Here are the 3 songs we recorded in class this morning. Listen to them (ouch), and for a homework grade, give me the following:
- 5-6 measures PER SONG that need to be fixed
- How YOU (not "we") plan on fixing them
Danse Macabre
- 5-6 measures PER SONG that need to be fixed
- How YOU (not "we") plan on fixing them
Danse Macabre
Paranoid Android
(First Violins: that measure that gives us such fits can be found in the professional recording at 3:12)
This will be due Thursday, September 19th by midnight.
(First Violins: that measure that gives us such fits can be found in the professional recording at 3:12)
This will be due Thursday, September 19th by midnight.
Dance Macabre:
ReplyDeleteThe whole piece sound very heavy, when is should have a bouncy lightweight feeling to it. I plan on working on that style when we have simple quarter notes eighths and quarters in the section at 87. The high f# in m 60 is not in tune with the lower f#. I will plan this part slow and hold each note in tune. The eighth note section at 72, I am going to play this slowly and speed it up gradually, like at 27. We miss the accents throughout the piece, but especially at 90-110, and I am going to try to lean in on those notes to give them a greater effect. the entrance at 116 is messy, I will count and look up carefully.
NoBM:
The moving triplets that the violas have need to be brought out more. I will play louder and practice gradually speeding up tempo by myself. At 14, it sounds muddy, there needs to be more space between the notes, i'm going to take a breath between them. The sul pont tremolo should be played on the bridge, i"m going to work on that bowing technique. the d at 35 always sounds out of tune, i'm going to practice that character shift transition slower. n the coda, I need to memorize the actual notes in the double timed eighth note descending notes because frankly, right now, i'm just guessing.
Paranoid Android:
E flats, and b flats- yes. BEfore playing the piece, I'm going to do play those scales. The plucking part at the beginning, I'm going to work on playing with more confidence so that part can be heard. The first b flat at 17 is out of tune, I' going to work on transitioning to and from arco. Each first note of the 17-24 section is not quite in tune. I'm going to play and hold with a tuner to make sure i hit the right note. THe slurs n 94-96 need to be smoother, I need to clap and count those rhythms again. At 107, we come in very weak. I'm going to play with stronger intensions and practice by myself that measure to make sure I have it. I'm going to go through a circle all of our really out of tune notes, which there are a bunch, and lay the piece through alone, stopping and fixing each of those notes.
Danse Macabre:
ReplyDeleteFirst off, our melody that we had for a playing test needs work. While it is technically the correct notes, we lack the required intensity and dynamics to convey emotion in our playing. However, I believe we need to focus our attention on the ritard and the measures following. We slowed down too quickly, and there was obvious confusion as to when to come back in. To fix these problems, I will try to put more emotion and dynamics into my playing, and I will watch better at the ritard.
NOBM:
The problem is easy to spot here. When we (the violas) come in at measure 5, we need to be strong and confident with our melodic statement. Power is key there, as our part is the most important. On the bright side, the rest of the song sounds pretty good. But to fix this problem, I'm going to try my best to hit a Monroe-level forte at that part. Time to break some bow hairs!
Paranoid Android:
It's extraordinarily hard for me to pick out one problem in this piece, which is both good and bad. We don't have one huge problem area, but we do have a lot of little things that need fixing. Our pizzicato needs to be louder and more together, we need to touch up intonation in certain sections, and some complicated rhythms are still affecting us. If I had to choose one area, though, it would be the section following the pizzicato. Again, we have an important part that needs more strength and confidence. I am now resolved to play as loud as possible until you tell me to shut up. That should fix it :)
-Matt McNeeley
NOBM: The intonation in measures 18-26 is a major concern. To make the section easier for me to play, I will shift and put first finger on g#. This will make accidentals easier to catch and more in tune. I will practice the section with my metronome, increasing the tempo each time in order to play the part more proficiently.
ReplyDeleteParanoid Andriod: Measures 61-68 have both rhythm and intonation issues. I will start by playing each note in the passage slowly to get them in tune. Then I'll listen to the professional recording again to figure out the proper rhythms. Then I'll need to play the measures over and over to work up to speed.
Danse: In measures 60-65 (and the same part at other times in the peice), not only do the first violins not come in on time, but we also cannot be heard and are out of tune. I'll practice shifting from open D to third position, and then play each note slowly to grasp the changing pattern of three notes. As you said in class, when we all are in tune, the sound waves will build upon each other and be heard more. I will also play more confidently to increase the balance within the orchestra at this section.
Danse: The intro is pretty terrible because you can hear everyone adjust up to the A in measure 5 and then the high D. I plan on practicing the transition between the two notes and being ready ahead of time to make sure it is in tune on time. The whole piece sounds very heavy so I plan on creating more space between quarter and eighth notes, especially in measures 87-100 and 116-130.
ReplyDeleteNOBM: As a whole, the violas need to be louder in this piece (and every piece). I plan on playing closer to the bridge and using more bow to help with this problem. Measure 35-38 are extremely out of tune (C#-D). I plan on circling these notes in my music and practicing the transition from C#-D. Measures 51-53 should be ff and there should be more space between the eighth notes.
PA: In the intro, I think the violas could be louder. The E flats and B flats also need to be lower. In measures 43-57 I need to be more confident about the counting and play louder and more aggressively. It is currently lacking energy. Measures 99-100 need to be more expressive and I will fix this by adding emphasis to the second eighth note.
Danse Macabre: From measures 85 to 95, I am dragging, so I need to pick up the pace and listen to the other sections better and keep a better beat as well.
ReplyDeleteNOBM: From measures 3 to 5, the cellos have and intense entrance, but we are not playing it intense enough. To fix this, I should be louder and really accent the beats. Then from 15 to 24, the cellos have the melody, and it isn't really heard. Therefore, I should dig in and play more boldly and louder so that there is a powerful effect.
Paranoid Android: The beginning section from measure 1 to 16 is non-existent in the cello section, which I can help by plucking harder. The transition from 16 to 17 is also rocky, and the dynamics in this section from 17 to 40 are also not heard, and overall this section could be improved if I added more style to this passage with heavy vibrato. Measures 49 to 56 are particularly shaky because the a flats are not in tune. I could fix these measures by creating a clearer sound and adjusting my finger placement. Lastly, the dynamics on the last page for the cellos has many dynamics that need to be played out, which I could do.
NOBM: Overall, in this piece (and every piece), I need to work on playing louder. The coda is the main thing that I need to play over and over again. I will practice it by playing slowly, making sure every note is in tune, and speed it up each time. The shift is just the tricky part for me.
ReplyDeleteParanoid Android: I need to specifically work on measures 69-73 and 111-122. For these measures I can also practice by playing it slower, then working my way up to actual tempo. I will also be more aware of dynamics.
Danse Macabre: I need to make sure the accents in this piece are heard and stand out. (87-105) Honestly, that is an easy fix. I just need to pay more attention to them!
Danse Macabre:
ReplyDeleteWell, only one person played measures 64-68 (Good Job Janae!) so I just have to keep practicing that part continuously so my fingers don't get all caught up like they usually do. I also have to remember to include all the accents all the time to emphasize the "spooky dancing skeleton effect".
NOBM:
The seconds sound fairly together in this piece; we just need to stand out a lot more. I plan to emphasize the dynamics more, especially in measures 3-6, so you can hear that little difference we make. The coda sounds way better than I thought though; I just want to keep practicing it over and over so I can manage to hit each note in tune every time.
Paranoid Android:
I always keep in mind the whole physics explanation Mrs.Bawcum gave us specifically throughout this song; we'll sound louder if everyone plays in tune, so I'm going to really focus on my intonation throughout the entire piece. One specific spot would be measures 26-30; I'll accomplish perfect intonation by playing it over and over and listening to each note carefully.
DM
ReplyDeletein this piece, in measure 25 I need to have my 4th finger lower and in measure 64 1st fingers need to be lower. i feel like the class as a whole needs to work on starting together at measure 116 and measure 155.i need to work and practice measures 35-45 and measures 60-75. but also I need to get measures 130-140 in tune.
NOBM
in measures 13-24 I need to put more spacing between my notes and also count and subdivide before moving on in measures 1-12. measures 13-24 and 35-42 need to be work on because they're not in tune. but in measures 52-54, these measures need to be more aggressive! I also need to work on the speeding up the tempo and subdividing in measures 56-58 before d.s. al coda. lastly the coda needs to be in tune
PA
In the beginning of this piece I need to work on getting it in tune. in measure 30 it sounds like 2nd violins need that are in tune too and 1st violins need to get measure 34 in tune. measure 41 sounds like a ripple effect so we need to work on being together. I need a lot of practice in measures 61 and 67 because 67 sounds like a train wreck. in measure 35 I need to stagger the notes and practice that. and in measures 110-114 they need to be more aggresive
Dance Macabre: Intonation is a big issue in this piece, and measures 5-12 are an example of this problem. I need to make sure to be prepared for the transition between the fourth finger A and the high D in order to fix this problem. Another way I will improve this piece is by playing louder (especially in measures 27-36 where the violas have the melody).
ReplyDeleteNOBM: Measures 5-12 need to be played more aggressively, and I will play closer to the bridge and place more force on the bow to create a louder and more confident sound. The intonation at the end (61-63) sounds messy, but I will make sure to pay more attention to the whole and half steps so that the section is played more in tune.
Paranoid Android: The plucking at the beginning is not completely together (1-17), and it sounds like the notes are clashing. My plan is to listen to those around me and make sure I am counting throughout the entire section. I will also need to pay more attention to the E flats and B flats. Another problem spot is the transition between 106-107. Most of the time, we are guessing where to come in and this also creates an intonation issue, but to prevent this from happening, I will watch the conductor and be aware of the higher notes (especially the high D.
Danae Macabre:
ReplyDeleteOverall, dynamics and style need to be adjusted. As I practice this piece, I plan on practicing each phrase separately and considering how my part should fit into the piece. For example, 20-28 needs to be harsh and loud, while the second half of 28 and on through 44 should be light, bouncy, and simply a background to the melody. Another thing I need to work on is measures 61-63, naturally, I play the chords loud and accented, while in fact I should play it softly, again, under the melody. To practice this, I will practice having even tone on each string-since the e string is usually much more pronounced- and practice using lighter bow strokes.
NOBM:
In this piece, measures 13-25 must have uniform sound and style, however, measures 23 and 24 usually stand out because of the notes on the e string. To fix this, I will practice creating an even sound on the a and e strings so that this passage doesn't sound so "squeaky" and out of place. Also, other places I often stumble over are the jumps back to the sign, and then to the coda. Although I have already marked both of these in my part, I still have trouble sometimes. On my own, I will repeat measures 57 and 58 and the jump to the sign, as well as measures 23 and 24 and the jump to the coda until I have smooth transitions every time. When we play the piece for real, I will need to anticipate these jumps in order to avoid messing up.
Paranoid Android:
The pattern we play throughout the piece which first appears in measures 3 and 4 needs to be much smoother. To address this, I need to practice my string crossings and again, make sure there is an even tone on all the strings. Because there are a lot of slurs that require string crossings, it is important to make it seem as though the whole phrase is played on string. I also need to use bow in this passage and not have so many pauses as I change bow direction. Measures 26 and 27 need this attention also, however, intonation is a big problem here. In order to fix this, I need to play each not slowly and understand the finger patterns and the different distances from each note in third position as opposed to first. Measures 28 and 29 are an octave lower than the previous phrase, so it is particularly important to watch intonation in 26 and 27. Another difficult area in this piece is measures 69-72. I often play one of the C's out of tune and it becomes difficult to adjust it once I begin the phrase. I will practice transitioning into third position from first, used in the previous measures, and automatically placing my fingers the proper distance apart so I become used to this and the octave is in tune.
Danse Macabre: The cello's are dragging from measures 85-95. I can help fix this by counting and listening to the other sections. Also, shorter, crisper notes would help keep the notes from dragging.
ReplyDeleteNight on Bald Mountain: We need more umph in measures 3-13. I can help fix this by accenting the notes more and leaning into the accents to create that ominous sound that NOBM requires. Also measures 27-39 the cello's need to play more in tune. I can fix this by fixing my fingerings and playing the correct notes.
Paranoid Android: Paranoid Android has a lot of little things that need fixing. The cello's dynamics definitely need to be louder in the first 17 measures of the piece. This can simply be fixed by plucking louder while still keeping it in tune. Also measures 41-49 and 52-57 need better intonation and togetherness, I can help fix the togetherness by matching Hayley's dynamic level so that we have a more consistent sound and I can fix the intonation by fixing my fingerings. Measures 75-107 are kind of boring which is easily fixed by adding more vibrato. Finally, the last 5 measures of this piece require better intonation and us to be on top of the notes.
Danse Macabre: Violas, violas, violas... the playing test measures sounded better than before in this recording. however, they still need a lot of work. Like in Danse Macabre, that particular section sounds like we are hesitant. Lets play with more confidence! k? k... good talk. furthermore, I agree with Linzi. The whole piece is extremely heavy. I can help with the overall sound by playing at the tip of the bow in necessary areas and having shorter, more separated strokes.
ReplyDeleteNight on Bald Mountain: In the first measures for the violas, we've been told to play out. We need to listen. I can admit, I tend to hide in with the rest of the section. However, if we all strive to be the loudest in the group, we won't have that problem anymore.
Paranoid Android: Viola's first pizz. section, b flats and e flats need to be flatter. The following arco measures also have intonation problems. Next, the col legno measure is so quiet I can barely hear it. I'm not sure how, but that needs to be addressed somehow. Overall this piece has a lot of intonation problems and of course dynamics. Both of these things can be fixed with practice. However, it's a matter of how much practice is actually happening within the orchestra.
NOBM: In measure 25, the very first (and only) note is always a little off within our section, and I need to stop putting my fourth finger so high and throwing off the pitch. In measure 35, I need to shift more quickly to keep from making that out of tune sliding noise. Measures 57-58 sound a bit sloppy, and I need to work on not rushing the last few notes.
ReplyDeleteDanse Macabre: Measures 20 and 22 sound out of tune. Again, I really need to work on making sure my fourth finger lands in the right spot. In measure 60, I need to shift more quickly to make sure the first high D doesn't sound gross. From measure 95 to 100, it sounds like we're all playing at different tempos. Counting more accurately and listening to all the other sections will solve this problem. Measures 116-119 is really sloppy, which is also an issue with paying attention to the people around me.
Paranoid Android: At the end of measure 7, I need to pay attention to the mf marking rather than play piano for the entire line. I also really need to practice measures 59 through 68 and fix all of the intonation issues as well as learn to play in correctly at the correct tempo, which is a matter of practicing it much more at home alongside a metronome. I also need to count a listen much better during 41-44.
meanwhile, my grammar skills apparently need some work as well.
Delete***to play IT correctly
**count AND listen
Paranoid Android: At the beginning, the basses always sound unsure of themselves. Especially me. I need to set my bow and firmly play the first note so that I sound more confident. From 17-23, the quarter note downbeats always sound too short. I will make them a little longer and not follow Reed like I always do. The same goes for 34-40. Measures 57-64 are a mess for the bass section. I need to practice it more in order to get the fingering down and clean it up. The last measure could be a little more accented, which is something I tend to ignore, so I guess I should pay attention to that.
ReplyDeleteNOBM: The basses need to be a lot louder in this piece. We have decided to not play pizz. at 3 but it still needs to be louder. I tend to be the quietest so I need to play out. In 5-6, the dynamics need to be more dramatic. I can play my piano much softer and my ff much louder. Everything from 3-12 can be more accented, so I will not ignore those.In 35, it is dolce, but it doesn't seem to be enough of a character shift. I need to play those notes softer ad make sure they are perfectly in tune so they sound nice. At the end, I almost always come in late, so I need to improve on my counting.
DM: At the current moment, my computer does not want to play this particular recording, so I'm going to go off of what I have noticed in class. In 13-20, the pizz. need to make sure that they are always together so that they sound ominous. The dynamic shift at the end of 44 is always kind of shaky and it always sounds like we aren't really sure of what's going on, so I need to play that first forte note super loudly so that I don't have to build up to my forte, I'm just there. The e flat in 92 is always funky, so I need to make sure it's flat enough. The e flat in 128 is also usually funky, so again I need to make sure it's flat enough. The A flats in 139 are being played regularly instead id staccato, so I need to make sure I make them super short.
Dance Macabre: in measures 115-120, it seems as if the cellos aren't counting. we don't stay together. i can fix this by simply watching during the rit., come in on time and play with everyone else without being a beat behind.
ReplyDeleteNOBM: i know it says to only choose 5-6 measures, but in the beginning of this song, the cellos finally have a chance to play as loud as they possibly can, it's supposed to sound like you're being doomed by a big scary monster, but instead it's sounding like we're being chased by a bunny rabbit. i can fix this by putting more weight down on my right arm and playing "al tallone" (woo vocab!).
Paranoid Android: good gosh this piece, the measures that need work for me are 41-75. but from 41-47, the counting freaks me out and then you can't hear anything. i can fix this by counting in 8th notes instead of subdividing quarter notes. this way, it's easier to count and i won't be as scared to play out.
DM: Well foremost, I feel like from measure 36-44 while I'm in third position I should definitely be more accustomed to the pitch of each note rather than, hitting it correctly most times and yet still having to guess on others. Likewise for measures 60-71. I feel like this isn't only me with this problem. Maybe small group work can help solve this dilemma within our section.
ReplyDeletePA: First off, I feel the firsts are relatively solid with the first page and may only need minor tweaks (whoop whoop!). But really, come measure 44 I should definitely practice for a flawless transition into measure 45, this is because it seems like a true reestablishment of tempo does not show till measure 48, making the audience miss a rally great part. One minor thing to throw in, is that I should definitely try to maintain a strong crescendo within measure 59. When listening to the recording it sounds like it seems to fade out by the end when we should really be finishing with a strong forte.
NBM: My biggest thought is to clean up the transition from the coda back to triplets. The piece seems to drag slightly as we try to regain our "comfort zone" tempo and does not show confidence.
Danse Macabre: Well, I need to practice more- obviously, but I also need to be more confident I think. That goes for every song though. Lacking confidence contributes to my sucky accents, or no accents. And there are alot of accents and they all need help, like the whole page 86-107. So, if I'm more confident and don't forget about them ('cause I honestly just forget)... Oh, well, I think marking them or like highlighting them would help with that. Yeah, right now I think they're just little black marks that blend in with the page. I'll mark the page. And focus on them? I'm not really sure HOW to fix that other than that... On the bright side, I've felt, whether or not it sounds like it- baby steps, more confident this year than last. I think 'cause I'm not as intimidated, like I feel more like I belong and on the same level as everyone else. Like Alex and Erica last year always made me feel horrible like playing wise- not like they bullied me or anything. I did love them... but yeah anyways, confidence and focus on being louder and making the accents heard- that's the idea.
ReplyDeleteNOBM: Oh goodness, the entire coda is a pain... I practiced it for the playing test, and still didn't do well. It's specifically those last couple of measures, the whole thing needs help but, right, so like, I get it and it sounds okay, but only at a slower tempo. So, I need to work on that tempo exercise for those last measures. You know, the thing where you start slow and then gradually get faster, playing it over and over again. Yeah. Oh, and I found it's helped me if I start by not doubling each note first, then once I get that, add the doubling in.
Paranoid Android: This is my favorite song. I really enjoy playing it; I don't know if its the sound or, no, I like the melody in it. Not that it matters... That's not what I'm trying to say. Oh, well, thinking about it, yeah, on that note (not literally), I don't count very well for that little melody part- the part that starts at the very beginning like measure 3 or 4, but it's throughout the whole piece sporadically, like literally every time I'm just a hair off. I think part of that is that I'm really scared to accidentally come in early, but waiting for the others isn't good either cause then we're not all together and it's supposed to sound fluid and smooth and... along with that, crossing strings is hard, so I think practicing that would help. Maybe playing with, umm, would do you always say? Like not moving my whole arm but like the wrist, to make it move better or... I'm so not good at this. Clearly I'm not going to be a professional musician... but in my head I know what I mean. Probably repetition would do wonders. Practice in general would do wonders. Anyways, uumm more importantly, I definitely think I should work on intonation (i think I'm tone deaf though). I feel like I sound okay to myself or by myself but then when I'm in the group I'm always adjusting... and I have a tuner at home that when I play it tells me what note I'm on, so when we do the thing where we play a measure and then hold a sustained note on whatever note the intonation problem is at, yeah I can do that and it tells me what note I'm on and then I can adjust to fix it... 69-73 need help. But the tempo exercise will help with that.
- Brandi Hawkins