# Teaching Modern Music ?



## Tikoo Tuba

For the very beginner , the child , I'd like innovative and actionable ideas for teaching modern music . My intent is to present free-tonal music as foundational . I've found communities that no longer support music programs , and I'd like to choose one and show up thoughtfully prepared to give something freely . Please help . This is a kind invitation .


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## Taggart

Bartok's Mikrokosmos (for keyboard). IMSLP notes that "this work was first published after 1923 with the prescribed copyright notice, it is unlikely that this work is public domain in the USA. However, it is in the public domain in Canada (where IMSLP is hosted), the EU, and in those countries where the copyright term is life+70 years or less. "


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## Tikoo Tuba

Mikrocosmos ... will investigate . Thanks . Love to Bartok .


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## Larkenfield

Book one of Bartok’s Mikrocosmos is 19 pages long and can be purchased for $13 plus tax in the US, if need be. More in Canada, of course. I played some of these exercises when I was young on clarinet and still remember how much I enjoyed the melodies. These books are wonderful to help a student learn sight reading. My first orchestra teacher was Hungarian and he taught these to us.


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## Tikoo Tuba

I am also seeking personally creative ideas from forum members . These ideas may be just formative , informative , not necessarily tested and mature . I will taste most anything for essential goodness then choose to swallow . Miraculously I'm not obese , hey ? All's well .


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## Tikoo Tuba

sretsulclusters : middle B]C[/B] gets the lemon squeeze . Ha ! Yes , and I've just now had a look at a Bartok chromatic invention (of simplicity) . Looks like what I wrote at age 12 . I'll have a go at more of this sketching all these ears later .


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## rbacce

Free improvisation.


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## Tikoo Tuba

rbacce said:


> Free improvisation.


Yes , very important ! This must be fun . How might finger exercises be designed ? One suggestion has been this : begin by painting every fingernail a different color . Harpo Marx , what wink you about all this ?


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## Mandryka

This may have some more off the wall ideas

http://www.junttu.net/kristiina/Jatekok_brings.html


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## Tikoo Tuba

Mandryka said:


> http://www.junttu.net/kristiina/Jatekok_brings.html


_
Virág az ember…Flowers we are, Frail flowers... _
.
.
.


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## pkoi

I second the microcosmos for introducing non-tonal world to a student. Books 1 and 2 are mainly based on modal- and pentatonic melodies, although there are also hints of polymodality and other post-tonal stuff. From book 3 onwards, the material drifts often to very chromatic soundscapes. Many excercises are based on some certain pitch set (for example 'the island of bali' from book 4) or some certain interval. I use microcosmos often with intermediate students who can already read sheet music on an intermediate level.

As for 'free improvisation' on non-tonal material, I would recommend to set some parameters for each improvisation. I often begin my theory lessons with an improvisation focusing either on register or density. I draw, or have my students draw graphs on the blackboard. The graph gives the improvisation structure and can produce very interesting results. Another effective excercise is to limit the intervals a student can use in a certain excercise. For example, I could tell them to create the aforementioned density excercise in using only major or minor seconds. These are also easily transformed into the diatonic world, one could improvise based on the mixolydian scale or use only the first pentachord of a major or minor scale


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