There's one other sort of concern from what might be considered the opposite direction. My son doesn't like to think and he's got a very good ear - I regularly get reports back from school that he seems to be able to play everyone else's part on either the horn or the trumpet, and this is just from listening to it, not from reading and transposing. My son already sits around and plays songs he knows in different keys - the trick will be getting him to _read_ in different transpositions. I'm the same way - earlier today I tried playing some of the new-to-us horn duets I'd picked up last night in different keys but they were already in my ear enough that I really wasn't reading much at all.
By the way, it's for people like this that, at Mannes, part of the program was reading the names of the notes out loud and in rhythm _without_ being allowed to sing them. It was also our main vehicle for learning and practicing clefs. I know there's a school of thought that says, "well, if he can do it, who cares how?" but I am not of that school since I think the by-ear approach will bite you in the behind once the music becomes difficult. -S- > -----Original Message----- > From: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > du] On Behalf Of Bo Gusman > Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 1:17 PM > To: horn@music.memphis.edu > Subject: [Hornlist] Transpositions and National Melodies > > Scott Pappal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes > > > ... is to > > assign well-known folk or national melodies in various keys > other than > > F. This way, a student knows when he/she has made an error, because > > they know how the melody should sound. Something as simple as "My > > Country 'tis of Thee," "Amazing Grace," "O Tannenbaum," > etc. will work > > with 9 yr. olds. > > A timeless technique, for sure. However, my wife, who teaches > flute, and I (Horn and trumpet) are both finding that our > students do NOT know many of the "common" and "well-known" > melodies. Who would think that a 9 year old would not know > "Row-Row-Row Your Boat", or "My Country 'tis of Thee", but it > is sadly true. OTOH, ask them to sing the latest Britney > Spears hit and they'll nail it. What value then? > > On a similar note: many years ago when my wife was working in > a bank, she and another teller were talking about books. My > wife, who was somewhat older than the other girls, mentioned > Dr. Zhivago. The teller my wife was talking to asked, "Who?" > My wife, sensing doom, turned to a third teller and asked, > "Do you know who Dr. Zhivago is?" She replied, "No, but I > know he doesn't have an account here!" > > Bo > > > > > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/steve%40fridaysc omputer.com _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
