonance and “dark” tone qualities

• Dark Woodland Brass includes horn, euphonium, and tuba (conical)

• Dark Woodland WW includes clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, tenor sax, and bari sax

• “Centaurs” give the ensemble brilliance and power

• Soprano Centaurs are trumpets

• Bass Centaurs are trombone

• “Fairies” provide color and shimmer

• Primarily, fairies comprise of all vibrato producing instruments



• Some basic principles for achieving better middle school ensemble sound utilizing Level 3 Listening:

• First: Don’t attempt adding the responsibility of “Level 3” on students that cannot achieve “Level 2”

• Main goal is to match tonal aspects from section to section – operate under the assumption that all sections should be represented equally

• Passing 4s is a good general exercise to start with – it can take FOREVER to master

• In general, woodwind sounds “color” the brass sounds within any mixed grouping

BASIC PHILOSOPHY – LEVEL 4 – FULL

ENSEMBLE

• Awareness of the role the color group plays in the overall band sound at any given

moment in time (can change dramatically from phrase to phrase depending on difficulty of

music)!

PART 2

Basic Beginner Outline

IT STARTS WITH BEGINNERS!

• Basic Fundamentals and Objective-based Learning

• Tone first - the foundation of ensemble brilliance lies in the individual tone qualities of the group

• Know your pedagogy but don’t be afraid to ask for help!

• Pass-offs - Use a rubric that emphasizes tone as a priority (see example in packet)

• SING! Everyday…

• Breathe! Everyday…

• Stack your Fundamentals!

BEGINNERS

• Daily drill concept

• First semester – instrument-based skills and development

• Utilize lesson staff and/or specialists within your cluster to come up with routine for each instrument

• Second semester – begin leaning towards ensemble-based as the semester progress (your MS ensemble drill)

• Don’t neglect instrument-based skills or routine, but develop the student’s understanding of what ensemble drill is and why we do it!

• Introduce most basic ensemble skills through drill but also make it a priority to teach the PROCEDURE and make students FAMILIAR with the exercises. This could potentially save you several WEEKS of instruction the following year.

TUNING AND BEGINNERS

• Again, tone first

• Tuners and clips – a guide for pitch awareness and tendencies

• Use only after basic set up is in place and students are making fully supported and characteristic sounds

• Ear training – main ingredient is singing

• At end of year, teach students tuning sequence for their instrument (utilize tuner and clip). Check for understanding/hold them accountable.

TIME AND BEGINNERS

• Developing the student’s rhythmic understanding and reading without first establishing a strong sense of pulse and subdivision will result in a student with poor rhythmic skill overall.

• Establish foot tap and clear positioning of “down” and “up.” Hold students accountable – make it part of your test rubric.

• Rhythm Bee is a great tool – highly recommend.

• Suggestion: Do not use metronome feature – students will learn to watch and internalize pulse via subdivision. Do not give in – it will be difficult at first.

• Counting System – pick one! I like Count, Clap, Tap (Debra Haburay) – simultaneous development of reading skill/understanding along with subdivision accountability. Count daily by making your counting procedure part of learning a new line or song!

• Rhythmic skill should always develop ahead of and beyond technical skill on the instrument. Never introduce new rhythmic concepts while playing the instrument with beginners.

• Subdivision is a constant, even during rests – the brain is never idle.

PART 2

Basic Middle School Outline

PERFORMING GROUP YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE - 1ST SIX

WEEKS

Vocabulary/Concepts Individual

Development

Full Ensemble

Development

Daily Drill

Posture Establish Daily Routines

for Instruments

Focus more on individual

skills relating to 4Ts

8-Beat air/tone (Concert

F)

Instrument

Carriage/Hand Position

All-Region Etudes or

Similar

Split as much as

possible!

Breathing exercises

Breathing Scale Work/Technique

(establish realistic goals

for key areas)

Development of “choirs” Block F – air, sing, play

Singing Unison Duet/Trio – Pass-

Off

Limited Articulation

Exercise

Parts of the Note Rhythmic

development/review

Basic long tone exercise

Articulation/Releases

Rubric – What is a

“Pass-Off”?

YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE – 2ND SIX WEEKS

New

Vocabulary/Concepts

Individual/Small

Ensemble

Development

Full Ensemble

Development

New Daily Drill

Level 2 Listening Continued development

through instrument-

based routines

Continue splits as much

as possible!

8 beat Air/Tone – expand

to 1-octave range

Tuning Basics – tuning

sequence for each

instrument

Continued development

through All-Region

Etudes or Similar


of “choirs” – new

listening responsibilities

Expanded Articulation

Drill – lifted note values

and style

Tuning Tendencies

Expanded Scale

Work/Technique

(establish realistic goals

for key areas)

Fall Concert: WW, Brass,

Percussion Ensembles

Passing 4s from Low to

High – develop your best

ensemble sound and use

“Concert F” as a sound

model for concert music

Chord tuning in

sectionals – Major triads

(homogenous)

YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE – 3RD SIX WEEKS

New

Vocabulary/Concepts

Individual/Small

Ensemble

Development

Full Ensemble

Development

New Daily Drill

Level 3 Listening Continued development

through instrument-

based routines

More full ensemble – use

splits for learning new

music

8 beat Air/Tone –

continue to expand

range

Chorale Quartet in

sectionals – learn S, A,

T, B parts and

responsibilities

(heterogenous)


of “choirs” – new

listening responsibilities

Relate more

fundamental drill aspects

to music: breathing,

articulation, balance,

color exercises

Winter Concert – select

music at least one grade

easier than average

individual skill level

YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE – 4TH SIX WEEKS

New

Vocabulary/Concepts

Individual/Small

Ensemble

Development

Full Ensemble

Development

New Daily Drill

Level 3 Listening Solo literature or similar Music-driven – relate

daily drill directly to

weaknesses within

concert/contest music

Chorale transcribed to

key(s) of concert/contest

music

Ensemble literature –

application of previous

acquired skills!

Chord tuning exercises

based on concert/contest

music

Snippets and style

exercises specific to

concert/contest music

(example in packet)

YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE – 5TH SIX WEEKS AND BEYOND

• Continue to refine concepts and approach

• More opportunities for individual development through

solo/ensemble and end-of-year auditions

• Expand fundamental drill to include exposure to atypical

band keys

• “Expose”

WRAP UP/CONCLUSION

• Directors must have a clear plan and unified vision. Expectations must be congruent across the board!

• There is no substitute for great individual fundamentals

• Sing and Breathe with beginners daily to develop the ear and a resonant sound

• Utilize the Levels of Listening as students are ready

• Level 2!

• The 4 T’s are primary goals

Middle School ensemble sound

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