Part 2: Learning with Precision vs. Stylistic Improvisation
Contents
Part 2: Learning with Precision vs. Stylistic Improvisation (this post)
Part 4: Karaoke Solfege at Music Institutions
Students using the musical equivalent of the alphabet to study the structure of music will strive for increasing precision with singing pitches and determining when pitch changes occur.
Because The French School of Music methodology uses a four-prong approached to studying the structure of music:
sight singing named pitches with “do re mi” while simultaneously
conducting time
ear training and
music dictation,
precision is necessary for music dictation exercises as well, as an instructor plays something on a piano and students write this down.
The demonstration video showing the musical alphabet injects a number of stylistic modifications on top of a straight and direct music score, showing that anyone can take a basic score and do anything from minor modifications to dress it up to doing a complete rewrite. Following is a random list of ideas. Note in the sheet music at the beginning of each line of music, there is a bar number. This will make it easier to match the bar with the examples below.
Instead of singing the rhythms precisely as notated, shorten or delay random note durations. If using audio as a music dictation exercise, notate this as simply as possible, removing stylistic modifications.
When adding stylistic modifications, one good rule to adopt is never to repeat something exactly the same way, because that tends to be boring. There are many ways to repeat the same sequence of notes while making small changes. Sing normally the first time, then slightly softer the second time. Sing fast, then slower. Sing slow, then faster. Vary the vibrato. Accumulating techniques for making slight stylistic modifications is hugely beneficial because you can practice something once and then apply a myriad of changes without needing too much extra practice.
Foreshadowing: Change the pitch before saying the name of pitch (transition between bar 38 - 39).
Throw in a surprise to throw listener off. Because bar 24 wraps up a quodlibet for a well-known nursery rhyme, everyone’s brain tries to complete the sequence by singing: re re mi re do. But the do is left off, and delayed, until the beginning of the next bar.
Elision, within this context, refers to joining together abstract ideas. Taking the last idea, the note “do” is both the end of the quodlibet, and the beginning of the arpeggiated sequence. So bars 24 and 25 combine a surprise with an elision.
Space to breathe - from a composing standpoint, one main challenge of this particular demonstration is that it’s fast and doesn’t leave a lot of room to breathe. Nor are there any notation markings in the sheet music denoting where to breathe. Singers can either decide where to breathe and pencil in markings, or change the music subtly each time they sing it by skipping notes or breathing in different places.
Note that this demonstration is both fast, and sung by soprano. An option is to start merging notes together into larger duration notes so this is easier to sing. When sections are out of range for other singers, one easy solution is to quickly learn how to switch up or down an octave. Or, rewrite those sections for lower voices.
Take a straight rhythm and add syncopations.
Note that having a greater vocal range will enable singers to play with and practice greater interval leaps, which can add variety and a more dramatic flair.
Quodlibets. Learning the solfege notes for a bunch of well-known nursery rhymes will give you a quick way to begin experimenting with improvisation. Twinkle Twinkle: do do sol sol la la sol —. Old MacDonald: fa fa fa do re re do — la la sol sol fa —. Row Row Row Your Boat: do — do — do — re mi —…
Increase your knowledge database by learning the sequence of notes for those quodlibets in different keys (transposition). Twinkle Twinkle: do do sol sol la la sol —. Also re re la la si si la —. Mi mi si si do(#) do(#) si —. Fa fa do do re re do —…