Getting Started Techniques For Beginning Band

We start our beginners in the summer before their sixth grade year six weeks before school
starts. They come to us four days a week in like instrument classes. The first week we meet
with them for 45 minutes each as the first initial sounds and the putting together of the
instruments take more time. Starting the second week, they come for a 30 minute lesson
daily. Although there are some students whose attendance is sporadic, the majority of the
students are in attendance. The daily contact with us and the immediate daily feedback
prove to be a great start for our beginners. The other part of the equation that works is that
even though they are large classes and we donʼt get to spend individual time with each
student, they are motivated by their peers and feel the need to play their lesson well to
keep up with the best student in the class.

At the end of the six weeks when school starts,
Iʼm able to break them into smaller groups based on ability where we can work on special
needs or let the gifted student take off and soar. I have also brought in some of our all state
high school musicians to assist with the beginner classes. They are an extra set of eyes and
ears and can also take a student one on one to work on an exercise or help with a problem
they are experiencing. The beginners enjoy this because it is yet another picture of where
they are headed in their band career. I am also lucky enough to have both the high school
teacher and myself teaching the beginners. Every student responds differently to every
teacher and many of them make a connection with our high school director which encourages
retention into the high school band. Weʼve had our highest retention numbers since we
started our beginning program approach.

For all instruments, we only allow them to do mouthpiece workouts the first night of practice.
Without the rest of their instrument to play on, they are concentrating only on their
embouchure and what kind of sound/buzzing they are making. We have them practice long
tones and “4x4ʼs” (4 quarter notes, 4 quarter rests). We also have a mirror in class to show
them what their face should look like when they get the correct sound. Encourage practicing
in front of the mirror the first night! If and when they struggle with tone the first couple of
weeks, keep that mirror handy and pull it out so they can see what their embouchure should
look like.

Tonguing:

We start tonguing the very first day and check their tonguing daily--even if it is
simple as going around the room and having everyone play a single note. Another way we
reinforce that the tongue starts the air (and this also helps develop a good air stream) is to
have them “spin a pinwheel” with their air---but the tongue must start the air. We just use a
childʼs plastic pinwheel found in any toy department. Later in lessons when they are not
using enough air, we say “use pinwheel air” and they understand what to do.

Flutes:

Besides producing the first sound, I think the hardest part for a flute player is holding
the flute and putting the fingers on the correct keys and then fingering between notes
(especially C to D!) I have found success in putting a small sticker on the keys where they
should put their fingers for the first couple of nights. When I first did this, we had
EVERYONE come back the next day knowing how to hold the flute and where to put their
fingers. That took one “problem” out of the equation so when they practiced, they could
focus on their embouchure and tone production. The next step for them is fingering
between their notes since they canʼt look at their fingers. I spend time with the class having
them finger between the two pitches while looking at their fingers and then I have them
finger while holding in playing position.

After their fingers are moving correctly, we put sound
with it. Part of their homework that night is to watch their favorite TV show and finger
between whatever sets of notes weʼre working on over and over again. Even if they only
finger during commercials, they will still get a good two-three minutes of finger repetition
between those notes. After we are solidly producing good tone with good fingers, I spend
the first five minutes of each lesson doing “finger olympics” with them making sure I hit all of
the fingering changes that will be in their lesson that day. I find that technique is very
effective even with my older band students. When they miss notes, I isolate the problem
and ask them to finger only and then play only those two notes. In most cases, after they
isolate the passage, they are able to put the entire lick together. In changing from C to D, I
put stickers on their fingernails of the fingers they will push down for C. Then I tell them that
the fingers with the stars must go up while the non-star fingers must go down. That gives
them one more visual to help them work on a tough fingering.

Clarinets:

I attended a wonderful clinic at IBA this past year given by Kariann Voigts,
Simpson clarinet instructor. She gave many tips, some I already use and some that I tried
for the first time. Some favorites that I like and use:

• first note on the mouthpiece AND the barrel. I found that the students had much better
intonation once the entire instrument was put together rather than starting on the
mouthpiece only. Since the pitch is lower on both the mouthpiece and barrel, I think
that it is more “tolerable” for the student to listen to and practice!
• using enough mouthpiece: Slide a piece of paper between the reed and the
mouthpiece. Draw a line on the reed where the paper stops. Students should put
their thumb under that line and the mouthpiece should go into their mouth up to their
thumb. Sometimes I wait and use this technique a little later in their playing (not the first
few weeks). It depends on if the student is ready for it. I find that the longer they play,
some will get lazy and use less mouthpiece.
• right hand thumb position: I have them hold the thumb rest between their thumb and
index finger for the first week. This allows them to feel they have a good grasp of their
instrument when playing “F” and “G” where not many fingers are used. Donʼt allow
them to do this for very long, however! You donʼt want it to become a habit that is
HARD to break.
• make the first note “E”: This gives the student security by pushing down their thumb
and first finger without requiring them to put a lot of fingers down or to balance their
instrument with their mouthpiece to play a “G”.
• use a sticker where their pinkies should “float” over the keys. I find that this helps
improve hand position greatly and their low notes are clearer because they have
good finger position.

Brass:

Buzzing is essential. My students buzz everyday at the beginning of their lesson
using long tones and the 4x4ʼs. Listen carefully for their tongues and demand that they use it
Monday, June 22, 2009 8:51:07 AM CT
even when buzzing.We also have them buzz high pitches and low pitches. Eventually we
introduce the “siren buzz” to them as well. After a minute or so of buzzing, we match pitch
DAILY. We play the pitch, they match it as a long tone and then the 4X4. Once eighth
notes are introduced, we include a rhythm to echo using the eighth notes as well. Daily pitch
matching makes such a difference. In the beginning it takes time and it seems as if thatʼs all
you get done and you and the student are anxious to move on to playing the exercises. It
gets easier, better, and faster the more you do it. Stick to it! Itʼs worth it.

Percussion:

Depending on which grip you teach, I spend a lot of time with hand position
and the correct stroke. Again, I tell them to watch their favorite TV show with sticks in hand.
During commercials (or the whole show!) it is their job to make sure their grip is correct and
the stroke is correct (using wrists). I spend the majority of my time with beginning snare
players on grip and their strokes. Itʼs impossible to develop the drummer further without
those things. My percussionists also start on mallets at the same time. For most kids, this is
the biggest challenge. I find that most students memorize the exercise or already know the
song so they play by ear. Not a bad practice, especially for the developed mallet player
but it also diminishes their ability to read the notes on the staff. Insist that the students learn
those note names and read music to play the exercises. It makes them a much stronger
musician.