The Reflective Teacher
Published: 1991 Author: Rebecca Crosby
IN AN ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN there is no clear distinction between technique and musicality, as each constituent part of every movement is involved in the production of sound. Technique is not simply used in service to the music, but shapes the form and direction in an integral way. The successful marriage of good movement and musical ideas will result in enhanced communication between the performer and audience, teacher and pupil.
It is claimed by some music teachers that occasionally young people play ‘naturally’. For a few years, possibly many years, movements which have not been analysed and criticised constructively may well be successful, but a teacher needs to look much further ahead. With an emphasis on good movement in lesson one teachers are establishing the fundamentals of playing for many years. Perhaps some children do have a natural aptitude of some kind, but most do not find it so easy. A teacher needs strategies for all abilities of children. There is no question that tense movements will, at some stage, inhibit the communication of the music. Teachers need to be wary of pushing for quick results, even when a child is forging ahead. Rapid unscrutinised progress may be detrimental to secure playing in the future.
An analysis of one’s own playing has a direct and extremely important influence on good teaching. If teachers wish to help both children and adults become good musicians then they must have a deep understanding of their own playing. It’s no use saying ‘my right hand is a bit weak in this piece’, they must be able to analyse in detail every single move-ment they make in relation to the sound produced. An understanding should be gained from the conscious knowledge of every strength and weakness; armed with this knowledge and some analytical skill, a teacher can then start to judge the playing of others, and know how best to start beginners as the fundamental elements of playing are understood. Analysis of movement is the foundation of good teaching. If a constructive criticism of movement is to be made then a teacher must be sure of his or her ability to find criteria by which to judge. Even in the best teaching relationship the teacher’s influence can be both good and bad. It is worth bearing in mind Kodaly’s words, here paraphrased, that the music teacher in a small country town is more important than the director of opera in the capital because the latter may only ruin one year of the opera whereas the former may put off children for thirty years. If teachers are not aware of their own deficiencies, reflecting on their weaknesses as well as strengths, then these deficiencies will inevitably be passed on to pupils.
How can such an analytical process be started? It may seem to many teachers, as it must to many pupils, very daunting to be faced with the thought of returning to open strings, especially when, on the surface, one is a competent. advanced player. An analytical approach to movement on the part of the teacher can be both rewarding and satisfying in terms of one’s own playing and invaluable in terms of teaching. Good movement must be economical, producing a sound which has depth and quality, achieved with ease and relaxation. Extraneous movement, not concerned with the release of tension, could become the source of technical problems. Movements must be flexible and free-flowing without loss of control.
Open strings should be chosen as a beginning because it is difficult to sustain all even and solid tone on them. Isolating each single action is important for it is then easier to identify weaknesses and tension. Beginners first learn right hand movement so it therefore makes a logical starting point from which to analyse one’s own playing. It is better to begin with rest stroke because the movement has a built-in finish, the resting point on the adjacent string being a natural end to the movement. The following exercises serve as an introduction, and there are endless possibilities for extensions to make the exercise fit the problem. Try playing them at different tempi - from crotchet = 40 to semibreve = 132 or more for advanced players. Is every note the same length, exactly, at whatever speed the exercise is played? If the answer is no then look very carefully at the rhythm of the movement. Does one finger fly out as soon as the other has played in a ‘walking’ motion? How far does it travel in front of the string and what happens if you change strings? Try the following exercise:
Rest i, m and a on the second string. Lift i forward first leaving m and a resting. Repeat using m and a. Can you feel any ‘pull’ or sympathetic movement from the resting movement? Can you use m without the hand bouncing upwards? Is there any strain produced by such independent movement? The ability to play this exercise without tension is very important, for moving fingers independently helps to build up knowledge of which muscles control the movements. It may only be the middle finger which is a problem, pushing the hand upwards and making the rhythm unsteady.
Getting away, to some extent, from an automatic ‘walking’ motion can be a step forward. Try exercise b moving only one finger at a time. Does your hand stay relaxed or are your fingers accustomed only to move in tandem? How fast can you play maintaining independent movement and relaxation? How far in front of the string does your finger move and can you eliminate this forward movement, placing the fingers rather than swinging at the string? What happens when you play very loud or very soft and can you maintain a steady pulse at very slow and very fast tempi?
These are just a few ideas about the use of open strings. A good player should have complete command over them playing slow or fast, crossing strings, using different sound qualities and with any fingering.
The use of dotted rhythms on open strings can further assist in the analysis of movement. Try these exercises, first on one string, then crossing over (as exercise d) with various fingerings:
All these rhythms should also be reversed. They offer, of course, a long note on which to think, relax and prepare for the quicker note to follow. Precise, neat rhythmic movements should be the aim throughout.
This approach is open to question, as it should be; different views may have equal validity. It is important for teachers not to simply justify and adhere to their methods but to analyse, criticise, restructure and revise them on a continuous basis. Though demanding, this will ultimately benefit the pupil as the teacher has a firm sense of priorities. The teacher’s basic principles need to be firmly established in order to avoid confusion. As they acquire skill in analysing their own playing, teachers will become more perceptive and constructive in their teaching – analysing the playing of others will become easier.
Copyright © 1991 by Rebecca Crobsy