Bit by bit

Greetings!

It's the first post of 2012, my friends, and I've proclaimed this the year of "One _______ at a time."  As in:

Q. How do you eat an elephant?
A. One bite at a time.

Q. How do you finish a doctorate?
A. One project at a time.

Q. How do you improve your musicianship?
A. One practice session at a time.

There's more, but you get the picture.  You see, January has felt pretty heavy so far, in part because I'm such a future-tripper.  You can probably guess what future-tripping is (I'm borrowing the term from a friend of mine, who wisely advises against it....against future tripping, that is) -- living in some imagined reality that hasn't happened yet and is based on all manner of predictions, assumptions, words we've put in other people's mouths in imagined conversations that have yet to take place, etc.  When I choose to live in this kind of projected reality (a choice I usually don't realize I've made right away), I take on burdens that aren't yet mine to carry...which frequently results in mental exhaustion.

Just to be clear, I don't mean that planning ahead is a bad idea, nor do I think that flying by the seat of one's pants (under the supposed banner of "living in the moment") is the way to reach one's goals.  I believe in long-range planning, in setting out a course and following through.  But, while looking toward the future is one thing, a good thing, living in it rather than the present is a one-way ticket to stress and frustration.  We are best equipped to move toward the future when we live in the present.  This isn't easy, and I haven't met many people who can do this consistently without ongoing reminders.  I know I can't.  I generally have to wear myself to a frazzle with worry before I realize why everything seems so hard -- and it's usually because I'm trying to do everything at once and worry about everything at once instead of taking it one day and one project at a time.

The applications to solfa are pretty obvious.  In fact, this philosophy is a big part of the motivation behind this blog: nobody undergoes a total transformation of their musical abilities in a three-week summer session, no matter how intense.  So, I encourage you to work incrementally and consistently throughout the year, and if you do it, you'll get better.  I don't know this because I can see the future.  I know it because it happened to me, and I've watched it happen to others, bit by bit.

So, let's tackle a biggish piece of music and take it on a little at a time:

Rising Level 2's


Look at this piece:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Scores/BWV037-V&P.pdf

Scroll down to page 23 and look at the chorale.

First, look at the melody.  Despite the key signature, I'd advise you to begin in D major.  After the first fermata, A major should work well.  Sing through the melody a phrase at a time, then all the way through.  Sing it through a few times, until it starts to really feel like a melody to you.

Next, look at the bass line.  Lest your eyes go buggy with looking at all the accidentals on the page, realize that D-sharps are "di" in the first phrase only, and "fi" thereafter.  C-natural is "ma" & it only happens in that little chromatically descending passage.  All the other accidentals are either for courtesy or a return to regularly scheduled programming.  Sing it through a few times, until you can follow the melody line out of the corner of your eye while you sing it.

Alto and tenor are next on the agenda, whichever you'd rather sing first.  The alto line is pretty challenging to begin in D, so experiment with A, and possibly also E minor (remembering to call the C-sharp "fi" if you sing in E minor).  Notice all the non-harmonic tones Bach uses...in my opinion, their artful placement is really what separates an A+ four-voice part-writing assignment from truly beautiful music.

Once you get through all four voices, call up a friend and sing through two at a time.  Or, sing one and play another.  Or, if you'd really like to warm the cockles of my heart, get a quartet together and sing through all four parts together!

Rising Level 3's


You'll be working from the same piece, but you'll start on page 9.

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Scores/BWV037-V&P.pdf

First, the rhythm....you see, J.S. Bach sometimes used a kind of shorthand when notating complicated rhythms in compound meter.  Sometimes this shorthand leaves some room for interpretation, and this piece has several incidences of that.  With few exceptions (and I challenge you to find them), if you think of the dotted quarter as being the beat, but a beat that can sometimes be divided into two equal eighths instead of three, you'll be fine.

Next, look at one voice at a time -- it might be good to start with the one that sits most easily in your voice (octave exchanges are acceptable).  Notice that both voices begin somewhat simply and become more elaborate as the piece continues.  I stay in D major the whole time for both voices.

Once you have a handle on one voice, switch to the other.  If you run into a strange rhythmic snag, see if you can use the other voice to help you decide what to do.

Notice the patterns Bach used in the melismas....they're a lot less predictable than Handel, are they not? It's tricky to get them to sit in the voice....I'm in the middle of learning that the hard way (I'm singing the soprano part in a concert on Jan. 21...say a little prayer for me!).

Rising Level 4's


You, too, will be drinking at Bach's musical font, but you'll start with the opening movement -- the choral bits begin on p. 2.


http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Scores/BWV037-V&P.pdf


Because you all are advanced, I'll leave the key changes up to you.

Begin with the bass voice, and only go as far as Rehearsal B to start with.  Then, look at it in relation to the tenor, alto, and soprano voices.  Is this a strict fugue?  Why or why not?

Cover the ground from Rehearsal B to C next, beginning with the soprano voice this time, and going through the same comparative process.

Finally, work from letter C to the end, again using comparison as you go to help you navigate each line with information from the other lines.

If you like, use the alto/soprano duet at Rehearsal C as a sing/play, and if you had fun with that, do the same with the tenor/bass duet that follows.

Enjoy, my friends, and remember to take it one little bit at a time!