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For use with WJEC Performing Arts GCSE Unit 1 and Unit 3 Task 1. Music - Instrumental INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE. Task 1 - Keep your posture relaxed (standing). Stand with your back straight. Keeping your: ears directly over your shoulders shoulders over your hips
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For use with WJEC Performing Arts GCSE Unit 1 and Unit 3 Task 1 Music - Instrumental INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE
Task 1 - Keep your posture relaxed (standing) • Stand with your back straight. Keeping your: • ears directly over your shoulders • shoulders over your hips • feet apart facing five minutes to one • hands holding / supporting your instrument or on the keys. • With the rest of the class, demonstrate and compare how playing different instruments is affected by good and bad posture when standing.
Task 2 - Keep your posture relaxed (sitting) • Stand with your back straight. Keeping your: • ears directly over your shoulders • shoulders over your hips • feet firmly on the floor • heels just behind the front legs of the chair • hands holding / supporting your instrument or on the keys. • With the rest of the class, demonstrate and compare how playing different instruments is affected by good and bad posture when sitting.
Task 3 - Breathing (wind and brass instruments) • Always start with breathing warm ups to develop your technique. Here is one exercise for you to try: • Make sure you are completely relaxed. • Exhale to empty the lungs completely. • Breathe in and allow the tummy muscles to relax outwards, and feel your ribs expand outwards. • Play a single note and keep your ribs pushed outwards for as long as possible. • Don't change the note in pitch or volume, work on a consistent and rich sound.
Task 4 - Breathing (wind and brass instruments) • Continue with breathing exercises when rehearsing to develop your technique. Here is one exercise for you to try: • Make sure you are completely relaxed. • Exhale to empty the lungs completely. • Breathe in and allow the tummy muscles to relax outwards, and feel your ribs expand outwards. • Play a single note and keep your ribs pushed outwards for a count of 10, the next time extend to 15, 20. • Repeat the exercise but using a specific phrase out of a piece.
Task 5 – Phrasing • You should aim to phrase by following score markings; these are usually marked with a phrasing mark, rests in the melody or cadence point. • Decide on a piece you already know. • Focus on playing the piece with attention to phrasing marks and then disregarding them (you may create your own phrasing markings). • Discuss with others how this affects the overall performance. • Listen to recordings of other instrumentalists and mark on a copy how they give attention to phrasing.
Task 6 Creating a good sound • All instruments have an unique sound / tone; you must always focus on creating the best possible ‘quality of sound’. This will only develop with plenty rehearsal and time! • In a group, demonstrate a good / poor sound on your own instrument to others and ask the group to comment on the sound. • They could comment on how the two sounds were different. • What is required on a specific instrument to create a good sound?
Task 7 – Pitch warm up • Learn a simple melody in a group in unison. • Divide all the notes between all the different instruments in the group, only one note per instrument at a time. • Try and perform as a group. • What is hard and easy about this task? • Try and vary the tempo and dynamics during the piece.