“Ear
Training and Improvisation”
_for
school instrumental ensembles
Learning to play by ear adds immeasurably
to the enjoyment of playing a musical instrument, and is indispensable
in enabling musicians to improvise, compose, and perform with confidence.
John presents effective techniques for developing this skill and
inspires students to discover their unique musical styles.
Students are shown how to find each succeeding
note of a musical phrase by mentally scrolling upwards or downwards
in the scale. They are also challenged to become thoroughly
familiar with the chromatic scale, the major scales, and pentatonic
and blues scales by inventing and improvising with patterns in the
full range of their instruments.
John demonstrates how a range of feelings
can be evoked through choices of tone, articulation, and dynamics.
Students are invited to explore the rich diversity of instrumental
and vocal musical traditions, and to approach each practice session
as an adventure leading to self-discovery and technical mastery.
