Playing with a music stand.

[Sussex Pipes]

Whats the view of the piping instructors with students playing their pipe while sight reading music on a music stand?
I don't 'allow' it when I'm teaching, insisting that the tune be memorised properly on the practice chanter before attempting it on the pipe.

Peter.

[CalumII]

There's valid reason's you might do it, but not all the time.

[vetscot]

A lot depends on the indivdual. A student can be excellent on the PC and has the tune memorised, but as soon as she/he tries it on the pipes the different environment makes a mess of things. I find that initially playing from the score can help some students. The teacher has to be flexible to get the best out of the student. I find that you have to modify your teaching technique depending on your students abilities.

[Gary Guth]

Here's a scenario. You have a 10 year old kid that has been playing for over a year. He has some tunes memorized, but you want to give him a shock of motivation to move him forward. How about rewarding him with pipes. He might play some of the tunes with a music stand, but he knows that he won't be able to perform with the band untill he has them memorized. Again, don't we want to make our students "bagpipe addicts"? Once they're addicts, they'll move toward our goals for them more easily.

Just some thoughts.

[Richard Mao]

Perhaps I'm coming from a different philosophy...

I imbue in my students: Bagpipes without Guilt. It is not a failing or sin on their part to play from a music stand. It certainly doesn't threaten MY competence as an instructor to have my student play from a music stand in the privacy of a one-on-one lesson.

I let them know I will always want them to strive for a correct self-confident performance (i.e. never practicing error) .... and to that end I let them know I will NEVER oppose their request to look at the printed music in their lesson... either on practice chanter or on pipes.

As a matter of policy, if they make one error in a piece trying from memory... and if during a second time through the passage... they make the same error... I require them to get the printed music out... and play the passage through several times looking and then try several times not looking... I want them to build confidence and reprogram their fingers.

I find the student's self pride will be sufficient encouragement for him/her to cut the ties to reading the music score.... it's a pay the piper now or pay me later kind of a thing...

It might extend their learning time a bit... but I feel if you demand near perfection FROM your student... in return, you OWE your student PATIENCE and encouragement while he/she gets there.

When the student is putting the tune on the pipes... and is nearly ready to go from memory... I get my pipes out and play with the student... encouraging the student to turn away from the music stand and encourage them to rely that they can "read" my (instructors/pipe majors) fingers.

I also find I can "control" the student's tempo while playing with him/her.... because sometimes a tune falling apart at one tempo... comes back together at a slower tempo...

build confidence at that tempo... and then go back and push the speed envelope.

I certainly agree with a prior sentiment expressed: I modify my teaching technique depending on the individual's abilities.

Just my approach, ymmv.

ME, Me, me… is dull, Dull, DULL

Richard Mao, The Peking Piper ( PekingPiper@mao.org )

[ratherbpiping]

Why would tis be an ussue? Iwould rather have students play correctly with the music rather than practice mistakes.

Who makes up these "rules"

[Colonel644]

The same group of people that said you can't wear white after Labor Day.

[Neilkiwi]

Excellent post Richard. Thank you. You have enabled me to formalise/understand the way I have had students use music stands in the past.
I knew there was a good reason, just didn't know what it was! :rolleyes:

[Steve S.]

I use a stand and look at music I've been playing for years. Sometime I see that I might have missed a gracenote and I helps to see the music when I use the metronome to insure the beat falls at the correct place.

[PyperGurl]

Originally posted by Mike Miller:
Why would tis be an ussue? Iwould rather have students play correctly with the music rather than practice mistakes. When they're learning new tunes, I have my students play with the sheet music on the stand with the metronome at slower tempos. Same goes for piobaireachd (only doubling variations with metronome). The idea is to build the correct muscle memory. :bleh:

True, some these type of people may have been the ones to open the doors of piping to us but if you're going to pass on the gift of this music, you should be doing all you can to make sure you're passing on the correct information. :wow:

Needless to say, I feel very strongly about this so-called issue. Thanks for reading my rant of the day.

[Harvey McLendon]

I'll add a bit here too, as a student not an instructor -

While attending a workshop class given by John Cairns (you may have heard of him), Mr. Cairns made a point of saying to the group that he plays his bagpipe when he pratices (not his PC) and has the music on a stand in front of him for visual reinforcement.

There's a lot of right ways but the one that works best for you is the best way.

- Harvey

[Funkee Munkee]

I have a confession...I've played from a stand before...and it was not a practice. :eek:

I was invited, last minute, to play a Christmas social...and I did not have a full rep of Christmas tunes. I used a stand for some of the tunes and guess what...nobody shrieked in horror and the whole program was well received.
I would not encourage this as a habit for the obvious reasons, but hey - even those fancy orchestra types have music in front of them. :thumb:

[David]

I like that "guiltess" approach. The piping world can be a bit full of absolutes. My tutor used to say about making music on the pipes, "if you can do it with your elbows and make it sound good, fine with me."

I'd say that a nice, tall music stand which does not compromise posture can help if there is a memorization bug somewhere in the tune. Don't brass bands march with mini-holders for their flip top music books?

[Captain Macleod]

We are going to be playing a Christmas program this sunday also, and I haven't committed to memorizing any tunes. I intend to use a "nice, tall music stand", like a bass drum with a drummer attached to it in the circle. A little tape and some sheet music and all will be merry. The only thing I'll regret is the delay in the program while I put on glasses to read the music. :lol:

[Valley Piper]

Originally posted by PyperGurl:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Originally posted by Mike Miller:
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Why would tis be an ussue? Iwould rather have students play correctly with the music rather than practice mistakes. When they're learning new tunes, I have my students play with the sheet music on the stand with the metronome at slower tempos. Same goes for piobaireachd (only doubling variations with metronome). The idea is to build the correct muscle memory. :bleh:

True, some these type of people may have been the ones to open the doors of piping to us but if you're going to pass on the gift of this music, you should be doing all you can to make sure you're passing on the correct information. :wow:

Needless to say, I feel very strongly about this so-called issue. Thanks for reading my rant of the day. </span></div></div>

[Vegas George]

Being self taught, I guess I either qualify as an instructor and a student, or neither. :shrug: So, I'll put my two cents in: I find that over time, mistakes creep into my tunes if I don't play them from the music every now and then. I work on new tunes on the practice chanter, but need the time on the pipes for my memorized tunes. The old music stand comes out every so often just to check that everything is still being played as written. So, I think that would be the best advice.