Hello Mike and others,
Your point about well-known tunes and devoting time to exploring these
is a very good one. This is a topic that I've been discussing recently.
As someone who regularly teaches 'basic skills' groups, I tend to
present familiar tunes and unashamedly use, more or less, the same
core collection because these provide an opportunity for beginner-
players to participate in sessions where they are likely to hear at
least one or two tunes from that choice. As a tuition content, those
tunes tend to get left behind in favour of apparently more complex and
newer repertoire, and I sometimes wonder whether that isn't a lost
opportunity for advanced players.
Perhaps not everyone recognises the time and care that tutors put into
the preparation of new repertoire for courses. Participants look
forward to receiving a weighty collection of tunes in advance, and
with each tutor providing a substantial selection of novel material,
that results in a number of new items that is sometimes practically
unmanageable as a learning experience. Returning to your original
point, Mike, yes I do think there's a lot to be gained by working on
an already familiar tune at an advanced level . . . the Hesleyside
Reel, for instance . . . and developing musicality by seeing these
familiar items anew with the help of an expert tutor.
To some extent, there's an expectation of a tutor to be a provider of
new material. Nothing wrong with that, as long as this is kept within
reason. More important, though is the quality of the tuition itself.
The weight of the pre-course material shouldn't be taken as an
indicator of the quality of the course!
Lets see what others think.
Francis
On 12 Mar 2009, at 16:19, Mike and Enid Walton wrote:
Alan
I think one of the good things about the Sunday session was the
other musicians there, which couldn't be arranged at other times
(except perhaps Friday, but it's good to meet old friends and play
together then). I also agree about the amount of tuition being
about right.
One idea I would like to float though (related to my sight-reading
probably) is to ask views on the merit of taking a well-known
tune(s) and giving tuition on the development of style, phrasing,
gracing etc. I know some players like to learn a new tune, but if I
am struggling all the time to play the right notes it doesn't allow
any work on the finer points of playing.
Views please ?
Mike
----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Corkett" <a...@bcorkett.freeserve.co.uk
>
To: "Gibbons, John" <j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk>
Cc: "NSP LIST" <nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 12:12 PM
Subject: [NSP] Re: Halsway playaround
Halsway Playaround
Sorry if I was being provocative about less tuition!
Naturally we can insert more informal playing Saturday afternoon
for those
who wish to do this. In fact Ben from Wales introduced this when he
came
several years ago, unfortunately has not attended last two events.
Alan
-----Original Message-----
From: Gibbons, John [mailto:j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk]
Sent: 13 March 2009 10:50
To: 'Alan Corkett'; Mike and Enid Walton
Cc: NSP LIST
Subject: [NSP] Re: Halsway playaround
Alan,
I think this would be a bad idea - the tuition is crucial to
getting people
thinking intensively about piping.
The playarounds are better in consequence.
John
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