Essentials in the Instrumental Program

Abstract

THE MAJORITY of the faults found in our average school instrumental ensemble can be grouped under three headings. For instance, here is a high school orchestra with four celli. One is playing quite well but the other three, by their combined efforts, are nullifying his good work. Upon inquiry, it develops that the first chair player has been playing for six years, but the others started in their junior or senior years. The fault here is in organization. Good organization makes provision for starting the training of the majority of ensemble players before they enter high school. In this same orchestra is an oboe player, who is making the type of unmusical contribution so frequently associated with this instrument. It develops that he has been making such sounds over a period of several years and doesn't seem to improve. The reason? His teacher, a pianist, concentrated on rhythm and of necessity said nothing about position, embouchure, or breathing. The fault here is poor teaching. Good teaching will lay a solid foundation which will insure continuous improvement within the limits of each player's inherent ability. There are other faults in this same orchestra. It is particularly noticeable that whenever the trumpets enter, they overbalance the rest of the ensemble. The tempo drags and the playing is listless. Lack of balance and incorrect interpretations are due to poor conducting. A good conductor will take a group of individuals and with them make a unified ensemble. With this ensemble he will produce music which is correctly interpreted. Here, then, are three essentials in an instrumental program-organization, teaching and conducting. Each one has such scope that only a most perfunctory abstract of each can be given here.