Thursday, October 25, 2012

Halloween as Springboard to J.S. Bach and Organ? Yes!

I am the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of the organ.  I much prefer my piano.  But one of the coolest "Halloween" pieces of all time is a classical piece written for organ by J.S. Bach.  What is it, you might ask?  Why -- Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccatta and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565)  -- of course!  If you don't recall what this piece is, check out this video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4FXvojtq6g&feature=player_embedded

Ok, so Bach devoted all of his music to the glory of God.  So how did his piece come to be associated with a holiday which is considered to be pagan in origin?  It's simple, really.  The first page or so is very scary-sounding and Hollywood found that it registered high on the fear meter!  It has been used in no less than 19 movies, from the Disney classic "Fantasia" to horror movies.  Although I'm sure J.S. Bach intended to do nothing more than induce a proper fear of God with his bold opening statement (Figure A, below), we actually use this piece to scare each other in horror movies, haunted houses, and Halloween media hype.  Fortunately, our kids hear a little Bach every Halloween because of this media saturation.  So I have begun using the Toccatta's Halloween association as a springboard for introducing J.S. Bach and organ to my students -- especially those with classical phobia (I have some who would never consider Bach as worthy for their attention if it weren't for this piece). 

In addition to giving them some appreciation for the classics of the Baroque era, the Toccatta and Fugue in D Minor presents the perfect opener for a discussion of one of the most complex engineering feats in existence -- the pipe organ.  Your budding engineers and scientists might appreciate this (subject matter for another post).

And you might throw in a little sidenote about how Bach, a gifted composer, was really just this very humble church organist who felt that....
"The final aim of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul." 
He didn't seek any fame or fortune for his mind-boggling compositions.  In fact, the guy who created this cool piece was just an ordinary family guy (he had 7 children by his first wife, then 13 by his second wife, whom he married after he was widowed), yet he is now recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time.

And how about showing students how much coordination is required to play this complex instrument?  Show them the video above.  It gives students an excellent demonstration of how the foot pedals work in organ music.  I tell them this is where the very big, low notes come from.  A lot of kids don't know that there is a virtual piano keyboard at your feet and each pedal has a different pitch.  So this video is very enlightening as far as the foot pedals go.   

While some piano teachers may dismiss this piece as too difficult for intermediate students, I think the first page is very attainable through proper instruction.  And my students LOVE, LOVE, LOVE playing this piece!  By showing my students the patterns and chords in the music this month, I was able to teach the first page of this to virtually all of my intermediate and advanced students.  They don't need to play the whole 8-minute piece to get a taste of Bach and organ music.   Even the first page is enough to show their friends.  They can go home and play the piece on their keyboards with a pipe organ sound (most of my students have a keyboard and/or piano).  If two hands is too hard, the piece is easily reduced to right hand only.  One of my students, who is handing out candy instead of trick-or-treating this year, says he is going to put his keyboard out on the sidewalk and play this piece on Halloween night.  And that's what it's all about!  Getting them excited about music and making it fun!

If you take a look at the first measure, it looks pretty intimidating to a young intermediate student.  Imagine how much their confidence is boosted when then leave the lesson, knowing they played this difficult-looking music!


Figure A (Measure 1)



 

Figure B
 

For much of the piece, the left hand is a carbon copy of the right hand (Figures A and B), and that makes it much easier to learn than other two-handed music.  Although I printed the sheet music for them, they didn't have to use it very much since I taught them by rote (memorizing instantly through listening and observation of the teacher's demonstration) and by pointing out the patterns and chords.  To learn how I teach the first page in just one lesson, look for my next post!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Halloween Improvisations With Keyboard Sounds

I have a pretty old digital ensemble piano that is a mammoth sound factory.  This instrument adds a lot of excitement to seasonal projects such as Halloween improvisations.  What is a Halloween improvisation, you ask?  Allow me to elaborate..

I don't believe in the occult or really "celebrate" Halloween, but it is a fact that most my students participate in Halloween customs such as trick-or-treating and wearing costumes.  They also associate Halloween with scary sounds and songs.  I have several awesome Halloween-style sounds on my keyboard, including goblins, dark movie scene, and crystal. 

For our Halloween improvisation duet today, my student improvised in pentascales, following my chord progressions.  For instance, if I played A minor, he improvised in A minor 5-finger position.  If I played G major, he improvised in G major 5-finger position.  The pattern continues.  Here it is:

http://soundcloud.com/jennifer-warren-baker/halloween-duet-with-goblins

I think he enjoyed it.  I will post the sheet music for the teacher part for anyone interested, but the progression is A minor, G major, F major, D minor, and repeat.  It's just a tad spooky sounding, but not over-the-top.

Another student, ecstatic about my goblins sound, just enjoyed sitting on long, slow "goblin chords" while I improvised a dramatic piano part.  Here it is:

http://soundcloud.com/jennifer-warren-baker/the-fear

I just had to watch his hands closely to see what goblin chords he was playing so I could do the same chord with piano.  On a second track, I had him add some orchestral percussion with my gong sound!!!  As we sat back and listened to our creation, he began to dramatize a fight scene he was imagining and said he couldn't wait to show it to his friends.

So Halloween -- even though I'm not a huge fan -- can be a springboard for exciting projects which get them excited about music and keep them coming back!!!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Major Scale Fingering Made Easy - A Helpful Chart

(Scroll down to download a PDF of the chart!)

My students hear it all the time from me:

"Major scales in music are like the multiplication tables in math.  You cannot advance in math without knowing your multiplication tables, and you cannot advance in music without knowing your major scales."
 
Major Scales = Multiplication Tables of Music! 
 
Why is it so hard to advance in music without knowing your major scales?  Everything in music is a based on major scales.  For instance, a major chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the major scale.  Minor scales and blues scales are described as alterations of the major scale, or formulas based on the major scales. 
 
Without knowing your major scales, you will have difficulty understanding chords, and without knowing your chords, well...my opinion on this is very strong -- you're doomed!  Your reading and memorization will be much more difficult without knowing your chords.  Improvising and playing chord-style/ playing from lead sheets will also be pretty much impossible without knowing your major chords.  And if chords are built from scales, we need to know the scales first!
 
I also describe each scale as a musical language.  I explain to my students that our goal as pianists is to be completely fluent in reading and speaking (playing) each musical language. 
 
 
Each scale is a musical language.  We need to be fluent in every language!

As soon as you can, learn your piano scales in two octaves (even hands separate is fine at first).  The fingering patterns will be much more apparent when you are playing two octaves, and everyone knows that music is much easier when you can see the patterns!  Once you can play two octaves, you can extend that easily to three or four octaves. 

Here is a chart I have been envisioning for years.  I created this chart today to help my students organize the major scales in their minds, understand the patterns, and master them more quickly.  The focus of this chart is fingering patterns, not the notes of the scales (I have put key signatures on the chart to help with that).  I find that, when students see the patterns, scale mastery comes much more quickly!  I hope to post a poster-sized chart on my studio wall.  I think this chart will help any piano hobbyist to compare and contrast the major scales and their various fingerings -- to see how they're the same and different. 

In the chart below, the scales which begin on white keys are in white ovals.  The scales which begin on black keys are in the gray ovals.  Students should learn the scales from top to bottom, following the flow of the chart lines.  I have grouped the major scales by shared fingering patterns.  It is much easier to learn the ones that share fingering patterns first.  For example, pianists should master C, G, D, A, and E major (the first 5 in the circle of 5ths) first because they all share the same fingering pattern.   You will notice that there are 5 scales with unique fingerings - B, F, Bb, Eb, and Ab major.  These should be the last learned because they are exceptions to the patterns found in the other scales.  F# and C# both follow "black key finger matching" rules, so once you understand those rules, you realize that the scales with the most sharps are actually the easiest to learn and play!  For now, I offer this chart for free (small preview below)!  To download a free PDF of this chart, click the link here:  Major Scale Fingering Chart.  And please let me know in the comments section if you find this chart helpful, or if needs any edits!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Pianists Don't Do Nails

I don't "do my nails."  Never have, never will.  I'm not going to pout over my plain, boyish nails.  It's far more sanitary to keep them short.  I'm sure the bacteria population under my ultra-short nails is much lower than it would be if they were an inch long and coated in red lacquer.  How can you see the dirt under all that color anyhow? 

But honestly, the real reason I keep my nails short is...
 
You cannot play the piano with long nails.   

Case in point...

A student came in today who always seems to have long nails.  I am frustrated.  I have told this student over and over to cut her nails.  Her long nails make it impossible for her to have the finger curvature necessary to play piano.  The final knuckle joint in her fingers always buckles.  Her fingers are flat and her wrists collapse.  I believe I have already addressed the nail issue with her parents.  But the problem has persisted for many months.  As a result, she plays with a weak sound and sloppy execution.  She cannot get her fingers to do what she wants. 

Maybe it's time for a sign to go on my wall....

"Leave your ego and vanity at home.  Humble hearts and short nails welcome." 

I try so hard not to have a punitive teaching approach, but maybe I need to start writing tickets from the Piano Police.  Or cancelling lessons if they arrive with long nails (ok, maybe too harsh).  Is it that hard?  Maybe I need to sell a beginner piano packet that includes nail clippers with the metronome.  Or I could put a checklist on their practice sheet...are your nails short?

No - I have it.  I will give them engraved nail clippers at the end of the school year as my "thank you for your business" gift.   

Here's the deal, folks.  Long nails don't make for good piano playing.  Long nails make fingers go flat.  This results in low wrists and poor technique, leading to a high rate of error in one's playing.  Want to do a fast scale run?  Want to do anything fast?  Well you may as well forget it if your nails are long.  Even if you're playing slowly, long nails lead to sloppy execution.  So let go of your vanity and cut them.  And that goes for boys too!  Boys are just as guilty of growing man-claws.

Cut them every week, as short as you can.  And please, please, cut them before your lesson!  You cannot play guitar, violin, and most other instruments with long nails.  So don't think you're the only one subject to this grooming imperative.  No matter what instrument you play -- nails just get in the way!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Making a Living in Music: Diversify Revenue Streams

Some of my students and music majors are probably wondering -- is it possible to make a living in music?  Am I going to be a starving artist?  Will I be able to support a family in music?

While I don't make an attorney's salary, I do make a good living in music.  How do I do it?  My primary source of income is teaching lessons.  But I also play gigs, accompany vocalists, and offer music transcription, arranging, and composing.  Although I don't do much of the last 3, there have been years in which a pretty significant slice of my income came from creative work.  While some may find this list mind-boggling, I think it helps for musicians to be versatile; offering more than one thing. 

So when you're starting out in the music field, think about diversifying your revenue streams.  In other words, don't put all your eggs in one basket teaching lessons, but create multiple income streams from several types of work.  Not only will this boost your overall income, but it will help you network with others who need your services.  For instance, while accompanying a community theatre production, you may meet vocalists who need your accompanist services.  While playing for a church, you may meet families who need wedding music or music lessons for their kids.  So each mode of work (each separate income stream) feeds the other income streams, multiplying your income potential. 

My largest secondary income stream is the money I make playing gigs.  In addition to increased income, let's look at the fringe benefits of playing gigs:
  1. Boosts credentials.  Playing gigs boosts your credentials as a music teacher.  Though it's certainly not essential for a music teacher to be a performer too, it definitely helps you enhance your value as a music teacher and augments the knowledge you can share.
  2. You enjoy playing.  I, personally, am much happier playing gigs and teaching because I enjoy playing the piano and feeling challenged.
  3. Higher profit?  With gigs, I don't have the overhead of studio rent to pay.  Because my gigs happen mainly on the weekends, my husband can watch the kids.  This means I don't have any childcare expenses during gigs.  So after taxes, gigs are pure profit!
For a pianist, the following gigs are available.  Many of the gigs below are available to other musicians as well.
  • Church gigs - I think every pianist should have a church gig.  Why?  1.  It has a powerful spiritual impact, drawing you and others who hear you closer to God.  2.  It keeps your skills sharp.  3.  It provides regular, supplementary income.  4.  It keeps you visible and involved in your local community, and helps with networking.
  • Accompany auditions - Several vocalists ask me to accompany them for auditions each year.
  • Weddings
  • Funerals
  • Parties/ receptions/ restaurants/ hotels/ high-end department stores
  • Accompany/ music-direct musicals - Again, this keeps you visible and involved in your local community. not to mention that theatre productions help you network with other vocalists and people who may hire you for something else.
Additional services musicians can offer include the following:
  • Music transcription, arranging, composing - If you can do any of these services, by all means offer them!  You can also sell your sheet music online if you compose (something I will be setting up soon).
  • Writing about music?  Are you a writer?  If you are, you can create an additional income stream writing articles about music and blogging.
  • Presentations and conferences - What are you an expert in?  Could you do presentations on a particular specialty?
  • Sell your recordings.  Do you have professional recordings of your work?  Sell your music on iTunes or sell CDs when you perform/ give concerts.  (I will be selling music on iTunes soon.)