4/22 Playing Assignment Rehearsal Aide

Spring Concert Sheet Music

4/22/2020 Play! m. 163-222

This section of this piece has multiple different ideas that occur in tandem. It has some properties of a fugue because there are multiple different melodies that are beginning and ending at different times. All of these melodies are important and must be balanced equally.

Melody 1: "Nettleton" Theme

Effected Instruments: Trumpets, Horns, Trombones, Baritones, Tubas, Piano, Cornets (starting at m. 207) Bari Saxes (at m. 207), Tenor Sax (towards the end)

If there is a melody that should be more present in this section, it is this melody. It is passed around parts in the brass section beginning with horns then being passed to the trumpet part and then to the cornets. This melody has it own "chorale-esque" accompaniment in the low brass and bari sax (sometimes) parts.

The theme here is an old hymn tune called Nettleton. You might recognize it as the tune to the hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". The rhythms in the melody as written in our piece are augmented, making most of them three times as long as the typical hymn melody here.

The most difficult part of this melody will be playing the two dotted quarter notes in a measure correctly. There are a few ways to think about this rhythm. I would likely count this section with one beat per measure. If you do this, then the two dotted quarters divide the measure in half (they will feel like eighth notes). You can also try to count these measures as if they are in 6/8, but then your tempo has to fluctuate. Regardless, anytime that you have two dotted quarters, three quarters, or any other rhythm other than a Dotted Half Note, bring your part out a little more.

You should be able to rehearse this section with the recording very quickly. After working through specific pitches and rhythms, you might want to play with the recording at ".75" speed, but you should progress to the actual tempo quickly.

Counter Melody 1

Effected Instruments: Clarinets (m. 163, m. 194, & m. 207), Tenor Sax/Bari Sax/Bass Clarinet (m. 174), Cornets (m. 179), Soprano Sax/ Alto Sax (m. 189), Flutes/ Mallet 2 (m. 197)

This melody will seem familiar if you worked on the Play! melodies assigned prior to spring break. This is the first half of the main melody that we have had throughout this piece. The primary difference is that you are now playing this melody in 3/4 instead of 4/4. This does change the beat grouping some, but it is still recognizable. The melody above is from one of the first statements of the melody in the clarinets. There are some places through this section where the melody may be altered slightly or added on to. Remember that the 8th notes are swung in this piece.

Here is my suggestion for preparing this melody. The recording above is taken at 160 bpm. You will likely not be able to get to this speed today. Begin by playing the melody around 80 bpm. Insist that you play it correctly 3 times in a row. Then your metronome up by 10 bpm. Repeat this process until you get to 130 bpm (your goal for today). This will allow you to play along with the recording at ".75" speed.

Counter Melody 2

Effected Instruments: Clarinets (m. 179), Tenor Sax/ Bass Clarinet (m. 190), Cornets (m. 193), Mallet 1 (m. 197), Soprano Sax/Alto Sax (m. 205), Flute/Picc/Mallet 2 (m. 206)

This is possibly the most complex of the three separate melodies. Again, it is based on a melody from earlier in the piece, and again, it is played in 3/4, making the rhythmic values different. This melody typically follows melody 1, but not always.

Notice how the eighth note pairs are slurred. Practice this very slowly. Remember to swing the 8th notes. Follow the preparation instructions for Counter Melody 1. Start slow and increase the tempo as you play it multiple times correctly. Your Goal for today is 130 bpm.

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