Hello and welcome to today's music lesson.

I'm Miss Mantle and I'm gonna be your teacher for today.

Let's get started.

Today's lesson outcome is, I can analyze an ensemble performance and consider the importance of balance in my own ensemble performance.

Let's look at some keywords for today.

Balance, the relative volume of different parts or instruments.

Effective balance is where every part can be heard clearly.

Intonation, the tuning of notes.

If a performer has good intonation, it means that the notes are in tune.

Tone, the specific timbre of a sound, not to be confused with the interval also called a tone.

Today's lesson is in two parts.

Part one is analyzing a three-part ensemble, and part two is considering balance in an ensemble performance.

So let's get started with part one, analyzing a three-part ensemble.

When preparing a performance, it is important to continually analyze it to identify areas for improvement.

This analysis can focus on accuracy, so that's playing correct notes, creating a fluent performance, and following performance directions; technical control, which is technique, intonation, and tone quality; and interpretation, so that's using stylistic features, and creating an engaging performance and communicating well.

Let's apply this by analyzing an ensemble performance of a brass duet with piano accompaniment.

Listen to this performance and follow the score.

Which aspects are particularly effective?

Are there any areas for improvement?

Consider the accuracy, technical control, and interpretation.

So have a listen to the performance.

The performance is mostly very accurate.

The dynamic changes are clear and create effective contrast between sections.

These could be exaggerated more to create an even more engaging performance.

The pitches and rhythms are also very accurate.

There are some subtle imperfections in the rhythm, but these don't affect the fluency of the performance.

Follow the notation in this section.

How could the second brass part make the rhythm even more precise?

Have a listen.

You can see highlighted there an area where the rhythm is slightly rushed.

Both parts create effective contrast between the different types of articulation.

In the contrasting middle section, both players use the tenuto accents to add weight and energy to notes.

Have a listen to that.

In this section, the melody mixes legato and staccato notes.

Both solo players follow the articulation directions closely.

Have a listen.

Which description does this performance fit best?

Does it have a high, medium, or low level of accuracy?

So let's look at those criteria.

For high, it's accurate pitch and rhythm with very minor slips not affecting fluency and accurate use of performance directions.

For medium, it's mostly accurate pitch and rhythm, with some noticeable errors slightly affecting the fluency, and mostly accurate use of performance directions with some inaccuracies.

And then for low, it would be many inaccurate pictures and rhythms, the performance lacks fluency, and there is little or no use of performance directions.

So which description does this performance fit best?

This performance best fits the high description.

The pictures and rhythms are very accurate with only subtle errors.

The dynamics and articulation are also accurate.

The contrast between dynamics could be made greater.

Both players play the fast passages of notes mostly cleanly, accurately, and precisely, demonstrating good technique.

This is a typical example.

Have a listen.

While the tone on both instruments is often clear and well projected, there are some brief moments in which the tone quality drops.

Can you hear the notes that have a less clear tone in this phrase?

The intonation is also mostly very good, but there are some moments where the instruments are slightly out of tune with each other.

This is easiest to notice when they play the same note together.

In this example, we can hear a slight pitch difference between the instruments playing the same note, showing that the intonation is not perfect.

Have a listen to that.

In this later clip, the second brass player plays a long note that sounds slightly outta tune.

These inconsistencies don't have a significant effect on the overall performance.

Which description does this performance fit best?

Does it have a high, medium, or low level of technical control?

So for the criteria, high is consistently good technique and intonation, consistently good tone quality, and the sound is well projected.

For medium, some inconsistent technique and intonation, includes some moments of lower tone quality, and the sound is mostly well projected.

For low, it's very inconsistent technique and intonation, many moments of low tone quality, and limited projection of sound.

The performance best fits the medium description.

Both players demonstrate effective technique in the faster passages of notes.

The intonation and tone quality are mostly very good, but there are some moments where both tone and intonation could be improved.

The communication within the ensemble is effective.

Both solo parts play in time with each other and the accompaniment and the balance is mostly very good.

In one section, the balance could be improved.

Listen to this clip.

How could the players improve the balance here?

The lower part could be played slightly quieter or the higher part slightly louder.

This would make it easier to hear the higher part, which is currently difficult to hear because the lower part is too loud.

Both brass players use expressive features such as vibrato that make the melodic lines even more engaging.

They're playing suits the mood of the piece and they add stylistic phrasing that suits the jazzy swing style.

Can you hear both of these elements here?

Which description does this performance fit best?

Does it have a high, medium, or low level of interpretation?

Let's have a look at the criteria.

So for high, it'll show a good understanding of style and an engaging performance and communicates well with other players and is a balanced, effective ensemble.

For medium, music shows some understanding of the style and has many engaging moments.

There are some attempts at communication with other players which creates a functional ensemble.

And for low, it demonstrates little understanding of the style and the performance fails to engage the audience, and there is little communication with other players so it's an ineffective ensemble.

So which description does it fit best?

This performance fits the high description.

Both brass players play stylistically and create an engaging performance overall.

The communication is effective between all three players, they play in time and the balance is mostly good.

In summary, this performance has a high level of accuracy, with very accurate pitch in rhythm and good use of performance directions, so dynamics and articulation; a medium level of technical control with some issues of consistency of tone and intonation, but skilled technical playing in fast passages; a high level of interpretation, with stylistic playing, mostly effective balance and excellent timing throughout.

If the intonation is good, what does that mean?

Does it mean A, the players play in time with each other?

B, the players use similar dynamics?

C, the tuning of notes is correct?

Or D, the players use similar articulation?

Which is it?

A, B, C, or D?

Well done if you said C.

If the intonation is good, the tuning of notes is correct.

Let's do task A.

Listen to the whole performance following the score.

Write a paragraph identifying its strengths and detailed next steps to help this performer further improve.

So pause the video and do task A now.

How did you get on with your paragraph?

For strengths, you could have included accurate pitches, rhythms, dynamics, and articulation; an effective ensemble with good timing throughout and mostly very good balance; strong technical control from both players with effective projection; mostly good tone quality and intonation; and engaging in expressive performance.

And for next steps you might have identified: ensure that the tone quality is consistently good, even at low dynamics; make the intonation in the brass parts even more accurate.

Let's move on to part two of our lesson, considering balance in an ensemble performance.

Good balance is essential in ensemble performance.

Poor balance makes the individual parts harder to hear, detracting from the effectiveness of the ensemble composition.

It also means that dynamic changes are not as effective and each performer may not be able to express themselves fully to the audience.

Generally, the melody should be the most prominent, with the accompaniment slightly quieter.

There are several strategies that can help improve ensemble balance.

Follow those dynamic markings carefully in your own part.

There should be a clear difference between dynamics, even those that are close together, for example, mezzo forte and forte.

Listen carefully to the other players.

Paying attention to their volume and role, whether they're melody or a accompaniment at different times, helps you adjust your dynamics so that no part dominates or disappears.

Record the ensemble and listen back.

When you are playing, it can be difficult to judge the overall balance, but a recording makes it much easier to hear what the audience hears.

Identify one strategy for perfecting the balance in an ensemble performance.

Have a think.

You could have said: make sure that you're following your individual dynamic markings accurately; listen closely to the other players as you're playing, adjusting your dynamics if necessary; record the ensemble and listen back to it, focusing on the balance.

Hopefully, you've identified one of those strategies.

So let's do task B.

Practice your performance, focusing on perfecting the balance of the ensemble.

Make sure that you are following your individual dynamic markings accurately.

Consider which part should be most prominent at any given moment.

Usually, this is the melody, and this may pass between the parts during the piece.

Listen to the other parts as you're playing, adjusting your dynamics slightly if necessary.

Record the ensemble and listen back to it, focusing on the balance.

Adjust the dynamics based on this if necessary.

So pause the lesson video now and do task B.

How did you get on with your practice?

Reflect on your performance.

Answer the questions below to help you identify ways to further improve it.

Are you paying careful attention to the dynamic markings in your individual part and following these accurately?

Are there any particular moments where the balance is not quite right?

Have you been able to record yourselves playing?

What did you learn from listening back to it?

Is the melody always clearly audible?

Is it possible to hear each part at every point in the performance?

Are you managing to listen to the other parts as you perform together?

Let's summarize today's lesson.

Having effective balance in an ensemble is key to successful performance.

It allows all parts to be heard clearly and the melody to stay prominent.

Perfecting the dynamics in your individual part, listening to other players and recordings are all useful strategies.

We analyzed a brass duet with piano accompaniment that demonstrated many features of a strong performance.

Thank you for joining me for today's lesson.