Musicality Exam Study Guide

𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘰 (𝘱𝘱)

very soft

𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 (𝘱)

soft

𝘮𝘦𝘻𝘻𝘰 𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 (𝘮𝘱)

medium soft

𝘮𝘦𝘻𝘻𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦 (𝘮𝘧)

medium loud

𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦 (𝘧)

loud

𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘰 (𝘧𝘧)

very loud

𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘻𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘴𝘧𝘻)

sudden strong attack (there is no 𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 component to this dynamic indication)

𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 (𝘧𝘱)

loud, then immediately soft (there is no 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰; you stay soft)

𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤.)

gradually becoming louder

𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤.)

gradually becoming softer (same as 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘥𝘪𝘮.))

𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘰

Very Slow

𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘰

Slow

𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦

Moderately slow, at a walking pace

𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰

Moderately

𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘰

Moderately fast

𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘰

Fast and lively

𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘦

Very Fast

𝘈 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰

back to the original (previous) tempo

𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘭.)

gradually faster

𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰

gradually slower and broader

𝘗𝘪𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰

more motion

𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘰

less motion

𝘙𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭.)

gradually slower

𝘙𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘳𝘪𝘵.)

immediately slower

𝘙𝘶𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘰

literally: stolen/robbed; the expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo

Other "Thoughts" on Good Ensemble Playing aka "The House Rules"

• Big Notes swallow Little Notes
• Shorter Notes move towards (gravitate towards) Longer Notes
• Good Intonation is the result of: Proper Individual Tone, Attention to Good Blend and Balance within the section/ensemble
• Always listen for the moving line (whether it is the melody or countermelody)
• The bar line is usually the worst place to breathe
• Never breathe at the end of a 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 or 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰
• All slurs imply the following stress and dynamic pattern: first note is given emphasis and the remaining 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 over the duration of the slur

How to sit using Proper Posture

• Feet flat on the floor
• Back away from the back of the chair
• Sternum raised
• Shoulders and neck relaxed

Three Steps for Balance, Blend, and Intonation

1. If you can hear yourself above all others, you are playing too loud: an issue of VOLUME - adjust and play inside the sound of your neighbor
2. If you can still hear yourself and you have adjusted your volume: an issue of poor TONE QUALITY - use proper breath support, air flow, and correct
   embouchure
3. If you can still hear yourself and you have adjusted your volume and improved your tone: an issue of INTONATION - you are playing out of tune. Adjust the length of your
   instrument (push in/pull out)

Steps for BEATLESS Tuning

1. As you play a pitch, listen for "beats."
2. If the "beats" become faster, you are moving farther away from being "in tune": go in the opposite direction
3. If the "beats" become slower, you are moving closer to being "in tune": keep moving in that correct direction until the "beats" are eliminated
4. If you find yourself "pinching" your embouchure to eliminate "beats": your instrument is too long; shorten it
5. If you find yourself "relaxing" your embouchure to eliminate "beats": your instrument is too short; lengthen it
6. When you and your section play the same pitch, without any unnecessary embouchure pressure or
   relaxation, and you are not able to identify an "individual sound" in your section, you and your
   section are "in tune" and playing with Proper Balance and Blend!

What is McBeth's Pyramid?

Relative dynamics of instrument groups for good blend, balance, and intonation

McBeth's Pyramid

➢ Bass Group: Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Bari Sax, Tuba
➢ Tenor Group: Tenor Sax, Trombone, Euphonium
➢ Alto Group: Lower Clarinets, Alto Sax, Lower Trumpets, Horn
➢ Treble: Flute, Oboe, High Clarinet, High Trumpet
➢ Percussion: Indicated above the treble, but within the section also follows the low to high idea: BD, Timpani, Toms, Snare, Tambourine, Triangle, Cymbals, etc.

What group leads the 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰; other groups follow in order?

Bass Group

What groups leads the 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰; other groups follow in order?

Treble Group

Root

Provides the foundation for tuning - needs to be strong and the most prominent regardless of whether or not it is the lowest sounding pitch of a vertical structure

Fifth

Next most prominent after the Root

Third

Less loud than the Root or Fifth; should never overpower a vertical structure

Color

Includes sevenths, ninths, and other added notes - should be played as gently as possible within the vertical structure