What We Do In Band Lessons
A typical band lesson follows this pattern:
- Scale warmup
- Rhythm exercise- we use the Basics in Rhythm and Simple Rhythmatician methods
- Method book- students progress through volumes 1 and 2 of Accent on Achievement. Some students complete both of these books by 8th grade and move on to high school-level methods.
- Band music- working on the music we are preparing for concerts
- Extra materials (detailed below)
- Skills that are taught during our group lessons include:
- * Proper assembly and care of instrument
- * Good posture and playing position
- * Deep breathing and clear, full tone production
- * How to form a correct embouchure (the shape of the mouth while playing); or for percussion, correct stick technique
- * How to articulate (tongue) notes
- *How to interpret a time signature and count the rhythms students will encounter in elementary and high school music
- * Technical exercises from method books, including but not limited to Accent on Achievement, the Rubank series, and the Alfred methods for percussion. These exercises teach fingerings or sticking patterns, dynamics and articulations, musical signs and symbols, and more.
- * Memorization of scales
- * Band music to be performed in our concerts
- * Duets, chorales, solos and improvisation exercises for advanced students
- * Sight reading
All these skills build a necessary foundation for future success on the instrument and prepare the students to become high school musicians.