Yolanda Y. Williams's Page

Welcome back to the Fall semester everyone. The Jazz Ensemble has been working skills by actively listening to music and identifying musical elements. You can use this forum to share what you are learning and what you are listening to. Looking forward to learning from you.

It occurs to me that this is a topic that is not often discussed. I offer some of the techniques taught in score study as possible suggestions and reccomendations. Most of us begin to learn a new piece by playing through it. I think learning a piece of music shoudl actually start with reading it as you would a book. Learn the form first.
Form: Are there repeats? Where are they located and what exactly do they repeat?
Is there a D.S.; D.C; Coda, etc. Is a D.S., where exactly is the sign. If an al… Continue

There are many skills, techniques, strategies etc. that the music "gurus" will say if you try this you will be a great musician. Of course you all being bright, intelligent and mature know this is just not true. Becoming a great musician though is a lot about "living with" your instrument, whatever that instrument may be and about "living with" the repertoire, whatever that may be. You will find story after story found in autobiographies of musicians who play for hours. I really believe that "pl… Continue

Although I play and have played several wind instruments, I am no expert, but there are some ways in which the voice, also a wind instrument can help you in your performance of other wind instruments.

1. Breathe not from your chest, but from much lower in your abdomen. Many people use the term diaphragm to identify this place. Think of it better as the expansion around the stomach, this would include the back.

2. Breathe in the beats leading up to the downbeat or pickup. Resist counting… Continue

Remember that the basic concept is that the string must vibrate in order to produce a pleasing tone. The wider the vibration and the faster the vibration, the more resonant your instrument will sound. Here are some ideas to practice the increase resonant playing.

1. Practice bowing in front of a mirror. Here you not only want to make sure that your bow is crossing the strings in the space between the bridge and your fingerboard, and that is make a straight line from tip to frog; you also want t… Continue