Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2012
15
It is necessary to go deeper than this simple guide
in more complex cases. Most good composers only
use staccati in softer dynamics, as there is an implied
“lightness” to these notes. Ensembles that play staccati
quieter, not just shorter, will hear a really musical
difference. I would like to offer a personal observation
about staccato markings. If the tempo is at 120 or
faster (and sometimes just a little under
that) any staccato marks on a quadruple
subdivision are beyond the point: those
notes are already short! These passages
will sound better if the “light” aspect
of staccato is used here, and tongue as
legato as possible. Try it—you’ll like it!
Transcriptions of certain orchestral
pieces show that older composers,
editors and publishers seemed to treat
the ^ accent as to be played with more
force than the > accent, but the majority
of modern works are trending as in the
guide above.
The standard “sideways” accent looks
like a little diminuendo. In marches and
fanfares, the overall style dictates that notes with that
marking have separation, but in overture-style pieces,
it is more musical to expect more length, and therefore
the musician should define a specific shape and length
of taper.
For instance, in a given case the most musical
performance of notes marked this way may be to
play them 80% length, with moderate taper (or lift).
On a longer note with a sideways, I often ask for the
ensemble to have the note taper but touch the next note.
For example, in the last movement of Moussorgsky’s
Pictures at an Exhibition
, the magnificent
Great Gate of
Kiev
, no one would want to hear those big chords with
big gaps between them. Not musical.
There are two main ways to end notes, a dramatic
release (last note of
1812 Overture
by Tchaikovsky)
or tapered (last note of
Irish Tune from the County
Derry
by Percy Grainger). In a dramatic (square,
block) ending, the sound is equal in energy to the
very end. All players release together and remain still
for a bit to allow the note to resonate before faces
or instruments move. In a tapered,
quiet release, energized air is required
to keep good sound during the taper.
Many fine ensembles use the “low leaves
last” concept for added resonance in
tonal music. To do this, the higher
instruments release a millisecond before
and the lowest instruments leave a
millisecond after the middle of the
sound. This is a high-level concept but a
beautiful one to perform, as it allows the
fundamental of a chord to have presence
during the release.
Of course, all of these ideas are futile
if a band performs without unifying
intonation, rhythm and balance. The
following statements are simple, but important:
•Good intonation is a matter of getting rid of the
waves between two or more people.
•Rhythm is about math.
•Balance is hearing the proper amount of each part.
It is enough to say that these aspects must be
present in order to display good musicianship.
Here are some miscellaneous tips I have learned
from watching outstanding teachers.
•Lead across the bar. Learning to play across bar
lines can make passages more musical, and this can
apply to notes other than anacruses.
•The intake of breath should be like the music that
follows, especially in regard to tempo.
Teaching Musicianship in Band:
F inding Music Among the Notes