Yankee Doodle is available in a new arrangement for solo instrument and piano. It is a fun duet which can be played by a first year string student and a friend or family member with two years of piano experience. The melody is found in both parts.
Yankee Doodle is available for violin and piano, viola and piano, or cello and piano.
Yesterday we took at trip to the Sahli Nature Park in Chippewa, PA. This park was recently donated and opened in June. Take Route 51, turn on McKinley and look for the sign.
Parking is just beyond the building. Trails are very well-marked.
We started by walking around the lake.
We saw little green mosses and a few mushrooms. Many of the fallen pine cones had been eaten leaving a center stalk.
In December it was a pleasant stroll. I expect during the summer it will be a cool and inviting path.
Then we took the Seneca Loop Trail. Trail maps are readily available, but not necessary with the white blazes and clear signs.
A gradual ascent took us through the woods and fallen leaves.
Little evergreens were a slice of color.
Partway through the loop we came across a water tower.
Otherwise, we saw mushrooms and many trees.
The park is near the Beaver County Airport. So it is possible to see a plane.
Toward the end of the loop, we were able to look down on Chippewa Wal-Mart’s roof.
I was surprised by how massive it was.
A short downhill and we were back to the parking area.
Polonaise in G Minor, BWV Anh 119, from Anna Magdalena Bach’s Notebook is available in a new arrangement for strings. Six sets of instrumentation are available. The arrangements for two violins, violin and viola, and violin and cello are playable in first position. The arrangements for two violas, viola and cello, and two cellos require shifting in the first part. The arrangement for two cellos is also lovely with a cello and bass, with the bassist on the lower part.
In a Pickle is an original composition for string quartet or string orchestra with optional piano. A chromatic theme will secure the student’s ability to play F sharp and F natural in a musical context. The cello part has some fourth position. All of the other parts do not have any shifting. The first performance of In a Pickle was at Music Camp in 2009 for the Beginner Group.
In a Pickle is now available as a direct download sheet music print.
How do I read Bass Clef?
Bass Clef or F Clef indicates where the F line is on the staff. Once you know where F is all the other notes fall into place.
Ascending from the fourth line, the notes are placed on lines and spaces one letter at a time with the musical alphabet going forwards. (figure 2)
Descending from the fourth line, the notes are placed on lines and spaces one letter at a time with the musical alphabet going backwards. (figure 3)
As the notes move from the bottom of the staff to the top of the staff, the sounds get higher.
Typically someone doesn’t memorize all of the notes at once. A person will learn to recognize several notes and then build a mental map of the bass clef adding a few notes at a time.
Every instrument doesn’t have the same reference notes. For example, a pianist will most often learn C, F, second space C, and G. A string player will most often tie the reference notes into the sounds that are made with open strings. For the cello that is A, D, G and C. Alternatively a bassist would find G, D, A, and E more useful.
Retaining and using the information in the music works most efficiently to tie it to a physical note rather than relying on a mnemonic device. Knowing the spaces spell All Cows Eat Grass is useful, but typically leads to much counting up the staff and slower note recognition and less fluidity on the instrument.
One of the featured pieces at Concerto Workshop this summer was Telemann’s Concerto for Two Violas in G Major. Less familiar than the Concerto in G Major for viola which is performed regularly, the Concerto for Two Violas is a gem of a work. The soloists and the orchestra all have interesting parts. Each movement is a joy for the audience to hear. The solo parts can stand alone as a duet. The transcription for cellos was arranged to give cellos a chance to enjoy the work as soloists. The transcription also allows for flexibility in soloists if two good violists are difficult to find in your area. The transcription of the Concerto for Two Violas is now available.
It depends on the use of the instrument. For this comparison, I am trying to be as fair as possible. So I am comparing a piano and a keyboard with touch sensitive keys. To develop as a player it is important to have the instrument respond softly if you play gently. Or if you strike the key harder to have the instrument respond more loudly.
It is possible to learn to play using either instrument. Most students who play a piano have a wider variety of sound color at their fingertips. Students who play a keyboard have to work a little harder to develop it.
The most important key in learning to play is to use the instrument. Family environment matters no matter which instrument you have. Putting the piano in the same room as a tv creates family hostilities and a barrier to practicing.
So if someone works shifts or there is a new baby, having a keyboard with headphones is a kind way to practice and keep everyone happy. Some students will end up with one of each. A piano in the family room and a keyboard in their bedroom.
Can you hear the difference?
Sound Samples provided by a student who has been playing for three months.
Bach’s Fugue in C Major BWV 953 is available as a trio. It is suitable for advanced players. Shifting would be required in all the parts. One version is for two violins and cello. The other is scored for violin, viola, and cello. Grab your friends and give it a try.
An arrangement of Old Joe Clark is now available. It is suitable for a first year string player and a friend or family member who has played piano for two years.
Both parts are very easy and the duet comes together quickly.
It is available for violin and piano, viola and piano, and cello and piano.
12/8/12 and 12/21/12
Miriam Troxler 