For notation purposes, a teacher can use the software to write parts that are easily legible. Most of the software is intuitive, so it will be easy for the teacher to learn the basics of the software to notate parts quickly. The notation software can also be utilized to write more difficult parts for more advanced students or simpler parts for students who are still learning the basics. It is a challenge to continually push advanced players, so notating a clarinet part for an advanced trombone player would be an option with the music notation software. Conversely, it can be frustrating for a player to switch instruments, perhaps from the clarinet to the bassoon, and have to fumble over the part because it is too difficult. Another great use is easy and automatic transposition from one key to another key. This eliminates a lot of confusion if the band director isn't good at transposition.
Music notation software is also a useful compositional tool. As the student creates a piece, the playback feature allows the student to hear what they have composed. If the student is not familiar with the piano and wants to write a piece using more than one voice, the playback feature is an easy way to hear more than one voice at a time without struggling over piano technique.
One other thing I have done with notation software is if I were teaching something with extraordinarily difficult rhythms (like one of my percussion ensembles), it's nothing to augment the rhythms. This helps the students understand with a bit more clarity what, exactly, they are meant to be playing. For example, I would take thirty-second notes, turn them into sixteenth notes; I would take 8th notes, making them quarter notes, et. cetera.
ReplyDeleteThe ability to expand parts to fit the ensemble is practically unlimited with a notation program. It's important to remember that bassoon players are usually switchers from another instrument. The part can be rewritten for the clarinet player, but the potential instrument switch needs to be considered in order to build an ensemble with full instrumentation.
ReplyDeleteI really think that the ability to continually push and meet the needs of any player in your ensemble is one not to be overlooked. Using notation software to accommodate (in some form or another) a player of any level in order to keep them interested and progressing is an invaluable tool.
ReplyDeleteAs you have mentioned here, there are indeed a lot of great uses for music notation programs that are beneficial to children and adults of all ages. I like how you're interested in having the teacher use notation software as a tool in the classroom. Hopefully with increasing advances in technology, this will be able to be accomplished with increasing ease.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to notation software, I also found many of the uses to be extremely adaptable to a music educator. It is helpful to be able to write out parts for students and to be able to transpose music with the click of a button. I have not done a lot with altering parts for students; however, maybe this would be something I could attempt more in the future. I have on the other hand found the transposition feature of notation software very useful in transposing music for one instrument to music for another instrument. In addition, I think that the playback feature of notation software is a valuable tool. It gives students the opportunity to hear the results of what they have composed, allowing them to reflect on their work. I think the feature of playback is very intriguing to students and an aspect of notation software that helps the students gain interest in composition.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all of your comments!
ReplyDeleteI too agree with your statement about using music notation software as a composition tool. For young students who may not necessarily know where to even begin composing a piece of music, notation software provides a quick and easy setup that allows students to experiment by throwing a bunch of notes on the page, playing back what they have created with immediate feedback, and tweaking what is on the page to make it sound better - a springboard for those who may be apprehensive and in need of that extra 'push'.
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