Teaching Fundamental Playing

Skills: WINDS
 Teaching the Fundamental of playing an instrument should not cease after a year or two of
study. It takes time – Years, Actually – to establish and utilize breath, correct embouchure,
and tonguing on wind instruments and bowings and vibrato on the strings.

Breath Support

Basic Embouchure

Tonguing
Teaching Fundamental Playing
Skills: STRINGS
Bowing

 Young String Players Tend to concentrate on the left hand; advanced players know that a
skilled bow arm is least important. Students need to learn the factors that affect bowing:

Pressure on the bow

Length of the bow stroke
and Speed of the bow stroke
Left Hand

Intermediate string methods move the left hand out of first position, which requires
shifting. At the moment a shift occurs, the player’s attention should center on the two
pitches involved in the shift.
Percussion

 PERCUSSION Players should learn both basic snare drum techniques and a degree of
skill at playing mallet instruments such as xylophone.
Instrumentation

 Ideal Instrumentations are difficult to achieve in secondary school settings, with students
moving in and out of bands and orchestras. Furthermore, the balance of an organization is
subject to the playing abilities of the particular players involved.

Seating
Traditionally players in sections have been seated in order of ability. In a school group,
where the ability may vary greatly from the first to last in a section.