Notes to Composers on Composition and Arranging
This project will strive to provide clear indications of the average abilities of students of various levels. Listed below are general thoughts and specific limitations to what students can reasonably be expected to perform at each level. The overall level of the piece is a subtle combination of the skills required of each player, the degree of conformity to idiomatic writing, and the challenges of putting the piece together. A detailed technical understanding of how each instrument is played, including fingering, is probably a prerequisite to understanding the limitations of beginner players.
Some general thoughts on making the music easier for beginners: The overall difficulty of a piece is a sum of all of the challenges contained in the piece. This includes not only the more obvious challenges, such as technical difficulties and challenging rhythms, but also the more subtle challenges, such as keeping a steady beat when another part is playing a different rhythm or sharing a melody between two instruments. Challenges are most easily overcome if other aspects of the piece are exceptionally easy (for example, a syncopated rhythm is easier if played on a repeated open string). With that in mind, it might be useful to remember a few guidelines: - Repeated notes are easier than changing notes. - Repeated patterns are easier than continuously changing patterns. - Short sections of 8-16 bars are easier than long sections. - The familiar is easier than the unusual. - Balance between the instruments is important – the normal challenges of well-balanced ensemble are increased when dealing with beginner students (high notes for a flutist may be impossible to play soft while low notes are difficult to play loud; The opposite is true for guitar).
Some general thoughts to give variety to easy music: - Easy percussion parts can be added to most instrumental parts. - Easy singing parts can be sung by most instrumentalists. - Many extended techniques such as Bartok pizz. or bowing on the body of the instrument are actually quite easy for young students. - Each instrument is entitled to an interesting part (this often means each instrument should get the melody at some point in the piece). - Clear dynamics and articulations are important since students’ musical instincts are still forming.
Level 1 (Levels equate to approximate length of study in years) General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Moderate Length: 16-24 bars Rhythm: Simple duple and triple meter; mostly quarter- and eighth-note rhythms; no dotted rhythms; no triplets; no 16ths; no syncopation; no hocket or other complex rhythmic devices; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest.
Notes on individual Instruments:
Piano possible skills: Five-finger position starting on a natural note. Two-note chords, preferably 5th or smaller in each hand. Clusters. Legato (on single note lines only). Piano Things to Avoid Position shifts. Pedaling. Different articulations between the hands (no melody and accompaniment, no legato and staccato at the same time).
Guitar Possible skills Natural notes on top 4 strings (D’-G”), bass E and A open. A minor and E major chords (strumming only).
Guitar - things to Avoid: More than one fretted note at a time (other than listed chords). Eighth notes at speeds over quarter=100. consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings.
Violin & Viola possible skills Fingers 1, 2 and 3 on top 3 strings (whole step, whole step and half step above each open string).
Violin & Viola things to Avoid Bows over 1.5 seconds. Slurs. Double stops. String crosses that skip a string. Consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings.
Cello Fingers 1, 3 & 4 on top two strings (whole step, whole step, half step above each open string). Finger 2 possible, but has not been used extensively in their solo music.
Cello - Things to avoid String crosses that skip a string Bows over two seconds Consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings. Double stops
Flute Range from F above middle C, to G an octave above, natural notes.
Flute - Things to avoid More than 1 or 2 accidentals per piece (they probably have not encountered accidentals in their method books, but are capable of learning them). Slurs of more than 2 notes. Breaths over 4 seconds. Slow tempos. Dynamics.
Level 2 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Moderate Length: 16-36 bars Rhythm: Simple duple and triple meter; no compound meter; some syncopation okay; 16ths Okay; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest; players should enter on a strong beat after a period of rest. Notes on Individual Instruments Skills Things to Avoid Piano Melody and simple whole note accompaniment. Still 5 finger position starting on a single note. Major or minor keys of up to 2#’s or 1 b. Allow plenty of time for position shifts. May use up to 4 octaves of the keyboard. Maximum of two notes per chords within a 6th. Glissandi OKAY. Piano Different articulations in each hand. Pedaling. Position shifts. Guitar All first position notes. Can strum 5 major chords (AEDGC) and 3 minor chords (AED). Simple ascending 3 note arpeggios okay as long as each note is on a different string. Leave plenty of time if changing more than 1 finger in a chord. Guitar Stretches between fingers. Fast notes of any kind. Louder dynamics Moving between the lower three and upper three strings quickly. Violin & Viola Same as above but on all 4 strings. 2nd finger can play a half step above the first finger. (this makes many minor keys possible) Slurs up to four notes per bow. Violin & Viola Bows over 3 seconds String crossing at the tip of the bow (don’t string cross after a long note). Double stops. Cello All four fingers on all four strings (1st position). Can reach back for the first half step above the open strings, but cannot reach up with the fourth finger. Cello Bows over four seconds. String crossing on non-adjacent strings. Double stops. Flute Middle C to C3. Intervals up to 5ths. C, G, F, and Bb scales. Read music with up to 3 sharps and flats. Mixed articulations. Some dynamics. Flute Sustain over 4-8 seconds Slurs over 4 notes Louder dynamics in the lowest range, softer dynamics in the highest range. Level 3 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Allegretto Length: 24-48 bars Rhythm: No fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few beats; more unusual meters okay; syncopation okay; 16ths okay. Notes on Individual Instruments Skills Things to Avoid Piano Three note chords within a 6th with a maximum of one black key per hand. Scales up to 4#’s may be played slowly. Simple cross hand arpeggios beginning on a natural note. Melody with half note accompaniment. Parallel thirds legato in one hand. Simple mixed articulations. Legato pedaling on long notes. Glissandi OKAY. Piano Quick pedal changes. Quick chord changes. Quick position changes. Consecutive position changes (unless they are small) Fast repeated notes. Guitar 3rd, 5th and 7th positions okay at slow speeds. Extended techniques such as Bartok pizz., plucking strings above the nut, golpe (drumming) and tambour all pretty easy given time to adjust back to normal. Moving a fingering shape to different parts of the fretboard is relatively easy. Ascending, descending and alternating finger arpeggios okay at slow speeds. Guitar Large stretches between fingers. And stretches when more than 2 fingers are in use. Changing more than 2 fingers in a chord quickly. More than 2 positions per piece. Flat keys. Legato scale passages. Fast stepwise movement of more than 3 notes. Violin & Viola 3rd position on the 1st string. Keys with up to 3 sharps or 2 flats (major and minor). Mariele & Detache. Violin & Viola Bows over 6 seconds Slurs over 4 notes or that involve a string crossing. String crossing at the tip of the bow (don’t string cross after a long note). Double stops Cello 2nd and 3rd positions, (allow plenty of time to shift between the positions). May extend up with the 4th finger to expand the position by a half step. Cello Bows over 6 seconds. More than 2 positions per piece. Slurs over 4 notes or that involve a string crossing. Double Stops Flute Middle C to F3. Can play octave leaps. Major scales up to 4 sharps and flats. Single-tongue sixteenths. Isolated trills. Flute Sustain over 8 seconds Slurs over 8 notes. Louder dynamics in the lowest range, softer dynamics in the highest range. Level 4 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to allegro Length: 36-100 bars Rhythm: Complex meters; triplets and 8ths in same piece (though not same time); beginning complex rhythms (no cross rhythms – 2 against 3 etc.); Simple hocket okay. Notes on Individual Instruments Skills Things to Avoid Piano Full major, and chromatic scales starting on any note at a medium tempo. Minor scales beginning on a natural note. Full range of the piano. Full triads starting on any natural note. Simple accompaniment figures such as Alberti bass. Cross hand arpeggios (not too fast). 2 voices in 1 hand. Piano Quick pedal changes. Fast hand position shifts. Guitar Faster arpeggios, More complex strumming patterns. Glissandi. Slurs and short trills okay. Partial bars okay (up to 3 strings). Guitar Large stretches between fingers and stretches when more than 3 fingers are in use. Scales at moderate to fast tempos. Quick chord changes Quick or consecutive position shifts. Violin & Viola Can play 2nd and 3rd positions on all strings. Can play in keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats. Longer slurs okay. Double stops with at least one open string. Spiccato okay for quarter and eighth notes. Vibrato Violin & Viola Quick or consecutive position shifts. Fast string crossing back and forth between strings. Cello Can begin using two or three positions in a piece. Can play in keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats. Longer slurs okay. Double stops with at least one open string. Spiccato okay for quarter and eighth notes. Vibrato. Cello Quick or consecutive position shifts. Fast string crossing back and forth between strings. Flute Middle C to B2 or C2. Leaps of an octave. All major scales. Perform basic double tonguing for short periods of time. Good dynamic and pitch control. Flute Leaps over an octave. Rapid leaps. Extended fast passages with too many accidentals. Level 5 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Allegro Length: 200 measures (including multi-movement) Rhythm: complex rhythms, but still no cross rhythms. Notes on Individual Instruments: Skills Things to Avoid Piano All major and minor keys. Scale and arpeggio passages. Chromatic scales. Melody and accompaniment with different articulations. Piano Fast octaves. Quick chord changes. Complex movements in one hand, such as trills or fast scales or position shifts while anything is being played in the other hand. Guitar Scales becoming easier. Some ability to reach larger stretches with 2 fingers, small stretches with 3 fingers down. Full bars okay for short periods of time. Guitar Quick chord changes. Fast scales. Quick or consecutive position shifts. Violin & Viola 3 octave range. Chromatic scales of 1 octave. Double stops on 3rds, 6ths and octaves, one at a time Short trills. Vibrato. Violin & Viola Too many double stops. Quick or consecutive position shifts. Cello 3-octave range. Some double stops. Chromatic scales of 1 octave. Vibrato. Cello Too many double stops. Quick or consecutive position shifts. Flute Entire range of flute. Major and minor scales. Double and triple tonguing for more extended time. Flute Rapid leaps. Fast chromatic passages with varying intervals. Extended techniques such as multi-phonics and flutter tonguing.
This project will strive to provide clear indications of the average abilities of students of various levels. Listed below are general thoughts and specific limitations to what students can reasonably be expected to perform at each level. The overall level of the piece is a subtle combination of the skills required of each player, the degree of conformity to idiomatic writing, and the challenges of putting the piece together. A detailed technical understanding of how each instrument is played, including fingering, is probably a prerequisite to understanding the limitations of beginner players.
Some general thoughts on making the music easier for beginners: The overall difficulty of a piece is a sum of all of the challenges contained in the piece. This includes not only the more obvious challenges, such as technical difficulties and challenging rhythms, but also the more subtle challenges, such as keeping a steady beat when another part is playing a different rhythm or sharing a melody between two instruments. Challenges are most easily overcome if other aspects of the piece are exceptionally easy (for example, a syncopated rhythm is easier if played on a repeated open string). With that in mind, it might be useful to remember a few guidelines: - Repeated notes are easier than changing notes. - Repeated patterns are easier than continuously changing patterns. - Short sections of 8-16 bars are easier than long sections. - The familiar is easier than the unusual. - Balance between the instruments is important – the normal challenges of well-balanced ensemble are increased when dealing with beginner students (high notes for a flutist may be impossible to play soft while low notes are difficult to play loud; The opposite is true for guitar).
Some general thoughts to give variety to easy music: - Easy percussion parts can be added to most instrumental parts. - Easy singing parts can be sung by most instrumentalists. - Many extended techniques such as Bartok pizz. or bowing on the body of the instrument are actually quite easy for young students. - Each instrument is entitled to an interesting part (this often means each instrument should get the melody at some point in the piece). - Clear dynamics and articulations are important since students’ musical instincts are still forming.
Level 1 (Levels equate to approximate length of study in years) General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Moderate Length: 16-24 bars Rhythm: Simple duple and triple meter; mostly quarter- and eighth-note rhythms; no dotted rhythms; no triplets; no 16ths; no syncopation; no hocket or other complex rhythmic devices; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest.
Notes on individual Instruments:
Piano possible skills: Five-finger position starting on a natural note. Two-note chords, preferably 5th or smaller in each hand. Clusters. Legato (on single note lines only). Piano Things to Avoid Position shifts. Pedaling. Different articulations between the hands (no melody and accompaniment, no legato and staccato at the same time).
Guitar Possible skills Natural notes on top 4 strings (D’-G”), bass E and A open. A minor and E major chords (strumming only).
Guitar - things to Avoid: More than one fretted note at a time (other than listed chords). Eighth notes at speeds over quarter=100. consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings.
Violin & Viola possible skills Fingers 1, 2 and 3 on top 3 strings (whole step, whole step and half step above each open string).
Violin & Viola things to Avoid Bows over 1.5 seconds. Slurs. Double stops. String crosses that skip a string. Consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings.
Cello Fingers 1, 3 & 4 on top two strings (whole step, whole step, half step above each open string). Finger 2 possible, but has not been used extensively in their solo music.
Cello - Things to avoid String crosses that skip a string Bows over two seconds Consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings. Double stops
Flute Range from F above middle C, to G an octave above, natural notes.
Flute - Things to avoid More than 1 or 2 accidentals per piece (they probably have not encountered accidentals in their method books, but are capable of learning them). Slurs of more than 2 notes. Breaths over 4 seconds. Slow tempos. Dynamics.
Level 2 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Moderate Length: 16-36 bars Rhythm: Simple duple and triple meter; no compound meter; some syncopation okay; 16ths Okay; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest; players should enter on a strong beat after a period of rest. Notes on Individual Instruments Skills Things to Avoid Piano Melody and simple whole note accompaniment. Still 5 finger position starting on a single note. Major or minor keys of up to 2#’s or 1 b. Allow plenty of time for position shifts. May use up to 4 octaves of the keyboard. Maximum of two notes per chords within a 6th. Glissandi OKAY. Piano Different articulations in each hand. Pedaling. Position shifts. Guitar All first position notes. Can strum 5 major chords (AEDGC) and 3 minor chords (AED). Simple ascending 3 note arpeggios okay as long as each note is on a different string. Leave plenty of time if changing more than 1 finger in a chord. Guitar Stretches between fingers. Fast notes of any kind. Louder dynamics Moving between the lower three and upper three strings quickly. Violin & Viola Same as above but on all 4 strings. 2nd finger can play a half step above the first finger. (this makes many minor keys possible) Slurs up to four notes per bow. Violin & Viola Bows over 3 seconds String crossing at the tip of the bow (don’t string cross after a long note). Double stops. Cello All four fingers on all four strings (1st position). Can reach back for the first half step above the open strings, but cannot reach up with the fourth finger. Cello Bows over four seconds. String crossing on non-adjacent strings. Double stops. Flute Middle C to C3. Intervals up to 5ths. C, G, F, and Bb scales. Read music with up to 3 sharps and flats. Mixed articulations. Some dynamics. Flute Sustain over 4-8 seconds Slurs over 4 notes Louder dynamics in the lowest range, softer dynamics in the highest range. Level 3 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Allegretto Length: 24-48 bars Rhythm: No fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few beats; more unusual meters okay; syncopation okay; 16ths okay. Notes on Individual Instruments Skills Things to Avoid Piano Three note chords within a 6th with a maximum of one black key per hand. Scales up to 4#’s may be played slowly. Simple cross hand arpeggios beginning on a natural note. Melody with half note accompaniment. Parallel thirds legato in one hand. Simple mixed articulations. Legato pedaling on long notes. Glissandi OKAY. Piano Quick pedal changes. Quick chord changes. Quick position changes. Consecutive position changes (unless they are small) Fast repeated notes. Guitar 3rd, 5th and 7th positions okay at slow speeds. Extended techniques such as Bartok pizz., plucking strings above the nut, golpe (drumming) and tambour all pretty easy given time to adjust back to normal. Moving a fingering shape to different parts of the fretboard is relatively easy. Ascending, descending and alternating finger arpeggios okay at slow speeds. Guitar Large stretches between fingers. And stretches when more than 2 fingers are in use. Changing more than 2 fingers in a chord quickly. More than 2 positions per piece. Flat keys. Legato scale passages. Fast stepwise movement of more than 3 notes. Violin & Viola 3rd position on the 1st string. Keys with up to 3 sharps or 2 flats (major and minor). Mariele & Detache. Violin & Viola Bows over 6 seconds Slurs over 4 notes or that involve a string crossing. String crossing at the tip of the bow (don’t string cross after a long note). Double stops Cello 2nd and 3rd positions, (allow plenty of time to shift between the positions). May extend up with the 4th finger to expand the position by a half step. Cello Bows over 6 seconds. More than 2 positions per piece. Slurs over 4 notes or that involve a string crossing. Double Stops Flute Middle C to F3. Can play octave leaps. Major scales up to 4 sharps and flats. Single-tongue sixteenths. Isolated trills. Flute Sustain over 8 seconds Slurs over 8 notes. Louder dynamics in the lowest range, softer dynamics in the highest range. Level 4 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to allegro Length: 36-100 bars Rhythm: Complex meters; triplets and 8ths in same piece (though not same time); beginning complex rhythms (no cross rhythms – 2 against 3 etc.); Simple hocket okay. Notes on Individual Instruments Skills Things to Avoid Piano Full major, and chromatic scales starting on any note at a medium tempo. Minor scales beginning on a natural note. Full range of the piano. Full triads starting on any natural note. Simple accompaniment figures such as Alberti bass. Cross hand arpeggios (not too fast). 2 voices in 1 hand. Piano Quick pedal changes. Fast hand position shifts. Guitar Faster arpeggios, More complex strumming patterns. Glissandi. Slurs and short trills okay. Partial bars okay (up to 3 strings). Guitar Large stretches between fingers and stretches when more than 3 fingers are in use. Scales at moderate to fast tempos. Quick chord changes Quick or consecutive position shifts. Violin & Viola Can play 2nd and 3rd positions on all strings. Can play in keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats. Longer slurs okay. Double stops with at least one open string. Spiccato okay for quarter and eighth notes. Vibrato Violin & Viola Quick or consecutive position shifts. Fast string crossing back and forth between strings. Cello Can begin using two or three positions in a piece. Can play in keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats. Longer slurs okay. Double stops with at least one open string. Spiccato okay for quarter and eighth notes. Vibrato. Cello Quick or consecutive position shifts. Fast string crossing back and forth between strings. Flute Middle C to B2 or C2. Leaps of an octave. All major scales. Perform basic double tonguing for short periods of time. Good dynamic and pitch control. Flute Leaps over an octave. Rapid leaps. Extended fast passages with too many accidentals. Level 5 General recommendations: Speed: Slow to Allegro Length: 200 measures (including multi-movement) Rhythm: complex rhythms, but still no cross rhythms. Notes on Individual Instruments: Skills Things to Avoid Piano All major and minor keys. Scale and arpeggio passages. Chromatic scales. Melody and accompaniment with different articulations. Piano Fast octaves. Quick chord changes. Complex movements in one hand, such as trills or fast scales or position shifts while anything is being played in the other hand. Guitar Scales becoming easier. Some ability to reach larger stretches with 2 fingers, small stretches with 3 fingers down. Full bars okay for short periods of time. Guitar Quick chord changes. Fast scales. Quick or consecutive position shifts. Violin & Viola 3 octave range. Chromatic scales of 1 octave. Double stops on 3rds, 6ths and octaves, one at a time Short trills. Vibrato. Violin & Viola Too many double stops. Quick or consecutive position shifts. Cello 3-octave range. Some double stops. Chromatic scales of 1 octave. Vibrato. Cello Too many double stops. Quick or consecutive position shifts. Flute Entire range of flute. Major and minor scales. Double and triple tonguing for more extended time. Flute Rapid leaps. Fast chromatic passages with varying intervals. Extended techniques such as multi-phonics and flutter tonguing.
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