[Menvi-discuss] braille music tutoring

[Rick Coates]

Kelsey:

Counting requires you to understand how a particular time-signature is
divided into beat values.  Always remember that the top number represents
the number of beats in a measure and the bottom number represents the value
of each beat.  When 8's and 16's are used in the bottom value, compound
groupings of 2's, 3's or 4's are created.  The standard counting pattern
for 2's or duplets is 1-n 2-n 3-n 4-n.  For 3's or triplets, the pattern is
counted 1-&-ah 2-&-ah, etc, or 1-la-le 2-la-le, etc.  For 4's or quads, the
pattern is 1-e-&-ah 2-e-&-ah etc.

Duple and Quad signatures will have the top number represented by values of
two and four, while the Triplet signatures will have the top number
represented by values of 3.

20th century composers challenged the rules of rhythm in their music.
Copland took one work and had the time signature as 2/4 in one measure
followed by 6/8 in second.  Another composer, had one group of players
performing music with a 4/4 time signature while others used a 12/8 time
signature.  Understanding the basic beat values and counting patterns
required for the music made the musicians able to perform these works.

Last year, my school band did an interesting selection written in 6/8
time.  As I analyzed the work, the composer wrote measure one as 2 dotted
quarter notes, and the second measure with three quarter notes.  At times
in the work, he subdivided the dotted quarter notes into triplets (3/8 +
3/8). Eventually, the music would look like this: x-x-x x-x-x / X X X .
The counting pattern would be 1-&-ah 2-&-ah / 1 2 3.  The tempo of the
eighth note remained constant throughout the work.  The wind players
performed smooth rhythm patterns in the melody, while the counter-melodies
and percussion had more challenging patterns.  Once again, understanding
the basics of the rhythm and counting made the performance proper and
enjoyable.

Rick Coates


On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 12:13 PM, Kelsey Nicolay
<piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hello,
> I am taking Hadley's Braille Music Reading course.  I managed to pass the
> first four lessons with B's but now that I have completed my fifth lesson,
> I'm starting to get worried about my student record.  My instructor gave me
> a D on this lesson, saying that I had trouble with counting.  She told me
> that I need to actually count out loud as I am playing but the main issue
> was that I had considering difficulty with counting in different time
> signatures.  Therefore, I am wondering if there is anyone on the list who
> has taken the course and still has their materials who would be willing to
> tutor me via phone or skype.  I'm still in school so I am looking for free
> tutoring if possible because I don't have a lot of money.  If anyone is
> interested in tutoring, please write me offlist at
> piano.girl0299 at gmail.com to discuss the details.
> Thanks,
>
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