Planning for Gypsydance
Score Study for Gypsydance by David R. Holsinger
Pitch
-Writes the parts in the key of Eb
-Holsinger starts off by setting c minor over F dorian staccato eighths ostinato pattern from measures 1-14 and measures 23-31, hints at Eb major in the "dance" sections at measures 15-22 & measures, and then ends in Bb major from measure 40 to the end.
-Instrument ranges and challenging notes on attached sheet
-Using two percussionists to play the important parts in the triangle, tambourine, snare drum, and tom-toms.
Rhythm
-Written in 4/4, but feels as though it were in two.
-Rhythms for wind instruments include whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, and eighth rests
-Rhythms for percussion parts include whole rests, half rests, quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, eighth rests, dotted eighth rests, sixteenth notes.
-Tricky rhythms include dotted eighth rests & sixteenth notes in the tom-toms starting in measure 23 and aligning the length of the articulation in the eighth note eighth rest ostinato found throughout the piece.
Form
-Introduction (m. 1& 2) A (m. 3-6) A' (m. 7-10) B (m. 11-14) C (m. 15-22) transition (m. 23) A" (m. 24-27) B' (m. 28-31) C' (m. 32-39) Coda (m. 40-46)
Harmonies
-Interesting how Holsinger creates unique texture in the beginning by stacking c minor over top of an F dorian ostinato pattern to create somewhat dissonant and mysterious sound out of which the theme emerges.
-When the style changes at measure 15 and again at measure 32, Holsinger writes as though it was in Eb major with basic I-V movement in the first three measures of the phrase before adding in harmonic color in the fourth measure of the phrase (m. 18, m. 22, m. 35, and m. 39)
~Really cool how he transitions out of this section into next sections
*Has the ensemble land on C Major on the 3rd beat of measure 22 before going back the drone of c minor stacked on top of f dorian in measure 23 leading into the recap of the opening material.
*Has the ensemble ascend from Gb major and Ab major in measure 39 to Bb major from measure 40 to the end of the piece.
Style
-Importance of differentiating staccato, accented, and regular tonguing
-Tempo at the beginning marked allegro (quarter note = 132)-a light, brisk pace
-Percussion really helps sell gypsy sound and dance-like feel with varying emphasis on the on & off beats as well as cultural flavor from the tambourine.
-Very bland dynamic markings at the beginning of the piece (all parts marked mf, no written crescendos and decrescendos minus the brief swells on the tambourine rolls)
-Flutes and oboes marked f at m. 24 when they enter with the recap of the A theme and are joined at forte by the alto sax and tambourine at m. 28.
-All voices are marked at f starting in m. 32 until m. 40, when they go back down to mf (mp in the tambourine starting in m. 42 and tom-tom part in m. 44) then marked crescendos from m. 44 to the end that builds to a robust f
-Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
-Grade: 1 1/2
Similar Pieces to Guide Your Listening
-Dorian Dance by David Gorham (Wingert-Jones Music, Inc.)
-Dorian Landscape by Barry E. Kopetz (Wingert-Jones Music, Inc.)
Instrument Ranges
Pitch
-Writes the parts in the key of Eb
-Holsinger starts off by setting c minor over F dorian staccato eighths ostinato pattern from measures 1-14 and measures 23-31, hints at Eb major in the "dance" sections at measures 15-22 & measures, and then ends in Bb major from measure 40 to the end.
-Instrument ranges and challenging notes on attached sheet
-Using two percussionists to play the important parts in the triangle, tambourine, snare drum, and tom-toms.
Rhythm
-Written in 4/4, but feels as though it were in two.
-Rhythms for wind instruments include whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, and eighth rests
-Rhythms for percussion parts include whole rests, half rests, quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, eighth rests, dotted eighth rests, sixteenth notes.
-Tricky rhythms include dotted eighth rests & sixteenth notes in the tom-toms starting in measure 23 and aligning the length of the articulation in the eighth note eighth rest ostinato found throughout the piece.
Form
-Introduction (m. 1& 2) A (m. 3-6) A' (m. 7-10) B (m. 11-14) C (m. 15-22) transition (m. 23) A" (m. 24-27) B' (m. 28-31) C' (m. 32-39) Coda (m. 40-46)
Harmonies
-Interesting how Holsinger creates unique texture in the beginning by stacking c minor over top of an F dorian ostinato pattern to create somewhat dissonant and mysterious sound out of which the theme emerges.
-When the style changes at measure 15 and again at measure 32, Holsinger writes as though it was in Eb major with basic I-V movement in the first three measures of the phrase before adding in harmonic color in the fourth measure of the phrase (m. 18, m. 22, m. 35, and m. 39)
~Really cool how he transitions out of this section into next sections
*Has the ensemble land on C Major on the 3rd beat of measure 22 before going back the drone of c minor stacked on top of f dorian in measure 23 leading into the recap of the opening material.
*Has the ensemble ascend from Gb major and Ab major in measure 39 to Bb major from measure 40 to the end of the piece.
Style
-Importance of differentiating staccato, accented, and regular tonguing
-Tempo at the beginning marked allegro (quarter note = 132)-a light, brisk pace
-Percussion really helps sell gypsy sound and dance-like feel with varying emphasis on the on & off beats as well as cultural flavor from the tambourine.
-Very bland dynamic markings at the beginning of the piece (all parts marked mf, no written crescendos and decrescendos minus the brief swells on the tambourine rolls)
-Flutes and oboes marked f at m. 24 when they enter with the recap of the A theme and are joined at forte by the alto sax and tambourine at m. 28.
-All voices are marked at f starting in m. 32 until m. 40, when they go back down to mf (mp in the tambourine starting in m. 42 and tom-tom part in m. 44) then marked crescendos from m. 44 to the end that builds to a robust f
-Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
-Grade: 1 1/2
Similar Pieces to Guide Your Listening
-Dorian Dance by David Gorham (Wingert-Jones Music, Inc.)
-Dorian Landscape by Barry E. Kopetz (Wingert-Jones Music, Inc.)
Instrument Ranges
Lesson Plan for Gypsydance by David R. Holsinger
Goals:
-To understand how articulation affects musical communication
-To learn to listen to others musicians in ensemble while performing in a group
-To learn to distinguish between having the melody and having the accompaniment.
Strategies:
-Students will compare/contrast articulations in passages from Gypsydance
-Students will perform different articulations using "tizzling" to hear themselves and their peers.
-Students will listen around the ensemble to hear their peers, not just themselves.
-Students will listen around the ensemble while playing to hear whether they are the melody or accompaniment.
Materials:
-Full Score for Gypsydance
-Individual parts for Gypsydance
-Percussion instruments (triangle, tambourine, snare drum, tom-toms (3))
*For my teaching, I will be using two percussionists to play the critical percussion parts in this piece.
Procedures:
-Teacher provides a little background information on the piece to the students
-Teacher asks students to follow along in their parts at the beginning as he models the style, tempo, and articulation of the opening motive in the saxes & lower brass at the beginning as well as the "A" theme first heard in measure 3 in the clarinets and French Horns.
-Teacher has ensemble play straight through Gypsydance
-Teacher asks students what they noticed as they were playing (anything they thought sounded good, anything they had trouble with, etc.)
-Teacher has students find measure 32 in their parts and point to it on their page
-Teacher asks students to quickly look at the different articulations in their parts starting in measure 32 through measure 39.
-Teacher asks students to raise their hands if they have staccato eighth notes anywhere in that passage ~For those who have their hands up, teacher tells them to listen to their neighbors to line up the length of the staccato to create an equal sounding articulation.
-Teacher asks those students that have any accented notes in that passage to raise their hand (almost everyone should have their hand raised).
~Teacher tells ensemble that the accents should be longer than the staccato notes and have more weight & emphasis.
-Teacher models correct staccato and accented articulations for students by tizzling (tonguing with an almost hissing sound without playing their instruments while fingering the notes on their instruments) the 1st clarinet part.
-Teacher has students "tizzle" their parts from measure 32 through 39 to hear how different rhythms and articulations align.
-Teacher asks students if that helped them hear their neighbors and hear how certain rhythms and articulations lined up.
-Teacher has students play the selected passage on their instruments.
-Teacher briefly comments on what they heard after that playing (improvements, things to continue to address in personal practice, etc.)
-Teacher asks students to find measure 15 and notice how the articulation is very similar to what they have just been working on except that the accented figures are limited to the low brass and woodwinds.
-Teacher asks students to find the beginning of the piece and point to it
-Teacher asks students that play at the very beginning of the piece to shout out what is their dynamic marking (mezzo forte, mf)
*What does mezzo forte mean?
-Teacher asks clarinets and French horns what dynamic they have when they play at measure 3 (mezzo forte)
*Teacher tells ensemble that while both groups have the same dynamic level written, one of those groups needs to be brought out more because they are the melody.
-Teacher has ensemble try to discover who has the melody at the beginning by having the staccato eighths playing loud when the clarinets and horns enter at measure 3.
*Teacher asks students if that sounds right to them
-Teacher has ensemble try the beginning again, this time having the staccato eighths get a little softer when the clarinets and horns enter at measure 3 while having the clarinets and horns play a little louder when they enter.
-Teacher asks how that sounds compared to the previous time, saying that it hopefully sounds more balanced since the staccato eighths are the accompaniment while the clarinets and horns are playing the melody.
-Teacher tells the students to keep that in mind because the same thing happens later in piece from measures 24-31.
-Teacher has ensemble play straight through Gypsydance, having focused the attention of ensemble to the basic concept of balance with who has the melody and accompaniment as well as distinguishing articulations at critical passages in the piece.
Assessment:
-Students participated in the activities/discussions/exercises
-Students listened to their peers in the ensemble
-Students understand when they are the melody or the accompaniment.
-Students performed with the rest of the ensemble
Goals:
-To understand how articulation affects musical communication
-To learn to listen to others musicians in ensemble while performing in a group
-To learn to distinguish between having the melody and having the accompaniment.
Strategies:
-Students will compare/contrast articulations in passages from Gypsydance
-Students will perform different articulations using "tizzling" to hear themselves and their peers.
-Students will listen around the ensemble to hear their peers, not just themselves.
-Students will listen around the ensemble while playing to hear whether they are the melody or accompaniment.
Materials:
-Full Score for Gypsydance
-Individual parts for Gypsydance
-Percussion instruments (triangle, tambourine, snare drum, tom-toms (3))
*For my teaching, I will be using two percussionists to play the critical percussion parts in this piece.
Procedures:
-Teacher provides a little background information on the piece to the students
-Teacher asks students to follow along in their parts at the beginning as he models the style, tempo, and articulation of the opening motive in the saxes & lower brass at the beginning as well as the "A" theme first heard in measure 3 in the clarinets and French Horns.
-Teacher has ensemble play straight through Gypsydance
-Teacher asks students what they noticed as they were playing (anything they thought sounded good, anything they had trouble with, etc.)
-Teacher has students find measure 32 in their parts and point to it on their page
-Teacher asks students to quickly look at the different articulations in their parts starting in measure 32 through measure 39.
-Teacher asks students to raise their hands if they have staccato eighth notes anywhere in that passage ~For those who have their hands up, teacher tells them to listen to their neighbors to line up the length of the staccato to create an equal sounding articulation.
-Teacher asks those students that have any accented notes in that passage to raise their hand (almost everyone should have their hand raised).
~Teacher tells ensemble that the accents should be longer than the staccato notes and have more weight & emphasis.
-Teacher models correct staccato and accented articulations for students by tizzling (tonguing with an almost hissing sound without playing their instruments while fingering the notes on their instruments) the 1st clarinet part.
-Teacher has students "tizzle" their parts from measure 32 through 39 to hear how different rhythms and articulations align.
-Teacher asks students if that helped them hear their neighbors and hear how certain rhythms and articulations lined up.
-Teacher has students play the selected passage on their instruments.
-Teacher briefly comments on what they heard after that playing (improvements, things to continue to address in personal practice, etc.)
-Teacher asks students to find measure 15 and notice how the articulation is very similar to what they have just been working on except that the accented figures are limited to the low brass and woodwinds.
-Teacher asks students to find the beginning of the piece and point to it
-Teacher asks students that play at the very beginning of the piece to shout out what is their dynamic marking (mezzo forte, mf)
*What does mezzo forte mean?
-Teacher asks clarinets and French horns what dynamic they have when they play at measure 3 (mezzo forte)
*Teacher tells ensemble that while both groups have the same dynamic level written, one of those groups needs to be brought out more because they are the melody.
-Teacher has ensemble try to discover who has the melody at the beginning by having the staccato eighths playing loud when the clarinets and horns enter at measure 3.
*Teacher asks students if that sounds right to them
-Teacher has ensemble try the beginning again, this time having the staccato eighths get a little softer when the clarinets and horns enter at measure 3 while having the clarinets and horns play a little louder when they enter.
-Teacher asks how that sounds compared to the previous time, saying that it hopefully sounds more balanced since the staccato eighths are the accompaniment while the clarinets and horns are playing the melody.
-Teacher tells the students to keep that in mind because the same thing happens later in piece from measures 24-31.
-Teacher has ensemble play straight through Gypsydance, having focused the attention of ensemble to the basic concept of balance with who has the melody and accompaniment as well as distinguishing articulations at critical passages in the piece.
Assessment:
-Students participated in the activities/discussions/exercises
-Students listened to their peers in the ensemble
-Students understand when they are the melody or the accompaniment.
-Students performed with the rest of the ensemble