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Timeline for Introduction of Material Half Steps Away • Regular Long Notes & Exercises – January of year 1 from a Better Band • Low Long Notes & Exercises – February of year 1 • The 14 Note Chromatic Scale – February of year 1 A method for the introduction of the • The Major Scale Formula & Key Signatures – March of year 1 chromatic scale that results in improved • High Long Notes & Exercises – March of year 1 student comprehension and the • The 19 Note Chromatic Scale – March of year 1 development of an ensemble warm up • Higher Long Notes & Exercises – May of year 1 regimen that will improve ensemble tone, • The 23 Note Chromatic Scale – May of year 1 intonation, and technique. • Highest Long Notes & Exercises – September of year 2 Matt Liner and the Meadowlark Middle School 8th Grade Band • The 26 Note Chromatic Scale – September of year 2

Regular Long Notes

• Once students are competent with reading and performing the first five notes of the beginning method book, Concert Bb, C, D, Eb, and F, they are ready to begin learning Regular Long Notes.

• All instruments play Concert F, E, Eb, D, Db, C, and B for regular long notes with the exception of Tenor Saxophone and French Horn. • The Tenor Saxes play the same letter name notes as the Alto and Baritone Saxophone which sound a fourth below the concert pitch of the other instruments. • The French Horns play the same letter name notes as the Trumpets which sound a fourth below the concert pitch of the other instruments

F Eb D C F E Eb D Db C B b b b

• All instruments play Concert F, E, Eb, D, Db, C, and B for regular long notes with • When presenting enharmonic notes I choose the spelling that is the one that the exception of Tenor Saxophone and French Horn. students will see most often, the ones that appear in their all-district scales. • The Tenor Saxes play the same letter name notes as the Alto and Baritone • As we learn these new notes I teach the students the fingering that they will use Saxophone which sound a fourth below the concert pitch of the other most often when playing method book or band literature. When we begin to instruments. play the RLN chromatic scale I will then go back and teach them the chromatic • The French Horns play the same letter name notes as the Trumpets which sound fingering and explain when to use which fingering and why. a fourth below the concert pitch of the other instruments

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b b

b b

b b

b b b b

• This is the bottom half of the Regular Long Notes Worksheet • It is vital that students complete this assignment by hand and that the director personally check each student’s work to ensure accuracy.

Low Long Notes

• Once students are competent with reading and performing Regular Long Notes, they are ready to begin learning Low Long Notes. Bb b

• All instruments play Concert Bb, A, Ab, G, F#, F, and E for low long notes with the exception of Tenor Saxophone and French Horn. They continue to play a fourth below concert pitch.

Bb A Ab G F# F E

b b #

• When presenting enharmonic notes I choose the spelling that is the one that students will see most often, the ones that appear in their all-district scales. • As we learn these new notes I teach the students the fingering that they will use most often when playing method book or band literature. When we begin to play the LLN chromatic scale I will then go back and teach them the chromatic • This is the bottom half of the Low Long Notes Worksheet fingering and explain when to use which fingering and why.

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b b # Long Notes Chart – RLN & LLN • Students transfer the notes and letter names from their RLN & LLN Worksheets to the bottom two lines of the Long Notes Chart. Completing the first two lines of the b b b b b b b b # Long Notes Chart provides the opportunity to begin performing two note/level lip slurs, mini chromatic scales, and mini major scales independently or simultaneously.

b b # F E Eb D Db C B b b

b b b # # Bb A Ab G F# F E b b • As we expand into low long notes we discuss phrasing and when is a good # time to take a breath vs. when is it not a good time to take a breath.

RLN & LLN Ensemble Exercises RLN & LLN Ensemble Exercises

RLN & LLN Ensemble Exercises RLN & LLN Ensemble Exercises

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RLN & LLN Ensemble Exercises Major Scale Studies • Once students have been presented with the major scale formula… W W h W W W h

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

…they can construct any major scale that they desire. Using their long notes chart they can figure out the pitches needed and then go back and use enharmonic spellings to determine the correct letter names if needed. This also allows them to figure out the key signatures for each scale.

Concert F Major Scale High Long Notes • Once students are competent with reading and performing exercises using Regular and Low Long Notes then they are ready to begin learning High Long Notes.

F E Eb D Db C B b b

Bb A Ab G F# F E b b #

Bb A Ab G F# F E Bb A Ab G F# F E b b #

• Because partials of the harmonic series begin overlapping with the fourth • High long notes are an octave higher than low long notes. This provides the partial notes 6 & 7 are the same pitches as notes 1 & 2 from Regular Long Notes. opportunity to teach students the meaning of the term octave. • Starting with G (the sixth note taught in the method book) and going up and down chromatically from there, students complete their High Long Note Worksheet.

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Higher & Highest Long Notes Higher & Highest Long Notes

• Repeating the process used for determining Regular Long Notes, Low Long • As the harmonic series moves higher there is more and more overlap between Notes, and High Long Notes, students can continue, when they are ready, to the different levels (brass partials). Overlapping notes are in the shaded boxes expand their long notes chart to include the Higher and Highest Long Note that do not have a bold outline. Levels.

F E Eb D Db C B b b

D Db C B Bb A Ab b b b

Long Notes Chart Long Notes Chart

F E Eb D Db C B b b

D Db C B Bb A Ab b b b

Bb A Ab G F# F E b b #

F E Eb D Db C B b b

Bb A Ab G F# F E b b #

Long Notes Chart Ensemble Exercises Examples • With the addition of each new long note level there are • We’ve had one read on the piece “Holiday Bobsled Run” by numerous new lip slur, chromatic, scale, and arpeggio Robert Sheldon. exercises that can be performed. • We would like demonstrate a how we would now proceed • As students become more advanced/experienced the difficulty of the exercises can become increasingly to learn our parts in a class instructional period. advanced and be tailored to fit the challenges needed to • “Holiday Bobsled Run” – mm. 41-end improve ensemble tone, intonation, balance, and blend while continuing to develop the technical facility (woodwinds) and embouchure flexibility (brass) of the individual player.

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“Holiday Bobsled Run” Concert B Major Scale

F E Eb D Db C B b b

D Db C B Bb A Ab b b b

Bb A Ab G F# F E b b #

F E Eb D Db C B b b

Bb A Ab G F# F E b b #

Concert B Major Scale Timeline for Presenting Material • If students use the formula correctly, they will be able to play the scale, without wrong pitches the very first time that they attempt to play the scale. • Regular Long Notes & Exercises – January of year 1 • Low Long Notes & Exercises – February of year 1 B Db Eb E F# Ab Bb B • The 14 Note Chromatic Scale – February of year 1 • The Major Scale Formula & Key Signatures – March of year 1 • Then the students will apply their knowledge of enharmonic spellings to spell • High Long Notes & Exercises – March of year 1 the scale correctly and determine the key signature • The 19 Note Chromatic Scale – March of year 1 • Higher Long Notes & Exercises – May of year 1 B C# D# E F# G# A# B • The 23 Note Chromatic Scale – May of year 1 • Highest Long Notes & Exercises – September of year 2 Concert B Major = 5 Sharps • The 26 Note Chromatic Scale – September of year 2

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