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*SOPRANO * ALTO * TENOR * BARI*
PRACTICE SESSION #1
Open the Bb Drone and play the five notes below while the drone is going. Form an "oh" or "ah" inside your mouth to keep the throat open. Aim for a big sound and adjust your embouchure if notes sound out of tune. You will know that you are in tune when there are no "wah wahs" in your sound!
Use "tah" or dah" syllables when articulating the beginning of each note. Once you feel comfortable with the fingerings, try playing Mary Had a Little Lamb and Up 5, Down 5. Focus on matching the tone of the drone.
Look for the green boxes that go along with your method book for more songs to play!
This note tends to be sharp. Lip down to adjust pitch.
Tah tah tah
Mary Had Little Lamb
Adjust!
Up 5 Down 5
Adjust!
Check out Standard of Excellence Book 1 #1-29 for more practice!
PRACTICE SESSION #2
We are now going to add the octave key to four of the notes you just played. Notice, the fingering for D is the same as Practice Session #1. Use "doo" or "dah" to articulate these exercises which will help keep the lower notes smooth. Notes in this higher register have a tendency to be sharp and embouchure will need to be adjusted. Check your posture, use a deep supported breath. and keep the drone going to help with intonation!
Adjust!
Adjust!
Adjust!
Adjust!
Doo Doo Doo
Mary Had A Little Lamb That Learned To Sit
Up 4 and 1-5-1
Check out Standard of Excellence Book 1 #87-155 for more practice!
PRACTICE SESSION #3
Now to add right hand notes! Keep all the left hand fingers down like you are playing a "G". Use the F Drone for this exercise to help with intonation. Articulate using a "tah" or "dah".
Major Verses Minor
This measure sounds major or "happy"
This measure sounds minor or "sad"
Check out Standard of Excellence Book 1 #21-78 for more exercises!
Chromatic F and F#
Check it out! There's another option for the F# fingering. If you are moving directly (chromatically) from a regular F to an F# in , you have to use the alternative F# fingering given below. When there are skips, you use the regular F# fingering.
Alternative
Regular
Check out Standard of Excellence Book 1 #36, #79 for more practice!
PRACTICE SESSION #4
Lift hand "U", Right Hand "U"! Now to add the octave key with the right hand notes. Articulate using a "doo" or "dah" sound to keep a smooth sound. Remember that notes in this higher register tend to be sharp so adjust your embouchure by lipping down or lowering the jaw. Continue to use the F Drone to help with intonation.
OR
Major Verses Minor In The Sky
Chromatic F and F#
Alternate
Regular
Check out Standard of Excellence Book 1 # 102-106 for more practice!
PRACTICE SESSION #5
We have already seen how D can be really out of tune naturally on the instrument and embouchure needs to be adjusted. C# is another one of these notes with poor intonation and tends to be very flat. Firming up the jaw or "lipping up" will help make this note play in tune. Both C# and C are given below so that you can hear the half step difference between the two. Practice with the C Drone.
Lip up to adjust the flat pitch tendency
Hear the half step/chromatic difference here? You can play Jaws!
Chromatic Tendencies
Check out Standard of Excellence Book 1 #92-100 for more practice!
PRACTICE SESSION #6
Below are notes that you will need to know for your chromatic scale but are not explained in your method book in depth. A chromatic scale is all half steps, includes alternative fingerings, and helps with versatility (a big word for being able to do a lot of things!) on your instrument. Practice these exercises with a tuner. Remember you are playing a transposed instrument and the notes on the tuner will look different than what you are playing in your music!
G# and Bb
Will look like a B on the tuner
Will look like a Db on the tuner
Eb + Octave
Will look like a F# or Gb on the tuner
Check out Standard of Excellence #67, Excellerators #71,#100, #148, and Chromatic Scale on page 42 for more practice!
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