Exploring new sounds: contemporary performance techniques for the pre-college student.

Exploring new sounds: contemporary performance techniques for the pre-college student. As a frequent performer and fervent advocate of new music, Ibelieve we have a critical responsibility to prepare the developingpianist for the expanded performance requirements that have emergedsince the latter half of the twentieth century. Just as we carefullydevelop sequential steps ,r introducing a student to a Mozart sonata,we, as thoughtful teachers, need to examine the variety of avant-gardepiano skills that have now become essential components of a well-formedpiano technique. In this way, we can better facilitate the logicaldevelopment of those skills and foster their integration into thestandard piano repertoire.Fortunately, there are many extraordinary compositions thateffectively can introduce students of all levels to twentieth-centuryperformance techniques. Through the exploration of new sonorities andcolors, the interior of the piano and rhythmic complexities, studentscan come to understand the diverse possibilities that contemporary musicoffers. By exposing students to these performance techniques andsonorities at the beginning and continually incorporating them intotheir basic musical studies, students will be able to gradually preparefor the great works of the twentieth century and beyond.Precise Performance Indications and Abrupt ChangesOne of the most intimidating characteristics of contemporary musicis the demand for precise and abrupt changes in dynamics, articulation,duration, register and texture. Since twentieth-century music often isless melodic in a traditional sense, pianists are required to performlarge leaps, execute quick changes in direction and negotiate unusualintervallic groupings and clusters. As a result, it is imperative thatstudents have effective practice strategies when encountering thesechallenging performance requirements.Widely Spaced Sonorities and Registral ShiftsIn Norman Dello Joio's beautiful Night Sang, the widely spacedsonorities help create the nocturnal sound environment. Because of thefrequent register changes, the student continually must be moving to andpreparing for the next sound in order to create a fluid, legato linewithin a predominantly pianissimo dynamic range. In this work, DelloJoio introduces four triads that serve as the building blocks for theentire work: D minor, F-sharp major, C major and G-sharp minor.Recognizing this foundational, compositional device allows theintermediate student to more easily execute the large leaps andregistral shifts. Without a clear melody, color becomes the paramountmusical element. Special attention should be given to issues of voicingto create layers of sound, listening closely to how changes in register,dynamics and pedaling impact the composite sound.Pointillistic poin��til��lis��tic?adj.1. Of or relating to pointillism.2. Minutely detailed or particularized: a pointillistic short story; pointillistic piano music.Adj. 1. TextureBruce Wise's Four Pieces for Piano requires advanced pianistic pi��a��nis��tic?adj.1. Of or relating to the piano.2. Well adapted to the piano.pi skills and musicianship. In the first movement, "Fast," thepointillistic texture demands economy of movement, precise preparationsand a clear understanding of how physical gestures correspond with themusical phrases. Negotiating the wide leaps and rapid changes indirection calls for the pianist to avoid a "note-wiseprocedure," defined by Abby Whiteside Abby Whiteside (1881-1956) was an influential and controversial piano teacher whose ideas are still much debated. She challenged the finger-centric approach of much Classical piano teaching and instead advocated a holistic attitude in which the arm is the conductor of a musical image in Indispensables of PianoPlaying piano playingNeurologyA fanciful descriptor for finger movements linked to the loss of position sensation, in which the Pt seeks to discover finger position in space by periodic movement; PP occurs in Dejerine-Sottas syndrome; PP also refers to intermittent as "a separate use of power for each tone--exactly what isachieved by independent fingers producing the tone." (1) Whitesidegoes on to say that "there must be a physical action in the playingmechanism which proceeds from the first tone of the phrase to the lasttone.... This action may go directly from one accent to another and usethese accents as stepping stones For the home of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, see .The Stepping Stones are three prominent rocks lying 0.5 miles north of Limitrophe Island, off the southwest coast of Anvers Island. in its procedure to the close of themusical statement." (2)Exercises away from the piano can help the student initiallyrealize the larger rhythmic framework, overall phrasing andcorresponding choreography. Taking time to tap and verbalize the rhythm,utilizing the whole body, until the phrase-rhythm is internalized, isabsolutely imperative and should occur before a note is played. Forexample, the downbeats of measures 13 and 14 represent clear rhythmicarrival points and should be played with a full-arm gesture, while theprevious three measures clearly lead to those downbeats. The physicalgestures used should reflect this musical hierarchy, These decisionsmust be made at the onset of studying the work. Otherwise, students willdwell on the difficulties of reading the score, and a note-by-noteproduction will result.Although a thorough compositional and theoretical analysis is wellbeyond the scope of this article, an understanding of how the basicfour-note motive (G, F-sharp, E and F) is developed throughtransposition transposition/trans��po��si��tion/ (trans?po-zish��un)1. displacement of a viscus to the opposite side.2. , inversion and retrograde procedures encourages a moreholistic examination of the work.Unusual Note Groupings and ClustersMany contemporary compositions are based on non-diatonic scales andchords. As a result, pianists are required to negotiate unusualcombinations of note groupings and clusters that go beyond thefingerings used in traditional scales, arpeggios and chords. Studentswho rely on intervallic reading skills will make this transition moreeasily.Based on a hexachord hexachord(Greek; “six strings”)In music, a group of six tones in a specified pattern, specifically the interval pattern tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone (as in G-A-B-C-D-E). , presented at the top of the score, "JackRabbit jack rabbitthe common American Hare. Called also Lepus californicus. ," from Youth's Companion Youth's Companion (1827-1929) was a popular American children's magazine while it was published. Its first publishers, Nathaniel Wills and Asa Rand, stated that it was created to encourage "virtue and piety, and... warn against the ways of transgression". by Ross Lee Finney “Ross L. Finney” redirects here. For other uses, see Ross L. Finney (disambiguation).Ross Lee Finney Junior (December 23 1906–February 4 1997) was an American composer born in Wells, Minnesota who taught for many years at the University of Michigan. , posesseveral challenges for the late-intermediate pianist, including exposeddissonances, angular phrases and unexpected rests and fermatas thatdepict the jackrabbit jackrabbit,popular name for several hares of W North America, characterized by very long legs and ears. Jackrabbits are powerful jumpers and fast runners. In normal progress leaps are alternated with running steps; when pursued the hare runs fast and close to the leaping and hovering on the North Dakota North Dakota,state in the N central United States. It is bordered by Minnesota, across the Red River of the North (E), South Dakota (S), Montana (W), and the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (N). prairie.A heightened awareness of how the hand and fingers correspond with theblack-and-white keys will assist in determining the angles of the handand arm, as well as quickly identifying positions on the keyboard.Because Finney offers no fingering suggestions, teachers will need tocarefully guide students through this decision-making process so theyunderstand how to effectively choose fingerings based on the notegroupings, as well as the direction and destination of each musicalgesture. By blocking the note groupings, designated in Example 3 withshaded boxes, unusual finger configurations will become more familiar.The fingering indicated is performed easily by a student with modesthand size and capitalizes on diatonic scale Noun 1. diatonic scale - a scale with eight notes in an octave; all but two are separated by whole tonesmusical scale, scale - (music) a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave) patterns.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Pioneered by Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (October 20, 1874 – May 19, 1954) was an American composer of modernist classical music. He is widely regarded as one of the first American classical composers of international significance. and Henry Cowell Henry Cowell (March 11, 1897 – December 10, 1965) was an American composer, musical theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:[1] , clusters are widelyused now in many contemporary works, calling for the pianist to usefingers, palms, forearms and the entire arm in unconventional ways.Depending on the particular work, care should be given to avoidunnecessary twisting of the wrists and keep the body and arms alignedwhenever possible. It also is important to recognize how the center ofgravity shifts when playing large clusters. Students should strive tofind a balanced distribution of weight, even when leaning on one elbow.From the collection Monsterpieces (and Others) by William Bolcom William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, three Grammy Awards, and the Detroit Music Award. Bolcom is a professor of music composition at the University of Michigan. ,"Big Mountain" utilizes full arm clusters. (Bolcom offers analternative cluster for students whose arms are too short.) Bolcom usesthe standard notation Standard notation refers to a general agreement in the way things are written or denoted. The term is generally used in technical and scientific areas of study like mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, but can also be seen in areas like business, economics and music. of placing a natural or flat sign to designatewhite or black key clusters respectively. Effectively executing thepianissimo clusters requires sitting closer to the keyboard than usual,so the arm forms a straight line from the elbow to the fingertips "Fingertips" is a 1963 number-one hit single recorded live by "Little" Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label. Wonder's first hit single, "Fingertips" was the first live, non-studio recording to reach number-one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the United States. . If astudent opts to use the palm clusters instead, it is important that theelbow is still aligned with the hand to prevent twisting the wrist."The Guinea Hen" creatively utilizes white-key clustersto evoke this "crazy, totally unpredictable pheasant." (3) Theopportunity to generate massive sounds on the keyboard never fails todelight piano students. Referring to measures 3-5, Bernstein indicates,"It makes no difference which white notes are played as long as thedown-up swirl of the passage is followed." (4) Due to thepercussive per��cus��sive?adj.Of, relating to, or characterized by percussion.per��cussive��ly adv. nature of this passage, it is best to play on the back partof the palm, with the fingers loosely shaped and relaxed. Without thefear of note accuracy, this passage is an excellent tool for developingthe ability to shift weight between alternating hands.Inside the Piano and Prepared Piano A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects (preparations) between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers.The idea of altering an instrument's timbre through the use of external objects has been applied to instruments other than In 1923, Henry Cowell began to experiment with sounds produced byplaying directly on the strings of the piano and employing the use ofharmonics, glissandi, pizzicati and other innovative effects. Later,George Crumb For the inventor of potato chips, see George Crum. George Crumb (born October 24, 1929) is an American composer of modern and avant garde music. He is noted as an explorer of unusual timbres and extended technique. developed his own unique, highly personal musical voicethrough the incorporation of sounds produced by the fingernails orfingertips on the strings, as well as striking the strings with objectslike chains or a percussionist's wire brush wire brushn → brosse f m��talliquewire brushwire n → Drahtb��rste fwire brushn → or muting the stringswith a cloth.There are many excellent examples of works that allow the studentto explore the inside of the piano and the abundant sonorities that canbe achieved. Much of this repertoire requires marking the dampers withdrafting tape Drafting Tape, also known as "the second most useful tape in the world", is similar to duct tape in that is has a wide variety of uses, but differs in several key areas.Drafting tape is not nearly as strong as duct tape; it will break with minimal effort. to label the necessary pitches. It is crucial to keep thedamper pedal depressed while placing the tape on the dampers, makingsure not to press down. Strings should be wiped with a clean, cottoncloth after each use to prevent any damage. During performance, moststudents will need to stand while depressing the damper pedal to accessthe interior of the piano.Emma Lou Diemer's Space Suite, which was commissioned byClavier, contains several compositions that call for the student tocreatively explore the piano's interior. In "Out inSpace," Diemer uses silently depressed keys (harmonics), glissandi,sympathetic vibrations and plucked strings to create a magical effect.Throughout the work, she provides clear directions for the execution ofthe more unusual notation.American composer John Cage Noun 1. John Cage - United States composer of avant-garde music (1912-1992)John Milton Cage Jr., Cage is credited with first experimentingwith modifying the sound of the piano by inserting pieces of felt,rubber, metal and other objects between the strings--an experiment forwhich he was honored by the American Society of Arts and Letters Arts and Letters (1966-1998) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.Owned and bred by American sportsman, and noted philanthropist Paul Mellon, and trained by future Hall of Famer Elliott Burch, the colt began racing at age two. . Whileaccompanying dance classes given by Bonnie Byrd at the Cornish Institutein Seattle, Cage had no room for additional percussionists. This dilemmaled him to the creation of a "percussion orchestra" within thepiano.Among avant-garde piano music, Arthur Greene's Seven WildMushrooms and a Waltz is a charming collection of intermediatecompositions for prepared piano. Greene provides a clear, lengthypreface describing how to prepare ten strings of the grand piano withrubber erasers and wood screws. Greene also outlines certain precautionsto take to avoid damaging the instrument:* Do not insert or slide the preparations too close to either endof the strings, taking special care that the dampers are not moved outof their proper positions.* Use clean hands freedom from guilt, esp. from the guilt of dishonesty in money matters, or of bribe taking.See also: Hand when inserting or removing objects; wipe with acloth after use.* Never leave preparations in the piano for an extended time. (5)From Greene's collection, "Waltz for a DistractedSole" features bitonality and surprising meter changes within atraditional waltz context. Since preparations alter the "feel"of the keyboard, it is helpful to first learn this comical, bitonalpiece without them. Once the preparations are added, slight physicaladjustments will need to be made to project the desired dynamics andarticulations.Rhythmic ComplexitiesThe gamut of diverse rhythmic techniques used in twentieth-centuryworks presents several performance challenges for the pianist. At oneend of the spectrum, complex rhythmic procedures, such as syncopation syncopation(sĭng'kəpā`shən, sĭn'–)[New Gr.,=cut off ], in music, the accentuation of a beat that normally would be weak according to the rhythmic division of the measure. ,jazz rhythms, shifting or changing meter signatures, asymmetrical metersignatures, metric modulations, shifting accents and polyrhythms, areused by composers like Stravinsky, Bartok and Muczynski. Somecontemporary composers favored rhythmic simplicity in compositions thathave no meter signature or feature time-span or spatial notation.The following examples present a variety of rhythmic challenges forthe late-intermediate or advanced piano student. The student mustalready have a firm grasp of most rhythmic values and meter signaturesto successfully embark on the study of these pieces. A curriculum thatsequentially incorporates these rhythmic devices will ensure the studentis prepared for the complexities that contemporary music presents. Inthe preface to Rhythmic Training, an excellent resource for rhythmicexercises and drills, Robert Starer Robert Starer (born 1924 in Vienna – died 2001 in Kingston, New York) was an Austrian-born American composer and pianist.Robert Starer began studying the piano at age 4 and continued his studies at the Vienna State Academy. states, "In my experience ascomposer, performer and teacher I have come to the conclusion that aninadequate grasp of rhythmic patterns is often the cause of poorsight-reading. It has also become increasingly apparent that lack offamiliarity with five and seven time and changing meters, particularlyin the early stages of musical training, has contributed much to theunjustified fears of performing twentieth-century music." (6)Shifting (Changing) and Asymmetrical Meter SignaturesThe incorporation of shifting or changing meter signatures within awork is a hallmark of twentieth-century composition. RobertBeaser's "Landscape with Bells" incorporates bothshifting and asymmetrical meter signatures. These rhythmic challengesdemand an excellent sense of the inner pulse to move smoothly from onemeter signature to another. Initially, practicing with the metronome metronome(mĕ`trənōm'), in music, originally pyramid-shaped clockwork mechanism to indicate the exact tempo in which a work is to be performed. It has a double pendulum whose pace can be altered by sliding the upper weight up or down. setto the eighth-note (the smallest subdivision of the beat) helps developa steady inner pulse within the shifting meter context.As advocated by Kodaly, Dalcroze and Edwin Gordon Edwin E. Gordon is an influential researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer in the field of music education. Through extensive research, Gordon has made major contributions to the study of music aptitudes, audiation, music learning theory, rhythm in movement and music, and , using a methodof counting that reflects the larger beat rhythm allows the student tobetter internalize internalizeTo send a customer order from a brokerage firm to the firm's own specialist or market maker. Internalizing an order allows a broker to share in the profit (spread between the bid and ask) of executing the order. the macrorhythm and phrase structure. In asymmetricalmeters, it is important to recognize how the big or macro beats areorganized within each measure. For example, in measures 2-4 where each7/8 measure breaks down into a pattern of 3 + 4, the student can countusing metric counting, "tah" or "du," depending onthe preferred method. If the student has a firmly established sense ofthe inner pulse, he or she should be ready to make the necessary shiftto feeling the music in macro beats. An excellent exercise fordeveloping the ability to experience the micro and macro beatssimultaneously involves tapping the micro or inner pulse on the chest,while outlining the macro pulse with the feet:Hands R L R L R L R / L R L R L R L7/8 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 / 1 2 3 1 2 3 4Feet R L / R LThe use of unpredictable accents also can add to the rhythmiccomplexity of a musical work. In "Little Gorgon" byChristopher Rouse, shifting accents and syncopation provide rhythmicvitality and energy. In this piece, the rhythmic shifts should beexperienced away from the piano via movement, clapping and some type ofverbalization of the beats. While tapping the rhythm, the accentssfffz's and ffff's need to be incorporated into correspondingphysical gestures that will transfer easily to the keyboard. In additionto tapping and counting the rhythm, practicing with an"outlining" technique as advocated by Whiteside can provehelpful. She defines "outlining" or "pulsing" as"a reading which leaves out everything which can be deleted withoutdestroying the emotional reaction to the beauty of the music." (7)Initially playing only chords associated with sfffz's, the notesclosest to those arrival points should be gradually filled in until thewhole passage is played. The metronome serves as an invaluable tool formaking sure the inner pulse is steady, especially after syncopations andunexpected rests.The type of "off-the-key" physical approach required inthis piece, so common in the piano works of Bartok and Prokofiev,demands a flexible wrist to achieve the fast and violent tempoindication. This exciting and dramatic composition provides an excellentperformance vehicle for students with small hands who have the necessarypianistic and musical skills.Measured Without Meter SignatureContemporary composers sometimes avoid meter signatures altogetherfor varying reasons. In many cases, this creates a more improvisatory im��prov��i��sa��to��ry? also im��prov��i��sa��to��ri��aladj.1. Made up without preparation; improvised.2. Of or relating to improvisation: improvisatory skill.,spontaneous effect without the predictable, implied emphasis establishedwhen a meter signature is indicated. In Seymour Bernstein's"The Black Fly" from Insects, Book 2, the absence of any metersignature, changes in duration, dynamics and register, and theextra-musical sounds created by clapping hands and slapping the leg,neck, wrist and piano lid establish the erratic, frenzied motion of theblack fly as he tries to avoid termination. Bernstein calls for"strict rhythm" throughout and designates important structuralpoints with a dotted line. Prior to learning the notes, students need totap and count the rhythm, incorporating all accents and dynamics, withthe metronome set to the eighth note. It also is very important todetermine the important moments of rhythmic arrival so the gesturessweep forward to their ultimate destination.Time-Span (Spatial) NotationIn time-span, or spatial, notation, the composer indicates theexact time span of one unit or one beat. In "The Computer'sRevenge" (Scherzo scherzo(skĕr`tsō)[Ital.,=joke], in music, term denoting various types of composition, primarily one that is lively and presents surprises in the rhythmic or melodic material. ) from The Machine Age by William Albright William Albright is the name of: William F. Albright (1891-1971) was an evangelical Methodist archaeologist, biblical authority, linguist and expert on ceramics. William Albright (musician) (1944-1998) was a noted 20th-century American composer, pianist, and organist. , theperformer strives to imitate the "irregular typing or the patter pat��ter?1?v. pat��tered, pat��ter��ing, pat��tersv.intr.1. To make a quick succession of light soft tapping sounds: Rain pattered steadily against the glass. ofrain." Here, the beat, or unit, is one second. Although theplacement of each note is approximate, the performer must try to keepthe basic pulse unit steady. The metronome set to the macro beat(quarter = 60) will provide a rhythmic anchor for the student.In conclusion, our students will live most of their lives in thetwenty-first century. We need to facilitate this bridge to the future byre-evaluating traditional teaching methods and materials to determinetheir ability to help students embrace the diversity and complexity ofcontemporary music. By supplementing traditional materials withcontemporary compositions and studies from the earliest lessons, we canexpose our students to the ever-changing concepts of musical sound andexpanded performance and practice techniques that will accommodate thediverse range of challenges presented in this music. As teachers, 1 hopeyou will use some of these ideas and musical examples as a springboardfor your own quest in discovering new and exciting repertoire for thepre-college pianist.NOTES(1.) Whiteside, Abby, Indispensables of Piano Playing. (CharlesScribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons is a publisher that was founded in 1846 at the Brick Church Chapel on New York's Park Row. The firm published Scribner's Magazine for many years. Scribner's is well known for publishing Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Robert A. : New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY, 1938): 78.(2.) Ibid., 118.(3.) Bernstein, Seymour, Birds, Book 2. (G. Schirmer For the record label, see .G. Schirmer Inc. is a classical music publishing company based in New York, NY, in the USA.Schirmer publishes sheet music for sale and rental, including opera and orchestral scores, band and wind ensemble parts, chorus and chamber music. , Inc.: NewYork, NY, 1973): v.(4.) Ibid., v.(5.) Greene, Arthur, Seven Wild Mushrooms and a Waltz: Easy Piecesfor Prepared Piano. (Galaxy Music Corporation: New York, NY, 1976):preface.(6.) Starer, Robert, Rhythmic Training. (MCA MCAin full Music Corporation of AmericaEntertainment conglomerate. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Jules Stein as a talent agency. In the 1960s it bought Decca Records and Universal Pictures, and today it produces films, music, and television shows. Music, Inc.: New York,NY, 1969): preface.(7.) Whiteside, 25.Jessica Johnson is assistant of piano and director of graduatestudies in piano pedagogy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison “University of Wisconsin” redirects here. For other uses, see University of Wisconsin (disambiguation).A public, land-grant institution, UW-Madison offers a wide spectrum of liberal arts studies, professional programs, and student activities. . Sheholds a D.M.A. degree in piano performance and pedagogy from theUniversity of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries. .