This book opens with a one-page tutorial entitled “Essential Principles of Good Instrumental Performance”. It covers everything from tone, tuning, rhythms, breathing, musical expression, posture/position, practice, instrument care, and “mental attitude of teacher and pupil”. The first page is a review of what was learned before followed by three pages defining expression markings and etudes/ technique studies. This book follows the format of the Elementary Method going in progressive difficulty with review and some repertoire studies based on what was learned, along with a few sections on a few new concepts. Some new concepts are briefly introduced, but new notes are not formally introduced. Toward the second half of the book, specific sections of pages with exercises devoted to double tonguing; triple tonguing; trills with a numbered finger trill chart; and grupetto or turns start popping up to be practiced along with other material. Most songs in this book (if they have a label) are “Exercise,” “Etude,” “Melody” or “Study”. To be fair there are also some folk songs and excerpts too. There are some duets scattered throughout the material as well as one trio. There are 5 pages throughout the book devoted to only major and minor scales in thirds (CM, Am, GM, Em; DM, bm, FM, Dm; BbM, Gm, EbM, Cm; AbM, Fm, AM, F#m; EM, C#m). There is also a section dedicated to abbreviations (as in rhythm abbreviations) that may come in handy if someone pulls out a moldy oldy march.
Highlights
Range of Notes: D1-C3
Order of notes: C1, G#3, A3, B3, Bb3, C4
Rhythms:
Key Signatures: Up to four flats/sharps
Other Musical Things: Dynamics, Breath marks, Articulations, Grace notes, Note abbreviations, Trills, Gruppetos
The above is in addition to Rubank Elementary
Solid introduction on “Essential Principles of Good Instrumental Performance”
Moves in progressive difficulty with some pages of exercises to spread over a few weeks
New notes are not formally introduced
Use of major and minor scales
Exercises for double/triple tonguing, trills, and gruppetos
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