Week 4 - "Pass the Pitch"

I am finding myself more confident in using the Yamaha Harmony Director Keyboard for tuning and intonation in my rehearsals.  This feature is one of the primary reasons I requested this technology and it is proving to be worth it's cost! In addition to my confidence, my students seem to be catching on to it's implementation VERY quickly! The basic concept is simple, I play the pitch from the keyboard and they match the pitch (in tune) with their instrument. One of the great features to this keyboard is the HOLD button, which also me to play a pitch, press the hold button and the keyboard will sustain the pitch until I stop it.  The beauty of this capability is that I can circulate around the room while students are tuning.  This allows me to walk around and hear each student while they are trying to match the pitch and give assistance to those in need.  As with any level of education, the ability to freely move around the room while students are working is invaluable.

Another game I have tried with the students is called "pass the pitch".  We sustain the tuning note on the keyboard and students play their note on their instrument and try to match the pitch perfectly. Once they have succeeded they point to another student and it's their turn to match their pitch. This has proven to be a fun way to get students engaged in the tuning process while having them gain confidence in their ability to match pitch on their own.  In most performance based arts classes students are terrified to do anything on their own, it makes them feel vulnerable. This idea seems to lighten that load a bit and takes a lot of the anticipation of "going down the row" waiting for their turn to tune.

I look forward to continuing to find ways for students to initiate their own tuning process and possibly have students use the keyboard at the beginning of class without me. The idea is that they can start class even if I'm not in the room! Stay tuned and I will keep you updated on the self-sufficiency project!