II. Learning the basic techniques of Dan Bau' hinzufügen
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Transcript
Hi everyone. To learn the Dan Bau we have to go through basic steps and get familiar with this instrument. First, I will show you the playing postures, how to play the basic pitches, and then some basic Dan Bau performance techniques. Dan Bau playing postures are quite flexible and can accommodate different music genres.
Here are some of the playing postures: Standing, with the Dan Bau on the instrument stand; Sitting on the chair, with the Dan Bau on the instrument stand; Sitting on the ground, with the Dan Bau on the ground. Once settled into a playing posture, we will start tuning. Use your finger to pluck the open string to check the pitch. Then turn the tuning peg to find the C pitch. The C here is equivalent to the C in the third octave on the piano (an octave below the middle C) and you can use an electronic tuner to help you tune the instrument. To accommodate different music genres and specific requirements of the pieces, or to perform more smoothly, the Dan Bau can be tuned to some different pitches. For example, in traditional music style. It is often tuned to D (D3 on the piano). It can also be tuned to A (A2 on the piano), or to B-flat (B2-flat on the piano).
Remember not to put your left hand on the rod while tuning, as putting your hand on the rod might move the rod and change the pitch, so it's better not to touch the rod at all while tuning. Once we have tuned the instrument and are in the correct posture, we can start using the left hand. Put your left hand on the rod. Your upper arm should form a 90-degrees angle with your forearm and wrist. The thumb should rest on the index finger. The middle and index finger should hold onto the rod. Gently and comfortably hold the rod right at the middle. This is the best position to bend the rod and perform other left-hand techniques. You can relax your ring finger and little finger while doing this. To find the notes in the neutral position of the rod, it is important that you use a plectrum to pluck the string in order to create the sound. Hold the plectrum with three fingers: the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger. You can also add the ring finger. Hold the plectrum with your fingertips
Here are some of the playing postures: Standing, with the Dan Bau on the instrument stand; Sitting on the chair, with the Dan Bau on the instrument stand; Sitting on the ground, with the Dan Bau on the ground. Once settled into a playing posture, we will start tuning. Use your finger to pluck the open string to check the pitch. Then turn the tuning peg to find the C pitch. The C here is equivalent to the C in the third octave on the piano (an octave below the middle C) and you can use an electronic tuner to help you tune the instrument. To accommodate different music genres and specific requirements of the pieces, or to perform more smoothly, the Dan Bau can be tuned to some different pitches. For example, in traditional music style. It is often tuned to D (D3 on the piano). It can also be tuned to A (A2 on the piano), or to B-flat (B2-flat on the piano).
Remember not to put your left hand on the rod while tuning, as putting your hand on the rod might move the rod and change the pitch, so it's better not to touch the rod at all while tuning. Once we have tuned the instrument and are in the correct posture, we can start using the left hand. Put your left hand on the rod. Your upper arm should form a 90-degrees angle with your forearm and wrist. The thumb should rest on the index finger. The middle and index finger should hold onto the rod. Gently and comfortably hold the rod right at the middle. This is the best position to bend the rod and perform other left-hand techniques. You can relax your ring finger and little finger while doing this. To find the notes in the neutral position of the rod, it is important that you use a plectrum to pluck the string in order to create the sound. Hold the plectrum with three fingers: the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger. You can also add the ring finger. Hold the plectrum with your fingertips
Notes for Lesson 1:
Technical goals
- Identify the correct performance posture.
- Learn how to tune the instrument.
- Learn how to use the plectrum and the rod.
- Locate correctly the six notes in the neutral position of the rod (notes in neutral position – notes where the rod is not bent)
Acoustic goals
- Produce pure, clear, and correct tones when playing notes in the neutral position while maintaining volume control.
Practice method
- Always practice in a correct posture.
- Practice the plectrum holding technique so that the plectrum is held firmly and stays in a fixed position when playing.
- Practice plucking technique.
Practice duration
- Every day for a week, two to three hours each day. NOTE: the important thing to understand is that mastering any instrument takes years and a lot of practice. If the time is limited, it is always better to try and keep regular practicing every day, rather than skipping days. I.e. better play every day of the week for 30 min than to play one day for 3.5 hours and then not practice the rest of the week.