BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Hcnrs m. Sage 1S91 ^A.3.fj.^/..m\lM\0. •/.r/x:j...A.f. I Cornell University Library MT 745.K87 Half-hour lessons In muslcxiass work to 3 1924 022 379 063 WIS Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022379063 HALF -HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC CLASS WORK FOR BEGINNERS AT THE PIANO BY Mrs. HERMANN KOTZSCHMAR BOSTON OLIVIER DITSON. COMPANY NEW YORK CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA C. H. DITSON & CO. LYON & HEALY J. E. DITSON & CO. Copyright, MCMVII, by Oliver Ditson Company Stanbope press , H. QILSON COMPANY BOSTON, U.S.A. PREFACE. Two years ago a short series of these '' Half-Hour Lessons in Music " ■was published in " The Ladies' Home Journal." It was received with such favor, and so many letters came asking for a continuation of the series, that the present volume with more than double the original number of lessons is the result. In writing out these lessons, which have been in constant use for many years in both my private and class teaching, my aim has been to see from the children's point of view, and to explain and illustrate things musical in a way that would appeal to their imagination as well as reason. Children are naturally enthusiastic and optimistic, especially in beginning the study of the piano, and in these lessons I have em- phasized both these qualities, and striven to guide the one and foster the other. Dividing the half hour into periods of five to ten minutes, and defi- nitely but concisely bringing one idea before the children's mind, be it key-board or finger play, notation or rhythm, with subsequent unremit- ting drill, is what fixes the subject firmly. For all foundational study, class work is superior to private, giving the children the great advantages of companionship, comparison, and competition. The musical games, composer, and opera parties, are effective ways of impressing upon the children's minds a knowledge of the masters and their works. To obtain the best results with these lessons the mothers should own the book, as, by carefully reading it, they can keep in touch with their children's work, and, by repetition at home of the " composer story," and by asking questions, greatly aid their progress. Of course, mothers IV PREFACE. must be extremely careful not to allow children to read, or even see, the advance lessons, as to do so would naturally lessen their interest in the class work. All teachers realize that they learn from pupils fully as much as they impart to them, and gratefully I acknowledge ,my indebtedness. My earnest hope is that this little book may prove an aid to young teachers and suggest to them the highest and noblest possibilities of their profession. MARY A. KOTZSCHMAR. Portland, Maine, July lo, igo^. CONTENTS LESSON I. PACK Keyboard study i Hand and finger study 4 Time study 5 Composer study: Bach 7 LESSON II. Keyboard drill 11 Time study, learning to use the Metronome 13 Hand and finger drill 14 Composer study: Handel 16 LESSON III. Learning the value of notes 20 Musical "House building 22 Play in adding and dividing notes 24 Composer study: Gluck 25 LESSON IV. Music Staff study 28 Ear training 30 Time study — Value of rests 31 Composer study: Haydn ; 33 LESSON V. Study of notes, added lines and signs on the staff 36 Arm, hand and finger drill 38 Guessing Picture puzzles 40 Composer study: Mozart „. 41 LESSON VI. Finger drill, stroke position 47 Scale study 49 Time beating study 51 Composer study: Beethoven 52 VI COISTTEN'TS LESSON VII. PAGE Scale study 55 The note game 56 Thumb drill and legato touch 56 Staff game 58 Composer study: Schubert jg LESSON VIII. Touch study, Half Staccato; Full Staccato 62 Game : " Beginning Music" 6d Ear training, Post-Office game 65 Preparatory Scale work 65 Composer study: Mendelssohn 67 LESSON IX. Study of "Musical Spelling" 72 Study of the " Legato-Staccato Touch" 74 Different signs for the four normal touches 74 Time beating as applied to pieces 7^ Composer study: Schumann 7^ LESSON X. Triad study .* 80 Note study with chart 81 Finger work; Independence of finger rhovement 82 Game : The great Music Masters 83 Composer study : Chopin 84 LESSON XI. Minor scales 88 "Cooky" Triad game gi Composer study: Wagner gi LESSON XII. Composer party ; . . . gS The Triad Dance, or "Living Triads" , 100 Musical guessing game = . . ; loi Opera matinee 102 Talk to Young Teachers 104 LISTS OF PIECES FOR STUDY AND RECREATION. Fifty First Grade Pieces 117. Fifty Second Grade Pieces iig, Fifty Third Grade Pieces 121 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. LESSON I. FIRST FIVE MINUTES: KEYBOARD STUDY. fflMmti Ten eager, expectant children, whose ages range from five to eleven, seat themselves before a long table, on which is painted an exact facsimile of the piano keyboard. Touching the open piano I ask, " What is this .' " The answer being given, I explain, " Yes, that is its first name, piano. The whole name is piano-forte. Pianos were first made in Italy, and the Italian words piano-forte mean ' soft ' and ' loud.' This instru- ment is called piano-forte because you can make sounds on it both soft and loud." Then I strike the keys gently, producing d, piano sound — then vigorously, giving a forte sound. " Children, please tell me why you are here to-day 1 " They look surprised, and answer, somewhat aggrieved, " Why, to study music." " Surely, to study music as applied to the piano. Now what is music ? " For a few moments there is a puzzled silence, then several answer together ' rather falteringly, " Why music is — is tunes." "Yes, only melody is a better word. Is music any- thing else beside melody.'" Ben, who has previously suffered 1 2 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. a course of piano lessons, answers gloomily, as one who knows by bitter experience whereof he speaks, " It's counting." " Ben has the right idea, only I should express it by saying, ' Music is not only melody, but time and rhythm. And then, besides, we can use many notes struck together, which makes the whole sound fuller, richer, and this last is called Harmony.' So you see it takes melody, rhythm, and harmonies to make music — and little by little we shall learn about all three. To-day we will learn the names of the piano keys. "Now, please look at the table, and tell me what you see." Nine-year-old Louis instantly raises his hand. " It's painted to look like a piano keyboard, and has black and white keys." " Look again and tell me how the black keys are placed." After a few moments' inspection the entire class answer: "There are two black keys together, then three black keys together." " Correct, and you must remember that ; for only by loi^king at the black keys can you recollect the ngmes of the^white keys. There are seven white keys for you to learn, and they are named for the first seven letters of the alphabet — yoy may recite them." With a will they shout : " A, B, C, D, E, F, G." At this point the maid brings in a tray, on .which are ten small plates, containing seven cracker letters. A, B, C, D, E, F, G. These cracker letters can be obtained at any grocer's. One plate is placed before each, child. After each has selected the letter A, I call : " Attention ! Before we learn which white keys bear the seven different names, it is necessary for you to know how to move up and down the keyboard. ' From left to right is up. From right to left is down.' " The class repeat this several times, and move the hands in the two directions. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 3 " Before continuing the lesson I wish to tell you about the attendance card : yCaZMAum 1 / I » a I a " In these three small boxes are gold, red, and green stars. You will readily understand how very important it is that after your own name you put only gold and red stars, when I tell you the green ones mean 'tardy' or 'absent.' The gold ones signify you are promptly present, while the red stars 'stand for the 'Red Star Day,' which comes every-fifth lesson. On that day we invite the parents and friends to visit us, and review all our work for the previous four lessons. There are three terms during the year. Each term has twenty lessons (two weekly), so in each term we have four ' Red Star Days.' "You will each one take great pride in this card, and at the end of the term you will see how pretty it is, especially if covered only* with gold and red stars. "Now we will find the key named A. Select the group of three black keys — count, one black key, two black keys, and the white key before the third black key is A. Place your cracker A upon it." This cracker is then taken up and placed upon the different A's in various parts of the keyboard, until each key A has its cracker A placed upon it. The children then put the remaining crackers upon the keys which follow in alphabetical order, and recite : 4 HALB-HOVR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Seven little keys are we, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Backward let me hear you say, G, F, E, D, C, B, A." Only the one key. A, is impressed upon the mind in the first lesson. All the A letters are then selected and eaten by the class with much deliberation arid no small pleasure, being mentally digested with my solemn assurance tbat what is once eaten can never be forgotten. ; "^ SECOND TEN MINUTES : HA^IDi AND FINGER STUDY. "The class will plfease hold up their right hands — left hands. How many fingers on each ?" Naturally, they answer, " Four, and a thumb." But in playing the piano, I explain, the thumb is called a finger — the first finger, next the second, third, fourth, fifth. Much merriment ensues when the class hold their hands up tightly closed, while I call for thenvto extend their fifth fingers, then close them, first fingers, third fingers, and so on, doing it all very quickly, to familiarize them with think- ing the numbers and fingers which correspond. Holding my hand extended with the first finger up- right, I bend the first finger till it touches the palm of the hand, counting, "one, two, three, , four," and moving the finger back and forth with » each count. I then repeat the exercise with each finger in turn. "Can the class tell me on what part my fingers move while my hand and arm are motionless .' " To my pleased surprise little Katherine, our youngest member, five years old, who has been intently watching my fingers, exclaims : " I know, it's those things," pointing to her own knuckle joints. " Yes," I say, " Katherine is right ; it is on the first joints of the HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC.., 5 hand, called the 'working joints,' that the fingers move up and down, while the hand and arm must be kept perfectly, motionless. V The. class, with many funny contortions,, go through the exer- cise. I then take each member of the class and shoif the joints, explaining tnat the second and third joints of each finger shape or curve the finger so that the second and third joints are called " shaping joints ; "and adding that in the next lesson we shall learn to shape hands and fingers, so that they can be used gracefully to play the piano. 'r ■ THIRD TEN MINUTES: TIME STUDY. Sitting down before the piano I say: "Children, I wish you, to listen very attentively. I will play you a polka.. I shall play the same piece twice, and I wish you to tell me which way you enjoy it the most — the first way I play it, or the second way. Then tell, me why you like one way better than the other." J. I select a very simple polka : '' The' first time, while, playing the notes correctly, I omit all accent, pay no attention to the time, and play so very unsteadily 6 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. that there is absolutely no rhythm. After a slight pause, I repeat the piece with marked accent, evenly and steadily. I barely finish before the children cry in unison : " We like the second way best." "Why?" "Because," and then they hesitate — "because the first way was so jerky we could not dance to that ; it did not sound like a polka." " You have answered as I knew you would, and it was the even, steady way in which I played the polka the second time that you enjoyed. ' Time ' means the even, steady count, or beat, whether it be fast or slow. If I count unsteadily, I shall play unsteadily. So remember, when I ask you to count, to do it steadily — evenly." Going to a small blackboard which rests on an easel, I make a series of dots at uneven distances apart : Then underneath, six even dots : " Tell me which line is even. " They readily say, " The lower one. " " Now, when I ask you to count aloud, yt)ur counts must sound as even to your ears as these dots look to your eyes. We will count four all together." Ten voices ring out vigorously : " One, two, three, four." " Does each count sound equally loud } " The children count again, slowly and more thoughtfully. "'One' and 'three' are louder than 'two' and 'four,'" they say. " Yes," I answer, "and you did it naturally, by yourselves, with- out my showing you how. That is called the 'natural accent,' because you can't help doing it. " We will not only count in time, but clap in time, evenly and steadily. Remember, the loudest clap and count are on ' One.' Extend the left-hand palm upward ; with the right hand strike the left lour times, as I have told you. I will beat four times with my hand to indicate in what speed I wish you to clap and count." HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. The class repeat the exercise eight times. Then I go to the piano and play the following chords : A > J- ht ^^^^^^^^^ m ■W=:i- m^: SEEE ^ i-=^-- -• — ^ -^— J.— *- which the children accompany with claps and'counts. " We will change the exercise and count three, repeating eight times, ' one ' being the loudest count. 9» 8?^ ^^5^3 ^5 feMJ I I I Then count two, repeating eight times, with ' one ' always the loudest clap and count. m itcit aS3 m 1"^- i^ ■p=p= m LAST FIVE MINUTES: COMPOSER STUDY. BACH. "The last part of each lesson we will learn something of the lives of the great composers, or writers of music. I will tell you about the music they have written, and play parts of their great pieces, so you will learn to know and love them. 8 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Far across the ocean is a country called Germany, where the greatest musicians of the world have been born. To-day I will talk to you of one of the noblest, called the ' Father of Music. He lived more than two hundred years ago, and yet his music is still known and played the world over. " His name was Johann Sebas- tian Bach. You need only try and remember his last name, for every- one calls him Bach (pronounced somewhat like ' Bark '). The word 'Bach' means 'brook,' running water, which quenches thirst ; so Bach's compositions satisfy our thirst for grand music. When he was a little lad, not much older than Louis, he lost his father and mother, and lived with an elder brother, who gave him music les- sons. The boy loved music better BACH than anything in the world — bet- ter than play, better than rest. One day Bach's brother had some new music, which he would not allow the little fellow to use. But Johann discovered it in the attic, and at night, while the family were sleeping, he stole upstairs and copied the music by the light of the moon. It was six months before he finished it, and then his brother found it, and was so angry he burned what had cost so much patient toil. But Bach was not discouraged ; he only worked and studied and practiced harder than ever. Soon he began to write his own music, until finally he became the ' Father of Music,' because he knew more about music than anyone that lived. He was not only the 'Father of Music,' but he was also the father of twenty children. " He wrote fugues, the most difficult sort of music to compose. One hand plays a theme or melody, and then the other hand HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 9 begins the same theme or melody, and, as it were, tries to catch up with the first hand, which continues to play. You can remem- ber a fugue by calling it ' playing tag with the fingers.' " Now I will show you at the piano what I mean," and I play a portion of Bach's Eighth Invention : Vivace. Back. "Bach was one of the greatest of organists," I explain, "and played his own music before kings. He was always poor, but a noble and great man." The maid then distributes to each pupil a blank book and a picture of Bach.* Each one applies mucilage to the back of the picture, and pastes it in the book. " When you finish your beginning lessons in music you will have pictures of many of the most famous composers, and as you grow older, I hope before each picture you will write a short account of the musician's life." * * I have found useful " Brown's Famous Pictures" (Beverly, Mass.), 10 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. The children have been casting many inquiring glances at a plate, piled high with appetizing sugar cookies of peculiar shape, ^_,^^ which has been placed before me. C- ^"v._--— ^ Holding one up, I ask : " Does this remind \ S you of anj^hing I have taught you this after- *^ The children plainly cudgel their brains. Soon an intelligent gleam crosses Louis's face, little Katherine laughs outright, and as I pass the cookies from child to child, each one takes a bite of " Bark." LESSON II. FIRST TEN MINUTES: KEYBOARD DRILL. Scarcely have I said "Good afternoon," before the children "crowd about me, crying : " I found lots of A's on my piano, and all sound differently." Taking their regularly appointed places they put the cracker letters on as many different keys as they remember. They easily place them in alphabetical order, the difficulty arising in skipping keys. Then I say : " Never forget your starting point, A. Reckon from that key. Louis, what key is before three black keys .■' " Promptly he answers " F." " What key before two black keys ? " Seven-year-old Lena, somewhat slower than the others, realizing that her opportunity has come, hastily cries " C." F and C are the essential keys to fix in mind, the others falling naturally into place. A paper keyboard, easily made with cardboard and black paint, is useful in key drill. This is fastened to the blackboard. With a pointer I indicate the different keys, each child naming one in turn. " Before naming black keys it is necessary to learn the distance between keys. This is essential to mastering many things I shall teach later. Please recite after me : ft " From key to key is half a step, which I must often take. But when I leave a key between, a whole step I shall make." n 12 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. As the children repeat this over and over, I indicate on the paper keyboard the half steps and whole steps. Impress upon them that a whole step means passing frpm one key to another, leaving a key between, irrespective of color, while in half steps no key is left between. I train their eyes thoroughly in recognizing whole and half steps, up and down ; then their ears as I play the same at the piano. "I will introduce the black keys by presenting you with their cooky cards,* which, instead of names, you see, have signs. " This is sharp, jt and this is fiat, p. "The black keys take their names from the same letters of the alphabet as the white keys. This sign # (sharp) before C, D, F, G, A, means the key is raised half a step, and you play the black key instead of the white. " This sign b (flat) before D, E, G, A, B, means the key is lowered half a step, and you play the black key instead of the white." Going to the piano, the class around me, and beginning with C, we chant in unison as I play each key : "C, C#, D, Dtt, F, F#, G, G#, A, A# " Coming down, we continue : "B, Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, E, Eb, D, Db " The children beg to try the keys. When Pauline's turn comes she suddenly exclaims : " Why, every black key is a sharp and a flat both!" Greatly elated at this discovery they return to their seats, and pick out sharps and flats at the table. Something is not quite clear to my thoughtful little Mary. As her fingers move from key to key she repeats the different letters, and evidently it does not come out right. "What is the difficulty, Mary ? " " Why, B hasn't any sharp, or C any flat, and E hasn't any sharp, * On the cooky I trace $ and b with a toothpicic dipped in melted chocolate. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 13 or F any flat." The child evidently feels something is very much out of joint. My beaming countenance shows my delight at the child's making this discovery unaided, and I say : " Children, Mary has noticed that B and C, E and F have no black key between them. So what can they do ? Why, they help each other, as good little keys should. B says to C, ' If you'll be my sharp, I'll be your flat ; ' while E says to F, ' If you'll be my sharp, I'll be your flat,' and they are so willing and glad to help one another, they do not miss having a black key." The children eat their cookies with the greatest relish, assuring me they will never be so rude as to forget "sharp" and "flat," after receiving and eating their visiting cards. FIVE MINUTES: TIME STUDY, LEARNING TO USE THE METRONOME. At the close of the keyboard drill, Ben and Norman, who have been casting side glances at the metronome which is standing on the technic table, can no longer restrain their curiosity. They cry simul- taneously : " Won't you please tell us what that little riionument is for .-" " Repressing a smile at their original name for the instrument, I emphasize my pronunciation of the word met- ronome, spelling it, and letting each pronounce it in turn. " Now iime in music, children, is expressed by steady, even counts, or beats. There are different signs to express 'time,' which I will explain later. One sign I will show you to-day." Going to the blackboard I draw a quarter note " This sign is called a 'quarter,' and is generally used as a given value to count or beat time by in music. We reckon time by the clock in seconds 14 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. and minutes, and the metronome ticks in exactly the same way as the clock. On the face of the metronome there are figures from 40 to 200. This little weight on the rod I will slide to the number 60. Now look at the minute hand of the clock. When it is on the even minute I will set the metronome ticking — and you may all count exactly with it. You will find that in one minute by the clock you have counted sixty times with the metronome. Each tick of the clock means one second — each beat of the metronome means one quarter ; so, as the clock ticks sixty seconds in a minute, the metronome beats sixty quarters in a minute. If I wish to count faster, I set the metronome weight at 100 or 144, — if I wish to count slower, I set the weight at 40 or 50." It is with difficulty I withdraw the children's attention from this novel and fascinating plaything, but my last words evidently make an impression. " Remember, when you learn to play, use the metronome only a moment, to show you what time was in the com- poser's mind. Never depend on it wholly to keep steady time." TEN MINUTES: HAND AND FINGER DRILL. " Class, please stand — heads erect, shoulders back, arms hang- ing loosely." Shaking each of the children gently by the shoulders I request them to let their arms "flop, limp as a rag doll's. Now clinch your fists tightly ; hold your arms stiff, and pressed closely to your sides." They do so vigorously, while I try unsuccessfully to lift their arms. "Good!. Now relax, arms drooping as though exhausted." By contrast, children realize conditions of body most thoroughly. "When shaping h^inds and moving fingers you must watch to keep the arms and ha^ds very loose. Please be seated, while I get the 'yellow kitty.'" At this last remark the children manifest intense interest. Carefully, I spread a piece of bright yellow paper, fifteen inches wide, and the length of the table. The children eagerly watch. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 15 "We are to 'make-believe' that this piece of yellow paper is really and truly a 'yellow kitty.' That is what I shall call it, and we will play with it each lesson. You must rest your hand and fingers upon it as gently as upon a live kitten. If you press upon \i you will make me cry out, as the real kitten would if you pressed your arms and hands too heavily on her. Place your left elbow on the edge of the table, letting the forearm fall to the table- lightly ; the fingers of the hand extended, and the first finger (thumb) stretched out as far as possible. " Move the first finger close to the side of the hand, then out ; eight times back and forth. Count one to each movement, watch- ing carefully that all movement be from the first or working joint. "To shape the thumb, curve it at the second and third joints until the finger rests lightly on its extreme outer edge. Now straighten it, then curve it eight times, repeating the exercise with the right hand." Fearing some arms and hands may stiffen, I say : " Lift your arms high, the hands hanging loosely from the wrists ; shake your arms quickly from the shoulders, so that the motion makes the hands and fingers flop." The children laugh heartily over this exercise, and wish constantly to "test" their arms, to rid them of stiffness. " Which is the strong side of the hand, and which the weak .■" " I ask. Looking carefully at their hands they decide that the " strong " side is that of the first finger, and the " weak " that of the fifth finger. " Correct ! Now watch the weak fourth and fifth fingers, and never let them shirk. Three things you must remember while shaping hand and fingers : Tip the weak side of the hand toward the strong — do this by turning the forearm inward ; curve the fingers at the second and third joints, the third joint curving out- ward ; lightly rest the tips of the fingers on the table. Your watchwords : Tipping, Shaping, Lightness." 16 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. Over and over they say them, till they -are written in their minds. Again they place the left elbow on the table, letting the arm fall, and shaping the thumb ; this time drawing the remaining fingers into position by curving them at the shaping joints, the wrist level with the hand : "Count one: Fingers slide down, the thumb alone keeping its curved position. " Count two : Hand in position. Repeat eight times. "Now, children, place your right elbow on the edge of the table, letting your forearm fall on it, while the hand and fingers take precisely the same position, and make exactly the same move- ments that were made with the left hand. In all your table work begin with the left hand, because that hand is weaker, and knows less than the right hand. So your first thought and best effort must be given to that hand, in order to make it as active and accurate as the right hand. Re- member, the left hand must be as expert as the right. " As each hand is well shaped, I will see if anyone is pressing 'kitty.'" Slowly from under the little hands, which rest on the paper without the slightest pres. sure, I draw the "yellow kitty." LAST FIVE MINUTES : COMPOSER STUDY. HANDEL. " What fortunate children you are ! Much more so than George Frideric Handel. When a little boy he wasn't sent to study music. No, indeed ! Even when a HANDEL HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. baby his father, fearful that he might love music, would not allow him a toy drum, and when he begged to take music lessons his father became very angry, because he was determined the boy should become a lawyer. " Many years ago pianos were smaller than now, and were called 'spinets.' In some way George found a dumb one, but the keys could be fingered. This he had carried to the attic — I think his mother helped him. Night after night, while the family slept, the boy stole up there and practiced for hours. Without a teacher he learned to play unusu- ally well. When twelve }'ears old he went with his father to visit a no- bleman. George soon found his way into the church, and began to play the organ. The duke and his father, walking by, heard won- derful music, and going in saw the little fellow absorbed in playing. The father was o\'er- come with astonishment. The good duke told him what a mis- take he was making, and from that time the boy had the best instruction. " The German Prince of Hanover was fond of Handel, and had him live at his palace ; but as Handel grew older he longed to see the world. Finally the prince permitted him to visit London, where George had such a fine time that he forgot all about his promise to return. " Now a strange thing happened — the queen of England died, and this German prince became King George of England. He was vexed with Handel, and would not receive him at his London palace, LITTLE HANDEL IN THE ATTIC. 18 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC One day, hearing the King was planning a pleasure trip on the Thames, Handel wrote some beautiful ' Water Music,' and followed the royal barge, conducting it. The King listened, delighted, and finally cried : ' None but Handel could have written that ! ' ' Handel wrote it for your Majesty, and is following you,' replied a courtier. This so flattered the King that he pardoned Handel, receiving him on his barge. " The remainder of Handel's life was spent mostly in London where the people ever honored and loved his name and works. HANDEL AND KING GEORGE I. " Children, you will soon learn that musicians tell stories in music as writers tell stories in books. As you know a writer's way of telling a story, and never confuse one with another, so in time you will distinguish one musician's music from another, for no two write alike. " Handel set Bible stories to music for people to sing. Such stories in music are called ' Oratorios,' because they were first sung in the 'Oratory,' or 'prayer-room' of a church near Rome. The HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 19 greatest oratorio ever written is by Handel — ' The Messiah ' — which means the Anointed. The story of Jesus' Hfe is set to the grandest music. In this oratorio is the ' Hallelujah Chorus,' the most sublime ever penned. It is called a chorus because it is written for many men's and women's voices. " I will play the opening measures. I want all to stand, for the first time King George heard it he was so thrilled that he rose, and all the vast audience stood with him. From that day to this no one sits when Handel's ' Hallelujah Chorus ' is sung. / Handel. *^i^^ ^^ W Hal le lu jah I Hal le lu - jah I Hal-le fe^= i :f^f 3^ lu - jah I Hal - le - lu - jah I Hal - le lu - jah ! "Bach and Handel were born the same year — 1685 — and both were famous organists. Handel never married, and lies buried in Westminster Abbey, the great English church. " Of what two things does this musical cooky remind you .' " As I hold the one shown below in my hand, half the class exclaim, " Hand shaping ! " and the other half " Hand L ! " LESSON III. FIRST TEN MINUTES: LEARNING THE VALUE OF NOTES. The children seat themselves with alacrity for the third lesson. They have spied before each plate a square of paper and blunt scis- sors. "What are these for?" is written so plainly on each face that words are needless. As I take my seat, the maid places before me a dish of apples. Selecting a large one, I say : "To-day, children, I shall cut this whole apple into many pieces ; each has its own name, which you must remember." I divide the apple into halves, quarters, eighths, drilling thoroughly in " how many quarters make a half, the wljole — how many eighths make a quarter, a half, the whole." "Now, fold and cut your paper exactly as I have cut the apple." Needing no second invitation, they work with such a will to learn that the fractions are quickly mastered. Going to the blackboard, I draw the following : o J J J J j J " When we write music we use signs, called 'notes,' distinguished by their shape. The names are the same as those we gave to the pieces of apple and paper. To each is given its own length of time in counting. There are seven different notes to learn ; to-day we shall study four." 20 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 21 I point to the blackboard. "This round O is a whole note ; it always says, 'Hold still, count four.' Extend your left hands, palms upward. With your right clap once, hands still, count two, three, four. " Divide the whole note, make two halves, e) ei . These are the O with a stem at the side. Clap one, count two. Clap three, count four. Two counts for each half note." I have ignored Nancy's little hand, which she involuntarily raises, until I am sure these notes a ei ei are fixed in her mind. Nancy is quick to observe and reach her conclusions, so I'm not surprised, when permission is granted, for her to exclaim breathlessly : " Teacher, aren't those (pointing to the blackboard), 4444 'quar- ter notes .'' ' It takes four quarters to make a whole apple, so I think it takes four quarters to make a whole note." All regard Nancy admiringly, as they give four rousing claps. I request them to notice the form and describe it as a small dot with a stem J .. " It's easy to see two eighths make a quarter, and we'll clap twice every time we count,'' nonchalantly observes our big boy, Ben, who is ten years old, and in the grammar school. I smile assent. Eleanor, who has been scrutinizing eighths, 4 , exclaims, " What are those black lines flying from the top — flags .■' " We agree that this is a good name. I ask them to " remember that eighth notes fly one flag, either from the top or bottom of the stem, and when there are several they join like this : " Now clap, whole ( e> ), halves ( J ), quarters {4), eighths ( ^ ) to music.'' =ii=p_,_^_,_pz:P=;t=t 'JJJJ^ 22 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. To each child I give the four vakies of notes, stamped on thin cardboard with rubber stamps. These stamps are made to order at a stencil-maker's. Only the half note (J) and thirty-second ( [^ ) are required, as by cutting the stem from the half note it leaves the whole, and by cutting off the "flags," sixteenths, eighths, and quarters are left. . , These notes are taken home, cut out, and sewed lJJJJJJJJi °" ^° ^^^ "musical bell." This "bell" is cut from '\j brown paper, a string attached, and at the follow- ing lesson the class appear decorated with these "musical bells." TEN MINUTES: MUSICAL HOUSE BUILDING. "Has any one counted the white piano keys .' " The answer is a decided negative. "Eleanor and Earle, please, each of you count the keys, and report in a whisper, that I may know if you agree." During this counting I review the others. One important thing learned in class is to attend to individual work ; later comes com- parison, which is profitable and stimulating. Having received the whispered number, I say : " Each of the fifty, two keys named after A, B, C, D, E, F, G, has its place on music paper, that you may be able to read music. These keys live in two homes, which we shall build. We use two hands in playing, so we build a house for the notes which we play with each hand. These hands are like brother and sister, and are constantly running over into each other's houses." To each child I give some unlined white paper, a pencil, and a small strip of cardboard. " Place the cardboard a finger's length up from the bottom of the paper ; along its edge draw a straight line across the paper. " What have you done .' " " Drawn a straight line." " Was there one on the paper before .' " HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 23 " No, this is the first line." Going to the board I draw the first line. " Louis, come and draw dots touching this line, but no two in -the same position." Realizing its importance, Louis scans the line carefully.- Placing a dot in the center, he quickly adds : " I can put one below and one above the line, three places in all." " Excellent," I say, and all follow Louis's example. Then close to the dot above the line they draw a second line. Before I can question them little Katherine cries out gleefully : " I can put a dot on this new line, and one on top." " Yes, all do^ as Katherine does. Then draw lines and make dots till our house is five lines high and eleven dots have places. ^ " Quickly name the first, .fifth, third,,, second, fourth line, as I indicate with the pointer. What lies between two lines before the dot is there .? " The wise ones hesitate. Unwary Lena briskly says : " Nothing." " That is not the word used in music — it is ' Space.' Between five lihes there are four spaces : " Sth- 4*- 3 " 24 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. The children are still cogitating, when Eleanor announces deci- sively : " Each one has a doorplate." " Certainly, and our two musical houses are so precisely alike that we cannot tell the names of the notes which live in either house without first looking at the two different doorplates. These are always placed at the beginning of the five lines. I told you the two hands were brother and sister, so the doorplates have the same last name, ' Clef.' "This ^i is Mr. F Bass Clef. He lives in the left-hand house, and speaks in low, deep tones. " This is ^ Miss G Treble Clef. She lives in the right-hand "house. Her ^ voice is melodious, and her notes are clear and high. I want the class to be very intimate with the Clefs, and with all the notes living in the two houses." The maid gives to each child cookies made in the form of the two Clefs, which they receive with much satisfaction. " After eating these cooky doorplates you will always distinguish Mr. F Bass Clef from Miss G Treble Clef." FIVE MINUTES: PLAY IN ADDING AND DIVIDING NOTES. I distribute pencils and addressed envelopes to each child. In- side are cards with four questions relative to the time value of notes. The child is to write the answer on the line with the question : I St. Add these notes J J J J and express their value in one note. 2d. Divide this note a in two equal parts. 3d. Divide this note s) in four equal parts. 4th. Add these notes J J and express their value in one note. At the end of five minutes I cry " Time." Each reads from his card the questions, and such answers as he has written. Some of the children have written but one answer, others all four — but limiting the time teaches concentration, which later means quickness of thought. Of course, judgment must be exercised in giving the younger HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 25 ones simple questions, while the older ones can divide and add quarters and eighths. The envelopes with new cards and questions are given weekly for a month. At the end of the four weeks each child reads the questions and answers from the four cards. The one having the fewest mistakes receives a prize — ten sugar kisses decorated with chocolate notes — whole, half, quarter, and eighth. These are easily traced with a toothpick dipped in melted chocolate. The victor voluntarily shares the spoils, and each child inwardly vows to be the next winner. LAST FIVE MINUTES : COMPOSER STUDY. " To-day I shall tell you a fairy story " — ten little faces brighten perceptibly — " but first I wish to talk of the musician, Christopher Gluck, who loved fairy tales as well as you, and set many to music. " When a make-believe, or fairy story is sung, it is called an ' Opera.' Operas were first composed in Italy, a country which has so many musical children that she is called the ' Mother of Music' " ' Gluck ' means ' Good Luck,' and little Christopher was fortu- nate. He was poor, but what of that 1 Did he not have great fun, as a lad, starting off summer morn- ings, his violin under his arm, trudg- ing from village to village, playing at country fairs .? He worked and studied until he became famous. He taught music to the lovely Princess Marie Antoinette, who became Queen of France. When she was homesick and unhappy because the French people hated her, she gladly welcomed her old teacher. 26 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Many people disliked Gluck, but admired the Italian Piccinni, and the two men became bitter rivals. "It is difificult to believe when. I tell you that families quarreled and were divided over the merits of the two musicians. All Paris was in an uproar. Finally it was decided that each should write an opera, to dietermine who was the greater composer, and Gluck's triumph was overwhelming. " His most popular opera is ' Orpheus and Eurydice,' and it is this fairy story that I shall tell you. " Many years ago, in Greece, lived a great musician called Orpheus. He played so wonderfully on his lyre that birds lit on his shoulder, and wild beasts lay at his feet. His beautiful wife Eurydice was dead, and in the power of the God of the Lower Regions. Orpheus' grief was very great. One day the God of Love whispered : ' Why not beseech the Father of all Gods to let you go down and bring her back .' ' After many prayers, permission was granted on one condition — he must not speak or look at his wife until he reached earth 'again. The descent was difficult and dangerous. He met strange creatures as he went down into the depths of the earth. A dog with three heads barked furiously, but Orpheus played, and it fawned at his feet. Three wild women rushed at him, but his music soothed their fury. When Eurydice saw her husband she ran joyfully and greeted him. He answered not, nor even glanced toward her but taking her hand he drew her toward the earth. Suddenly she sobbed : ' You no longer love me ; I will remain here.' This was more than poor Orpheus could bear, and forgetting his vow he turned and clasped her in his arms, when in- stantly she vanished. Heartbroken, he wailed : • I have lost my Eurydice': |e^^^^^ =i ?=? I have lost my Eu - ry - di HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 27 " Back to earth he came alone, but his faithful love so touched the gods that once more they permitted him to seek her. This time he remembered, and together they reached their home and lived happily ever after. "Tell me, children, of what this reminds you." I hold up, so that all can see, a sugar cooky made in the form of a horseshoe. Mary answers : " It makes me think of Orpheus' good luck in finding his wife." " So it does ; but who was himself Good Luck .' " And ten -little voices echo " Gluck." LESSON IV. FIRST TEN MINUTES : MUSIC STAFF STUDY. As the class file into the music room their happy faces and the " musical bells " are most noticeable. I praise the accuracy and neatness with which they have made their " bells." At each place is a strip of cardboard twelve inches wide and' eighteen long, on which are the two musical houses. W-- In shallow boxes are found thirty of the first seven alphabet letters. These are printed in quantities and used throughout the year,' in connection with the cardboard staves, to teach foundation principles. These letters, made quite large, are printed on pasteboard measuring one inch and a quarter in length by half an inch in width. The children place the letters on the lines perpendicularly, and in the spaces horizontally. Changing the position of the letters impresses upon their minds the difference between lines and spaces. " Children, when climbing a steep hill what can we use to aid us .? " The boys quickly shout, "A stick." " Yes ; often this is called a staff. Our musical houses, five lines and four spaces high, with the clef doorplate tacked on, are 28 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 29 SO helpful, — we lean on them so completely to climb the heights of music — that we will name each one a ' Musical Staff.' To-day we shall learn the names of the notes which live in each musical staff, and find their places on the piano." At the piano I call the children about me. "You all remember the seventh letter of the alphabet ? " "G," is the unanimous cry. "Beginning with Mr. Bass Clef ,we find that on his first line lives G, and its place on the piano is the second G below middle C." Each child strikes the G over and over ; then, all taking their seats, they place alphabet G on the first line of the bass clef, building on line and in space, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, while I sound them at the piano. Then the children themselves find the places at the piano, after building on the staff. At this lesson I lay stress on the starting point G, which must be fixed in the mind. "The girls can remember because G is their first letter — the boys because they are good : so G is their first letter also." This bit of flattery answers its purpose and fixes G in the masculine mind. " You will be glad to know that you always carry the two staves on your two hands." The children . regard their hands attentively and with much, curiosity. " Hold up your left hand. With the right take hold of your fifth finger and say: 'First line G;' taking the fourth finger say : ' Second line B ; ' third finger : ' Third line D ; ' second finger : ' Fourth line F ; ' first finger: ' Fifth line A.' Notice that the lines are every other letter from your starting point G. " Now place a right-hand finger between the fifth and fourth fingers of the left hand, saying : ' First space A ; ' between the next two : ' Second space C ; ' between the next two : ' Third space E ; ' and the next two : Fourth space G ' — every other letter from your starting point A. You can't forget, especially as you must all promise to say the notes belonging to the fingers 30 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. night and morning. To remind you I shall give you each a draw- ing of the two hands." Accordingly each one spreads his fingers to the utmost limit, placing each hand on thick tjrown paper. With a pencil I outline hand and fingers, lettering as follows : OF G B FIVE MINUTES: EAR TRAINING. "As you learn more and more about music, children, you will find there is scarcely a part of your body which does not have to help you.'' • "Do your feet have to know music.?" cries irrepressible little Katherine. "Yefe, indeed, and later I shall teach them to do their work as well as the fingers. Your tongue must learn, because it does the counting aloud. To-day we shall train the ears a few moments, for their work is very important. They must learn to listen to every sound the piano makes. In playing, they tell you when you strike the keys evenly, and help you to play more smoothly. Oh, the ears are very essential, and you must open yours wide and hearken. " We have learned that the keyboard is divided in two parts. To whom do they belong 1 " With much satisfaction they answer, " Half to Mr. Bass Clef, and half to Miss Treble Clef." " Now the C in the middle of the piano is always called ' middle C and belongs to both clefs. Every one of you must daily sound HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 31 this key many times, and try and speak in the tone of C. You remember which is up and which is down the keyboard — also the difference between half steps and whole steps. As I strike the piano keys, starting always from middle C, answer : ' Half step,' or ' whole step,' ' up,' or • down,' as it sounds to your ear. " Now, children, listen attentively. I will strike C, then D', and again C, and then Dij. Which of the two do you prefer, and why .? " After many soundings they decide in favor of the whole step, but to give the reason is difficult. Finally, Nancy gravely an- nounces, " It sounds nicer." Coming to the rescue, I explain that from C to D is a major or large second, which always gives a bright, joyous tone, while C to Dl> is a minor, or small second, whose tone is sad. The class chime with me : " Minor is sad. While major is glad." I soon discover that one voice invariably answers correctly. It is Lulu's. I test her thoroughly, touching keys in various parts of the piano, and without seeing my hand she gives the right answer. The class is greatly mystified. Lulu does not understand how she does it, but explains, " It just sounds like A to me, or G or B — whatever key it is." " Lulu has the unusual gift of absolute pitch, but you can all learn with practice to tell the second key from C, black or white — the third, fourth, on to the eighth. At each lesson I shall try to train all ears to be as accurate as Lulu's. It will help greatly if at home each day you sound middle C several times, and when you say ' Good morning ' or ' Good night ' say it on middle C." FIVE MINUTES: TIME STUDY, VALUE OF RESTS. « Hundreds of years ago music study was very different from what it is now. It took many centuries to discover what you 32 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. are learning. At first there was no musical staff, no different values of notes, and so no way to read music. All that people knew of Time in the year one thousand was that there were long notes and short notes. : Little by little they built the staff, and then gradually used different values of notes. How to indicate Time was still a puzzle. The early Christians loved to sing, and all music then was church music. When they began to think of singing in time they invariably counted three, because three was the perfect number, and meant Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The sign of this perfect Time, three, was a complete circle Q, the emblem of God, without beginning or end. Year after year the people sang and counted three to everything, until it became very monotonous and tiresome. " One day a wise man said : 'Why must we always count three .? Let's break the circle and count four. ' " Accordingly this was done, and to count four became the most common thing to do ; so much so that this incomplete circle, C> is ' now the sign of common time._ " To-day, children, I shall tell you something you must always remember. It is this : Silence in music is as important as sound. We have learned about the characters which mean sound. Now there are also seven different characters having the same names as the notes, except that they are called ' Rests.' We mind their time values, and keep silent exactly the same length of time. We shall take four : Whole rest -— - Half rest --- Quarter rest S Eighth rest "i " The ' whole ' and ' half ' rests are made alike, the only differ- ence being that the ' whole ' is heavier and sinks below the line. The ' half ' is lighter and rests on the top of the line. " You must remember the quarter rest by its shape S, which is HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 33 unlike anything else. The eighth rest,"i, flies one flag, like the eighth note. " Please repeat after me : " A ' Rest ' is an up motion of the fingers, which remain quiet during the time-value of the rest. " A ' Note ' is a down motion of the fingers, which are quiet during the time-value of the note. " Never forget that rests are just as important as notes." FIVE MINUTES: COMPOSER STUDY. HAYDN. " It isn't so hard to be poor if you can live at home with father and mother, brothers and sisters. I often think that little Joseph Haydn must have felt this as he grew older in the great city of Vienna, where he lived with a relative who had taken him from his country home when he was scarcely seven years old, and treated him none too kindly. " Poor little Joseph, he was al- ways being knocked about ! At first people wanted him because he could sing sweetly. When he lost his voice, he was turned into the street, and wandered hungry and homeless through the day and night. Finally, from pity, a kind barber gave him an attic room, and here, for years, Haydn lived, his one joy being the writing of music on scraps of paper that were given him. " In the house with Haydn lived the barber's two daughters — ■ one sweet and young, the other not only much older, and homely, HAYDN 34 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. but a scold as well. One day Haydn told the barber he wanted to marry the younger sister. " ' Oh, that cannot be, for no one will take the older one ; you must marry her,' replied the barber. " So, out of gratitude for years of kindness, Haydn married the one the father selected, and very unhappy he was. More than ever his music was his consolation, and days and days he would sit writing in his attic. This so vexed his wife that daily she would HAYDN CROSSING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. mount the stairs and sit by the door, scolding him through the keyhole. Poor woman ! She was much more miserable than Haydn. " In spite of many trials and much unhappiness Haydn wrote many beautiful pieces for many instruments to play together. Such a composition is called a 'Symphony,' and as Haydn was the first to write music of this kind he is called the ' Father of the Symphony.' " One other joy Haydn had besides his music — all little chil- HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 35 dren loved him. Though he never had one of his own, yet every child he met would call him 'Papa Haydn.' Finally, because he was so good and kind to young and old throughout his life, he was always called ' Papa Haydn.' " When over sixty years of age he decided to cross the English Channel and go to London. There he wrote his greatest work, the oratorio of ' The Creation.' The words tell how God made the world and all that therein is. A wonderful thing about the music is, that it so exactly describes the vyords that even without them you think immediately of a 'purling stream,' a 'sinuous worm,' a ' flexible tiger,' etc. " When very old Haydn went to hear his grand oratorio for the last time. The chorus of men and women sang, 'The Heavens i f«=^=p= i E^ It The heav - ens are tell ing the glo ry of God. are telling the Glory of God,' which, next to the ' Hallelujah Chorus,' is the greatest ever written. The audience were wild with enthusiasm. Seeing the author, they cheered, waving their handkerchiefs, and crying, 'Bravo, Papa Haydn ! ' "Greatly moved, the old musician raised his hand and pointed upward, saying : ' To God, not to me, belongs the praise.' " As the children take the;ir cookies and study them intently, they are greatly puzzled. Finally Janet exclaims : " I know, it's the door and keyhole through which the barber's daughter scolded ' Papa Haydn.' " LESSON V. TEN MINUTES: STUDY OF NOTES, ADDED LINES, AND SIGNS ON THE STAFF. " Red Star Day ! " exclaim the children enthusiastically, looking ■with delight at the red paper star adorning the top of the large staff on the easel. This staff is a frame twenty-seven inches square, formed by tacking together laths. Over this stretch white cotton. Black braid forms the lines and spaces, with one short added line between the staves. The four values of notes are fastened to the staves, with large black-headed pins on line and in space, from first line G, Bass clef, to top of fifth line G, Treble clef. i W^ Together the class recite, " First line G, first space A, second line B, second space C," until they reach the top of fifth line B. Here they waver and stop. " Please, what is that little line for .? " inquires practical Louis, indicating the short added line. " You see, children, the lines and spaces of the Bass clef are filled ; to make place for the next note we add a line, called 'first added line above ' the Bass clef, and. this is for middle C, our old friend. To get middle C from the Treble we use the same line, and say, ' first added line below ' the Treble clef, C. You find the first added line most obliging, helping equally Bass and Treble." 36 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 37 " Can't you have more lines than just one ? " queries Mary. " Certainly ; two, three, four, five, as you need them. These added lines are used both above and below each staff, and the notes read in alphabetical order, as they do on the lines and in the spaces of the staves. Bear this in mind : each added line marks the position for two notes — on and above the added line, and on and below the added line." Removing the large staff, I disclose the blackboard. Upon it are two staves connected by a brace, with time signature, bars, double bars, repeat signs, and in writing : To-day new signs used in Music you'll see, Try to remember and that will please me. For all can B tf, Then all will C S- The musical reminders are read with great glee, " Notice that the two staves are joined by this sign {, called a ' Brace,' which holds together, or braces, the staves." Touching the sign, C, I inquire its meaning. "It's the incomplete circle, and means, ' Count four.'" This is Harriet's first answer, and I smile approval. This sign, C, is not always used. Frequently figures take its place. 3 means to count four quarters evenly. The upper figure always tells how many to count, the lower figure what kind of notes to count. These figures vary, as the composer wishes. By this means . . 3 .2 he can write music in -, three-quarter, time ; —, two-quarter, time, 2 3 4 6 9 X2 or, instead of quarters, he can use eighths, as -, g, -, -, -, — ." The children all clap vigorously the different rhythms. " Now placing the different values of notes, one after the other, on the staff, makes it difficult to know when we have finished counting the time indicated at the beginning. To help us the staff is divided by bars, I, into measures, and just enough notes and 38 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. rests are put into each measure to equal the time signature at the beginning of the composition." On the board are various time signatures, and the children are drilled in counting measures and n6te values. " Two bars, , are called a double bar, and show the end of a musical idea." Mary seems very restless. I hardly pause before she cries impetuously, as well as reproachfully : " Oh Teacher, you skipped those little things," indicating the repeat sign, ;. I explain: "That means 'go back to':, a sign like it. This sign is used to indicate the repeating of counting passages, or playing sections, in place of reprinting them." TEN MINUTES: ARM, HAND, AND FINGER DRILL. As I spread the "yellow kitty" the children mischievously meow, and give little purrs. " To-day you are to practice lifting arms and hands from the lap, and letting them fall relaxed upon the table. Remember, the arms and whole body must be loose. Watch carefully ; I will do the exercise three ways — large, medium, small, for you to imitate." Sitting erect, back from the table, hands lying in lap, — counting one, I lift my arms to their highest, hands dangling — body slightly bent forward at hips. Counting two, arms fall till finger tips rest on table. Three, wrists drop to their extreme limit, finger tips still on table. Four, arms lift high. Five, arms drop in lap. Second form : One, arms lift. Two, hands fall into correct playing position. Three, arms lift. Four, drop in lap. The " small way " consists of two counts, all the movements so slight and combined as to seem one. Counting one, arms lift just enough for hands to clear the table, and fingers take playing position. Counting two, arms lift so that hands clear the table, and drop in lap. Each form is practiced till the meaning of " relaxed muscles " is comprehended. The " small way " is used for months. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 39 " Attention ! " This class is formed into a company of soldiers, each in turn "commanding." The effect of this announcement is electrifying — all sitting erect and attentive. " Yes, children, you are Captains, having ten soldiers, your very own, who must be trained to instant obedience. How do soldiers move when on duty ? " " Quick, when the order is given," proudly answers Parker, whose father is an officer. " Exactly ! Then these ten Captains have only to direct their own soldiers, to be quickly obeyed. Now, where are the soldiers ? " Laughing heartily, the children lift both hands, and wag their ten fingers merrily. " Resting the left elbow on the table, let the hand arid fingers fall into position. Each of the five soldiers must learn to move up and down, independently, and always from the first, or working joint. To show you how, I shall move my first finger two ways. '' FIRST : Extremely slow, so you can feel that every bit of lift is from the first joint. When as high as possible — keep it there motionless five counts, then creep down. " SECOND : Swing the finger up — still — swing down. " These two ways are for practice, and are not playing movements. " Captain Katherine is in command to-day, so I shall show you with her finger the right way to work up and down." Tying a string around the first finger I give a quick, though gentle, pull, saying, " Quickly up," and up springs the little thumb ; with scissors I cut the string, saying, " Quickly down," and the finger falls by its own weight. This illustration so enchants the class that all beg to have the finger tied and tried. " You must count slowly and evenly, but when the finger moves up or down it must be with a quick, start. Fingprs will now move in rotation on time." Counting "one," "two," " three" — lift. "One," "two," "three," — down. Repeat. 40 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. Counting " one," " two," — lift. " One," " two," — down. Re- peat. Up and down eight counts. " Captain Katherine will set a good example — no pressure on the ' Kitty,' fingers curved — quick start, up and down, of fingers — work the finger hinge or joint as high as possible. Count aloud slowly and steadily." TEN MINUTES : GUESSING PICTURE PUZZLES. In various positions about the room are pictures roughly sketched, whose subjects suggest some composer studied. The opportunity for original work is limitless. Space permits giving only a few out of a large collection. The children gaze in unqualified delight at the works of art ( .? ), for, happily, they are not critical. Indicating the youthful fisherman in the picture ill w -y^*' j : J .i^ ~ ^ ..% V'i '//," .: /f i; ! ■'■■Mil/ vi^ *•*";■"""-■""■■ ■"■■•'■■"- ••■ vjA' if"'' " :l '4 ill A.,#-w« THE BROOK (GERMAN, BACH) recalls to them that Brook in German is Bach, and their pleasure at giving the right solution is enhanced when Louis, touching the trunk of the tree, shouts, "And this is bark, too." A stage, with a successful composer bowing his acknowledgments to a crowded audience, while at a side door his discomfited rival,. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 41 valise in hand, makes his exit, readily suggests Gluck, and the musical war. A highly ornate stove-handle does duty for the com- poser of "The Messiah." A light-house marked " 280 feet high," with " Den " written at the top : n proves a veritable puzzle for a few seconds, but Pauline solves it with a triumphant " Haydn." The fifth picture, disclosed at the end of the lesson amid great ap- plause, is unanimously pronounced the masterpiece. MOZART. " Think of a little boy only five, writing an old-fashioned dance called a Minuet ! "This is what Wolfgang Mozart did. Truly a child wonder ! When but three, with his tiny fingers he struck keys which harmonized like this," and I play several triads. " He knew without teaching what many strive for all their lives, yet never learn. " Papa Mozart was poor, so when Wolfgang was eight he said : MOZART 42 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. ' Come, little son; you and sister Nannerl must go with me and play before Kings and Queens, and earn money.' They played, but gained little wealth, for the gfeat ones gave them watches, rings, trinkets which did not buy bread, and often the family was in need. MINUET No. I {Written at Salzburg, in Ij6i,when Mozart was Jive years old.) ^ U 9=:S E^tS -^=— i- W^- f=h :F=t=t:=t:: P^ -m — ^^r-f^ '• — fl- A-- i :£tE#E =#? S^ 1=E 3 tzt X=X: PI ;#t ^^i^ ts m e -\f=fli=r=-i ip=zp: tETrE^BE^a^S H — I* — »— F- ^— -. " P= B ^PSE s ^ • ~!«-^»- O^E3 E^ES: ^*i^li^ i?=t ^ The complete Minuet, including Trio, is be found in Twenty Piano Compo- sitions by Mozart, Edited by Carl Reinecke. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 43 " So wonderfully did the boy play that the foolish people said, 'Pshaw! He plays well because he wears a magic ring. Take that off, and he can do nothing.' His father drew the ring from his finger, and what happened.? " The children exclaim, " He couldn't play," but recollecting LITTLE MOZART AT THE PIANO. there is only magic in fingers, not rings, cried, "He played the same." In the Pope's Chapel in Rome once a year was sung a beautiful composition. None, save the Pope and the singers, ever saw the music. After hearing it once, Mozart wrote every note correctly from memory. " All his life he composed the most charming melodies, and his operas are among the greatest written. Three you must remember: 'Don Giovanni,' 'The Marriage of Figaro,' and 'The Magic Flute.' " ' Don Giovanni ' is the greatest of all Mozart's operas, for the 44 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. music is exceptionally beautiful. The story, however, is very unplea- sant, for Don Giovanni and his servant Leporello were both very disagreeable men, and their chief delight was to make mischief. Whenever they knew there was to be a wedding, they immediately tried to spoil everything, and usually succeeded. "'The Marriage of Figaro,' not only has charming music, but the story is funny. MOZART AND HIS SISTER, PLAYING TO QUEEN MARIA THERESA, " Mozart, when very young, played for Gluck's pupil, Marie Antoinette. As he crossed the marble floor he fell. The Prhicess lifted him to her lap, and the grateful little fellow, throwing his arms about her neck, whispered : ' When I'm a man I'll marry you.' He did marry, not the beautiful Princess, but a poor girl whom he tenderly loved, They were very happy till misfortune came, HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 45 and Mozart died when but thirty-five. There was no money for his funeral expenses, so one of the world's greatest musicians was buried in the Potter's Field." The maid gives to each child a glass half-filled with water, and in it a penny bird-whistle, at which they look in astonish- ment. " Children, in the opera of ' The Magic Flute,' there is a very clever servant named Papageno, who is the happy owner of a set of magic bells. On these he plays such an en- chanting melody, that all who hear it do his bidding, and he always succeeds in his under- takings. At the piano I shall play the melody, and all you little Papagenos, will accompany mozart in court dress at the age • , • n , ,, OF SIX me with your ' magic flutes The children's deHght is inexpressible, and it ineffaceably stamps upon their memories " The Magic Flute." II Allegretto. , _fi. -A^^^Si^:: £l ittEt Mozart. -tt The last puzzle picture is now shown, and received with enthusiasm : 46 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Class ! When the sun is shining, and you darken a room what often strays through some Httle opening ? " " Sunbeams," they answer. MOZART {PRONOUNCED "MOTESART") ' "Yes," and these are often called 'Motes.' Your cooky is a heart : The chocolate dots upon it mean the sun's motes, and both to- gether represent — in spite of many trials, the sweetest, sunniest of all musicians — Mozart." LESSON VI. TEN MINUTES : FINGER DRILL, STROKE POSITION. " Please, please, may we choose the ' Captain ' first .? " cry all the children in chorus. After suggesting that to select the Captain according to the alphabetical order of their names will save time, Dorothy is unan- imously elected to the important office. " Captain Dorothy " is, therefore, promoted to sit at my right hand. The previous lesson is practised, hands separately and together, and attention is called to the hand in rest position, while the soldiers move up and down. " Where must the soldiers be, to strike the keys .■' " " Up in the air," is the quick response. " Surely. Therefore, in order to be always ready to strike the keys, all the soldiers must be lifted to their highest extent, except one, which supports the hand. This position is called ' stroke position.' "We will now exercise in stroke position. Place the left elbow on the table, hand in playing position. Resting on the first soldier (thumb), at ■■•■•" ■■'■' count ' one ' lift all the others at the working joints to their highest action. Watch narrowly not to move hand or arm. Exert no pressure. At count ' two ' drop all the soldiers into 47 48 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. position. At count ' three,' lift the first soldier (thumb). At count ' four ' drop him. Follow this order exactly with the five soldiers of each hand." When we begin to train the fourth and fifth soldiers, trouble comes. From weakness, some refuse to lift sufficiently to clear the table, while others fly off at a tangent. " Let your fifth soldier rub against the fourth, until the fifth is lifted as high as the fourth soldier's middle joint." "Oh, yes! I see how," cries Pauline; "it's something the way horses rub their heads together." Patiently and diligently the little girl works, till all the soldiers are under control. The next exercise I call "the puzzle," but as all the drills are numbered, at the word of command any number can be done. The first drill. No. 6, was : Hand in playing position, one soldier at a time moving up and down. The next. No. 7 : All soldiers in stroke position, — save the first, ■which supports the hand, — working down and up, and alternating with the first soldier. No. 8 is the puzzle, — easy to work out if all watch. . With hand in playing position, take the stroke position. Resting on second soldier, first soldier does the work. Counting "one," "two," "three," first soldier falls. Counting "one," "two," "three," first soldier rises. Repeat. Count "two " falls. Count "two" rises. Falls and rises six counts. At "seventh" count the working and supporting soldiers are down together. At count " eight " second soldier rises, so as to work down and up in his turn, while first soldier, who has had his drill, supports the hand. When second soldier falls on "seventh " count, at "eighth " count first soldier rises. Then third soldier drills, and falls on "seven," second rises. Fourth falls, third rises. Fifth falls and fourth rises. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 49 The children quickly learn the form, and drilling soldiers, with Captains in command, becomes a favorite game. TEN MINUTES: SCALE STUDY. " Sanford, how can one reach the highest story of a building from the outside .-' " The class smile and nod knowingly, and Sanford answers, " By climbing a ladder." " Certainly ! And we climb the stories (lines) and added stories (added lines) of our musical house by means of the scale-ladder. " We begin on the lowest rung, middle C. Please sing it. Now up we climb, exactly as the letters follow in the musical alphabet — D, E, F, G, A, B, till we reach the C above. Then we de- scend the ladder," and the descending scale follows. " How many different keys do you sing in the Scale of C .? " Down go their little fingers on the technique table, and they busily count "seven." " C above middle C is the eighth key," explains Norman, "but it has just the same name as middle C." " True, and this eighth key above middle C is called an ' octave. ' So all keys of the same name, eight keys apart, are called ' octaves.' You may all put your fingers on the octave of D, E, etc. There are several different kinds of scales to learn, but to-day we have sung the large or major scale of C. This is often called the natural scale, because you can play it so easily or naturally, and again because it is all on the white keys. You can begin on D, E, F, G, A, or B, and play an octave, and it is still the scale of C if you use only white keys. 60 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Ben, you may tell me how many different keys, black and white, there are." " Twelve,'' comes the answer promptly. " On each one of these twelve keys, black and white, we can play a scale. So remember, the major scales are eight ascending keys. They take their names from the keys they begin on." Distributing paper and pencil to all I tell them to copy from the board the following — Model Scale — C. First Second Third Fourth C D E F Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth — Scale names, G A B C — Pitch names. Thoroughly I drill them in reciting the scale : " C First, D Second, up to C Eighth, etc.;" then reversing,. " First C, Second D, and so on. I explain that the scale names are the numerals, and the pitch names the letters. I teach them to give quickly the pitch name as I call the scale name, and the scale name as I give the pitch name, taking them irregularly. "What is half of eight.?" The children answer, "Four," in a tone which says plainly " That's too easy." " You notice the line separating fourth from fifth, and you say rightly ' four is half of eight.' I only wish you to bear in mind that the last half of eight begins on five ; later you will see plainly why I impress this upon you." Beginning with Mary, each in turn tells me the steps and half steps between the keys ; placing the second finger of the right hand on middle C, on the technique table, and, while moving from key to key, saying : " Step - step - half step, Step - step - step - half step." HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 61 "This is your unchanging rule for building the twelve major scales, children, on no matter what key you start. " Scales are the foundation of music. You cannot build a good "house without a good foundation, and you can never make good musicians unless you first build a good musical foundation — with the scales. Now write your name on your own paper. , At the next lesson you will see how very easy it is to build all the major scales, if you only keep, — what, in your mind .' " And the class quickly chime : " Step - step - half step, Step - step - step - half step." FIVE MINUTES: TIME-BEATING STUDY. "All the Time exercises you have had, children, have been clapped, to accustom you to keeping time with your fingers later. We shall now learn to tap or beat time on the table. Hold your pencil exactly as you are taught in school to hold your pen — loosely. Rest the elbow and forearm on the table. All movement is made by swinging the hand down and up from the wrist. Begin with the hand raised. When the pencil falls, leave it on the table the time value of the note only, raising it quickly so as to fall at the next note. I shall beat and count aloud one measure, to give you the speed. Then, class, fix your eyes on the blackboard, and read this Time exercise." t_J-J- J_J- - J- J— ^-^-J^J-J-I— ;-J^-/-J^-| a I I l_^V-/_J_| |_J_.L.LJ_J__J_J_JJ j-/-/-j-j-U-J4/-j^-j^/-/-r-Ji^-i-.-| After this work is satisfactorily done, I point to a dot placed after a note. 52 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " A dot is a little thing, but very important in music, as it adds just one half more to the value of the note before it. Thus to a dotted half-note ^J . we count three. A dotted quarter J- is equal to a quarter and an eighth, and so on." The exercises in time beating are varied to include all note and rest values and dots. FIVE MINUTES: COMPOSER STUDY. BEETHOVEN " Look carefully at your picture, children. This is the king of musicians. See the deep-set eyes, which seem to flash under the broad brow ! So great was his power that he is called ' The Lion of Music' " On the banks of the Rhine, in Bonn, lived unhappy little Lud- wig; never knowing what a real home was, for his father was a drunkard. Many times the father coming home at two o'clock m the. morning, and thipking Ludwig had not practised sufficiently, would drag the child from bed, and force him to play for hours. Worse than this, when angry, he would cuff him across the ears. Through all this misery, music was Ludwig's one joy, and as he grew older he expressed in music all the feelings of his heart. "For the piano he wrote great sonatas — compositions made up of different movements. If slow, the movement is an 'andante'; if play- ful, a 'scherzo'; while 'allegro' means quick, and 'prestissimo,' as rapid as possible. Each movement is complete in itself ; together they make the great sonata. BEETHOVEN H^ALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 53 " Beethoven's deafness increased. Once, at a performance of one of his nine immortal symphonies — 9th Symphony. Beethoven. '¥=^ =r=F=^=^^=t=f ^ gfe^M^ jg^^^^pg^E^p^H not a sound reached his ear. Members of his orchestra turned him around that he might see the applause he could not hear, and bow his thanks. "Unhappy, deaf Beethoven, shut out from hearing his own glo- rious music, can we wonder if oftentimes his sore affliction made him gruff and irritable .-• There is scarcely a ray of sunshine in his gloomy life. His ' Immortal Beloved,' as he called a certain beautiful Countess whom he loved, would not marry a poor, deaf musician. He gave his all — money, love, his very life — to his nephew Carl, who repaid him with neglect and ingratitude. " To the world he gave the best, the highest, in music. No form of writing was beyond his genius. His one opera, ' Fidelio,' which means ' Faithful,' is immortal. " This is the story : Leonore devotedly loves her husband, Flore- stan, whom the wicked Governor of the city hates and has impris- oned. Disguised as a boy, and taking the name of Fidelio, the wife obtains employment in the jail, hoping to rescue her husband. One night she is rudely awakened by the jailer, saying : ' Come, Fidelio, take this pick; I have work which you must do quickly.' The poor woman follows him, and soon discovers that her husband is to be killed. She, his wife, must dig his grave. She trembles, and begins slowly to dig, thinking, ' What can I do to save him } ' Sud- denly she hears a feeble cry, and sees her enemy trying to kill Florestan. Forgetting everything but that her loved one is in danger, she rushes between the Governor and her husband. At that instant the trumpet sounds, the doors are thrown back, and 54 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. a minister of state enters. The wicked Governor is punished, and Florestan restored to his Fidelio. " Tell me, children, what was Beethoven's constant companion ? " As I hold up the cooky, with sympathetic faces they answer : " An ear-trumpet." • I have told you how Bach, Handel, Haydn, Gluck, and Mozart excelled in some one or two forms of composition. To-day you learn of one who surpassed them all, because he was great in every style of musical writing — the master musician, LuDwiG VAN Beethoven. LESSON VII. FIVE MINUTES : SCALE STUDY. Cries of " C First, G Fifth" greet me as I enter the music-room and see the class standing before the- blackboard. " Captain Langdon " is drilling them in scale C. " Yes, children, it is the fifth key you must remember. The fifth is the beginning of the last half of the scale, and the last half of every scale is the first half of the next scale." I write the letters G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G under the model C, at first leaving out the sharp before F, which, later, Margaret adds. First Second Third Fourth C D E F G A B C Fiith Sixth Seventh Eighth G A B C D E F G " Margaret, prove this scale according to the rule for the major scale." With a pointer Margaret touches the letters on the board ; the children follow with the second finger of the right hand on the painted keys of the technique table. "G to A, step — A to B, step — B to C, half step. Notice, class, that the first half of scale G is exactly the same as the last half of scale C." Margaret continues " C to D, step — D to E, step — E to F — ." She hesitates, but for an instant only ; then raising her pointer to the black key she cries triumphantly : " F# step — F# to G, half step." " Very good ! Margaret, you thought that out well. To make the steps and half steps come right we must lift the seventh key up half a step." I explain this as Margaret puts a # before F 55 56 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. in the scale of G. " Otherwise, you see, children, you are playing the scale of C beginning on G. The difference beween the scale of C and the scale of G is in the seventh key F, which, lifted to make the step, becomes F#." With the alphabet letters the children build the scales on the keyboard, singing as I play them at the piano. The cardboard staves are distributed, and the same scales built with the letters in both clefs, the children reciting and singing many times the descend- ing scales. From the two examples given, scales C and G, the other ten are easily written, built, learned and recited. THE NOTE GAME. "To-day we shall play the Note Game." The children clap their hands in glee. " Please may I pass the cards ? " asks Pauline. Accordingly she distributes the sixty cards, cut from a stout music paper, each card measuring three injphes by two. On the lines and in the spaces are, — whole notes, one each on four cards ; half notes, one on eight cards; quarters on sixteen cards, and eighths on thirty-two cards. This number may be increased at pleasure, and later sixteenth and thirty-second notes, with all the rest values, are added. The children make as many "books " as possible from the cards they hold ( a whole note constitutes a " book "), In turn they call to one another for the note necessary to com- plete the whole note. The one having the largest number of "books " is the winner of the game. TEN MINUTES : THUMB DRILL AND LEGATO TOUCH. • " Who will play ' No. 8 ' on the back of my hand ? " "I will," answers Dorothy. In this way I realize instantly which finger is apt to move with sluggish action, and call the child's attention to the lazy "soldier." The class reviews previous work at the edge of the table, sitting HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 57 far enough back for the knees almost to clear the table. I pass from one to another, testing wrists for relaxed conditions, and slightly elevating the first joints of some hands. I tell them " whenever the work is done, whether from fingers, wrists, or arms, the work- ing part must be highest." Coming to Norman I play " No. 7 " myself, with my own fingers on the back of his hand, . so he may feel what I mean by the " quick start up and down " of fingers. "Please play on mine," cries little Katherine, and soon each child's hand is stretched forth for me to play upon. " We have drilled each of the ' soldiers ' in turn up and down, but there is one extremely clumsy 'soldier,' and much attention must be given to him. ' All good results in playing later depend on this 'soldier's' being made nimble and active. This one 'soldier,' besides moving up and down, can move under the hand and out. Which one is it .^ " "The first," all answer, carrying their thumbs under their hands and out, without moving the hands or wrists. ' " Drop the left hand in playing position on the edge of the table. At count 'one' slide the first ' soldier ' quickly under the hand till he rests on the thumb nail, and then out on count ' two.' Under and out eight times. After this training, at count 'one' carry the first ' soldier ' under and up to the roof of the hand, without lifting of working joints, or moving the hands, wrists or arms. At count 'two' tap the thumb nail on the table and bring first 'soldier' quickly out in position. Repeat eight times, and do the same with the right hand first ' soldier.' " Children, when a library or church is being built, you all know there is one place in which is laid the cornerstone. In this are put papers, money and other valuables, and it is considered the im- portant part of the foundation. In the same way as we speak of the cornerstone of a building, we speak of the cornerstone of piano- playing, the important element. Now the important, principal ele- ment in piano-playing is 'touch.' The way a person touches or handles the keys shows the musician, or otherwise. There are many 58 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC different touches, but the principal one, the ' cornerstone touch,' that which is laid first, and on which all depends, is the 'legato touch.' ' Legato ' is an Italian word which means ' connected,' and the ' legato touch ' means a connected touch — connecting fingers, and therefore keys, so that there is no break in passing from one to the other, although no two fingers can be down together. All the drill you have had has been simply laying the foundation, preparing for the cornerstone — the 'legato touch.' "Watch my hand carefully. I will play the exercise on the table and then on the piano, for you must both see and hear the legato touch." Placing my left hand in playing position I take stroke position, resting on second ' soldier.' Counting ' one,' ' two,' 'three' ; at the third count my first ' soldier ' falls and my second ' soldier ' rises instantly. 'One,' 'two,' ' three ' ; the second ' soldier ' falls, and the first rises instantly. Repeat. This same order on the second count, then back and forth eight counts. On count ' nine ' I pSss from second to third * soldier, ' ready to drill the second and third ' soldiers ' back and forth, and so dn with five ' soldiers.' " Two ' soldiers,' class, must not be down together ; neither must one ' soldier ' lift till the other falls. Keep watch of the first, or working joint, of the second ' soldier ' after it has fallen, for it usually tries to rise at the joint when it should be motionless." The children eagerly try the exercise, with excellent results. Little Katherine's face fairly beams with delight as she cries : " Oh! it's like playing ' tilter,' only with your fingers." TEN MINUTES: STAFF GAME. In playing the " Staff Game," upon the floor is spread un- bleached cotton three yards square, on which the five lines are drawn with black paint at a distance far enough apart to allow nine children to stand one behind the other. "Ben is to be the Bass Cleff, please," is the vociferous appeal. Accordingly Ben holds aloft a large Bass clef cut from black HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 69 paper and fastened to a staff, and marches to his place on the fourth Hne of the staff. He then chooses his hnes (boys) and spaces (girls), unless the number of children requires a reversal. As " Fourth space Pauline " is cried, Pauline responds, " Fourth space G," and takes her place. "First line Norman." "First, line G," Norman answers, and takes his position on the iirst line. Then Ben calls out the lines alone, who answer, as they take their places behind him, march through the room, and return to their places. The same is repeated with the spaces, followed by a grand march of lines and spaces in order, all to music. The game is then played with the Treble clef, Dorothy leading. ' FIVE MINUTES: COMPOSER STUDY. SCHUBERT " To-day, children, I shall tell you of a great song-writer. Think of one man's writing six hundred songs in a short life of thirty-one years ! But that is what Franz Schubert did. No, indeed, children, you need not remember them all, only three. "The ' Serenade '; this is a love song, the most tender ever written. " ' Hark ! Hark ! the Lark ! ' This you cannot forget I know, when I tell you how the lark sings. This little English bird begins its song softly, close to the ground. As it flies, the song wells forth sweeter and stronger, and as the bird soars up, up beyond the clouds, beyond sight, some say it sings rapturously till it reaches the very gate of Heaven. I will tell you how Schubert wrote this song. One day, sitting at a wayside inn, SCHU8ERT 60 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. he read from a book on the table, ' Hark ! Hark ! the Lark at Heaven's gate sings.' Picking up a bit of paper, amid the hurry and confusion of the place, he quickly set the words to an immortal melody. Vivace. ^m. ■^—-x- i=t— i: --i— ^— -^— 4— 4-^-— Jf --q-— -d-— -i- --X- / 3 -4- -li- 3 -^- 1^ -^ It -^ -# :^-Jt-zr .^_i _— -a^- _^_ r"f" -J,- —•I* — ^ — 1 m^—i- -i— 3— a- 1 — 3— 1 ^ ha- -3 — 3--: w; 1 1 1 T *[ *\ ' -H • 1 • 1 ■ c^^. — u J^ -4- -i 4 3 3 i -1- 3 3 -1- 3 3 -4- -1- 3 3 — 1^ A 'H-i^ -J ^ -- — •- — 8— 4 —J eJ= t# -«- — m /- l fa^^=j =1— q=:1= i w *-, — •-.- -*- -# T^- T^ -& -^ -^- -*-• V- V- ^ :=|: 3^ _^__^__^ " •The Erl King ' is a poet's name for Death. He is pictured as' an old man with snow-white hair and beard, and flowing robes. Schubert's music so wonderfully fits the words that you hardly need them to understand the story. A father with his little son is away from home. The boy is mortally ill, and the father, taking his child in his arms, leaps upon his horse and frantically gallops through the forest homeward. HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 61 " Can you not hear the beat of the horse's hoofs in what I have just played ? In his delirium the boy sees the Erl King and his daughters, who coax him in sweetest melody to come with them. Faster and faster the man rides. Suddenly the boy cries, • Father," the Erl King has touched me.' As they enter the courtyard the child is dead. ' "None of you can know how hard was Schubert's life. Asa little boy he suffered from cold and hunger. He was so near- sighted that he always wore glasses. He was homely, self-con- scious and awkward, but had the truest, noblest nature. He was;. painfully shy. Once he called on Beethoven, and when the great, man passed his slate for him to write his greeting, Schubert was- so overcome- with embarrassment that he dropped it without a., word, and fled from the room. " Passionately fond of music, he was too poor to have an instrir- ment on which to play his own wonderful inspirations. One day a friend said, ' Franz, when my curtains are down, come in and play, for I'll be out.' Daily the poor musician would pass before the house many times, . but rarely were the shades drawn. •>-^ " Publishers gave him but a pittance for his; great songs, which later earned fortunes. Discour- aged, disappointed, he died before his genius had time to fulfill all its mighty promise." ,« "These," exclaims Dorothea, fitting the glasses to her eyes, " will make us see his music better." .J^ " Yes, and as you grow older, you will see more and more' beauties in all the compositions of the immortal song-writer, Franz Schubert." LESSON VIII. TEN MINUTES: TOUCH STUDY. HALF STACCATO; FULL STACCATO. As I spread the " yellow kitty " on the table, the little ones quickly take their places, and look towards me expectantly. " Children, what is it that makes fingers move, feet walk, tongues talk .? " 1 There is a long pause, when suddenly Neil answers : " It's your ■mind that tells your fingers, feet and tongue what to do." " Surely it is ; then in order to do anything with our fingers, we must first Mink with the mind what we wish to do." " In playing the piano, you must learn to touch the keys in many ■different ways, for this reason : When you play you always tell 3. story, but instead of telling it with your tongue, you tell it with yoMV fingers. So you see, you must have in mind what you wish to do, before doing it ; and as the fingers must tell what is in your mind, they must learn to move, and touch the keys in various ways. "What was the first touch we learned .'' " " Legato, or connected touch," is the reply. " Good ! Now to-day I wish to show you how to use your fingers in exactly the opposite way. What would that be .? " Neil, who is my thinker, again answers : " Why, the opposite of connected IS disconnected!" " Yes, that is the way. We shall learn to move our fingers in a disconnected manner, but I want you to remember the Italian word for this, which is staccato." This word proves somewhat of a stumbling block, but as usual 62 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 63 Katharine triumphantly surmounts it by saying : "Think of ' star- car-toe ' and it is easy." " There are several different ways of playing with a disconnected touch. To-day I will show you with my fingers two ways. The first is called ' half staccato,' because while the note is written its full value, it is only sounded, or the fingers kept down, half its value. Now watch my fingers." Placing my left elbow on the table, my hand falls into playing position. Coming to stroke position, it rests on the second finger, in order to exercise the first finger two measures, counting four quarter notes to each. I drop my first finger, saying " One-up "; at the word " up " lifting the first finger and dividing the time exactly between the words "one " and "up," thus giving half the sounding value of one quarter note, exactly as if it were written an eighth note and an eighth rest (J*' t ). Continuing the count, and moving my finger, I say ; " Two-up, three-up, four-up." At the third count of the second measure I keep the first finger down, and lift the second finger on covt.nt four, ready to exercise it. And so on, through each of the five fingers — repeating the exercise with the right hand. Intently the children follow my movements. Placing their hands on the "kitty," they try their fingers over and over, until the half staccato touch is well fixed in mind and fingers. " You may sit back in your chairs and rest a moment while I talk to you about the/w// staccato. This is the second Aisconr^exAeA. way in which we shall learn to move the fingers. " Now can any of you show me with your fingers the way in which your mother tries a flat-iron to see if it is hot .■" " To my amusement ten little middle fingers of the right hands quickly touch the palms of the left hands, and spring back. Laugh- ingly, I cry, "That, children, is the /«// staccato touch." Placing the left hand in playing position, and taking stroke posi- tion, the fingers are exercised in the same order and count as for half staccato. 64 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Children, you must make believe that as the first finger falls, the place it touches on the table is red hot. Then your word ' up ' will be extremely quick, as if it were tacked on to the count, and made one word like ' oneup,' 'twoup,' ' threeup/ 'fourup,' pronounced (and finger moving) with the greatest rapidity. Yet be sure after each word to wait and give the full time value to the note, although the sounding value is but an instant (played as if written as a six- teenth and dotted eighth rest( 1^ *i • )■ " Next lesson we shall learn a third disconnected movement of the fingers, and all the signs that tell us which touch to use." FIVE MINUTES: GAME, "BEGINNING MUSIC." Having previously prepared ten cards five inches in length by four in width, on which I have drawn either one or two staves, both with clefs, and written various notes, rests, bars, brace, time and key signatures, I give one to each child. "Please study your card attentively, and when you have seen everything written upon it and can tell me just how many different things there are, raise your hand." Elizabeth is the first to raise her right hand. " Elizabeth, tell me how many different things you see on your card ; for every correct answer I will give a mite (tiny cracker not larger than the top of my little finger)." Elizabeth looks carefully and answers : " There are seven differ- ent things : 1st — Five lines and four spaces, making the two musical staves. 2nd— Mr. F. Bass Clef. 3rd— Miss G. Treble Clef. 4th — Note in Second Space Bass Clef C . Sth— Note on Fourth Line Treble Clef D. 6th— Note in First Space Treble Clef F. 7th— Note on Third Line Bass Clef D." *' Good. Remember you are entitled to seven mites. "Waldo, it is yOur turn." HALF-HOUR LESSONS 11^ MUSIC. 66 This card has sharps, flats, time signatures, which the boy reads easily. Each child trys to emulate Elizabeth, the results being nearly equal. FIVE MINUTES : EAR TRAINING, POST OFFICE GAME. "Susie is Postmistress," the children announce with great delight as they file into the adjoining room. Accordingly Susie takes her place at the piano, while I as first assistant stand beside her. In a short time there is a tap, and a childish voice asks, " Any letters for Katherine ? " Susie looks very serious, and then striking middle C, says : " Do you spell your name with a K or a C .'' " The quick-witted little girl cries, " C," and is permitted to enter and take her seat without paying "extra postage." This being interpreted, means if the correct letter for the key struck is not given, some trifling forfeit is exacted, such as reciting bass notes, or giving the rule for major scales. Then follows Esther, and as Susie sounds E, the child, who is very partial to that letter, and has practiced it at home, recognizes it at once. WaMo is tried with a " mourning letter,'' from "Cto DK" And so on in turn, each child receives a letter, which means good news, or bad, according as the answer is a minor interval or a major. FIVE MINUTES: PREPARATORY SCALE WORK. " It would be very easy to play the piano, children, if the five fingers could stay over the same five keys all the time." " But that wouldn't be much music," cries Katherine positively. " No, indeed ! and to make ' much music," the five fingers of each hand must learn to fly over fifty-two keys as readily "and swiftly as they can over five. To make these five fingers work connectedly on all the keys, you must learn to cross the second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers over the thumb, and to carry the 66 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. thumb under the second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers. In this way you can move the fingers of either hand without a break from the lowest key of the piano to the highest, and from the high- est to the lowest.'' As the children look somewhat skeptical, I go to the piano and illustrate my point. " Can any one tell what it is that carries my hand and fingers the length of the keyboard .? " No one answers. " Please do it again and let me see if I can tell," begs Louis, who has a good mechanical eye. The boy watches intently, and as I finish says : " Why, it's your arm that does it, is it not ? " " You are right." Passing from child to child, I swing the arm freely from the shoulder, until each one realizes my meaning. " Now, children, I am going to pick every movement to pieces that is made in crossing a finger over the thumb. What is done with one finger is done with all." * Sitting at the table I take stroke position, with my left hand resting on the second finger, on middle B. At count • one ' thumb falls, second finger rises ; count ' two ' (making pivots, as it were, of the first and second joints of my thumb) my hand rolls over the thumb, by freely moving my arm from the shoulder. If done cor- rectly, my second finger and entire hand will be in a direct line with the keys. It is a great help to place a book on the table, and cross over the thumb, so that the hand and fingers are square with the side of the book, and exactly as straight. At count 'three,' my second finger falls and my first finger rises and stays under my hand. At count ' four ' my thumb flys out from under the hand. This form is repeated several times. I impress upon the children that these are not correct, playing movements, but are a picking to pieces or analysis of the movements, in order to understand them clearly and, later, to combine them. Descending, my first finger rests on middle G. At count ' one ' the HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 67 second finger falls and first rises ; at count 'two,' the thumb is car- ried under the hand ; at count ' three ' the thumb falls on the table ; at count ' four ' the hand swings back from the thumb, by free action of the arm from the shoulder. Over and over these movements are practiced. " Now, we will combine these movements; which means, do three things the instant you count." Resting on the second finger on middle B, as I count ' one,' my first finger falls, my second rises, and my hand rolls quickly over the thumb, all at one and the same instant. At count ' two,' the second finger falls, the first rises under the hand, and flies out instantaneously on the second count. I repeat several times, and then descend from middle G. At count ' one ' second finger falls, first rises and disappears instantly under the hand; at count 'two' first finger falls, second rises, and hand stretches back from the thumb by means of free action of the arm from the shoulder. Be sure all three movements are made as one. On much the same principle one touches a snap, a cover flies up, and "Jack" springs out of the " Box." It is not hard to do the second and third finger crossings, but the fourth and fifth are more difficult. The hand must be trained to leave five finger position, — that is, fingers parallel with the keys, — and take scale and arpeggio position. This is done with a slight inward turning at the wrist, bringing the fin- gers slightly diagonally across the keys, enough to allow the quick passing in strict legato of the fourth and fifth fingers over the thumb, without the slightest twisting^ or turning of the hand at the wrist. Familiarity with this position of the hand increases velocity in scales and arpeggios to a surprising degree. FIVE MINUTES: COMPOSER STUDY. MENDELSSOHN. "Children, I have talked about so many musicians that were poor and unhappy nearly all their lives, that it is a real joy for me 68 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. to tell you to-day of one who throughout his life of thirty-eight years was ' healthy, wealthy and wise,' his very name, Felix, meaning ' happy.' "He made friends everywhere, visiting Queen Victoria of England, who delighted in his music, Together they played duets. " It often happens that when a boy can have all the money he wants, he grows to be very selfish, very self-indulgent, and never cares for study or work — but Felix Mendels- sohn was not such a lad. As a little fellow he thirsted for knowledge, and the happiness of his life was found in work. His sister Fanny was from childhood his inseparable companion. "What one did, the other did — so when Felix began to write music, Fanny did the same. " You all know what a song is — words set to music. Now one day Felix said: ' Words are not always needed for a song — with my fingers I can sing a song at the piano, and at the same time play an accompaniment, a soft background as it were, of harmonies, for the song or melody to stand out clearly against.' " No one had ever thought of doing this, until Felix Mendels- sohn began to write his 'Songs without Words.' Then he and his sister Fanny wrote nearly fifty of these beautiful wordless songs. " Listen to this ' Spring Song ' : MENDELSSOHN ;e^^ ;.=P^MP: W^^f-P Bs £S: :^^^q=:^: :tnt W=i- HALF-HOl/R LESSONS IN MUSIC. 69 " It tells us of sunny skies, bright flowers. We can almost hear the carolling of birds. "And what a conti'ast is ' The Hunting Song ' ! Molto allegro e vivace. *i --^H sempref > , J"**^*. sf ^ 3 «W^T ^-AS " Can you not imagine yourself on horse back, some crisp October morning, and galloping off to the woods .'' " One of the most remarkable things Mendelssohn ever did was to compose, when but a lad of Seventeen, the grandest wedding march ever penned : Allegro. i w E^3 « iz-md^^^ 8-S-S- -8-5 8-8-8-S S-8 / •-•- -IS- -•-•-•- -& ^- teE^i tr' ^=•=2=^1 :Ee^= 5^.^= ^ t~k7=^^^^\ -fi-F »^:f- -■?:=« s 15: -f2— « t=4:: " This march is almost invariably played in every church after the wedding ceremony. " But Mendelssohn was not satisfied to do small things, even though most exquisitely done. He longed to write a great ora- torio, and he succeeded. " Elijah '' stands to-day the most melo- dious, the most thrilling of all oratorios. " The story is about a famine in Israel, and the land's deliverance 70 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. by the mighty prophet Elijah. Many of the people worshipped the false god Baal, an idol made of wood and stone. Elijah, to prove who was the true God — Baal or Jehovah — made a wooden altar and dug deep trenches about it, and filled them with water. Then he summoned the false prophets and said : ' Call upon your God Baal to send fire to burn the wood and lap the water, and I will call upon the Lord, and whoever answers let him be God.' Then the false prophets cried : • Hear us, Baal ! ' i Tenor. fjf- sfpz aB =F=f=r3g E Eq;zt : pJ4 : Baal,we cry to thee;Baal,we cry to thee; hear and an swer us ! and leaped upon the altar, but there was no answer. Then Elijah prayed, and God sent fire from heaven, and burned the wood, and licked up the water, and the people fell on their faces, crying : ' The Lord, He is God.' " If the class would like to read about this story for themselves when they go home, they can take their Bibles and turn to the 1 8th Chapter of ist Kings, and at the next lesson tell me much more than I have told them about the same story." As a variation from the musical cookies, I have a plate filled with small gingersnaps. On each one is traced with' toothpick dipped in melted chocolate, the first and last letters of the names HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 71 of the different composers studied, as " B — H " (Bach), " H — N " (Haydn); also sharps and flats, and a new sign, the natural, which I explain on the blackboard, and at the piano. As I hold them up to view, the class in turn give them an answer ; the correct one receiving the snap. The puzzle picture, the orignal of which is done in brilliant colored crayons, makes a most happy impression upon the children. They study it with appreciative ardor, finally exclaiming with some disregard for pronunciation : " Oh ! Oh ! Its ' Mend — L —Sun.' " LESSON IX. TEN MINUTES : STUDY OF " MUSICAL SPELLING." "' Twenty-four words spelled musically,'" I overhear Alida read as I enter the music room, "what can it mean ? " She is so absorbed in examining a number of little gray paper-covered books that my coming is scarcely noticed. Two double sheets of music paper, with twelve staves on a page, are cut through the middle. The outside cover of soft gray paper is fastened to the music paper with narrow ribbon, and then lettered, "Twenty-four words spelled musically." Eagerly, Alida opens one, and turning to me exclaims, " Please show me what it means." So we sit down together, and I explain : " You see, at the top of each staff are words which can be spelled Ace. m t Beg. h i H- -S- -I- ^X=-t- 4- -Tt- :=t tEE ■X-- ^— t: I: t: i :J=i: -4— i -^^. -4 4 musically in six different places; that is, on, below and above the bass and treble clefs. By spelling and writing the words vmsically, you will become very familiar with the positions of these notes. As you must play each word on the piano in six different places after writing it, it helps you wonderfully in becoming quick sight, readers in music." 72 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 73 By this time the entire class has gathered about me, and each child in turn is shown how to write a word musically. With the greatest delight they proceed to write the word " Ace." When all have it completed I say, " Ruth, please go to the piano, and play 'Ace' on the staff of the treble clef, naming each note as played." Carrying her book, and placing it on the music rack, the little girl plays and reads — " Treble clef — 2nd space A — 3rd space C — 4th space E, or ist line E." "Very good. Now, Dorothy, read * Ace ' below the staff on the bass clef." The class clap enthusiastically as this feat is success- fully accomplished. This drill in reading notes above and below the staves will be found invaluable later in sight reading. " Why, there are only ten words to write," says Nathaniel, who has been busily engaged in examining his book. "Oh, yes, there are twenty-four to be written," I answer, "but I expect each one to think up the other fourteen words. There are so many words you can write musically, that the difficulty will be to choose only fourteen. Each can have a different word if you wish." "That's lots more fun," cries Robert, "than having them all written out," and thereupon the children begin to think what words they will write. "Why, there's ' cage,' " cries Virginia delightedly, "and 'fed' and — and 'bed,'" she adds breathlessly. "I've thought of a big one — ' cabbage ! ' " triumphantly shouts Henry. " You will find it such fun to write fourteen of your own words that you may decide to write fourteen more. Now, carry the books home ; write your names plainly on them. Write two words and always write each word in both staves. Bring them to the next lesson for correction, and also to play the words on the piano When the twenty-four words are written, the child having the neat- est book will receive a first prize, but all can be done so neatly that there will be ho choice." 74 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. accede baggage cede ebbed ace bagged dab egg add bead dabbed face age bed dead faced aged bee deaf fade babe beef decade fed bad beg deed fee bade begged deeded feed badge cab defaced gage bag cage ebb gagged TEN MINUTES : STUDY OF THE " LEGATO-STACCATO TOUCH. " DIFFERENT SIGNS FOR THE FOUR NORMAL TOUCHES. "To-day we are to learn the third " Star-car-toe" way of mov- ing the fingers," announces Katherine, who takes great pride in her ability to remember and pronounce the " hard word," as the class term it. Before I can make the request, the class drop their left hands into playing position and wait expectantly. " This last touch, children, is named legato-staccato because it is played partly like the legato touch, and partly like the staccato touch." "I don't see how you can hold on, and let go at the same time," exclaims Norman. " It is somewhat of a puzzle, but watch my fingers, and I will show you." The counting and the form of exercise are the same as in the half and full staccato exercises. I take stroke position, resting on the second finger. At count " one " my first finger falls, and remains quiet on the table a/most the entire time value of one quarter note. I lift it barely in time to say "up," dropping the same finger instantaneously on the table at count "two." I repeat the same action of the first finger as I say "up two," "up three," "up four," making the up and down move- ment as quick as my pronouncing of the words, * HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 75 " Remember, at the third count of the second measure, the first finger remains on the table, while the second finger is lifted at count ' f oilr,' ready to be exercised. When the second finger is down at count ' three ' of the second measure, the first finger rises at count 'four,' and it is the third finger's, turn to exercise." This order is maintained with the five fingers of each hand. The children are very much amused at the various ways I say "up" in the three staccato exercises, and the varying movements of the fingers which correspond to the use of the word "up." " Oh, dear ! " cries Lena, struggling with a refractory fourth finger, "they don't go as I tell them." Here is my opportunity to impress upon them that time and care are requisite for accurate finger training. "You will soon discover, children, that it takes more work to gain control of your hands and fingers so that you can move them as you wish, than to learn many, many other things about music. But when you can play at the piano a smooth legato, a delicate half staccato, a crisp full staccato, or a singing legato-staccato, you will feel well repaid for all your hard study." Going to the blackboard I draw these different signs : ,^ _^ i I I 1 1 ^ ^ "The curved line means 'play legato or connected,' " and at the piano I play, c, d, e, f, g, up and down very legato, having the children watch my fingers, and then listen attentively to notice how each key joins to the next, but does not lap over. " Very often the legato sign "-——-^ is omitted, and when no curved line or dots are used, you always play legato. This touch is under- stood when no signs are used. " Now look at the dot over the note which always says — " What- ever the value of the note, I, little dot, take away Aa^ of the sound- ing value." At the piano I illustrate four quarter notes with the keys c, d, e, f, g, playing half staccato, with finger touch. " The arrow head i i t means that the keys are red hot, and my fingers fly quickly up as soon as the keys are touched." 76 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " The legato-staccato ' ^' * ^ ' (I show at the piano) must be care- fully watched, as it is in effect a little like half sta>ccato ; but shades of difference you must train your ears to notice. Now, children, look away from the piano, and as I play c, d, e, f, g, up and down, legato, full staccato, half-staccato, and legato-staccato, try and follow with your ears, and tell me which touch I am playing." FIVE MINUTES: TIME BEATING AS APPLIED TO PIECES. " Please may we beat time with the piano .' " This is Harriet's favorite diversion, and one which all the children enjoy. Accordingly I place the blackboard on the easel, where all can see and read " Lightly, Row," which is written in large notes on white paper, and pinned to the board. The words are not printed as I try to have the children recognize familiar melodies by the rhythm and notes. The class, without the aid of the piano, first clap the time very accurately. Then, when it is played, they not only clap softly but sing with great enjoyment. This is followed by other simple melodies, which of course have all been written out and can be readily fastened to the blackboard. "America" is usually the "Grand Finale." FIVE MINUTES : COMPOSER STUDY. SCHUMANN. " It will seem very strange to you, children, and - very different from your own experience, to know that Robert Schumann's mother would not give her consent that he should take piano lessons until he was a young man nearly twenty years old. " All through his childhood the boy was passionately fond of music, and had a wonderful gift in expressing his thoughts musically. At the piano he would imitate with the keys the peculiar walk of a friend, or some oddity of speech. What he played would instantly HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 77 recall the person to his listeners, and with shouts of laughter they would say: "That is just the way Mr. B. walks, or Mr. C. talks." " In spite of such unusual musical gifts Frau Schumann was deter- mined her son should be a lawyer." " Faithfully he tried to please his mother by studying law, which he detested. It was useless, and finally the mother yielded. I cannot tell you with what great joy Schumann began regular systematic piano study. Finding his fourth and fifth fingers very weak, he invented a spring, which at night he fastened to these fingers, keeping them lifted, and thus hoping to strengthen the working joints quickly. For a few nights it promised to answer its pur pose, and Schumann was jubilant. Then one never-to-be-forgotten morning, he woke to find those poor over-strained fingers utterly helpless, injured beyond recovery, and never again could he play the piano. " Only think what a terrible blow this was after so many years of struggle and disappointment! But oftentimes the very trial which seems to take away everything, opens the way for something much better, and so it was with Schumann. The one person who sympa- thized with him beyond all others, was Clara Wieck, his teacher's daughter, and who later became his wife. " She was not only good and beautiful, but one of the greatest piano players the world has ever known. Deeply, devotedly, they loved each other, and it was his Clara's encouragement and faith in him that helped to make Schumann the great composer he became; far greater and more famous as a writer of music than he would ever have been as a player. SCHUMANN 78 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " He wrote wonderful songs. 'The Two Grenadiers,' Moderate. i Si: r^= -I- i^ A^=«tM 9 ^'W^'^^'^f ■i—^- To ;s=^ t^. ^-^x -y.-±i-dL etc. France were re turn ing two gren a diers when you hear it §ung by a grand bass voice, will thrill you. "Most of his great and inspiring compositions were played in public by his devoted wife, who seemed to live solely to make the world realize her husband's genius. " For their children Schumann wrote ' Scenes from Childhood,' most exquisite pictures of child life. " Some day, very soon, I hope you will all play ' The Happy Con spirito. -in- m asB ^ / -^--fi^.-, m- m _p^ :9i =F=f -3^- ^ p-M ^ M^^ : etc. Farmer,' which is known, and has been played by all musicians the whole world over. " This tender " Traumerei," which means "dreaming" is one ^ P *^ ^ I ^^ ^ r -p- * -f # of Schumann's most beautiful inspirations. - HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 79 " Clara Schumann lived many years after her husband's death, and all her time was given to making the world acquainted with Robert Schumann's works." "Oh ! that's easy to guess," exclaims Neil, as I hold in my hand the sugar cooky ; and with one voice, the class cry : " Shoe-man." LESSON X. FIVE MINUTES: TRIAD STUDY. The children seat themselves, and their faces lighten with pleasure as they see before them their old friend, the cardboard staves, and the boxes filled with the seven musical alphabet letters. " Class, what was it Mozart did at the piano when but a baby three years old ? " Ted, who always remembers all marvellous stories, answers : " He struck keys that sounded well together, instead of pounding." " He surely did. Now it is about these same keys that sound ■well when struck together that I am to tell you to-day ; but first, we must go back a little and review. You may all build the major scale of C — girls in the treble clef, boys in the bass clef." There is a moment's stillness, as the children bend eagerly to their task, which they quickly finish. As the girls chant from middle C up an octave and back, I play the same scale on the piano, repeating it with the boys from C below middle C, up and back. "Will the class please give pitch and scale names together.-'" " C first, D second, E third, F fourth, G fifth, A sixth, B seventh, C eighth." " Good ; now bear in mind what I have told you before, that scales are the foundation of music building. In order to know how to make up the triads, we must know how to make the scales, for the first, third, and fifth of every scale struck together form a triad. The word 'triad ' means 'three.' " Clarence, tell me the triad formed on the scale C 1 " 80 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 81 Carefully scanning the scale of C, which he has built, he answers : " C, E, G. " " Correct. The class may take off all letters but those forming the triad of C." In an instant only C, E, G remain on the staff, and at the piano I repeatedly strike the triad to accustom their ears to its sound. " Now there is something very important for you to remember. This triad of ' C, E, G ' can be changed about and played in other ways, three in all, and still be the triad of C. Take your first let- ter, middle C, and put it in the third space, and you have the third letter E for the lowest letter. Notice how differently it sounds; yet it is still the triad of C, but in the second position. Again take E from the first line, and put it in the fourth space, leaving G the lowest letter, and you have the triad . of C in the third position, with still a different sound. So remember, when one is the lowest, the triad is in the first position ; when three is the lowest it- is in the second position, and when Jive is the lowest it is in the third position." "I am going to try and make another triad," and little Gladys looks over the keyboard, finally selecting G for her starting point. " Oh, I see, it's G, B, D, because that is one, three, and five of the scale of G ; and the second position is B, D, G; and the third position is D, G, B." Stimulated by Gladys' success, the children pick out the triads in many keys, and I ask each to bring me a new one at the next lesson. FIVE MINUTES : NOTE STUDY, USING THE MILTON BRADLEY MUSIC HAND CHART. " Please, may I use the chart half the time, and Pauline half ? " eagerly questions Harriet. Willingly I accede, and hand the little girl the ii-inch by 15 -inch pasteboard chart, on either side of which are drawn the staves with bass and treble clefs: A black button, about one inch in diameter, can be moved at pleasure on 82 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. lines or in spaces, and made stationary there by means of a narrow slot extending across the staff, and notches cut opposite the lines and spaces. The class answer in turn or together, naming all the notes in both clefs. Small pieces of cardboard, on which are printed the twelve different key signatures in both clefs, can be attached to the chart. They furnish the means of admirable drill for the children in reciting the scales, and giving the different key signatures. Harriet deftly pushes the button on all the lines and in all the spaces in the scale of B, frequently catching some un- wary one, forgetful to name the sharps. This same chart is of great assistance in triad practice. All of the above work is done in connection with the piano. TEN MINUTES: FINGER WORK; INDEPENDENCE OF FINGER MOVEMENT. " To-day, children, we will practice at first moving the fingers of both hands together." Accordingly the, class sit back from the table far enough for their knees nearly to clear the table. In order that their hands may fall on the edge of the table easily, they make a slight inclination of the body forward from the waist line. This slight inclination enables the movements to be made with grace and elasticity. The children readily use the same fingers of both hands in exer- cises 6, 7, 8, and i S, and I call their attention to the fact, that while they use the same fingers of the left and right hands, each hand moves in contrary motion. " That is easy to do, but now I wish you to move both hands in the same direction, that is, both hands must move together up and down the table. In order to do this, to move in similar motion, you must use different fingers together. The first and fifth are mates, and the second and fourth ; while the two third fingers play together. We will practice exercises 6, 7, 8 and 15 in similar motion, using the fifth finger in the left hand, and the first finger in the right hand." BALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 83 At first there is some trouble in watching the different fingers, but in a few moments this is partially mastered, and repeated trials lessen the difficulty. " Do not forget, that the same fingers mean contrary motion ; different fingers similar motion. "One thing more I wish to show you to-day, and that is, to move t7vo fingers together at once. " The class immediately are greatly interested, as anything new appeals to them. " We will try the left hand first. Please take stroke position, resting on two fingers, the second and fourth, and move the first and third together, in the same order as in number eight. Con- tinue the exercise with the second and fourth, and third and fifth fingers, and repeat it with the right hand, finally doing No. 15 with double fingers." There are numerous and sundry groans from the class, as two fingers frequently refuse utterly to work together. " What can I do to make them ? " they cry, realizing for the first time how utterly incapable of united action are their untrained fingers. "Try, try again," is my laughing encouragement. "Say to yourselves, ' I can do what others have done,' and little by little the fingers will be evenly developed, and move with perfect independence." FIVE MINUTES GAME : THE GREAT MUSIC MASTERS. Of all the games, this one affords the children the keenest enjoy- ment. I use Brown's miniature pictures of the composers, four of each subject, each one of which I paste to a stiff piece of cardboard for durability. This game is usually played at the close of the second term, as by that time the class is familiar with the names and faces of fifteen or more musicians. Distributing the pictures among the children, previously with- drawing those they have not studied, first Katherine "chooses" 84 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " Bach." He is her composer, and can not be taken away from her; in fact all the class eagerly scan their pictures to assist Katharine in completing her book by contributing three pictures to her one. With a long breath of satisfaction, the little girl places her " Bach " book in front of her, ready in her turn to help her next neighbor from her stock of pictures. As only a few moments, at each lesson, can be given to the game, it usually happens that the one beginning is the winner. By the time that child completes the second book, the five minutes have expired. During the third term the compositions of each composer are given when the book is finished. FIVE MINUTES : COMPOSER STUDY. CHOPIN. ....."-• VI EN N A U SC*! R I A " Children, please look on this map at Russia. Here on the frontier lies a small country called Poland, which many, many HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 85 years ago was independent, and had its own brave kings. But because it was so tiny as compared with Russia, that country deter- mined to possess it. Accordingly it declared war, finally subduing Poland, and even saying : ' there is no such country ; it is all Russia.' "All this made the Poles love their country more and more, and hate Russia with a bitter hatred. " Every few years Poland would rise against her conqueror, but was always defeated. A number of her unhappy Poles were sent in exile to Siberia — a desolate, dreary place. " I tell you all this about Poland, for it meant everything to her greatest musician, Frederic Chopin, who was born during those troublesome times. His earliest memories were of his unhappy country, and her bitter foe. "As he grew older, his people groaned more and more under the Russian rule, and when he was eight- een, there was a terrible uprising. Chopin's family decided to send their son to England, but on his way he stopped in Paris, a city he loved so well that he lived there the remain- der of his life, nearly twenty years. " When you grow older and read about Chopin, you will understand that the great grief of his life was that he was not strong enough to tight for his country. He was a most marvellous musical genius, but always from childhood frail of body and delicate in health, unable to endure the least hardship. But he did far, far more for the glory of Poland by writing, than he could have done by fighting, for he has told the history of his country in his magnificent musical pieces. CHOPIN. 86 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. " The court dance of Poland is ' the grand and stately Polonaise.' "In this one, of many, that Chopin wrote, you can almost see the brilliant ballroom, beautiful women, and soldiers in uniform. Suddenly comes a roar of cannon, and you hear the fierce gallop of horses as the armies rush to battle. " Chopin wrote pathetic waltzes, that make your heart ache with his, in his longing for home and kindred — Lento. llEEsiS ^ ;^:t -^- ;^1= ^iii=.^ ^^ i4; iii^ I -tt±z %E^ P^i^=3^^lE^=^^ J:]J_ -■- 4 J- m r^i^ ict^ stirring Mazurkas, the people's dance, that pictures to you the life and bustle of the great country fairs. Vivo e risoluto. :I2J ^s^i ^M .^■"^i^ / fi itij: HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 87 " You must remember that though many of Chopin's compositions are called dances, they are not meant to dance by. They are merely written in dance time, and are really pictures of the people, as well as stories about his country. " It is interesting to know that Chopin is the one musician of the many I have told you about, who coriiposed principally for the piano. Others wrote great oratorios and symphonies, but Chopin loved the piano above all instruments. He could make it sing the sweetest songs, or tell the most warlike tales. " Chopin was unhappy all his life, and it could not be otherwise, for his country was unhappy." The children look so serious at the close of my somewhat mournful tale, that I am very glad to create a diversion. I hold up the " Cooky Axe," which brings a smile to their faces, making them think of " Chopin." LESSON XL FIFTEEN MINUTES: MINOR SCALES. " Oh ! what is that ? " exclaim the children, attracted by a large circle 1 1 inches in diameter, drawn on pasteboard and fastened to the easel. .f^^ SIGNATURES YS B B" 'e^^ PEL ATI Vf- D Ia yHNOi?s # r» C" A^ MC] b\°\ m!^) F' A jbn"e B D" >b bd^ !c «f»^ a- tta D i# fCf. Cb f cLl> git d« :■'■« '■e e" 'JHakps "AC B /"rtt CqH s«^»!S KEY CIRCLE 88 HALF-HOUR LESSONS IN MUSIC. 89 " That is the key circle. Please take your seats, and I will tell you all about it. But first tell me what 'Major' means." " Large ! " is the ready response. " Not only does it mean ' large,' but it also means leader, con- troller. Now at home, who are the leaders, that tell you children what to do.?" " Why, father and mother," comes in most convincing tones. " Then as father and mother are certainly larger than you, and control you, father and mother must be the — " I pause for the children to complete the sentence, which they do by crying, "Majors." " Indeed they are ; but you little ones are very important and ne- cessary to the Majors, and have a name all your own, which means •small,' 'dependent.' It is this — 'Minor.' Each one of you is a 'Minor,' looking to your dear 'Majors,' father and mother, to care for you. Now just as it is in your home, so it is in your music. There are Majors and Minors. You have learned the twelve Major scales. Leaning on them are twelve Minor, or dependent scales. These belong together ; never think of a Major without thinking of its Minor." " How can we tell which two go together .' " anxiously asks Louis. "Well, where would a Minor naturally be, aboveror below.' " "Why — below," comes somewhat hesitatingly. "Surely. Then you must always look f/iree half steps below the Major scale to find the Minor scale that belongs to it. These two are close relations, and are always spoken of as 'relatives.' " At the piano I play the Major scale of C, which the,£hil