Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2012
14
One may vary the amount of crescendo and
diminuendo. Many players follow the outline of the
range of a melody, rising and falling in dynamic with
the line. In tonal music, most phrases group easily into
4-bar or 8-bar units, and longer phrases may rise and
fall twice in shape.
Chord progressions in tonal
music often provide opportunities to
emphasize tension and release. When
playing a piece with easily identifiable
chords, look for chord progressions
that can help you provide shaping.
Choose a score to a piece you want
to play that has a standard 4-bar or
8-bar melody. Often a phrase like this
has no dynamic contour indicated,
perhaps just a beginning dynamic. This
is a perfect place to teachmusicianship
in your band! Add shaping to the
line and it will be more musically
satisfying and interesting to hear.
Students can appreciate the role of
good musicianship more when they
experienceit,anditwilldemonstratean
important principal: it is ALWAYS per-
missible to add musicianship to pieces.
Composers and publishers EXPECT musical
teachers to exercise some judgment: they do not want
to legislate every nuance for you. Apply the idea of
“shaping” a line to strains in a traditional march for a
more musical interpretation.
These items are often emphasized in tonal music for
a more expressive performance:
•Moving lines and figures
•Lines with chromatic movement
•Countermelodies
•Sequences usually crescendo, especially if they rise
in pitch
Of course, the melody itself must be predominant.
As Aaron Copland said, “The melody is generally what
the piece is about.”
It is best if these items are not allowed to dominate:
•Accompanimental parts
•Repeated figures
How can you teach musicianship
in an instrumental music ensemble?
Unify
. Ensemble is French for
“together.” Together, we unify time
(tempo, pulse), style, volume and
volume contour, phrasing, and every
other element encountered in the
work. Let’s examine a few of these
more closely:
Articulation must be unified.
There are four main ways to begin a
note: legato, staccato, ^ accents and >
accents. Personal note: I once heard
a clinician at a TBA convention say
“never use the word ‘attack’—do you
really want your students to ‘attack’ a
note?” Sorry, I don’t remember who
changed my life with that statement! I
broke a 20-year habit of using a word
that did not describe how I want
sound to begin. Avoid using the word “attack!”
This guide works for most music:
Legato
: full dynamic, full value. Delicate but
defined start to note, note has equal sound through
its duration.
Staccato
: ½ dynamic and ½ value. Delicate but
defined start to note, detached but resonant, “lifted,”
usually lighter in character.
^
Accents
: 2X dynamic and ½ value. Full energy at
front of note, quick decay (lift).
>
Accents
: 2X dynamic at front of note, longer decay
to be determined by conductor/performer. This one
can vary a lot, based on usage in the piece.
Choose a score. . . that
has a standard 4-bar
or 8-bar melody.
This is a perfect place
to teach musicianship
in your band!
Add shaping to the
l ine and i t wi l l be
more musical ly
sat isfying and
interest ing to hear.
Composers and
publ ishers EXPECT
musical teachers
to exercise some
judgment : they do
not want to legislate
every nuance for you.
Teaching Musicianship in Band:
F inding Music Among the Notes