STRING FAMILY. In-School Ensembles. Winston-Salem Symphony. Teacher s Materials: WSS In-School Ensembles: String Family

Transcription

1 Winston-Salem Symphony In-School Ensembles STRING FAMILY Instructions Information Activities For You, The Teacher: This packet of information is intended as a preliminary background of musical knowledge for you and your students in preparation for the Winston-Salem Symphony In-School Ensembles. Other resources are hyperlinked throughout the guide. In addition to reviewing these materials with your class please also review what it means to be a good listener and audience member prior to the arrival of each ensemble. Please set the example for your students and assist the musicians with behavioral issues throughout the presentation. Your help in this area is greatly appreciated. You can also help us with grant writing by sending us your completed survey forms, a copy of your school newsletter that mentions the WSS In-School Ensembles, student thank you notes, or a few great examples of your student s work surrounding our visit! Thank you for allowing the Winston-Salem Symphony to be a guest in your school and for including us as an important part of your already extensive and challenging curriculum. We hope you and your class enjoy the presentation! Jessica Munch-Dittmar Education and Community Engagement Director Jmunch-dittmar@wssymphony.org ex

2 Table of Contents: To You, The Teacher..Pg. 1 Instrument Families...Pg. 3 Orchestra Diagram.Pg. 3 The Strings Family.Pg. 4 Musical Terms.Pg. 4 Program, Music and Q&A....Pg. 5 Additional Activities..Pg. 6 Orchestra Diagram Handout..Pg. 7 Coloring Page Handout Pg. 8 La Bamba Handout Pg. 9 Program Calendar...Pg. 10 2

3 The Instrument Families: Instruments are grouped together in families because those instruments all have things in common, such as how they look or how a sound is made. In a symphony orchestra, four different instrument families combine to make beautiful music together. In the span of two years, you will learn about the four instrument families (woodwinds, strings, brass and percussion) from each of the four Winston-Salem Symphony In-School Ensembles. Let s see where this family is on the orchestra seating chart. In a large orchestra, musicians are seated in a semi-circle, facing the conductor and the audience. This chart shows the area where each musician sits on stage when the instrument families play together as an orchestra. While this is the most common seating arrangement for an orchestra, it is not the only way and can sometimes change. Find your favorite instruments so that you will know where to look on stage when you visit us for a full orchestra performance in the spring of your 5 th grade year! Orchestra Diagram 3

4 The String Family The violin, viola, cello, and double bass make up the string family. In most orchestras, the strings are the biggest section. String instruments look very much alike, except in size. Which is the smallest and which is the largest? Stringed instruments are made of wood and each instrument has four strings stretched across it. You play them by drawing a bow across or sometimes by plucking. Which stringed instrument do you think plays the higher notes, the lower notes, the next lowest, and the very lowest notes? The bigger the instrument, the lower the pitch. Color the string family on the orchestra seating chart blue. Click on the instrument name to listen to each instrument and learn more! Violin The violin is the smallest of all the strings and has the highest pitch. A violinist uses a bow to play the violin. The bow is a wooden stick with hair from a horse s tail tied from end to end. Viola The viola appears very similar to the violin, however, this instrument is a little larger than the violin and makes slightly lower sounds. Cello The cello is still bigger than the violin and the viola. It has a beautiful, mellow sound. The cello must rest on the floor because it is too big to be held like the violin and the viola. The instrument rests on a pin on the floor and the cellist holds it between the knees to play. A cello is about 50 inches long including the neck. Is this about as tall as you? Double Bass The bass is the biggest instrument in the string section. It s about as tall as a man around 6 tall. It also plays the widest assortment of music from classical to Broadway to jazz. In pictures it may look the same size as the cello, but it s really about 1 ½ to 2 times taller. Like the violin, viola and cello, it is played, or plucked, with a bow. To produce different notes, the musician presses his or her finger on the string. Musical Terms: When learning about the String family, you will hear the musicians use a variety of new words or familiar words which may have a different meaning! Here are a few: Plucking: picking at the strings with your finger. Pizzicato: to pluck the string with the right hand. Piano: to play softly. Vibrate: to shake a very tiny bit, quiver. The frames of most stringed instruments are made of wood because it vibrates well. Legato: in a smooth, flowing manner, without breaks between notes. Forte: to play loudly. Arco: to play with the bow Staccato: with each sound or note sharply detached or separated from the others. 4

5 Program: During the performance by the WSS String Ensemble, you will take a trip around the world! Here s a preview: Tango El Choclo - Argentina: One of the most popular tangos in Argentina, El Choclo is translated as The Corn Cob in Spanish. The original lyrics written by Villoldo-McLean spoke of the corn cob as a food, but over the years, different versions of the lyrics were written, the most famous of which were Enrique Santos Discepolo s lyrics about the tango as a way of life. Many vocal versions of the piece have been recorded in addition to the many dance orchestra and string quartet recordings, like the one here. Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Hungary: As a young musician, Brahms often was hired to accompany travelling musicians. That is how he met Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi, with whom he performed at private house parties before touring together. In his travels with Remenyi, he learned the ins and outs of urban Hungarian music, or gypsy music. When Brahms left Remenyi and established himself as a composer, he often would entertain his friends with gypsy-style piano improvisations. These improvisations were eventually put to paper. Hungarian Dance No. 5 was no exception and was adapted through the years for various ensembles, including string ensemble, heard here. Does the music sound familiar? Could it be that you recognize it from this Warner Brothers rendition of the Three Little Pigs? Vivaldi s Concerto For Two Violins in a Minor -Italy: One of the most distinguished Italian pieces of its kind. The concerto is in the fast-slow-fast sequence of movements which would become the standard for music of this type. The writing for violins often changes; sometimes they are in unison, (playing the same notes/pitches together) and at other times, they play in harmonies (playing different notes/pitches at the same time). The lead part is passed around between the two soloists. In the final movement, Vivaldi gives the second violin a theme in its own, soaring above the first violin, which vanishes into the piece s exciting conclusion. Have a listen! It Don t Mean a Thing (If You Ain t Got That Swing) - America: One of Duke Ellington s signature compositions, this piece is one of the defining works of the swing era. It was composed in 1931 by Duke Ellington, famous pianist and band leader, with lyrics by jazz musician and composer, Irving Mills. Noted as one of the first songs to use swing in its title, this piece was named based on the stated philosophy of Ellington s former friend and fellow trumpeter, Bubber Miley who was dying of Tuberculosis. The Ellington Band played this continuously through the years, and the piece is now considered a jazz standard. The original piece has been recorded by many famous artists and various ensembles. Here is a string quartet rendition. La Bamba - Mexico: A Mexican folk song, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. The song was quickly a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs. La Bamba is a classic example of the Son Jarocho musical style which originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz and combines Spanish, indigenous, and African musical elements. Listen to an adaption for strings and compare to the hit by Ritchie Valens! Q&A Recommendations: We at the Winston-Salem Symphony always encourage questions after each ensemble visit. Your students are curious but often times struggle to find the right or appropriate questions which will provide the necessary information and answers. Please help guide your students with the suggestions below: Are there different sized violins? Cellos? Etc? What types of music feature stringed instruments? Can you play more than one string at a time? How do I care for a stringed instrument? How/why did you choose your instrument? What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? How often do you practice? How often should a beginner practice? 5

6 Additional Activities: Activity One Map: Music History/Country and Culture Identification Using the Interactive World Map, review the different countries represented by the music provided in the program section of this guide on page 5. Simply use your mouse to scroll over each country. From there, more facts and information will pop up. While reviewing each country, also play the corresponding piece of music. Once reviewed, ask students to identify the countries on their own. Can they identify the country from listening to each piece and the other way around? Can they identify and locate each country on the map? Use the coloring page located in the handouts section of this guide (Pg 8) to further reinforce understanding. Activity Two La Bamba: Music History/Culture/Reading/Performance This fun activity will combine language learning and music reading/performance. 1. Have students listen to La Bamba using the link provided here while following along using the handout on page 9 of this guide. 2. Review the history of the song and lyrics with the students. A short history as well as pronunciations, translations and listening can be found here. 3. Review the rhythms and note names. There are excellent challenges throughout including triplet rhythms as well as tied and dotted notes. 4. Have fun with it! Once students are familiar with the song add in small instruments such as maracas, claves and related auxiliary. 6

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10 Sept. 5, Sept.9, Sept. 11 Sept. 12, Sept. 18, Sept. 19, Sept. 23, Sept. 25, Sept. 26, Sept. 30, October 2, October 3, Monday, October 6 October 7, October 9, October 10, October 21, November 4, November 6 November 7, November 13, November 14, Monday, November 17, November 18, November 20, November 21, In-School Ensemble Performance Schedule Date Percussion Woodwind Brass Strings Sept.16, 9:00 Lewisville 10:15 Children's Center 1:00 Morgan 9:00 Ashley 10:15 North Hills 9:00 Bolton 10:15 Konnoak 9:00 Easton 10:15 Griffith 9:00 Kimberly Park 10:15 Whitaker 9:00 Brunson 10:15 Moore 9:00 Walkertown 10:15 Cash 9:00 Ward 10:15 Kimmel Farm 9:00 Jefferson 10:15 Vienna 9:00 Old Town 10:15 Old Richmond 9:00 Speas 10:15 Meadowlark 9:00 Ward 10:15 Kimmel Farm 9:00 Speas 10:15 North Hills 9:00 Lewisville 10:15 Meadowlark 1:00 Morgan 9:00 Jefferson 10:15 Vienna 9:00 Ashley 10:15 Children's Center 9:00 Kimberly Park 10:15 Whitaker 9:00 Oldtown 10:15 Old Richmond 9:00 Bolton 10:15 Konnoak 9:00 Easton 10:15 Griffith 9:00 Walkertown 10:15 Cash 9:00 Brunson 10:15 Moore 9:00 Kernersville 10:15 Piney Grove 9:00 Middle Fork 10:15 Petree 9.00 Ibraham 10:15 Mineral Springs 9:00 Sedge Garden 10:15 Hall-Woodward 9:00 Rural Hall 10:15 Gibson 9:00 Clemmons 10:15 Southwest 9:00 Cook 10:15 Downtown 9:00 Union Cross 10:15 Caleb's Creek 1:00 Smith Farms 9:00 Forest Park 10:15 Diggs-Latham 9:00 South Fork 10:15 Sherwood Forest 9:00 Clemmons 10:15 Southwest 9:00 Sedge Garden 10:15 Hall Woodward 9.00 Cook 10:15 Downtown 9:00 South Fork 10:15 Sherwood Forest 9:00 Union Cross 10:15 Caleb's Creek 1:00 Smith Farm 9:00 Forest Park 10:15 Diggs-Latham 9:00 Kernersville 10:15 Piney Grove 9:00 Middle Fork 10:15 Petree 9:00 Rural Hall 10:15 Gibson 9:00 Ibraham 10:15 Mineral Springs 10