Archived under: Teaching | Articulation, Dynamics, Tips
On Playing Along with Students in Lessons
One topic that comes up periodically is that of playing with students in lessons. Some well known, high level teachers rarely play in lessons. They may communicate their ideas well without any demonstration, but there are things that can be communicated very effectively with the horn.
Articulations
If I was to offer one area I hear more than any other as a problem area in auditions it would be that of tonguing. It is a dance all horn teachers end up making to various degrees; you know what the student sounds like and where things need to go and you need to get them there without paralyzing them with analysis. Modeling and imitation can be very effective.
Tone and Volume
Speaking of modeling and imitation, tone and volume are very important areas to explore and often are closely related. This is loud; this is soft; this is a big sound, this is thin.
Figuring Out Why it Sounds Like it Does
Closely related, teachers at times for sure also need to play directly on the horns of their students and have some experience playing on similar mouthpieces as their students. Sometimes it can make instantly clear what the problem is.
Intonation
Another big problem area is tuning. Duos can be great, which is why I have included a section of tuning related duos at the end of my Ultimate Horn Technique book. And there are many duet books out there that can work just as well.
Another technique I picked up hearing tuba lessons taught next door was that of playing in octaves with students. This can be of great help especially in sorting out the low range, playing along an octave higher. I have made use of this teaching concept in the first half of my Ultimate Low Horn book in particular.
Style
This can take on a variety of forms. One that works well on certain works is to make them into improvised duos. It is very easy to work out simple second horn parts to works like the last movement of a Mozart concerto. Style gets to that bigger picture of things really matching on a lot of levels and sounding convincing musically.
To Conclude…
Some of the famous horn teachers can communicate all of the above with little or no demonstration. They are in part probably simply saving their chops but also they typically have students who are good enough that they can figure it out (and perhaps even could have figured it out without any lessons with that teacher).
I would conclude though that playing with students and demonstrating what you want is really useful in teaching and can speed the learning of many things. Carried to excess of course the student will feel you are just showing off, don’t get crazy, but it is an important element of teaching effectively.
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