In this class we will consider the tools we can employ when we are learning a piece of music for the first time.
When we decide to learn a new piece of music and we put it up on the music stand, our natural preoccupation with the things we see on the page (notes, rhythms, etc.) can sometimes keep us from asking the more fundamental questions we should be asking; for example, “What do I need to know to play this piece?” The answer may be simple, or it may be far from simple. In this class we will consider what questions we can be asking ourselves in that situation, and then think about ways to find the answers. Whether we are practicing by ourselves or rehearsing in a chamber group, the better we understand the music we’re playing the more enjoyment we’ll get out of playing it. We will look at several pieces, each with different issues to discuss, in our quest to ask the right questions and find the answers.
Pitch: A=440
Format: Lecture
Audience: Appropriate for all instruments and for players and singers at all levels of proficiency.
Class materials: 3–4 musical selections will be made available prior to class
SFEMS nationally renowned series of summer workshops, first held in 1980, are now online while we remain socially distant.
Visit our website for all the offerings: www.sfems.org/workshops