II. Learning the basic techniques of Dan Bau' hinzufügen
| Website: | Hamburg Open Online University |
| Kurs: | Learning Dan Bau |
| Buch: | II. Learning the basic techniques of Dan Bau' hinzufügen |
| Gedruckt von: | Gast |
| Datum: | Donnerstag, 21. November 2024, 14:07 |
Beschreibung
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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.
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Transcript
There are six main positions on the Dan Bau that correspond to six pitches, which are: C G C E G C C1. The six pitches are called: C2, E2, G2, and C3. From the position of these notes, we use the rod, pushing it to the left and right (higher and lower) to find other pitches. These six positions are called "nodes", or hand positions: I, II, III, IV, V, and VI. The order goes from right to left, from the first node to the last one close to the rod.
Now, I will teach you how to find hand positions. Find the midpoint between where the string is tied to the rod and the tailpiece. This midpoint on the string is where you rest your hand to find C1. also called the first-hand position (I) Once you find this midpoint, rest the edge of your right hand right where the midpoint is and simultaneously pluck the string to find the first C of the six notes in the neutral position of the rod. Trace where the plectrum rests onto the surface and mark the spot. So now we have C1.
Next, in a similar fashion, we will divide the string from the tailpiece to where it is tied to the rod in three equal parts. The first 1/3 point on the left will be the first G note. With the same method, we now have the position for G1. That's the second-hand position (II). Divide the string in four to find the second C (III - third-hand position). Divide the string in five to find E (IV - fourth hand position). Divide the string in six to find the second G (V - fifth hand position). Divide the string in eight to find the third C (VI - sixth hand position). That is how you find the positions of the six notes in the neutral position of the rod on the Dan Bau. Remember, this is the rule to find the positions which help us figure out the notes on the Dan Bau. As hands vary in size, the distance from the plectrum's end to the nodes will also vary, meaning different plucking points on the string. Therefore before playing, you have to find
Now, I will teach you how to find hand positions. Find the midpoint between where the string is tied to the rod and the tailpiece. This midpoint on the string is where you rest your hand to find C1. also called the first-hand position (I) Once you find this midpoint, rest the edge of your right hand right where the midpoint is and simultaneously pluck the string to find the first C of the six notes in the neutral position of the rod. Trace where the plectrum rests onto the surface and mark the spot. So now we have C1.
Next, in a similar fashion, we will divide the string from the tailpiece to where it is tied to the rod in three equal parts. The first 1/3 point on the left will be the first G note. With the same method, we now have the position for G1. That's the second-hand position (II). Divide the string in four to find the second C (III - third-hand position). Divide the string in five to find E (IV - fourth hand position). Divide the string in six to find the second G (V - fifth hand position). Divide the string in eight to find the third C (VI - sixth hand position). That is how you find the positions of the six notes in the neutral position of the rod on the Dan Bau. Remember, this is the rule to find the positions which help us figure out the notes on the Dan Bau. As hands vary in size, the distance from the plectrum's end to the nodes will also vary, meaning different plucking points on the string. Therefore before playing, you have to find
Notes for Lesson 2
Technical goals
- Firmly hold the plectrum.
- Maintain a fixed distance between the plucking position and where your right-hand rests on the string.
- Keep the right hand and plectrum off the string after plucking a note – only make contact with the string when you play the next note.
- Keep the left hand on the rod in a proper manner so that it doesn’t affect notes in the neutral position.
Acoustic goals
- Produce pure, clear, and correct tones when playing notes in a neutral position while maintaining volume control.
- Ensure that all notes are connected when moving from one note to the next regardless of pitch and duration.
Practice method
- Practice quick movement of the middle and ring fingers to support the plucking technique.
- Place the left hand on the rod properly so that the fingers do not exert too much force on the rod and affect the notes in the neutral position.
- Practice moving the right hand from one position to another, between positions that are close to each other and between positions that are far apart, remember to alternate the order of positions. At first practice in slow tempo, and once you have memorized the positions and you play the sounds correctly, gradually increase your tempo. During this phase of practice, we encourage you to listen to and get inspired by the exercises and pieces we have prepared for you. Once you are able to play the correct pitches without the help of the tuner and/or our exercise video, you can turn the audio off and just follow our video score – that might help with keeping the tempo and playing the correct rhythm.
- Move onto the exercise and the corresponding folk song once you are reasonably comfortable with the techniques introduced in this lesson.
- You can try practicing with a metronome to control your tempo.
Practice duration
- Every day for two to three weeks (two to three hours per day depending on your personal schedule and capability).
Exercises
In these 2 exercises, we marked every note so it can help you to follow the pitches and the rhythm of the notes.
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Scores
- Exercise score
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Transcript
Since you have memorized the hand positions and mastered neutral-position techniques, I will now teach you left-hand techniques. Due to the limited time, we can't cover all the left-hand techniques, so I will introduce only the basic techniques in this and the following lesson.
First, I will teach you how to raise or lower the pitch to play the basic intervals on the Dan Bau, such as major second, minor third, and perfect fourth. These intervals will serve as the basis for finding all the other intervals. These are the most common intervals when playing the Dan Bau, which originated from the scales used in traditional Vietnamese folk music.
Remember, because of the character of the rod and the string when raising the pitch from the neutral position, we should not bend outward too hard - a fourth is an upper limit.
For example:
G A B C
Certain pieces require us to go up to a fifth, but this is very rare.
G A B C D
Because if you bend the rod too much, you might break it or break the string. When bending the rod inward from the neutral position, we can play larger intervals. For example, we can reach a fifth or even a tenth down.
G F E D C B A G F E D
First, I will show you the technique for bending inward and outward to major second (M2). Bending outward means bending the rod to the left (from the player's perspective), to increase the pitch and reach higher notes. When bending outward, use your fingers to bend the rod to the left. Keep your thumb on your index finger, like this: The wrist stays in line with the forearm, forming almost a 90-degree angle with the upper arm. Use the fingers and the arm to bend the rod to the left to reach the note you want. From the six nodes of the Dan Bau, we will get the following notes by bending outward to the major second (M2):
First, I will teach you how to raise or lower the pitch to play the basic intervals on the Dan Bau, such as major second, minor third, and perfect fourth. These intervals will serve as the basis for finding all the other intervals. These are the most common intervals when playing the Dan Bau, which originated from the scales used in traditional Vietnamese folk music.
Remember, because of the character of the rod and the string when raising the pitch from the neutral position, we should not bend outward too hard - a fourth is an upper limit.
For example:
G A B C
Certain pieces require us to go up to a fifth, but this is very rare.
G A B C D
Because if you bend the rod too much, you might break it or break the string. When bending the rod inward from the neutral position, we can play larger intervals. For example, we can reach a fifth or even a tenth down.
G F E D C B A G F E D
First, I will show you the technique for bending inward and outward to major second (M2). Bending outward means bending the rod to the left (from the player's perspective), to increase the pitch and reach higher notes. When bending outward, use your fingers to bend the rod to the left. Keep your thumb on your index finger, like this: The wrist stays in line with the forearm, forming almost a 90-degree angle with the upper arm. Use the fingers and the arm to bend the rod to the left to reach the note you want. From the six nodes of the Dan Bau, we will get the following notes by bending outward to the major second (M2):
- C - D (I - first position); G - A (II - second position); C - D (III - third position); E - F# (IV - fourth position); G - A (V - fifth position); C - D (VI - sixth position)
- D (I - first position); A (II - second position); D (III - third position) ;F# (IV - fourth position); A (V - fifth position); D (VI - sixth position)
Bending inward or loosening the string gives us a lower pitch from the initial note. In contrast to bending outward, when bending inward, we use the index, the middle, and the ring finger along with the arm to bend the rod to the right. The thumb can be relaxed instead of staying in the original position.
From the six nodes, bending inward to major second (M2) will get us the following notes:
C - Bb (I - first position); G - F (II - second position); C - Bb (III - third position); E - D (IV - fourth position); G - F (V - fifth position); C - Bb (VI - Sixth position);
Bb (I - first position); F (II - second position); Bb (III - third position); D (IV - fourth position); F (V - fifth position); Bb (VI - sixth position)
Remember, when playing this technique, as you lower or raise the pitch, you must pluck the string and move the rod at the same time, or else you will get indistinct notes. For example, playing correctly in this technique will sound like this: (Playing)
If you either pluck the string first or bend the rod first, you will produce this kind of sound:
Once you played the note you want, and you want the sound to end, use your right hand to stop the string from vibrating to really finish the sound before guiding the rod back to its neutral position.
Notes for Lesson 3
Technical goals
- Correctly play the major seconds up and down.
- Place your left arm at the 90-degree angle to the rod, keep the wrist straight.
- Pluck the string with the right hand and bend the rod with the left hand at the same time.
- Control how much you are bending the rod to find the accurate notes.
Acoustic goals
- Produce notes that are in the correct pitch and at a volume and quality similar to that of notes in the neutral position.
- Produce clear sounds that are separated (non-legato) from notes in the neutral position, avoid unclear, murky transitions.
Practice method
- Practice each interval until you can bend the rod in a precise and quick manner to produce the desired notes.
- Practice bending outward (raising the pitch) to major second up first, then bending inward (lowering the pitch) to major second down. Once you have a good grasp of these two techniques, practice opposite bending, meaning going straight between bending outward to bending inward, or from bending inward to bending outward, spanning a major third in total. For example, going from D to B-flat or from B-flat to D…
- The student should use a tuner to correctly measure the pitches of the desired notes. At the same time, try to memorize the sounds of major seconds so that you won’t always have to rely on a tuner.
- After you have learned the techniques, apply them in the exercise and the corresponding folk song.
- Always start in a slow tempo – only gradually speed up when you play everything correctly (right pitches, sound quality, left and right-hand techniques, etc.) until you meet the required tempo of the piece.
Practice duration
Every day for two to three weeks (two to three hours per day) depending on your schedule and capability.
Video exercises
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Video Pieces
- MUA SAP - XOE HOA
MUA SAP - XOE HOA (CHERAW DANCE - BLOOMING FLOWER) is the music used for a number of dances of ethnic minorities in the North-West region of Vietnam, which can be found in festivals, ceremonies, and important occasions such as harvest festival, the Lunar New Year, or bonfire nights during full moons. When participating in a blooming flower or cheraw dance, young men and women are free to choose a dance partner and stay close to each other. This is why the dance is also an occasion for people to express their affection.
The music of Mua sap and Xoe hoa is upbeat, cheery, and festive.
The music of Mua sap and Xoe hoa is upbeat, cheery, and festive.
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- GA GAY
Ga gay (THE CROW OF THE COCK) is a folk song of the Cong Khao ethnic group, which is an ethnic minority group living in the Northern Mountains of Vietnam.
This is a bright and innocuous folk song. The song describes the cock crowing every morning and waking up the villagers to prepare for a new day on the field.
The music is bright and happy, with a quick tempo.
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Scores
- Major second up - Exercise
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- Major second down - Exercises
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- Pieces score
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Lesson
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Transcript
Next, I will introduce you to the portamento technique. This is a technique in which you play a note and then bend the rod outward or inward without plucking again. This technique can be used for playing many different intervals. It gives a melodious and smooth sound. It is very commonly used in Vietnamese folk pieces and traditional music.
Now I will introduce you to ornamentation. This is one of the important Dan Bau techniques and a characteristic of traditional folk music. It uses many ornamental, embellishing notes. Different regions use different and recognizable ornamentation. There are many types of ornaments, such as grace notes, mordents, trills, etc. There are also various ways to play ornaments, such as: quick, slow, decisive, or soft.
In this lesson, I will teach you some basic musical ornaments:
1) grace note, where we start from a note in neutral position and then we bend the rod, or, we can start from a bent note and then come to the neutral position,
2) mordent, which, similarly to the grace note, can also start either from the note in a neutral position or from a bent position.
Now I will introduce you to ornamentation. This is one of the important Dan Bau techniques and a characteristic of traditional folk music. It uses many ornamental, embellishing notes. Different regions use different and recognizable ornamentation. There are many types of ornaments, such as grace notes, mordents, trills, etc. There are also various ways to play ornaments, such as: quick, slow, decisive, or soft.
In this lesson, I will teach you some basic musical ornaments:
1) grace note, where we start from a note in neutral position and then we bend the rod, or, we can start from a bent note and then come to the neutral position,
2) mordent, which, similarly to the grace note, can also start either from the note in a neutral position or from a bent position.
Notes for Lesson 4
Technical goals
- Portamento technique: From the initial note, transition to other notes is required by the piece only by bending the rod. In music scores for Dan Bau, that is indicated by using explicit legato slur markings.
- Ornamentation technique: Pluck the string and quickly bend the rod to create grace notes that embellish the main notes.
Acoustic goals
- Portamento technique: Melodious, smooth, and clear sounds.
- Ornamentation technique: Short, clear sounds.
Practice method
- Portamento technique:
- First practice two-note portamento with small intervals, then move on to portamento with more notes and larger intervals.
- First practice portamento at a slow tempo, then gradually speed up. Similarly, first practice with a simple rhythm, then graduate to more and more complicated ones.
- First practice portamento from notes in the neutral position, then portamento that goes from notes in bent position back to notes in the neutral position.
- Ornamentation technique:
- Practice ornamentation first with one to two notes in small intervals before moving on to larger intervals.
- Practice ornamentation first from notes in the neutral position to the bent position, then practice going from notes in the bent position back to notes in the neutral position.
- After getting a good grasp of both techniques, apply them in the exercise and the corresponding folk music piece.
Practice duration
- Every day for three to four weeks for each technique (two to three hours a day) depending on your personal schedule and capability.
* Students can start applying these two techniques right away in the Vietnamese folk songs included in the course or unsuitable pieces. In the following lessons, these two techniques can be used in combination with other techniques, such as portamento to minor third and perfect fourth, both in exercises and in corresponding folk songs.
Video exercises
- Portamento
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- Ornamentation
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Piece
- CAY TRUC XINH
Cay truc xinh (THE PRETTY BAMBOO) is a Quan Ho (a style of folk music) folk song of Bac Ninh (region in North Vietnam). The song describes the beauty and charm of a Quan ho girl, how she stays beautiful and charming in every situation, and how she steals the hearts of so many young men.
The music is gentle and romantic.
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Score
- Portamento
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- Ornamentation
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- Piece score
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Transcript
Now I will show you the minor third (m3) bending techniques. The left and right-hand techniques are similar to the major second (M2) techniques, the only difference is that the bending will be stronger. From the six nodes, we can produce the following six notes:
C - Eb (I - first position)
G - Bb (II - second position)
C - Eb (III - third position)
E - G (IV - fourth position)
G - Bb (V - fifth position)
C - Eb (VI - sixth position)
Eb (I - first position)
Bb (II - second position)
Eb (III - third position)
G (IV - fourth position)
Bb (V - fifth position)
Eb (VI - sixth position)
Now we bend inward to minor third (m3).
C - A (I - first position)
G - E (II - second position)
C - A (III - third position)
E - C# (IV - fourth position)
G - E (V - fifth position)
C - A (VI - sixth position)
A (I - first position)
E (II - second position)
A (III - third position)
C# (IV - fourth position)
E (V - fifth position)
A (VI - sixth position)
Bend outward to perfect fourth (P4).
C - F (I - first position)
G - C (II - second position)
C - F (III - third position)
E - A (IV - fourth position)
G - C (IV - fifth position)
C - F (VI - sixth position)
F (I - first position)
C (II - second position)
F (III - third position)
A (IV - fourth position)
C (V - fifth position)
F (VI - sixth position)
Press inward to perfect fourth.
C - G (I - first position)
G - D (II - second position)
C - G (III - third position)
E - B (IV - fourth position)
G - D (V - fifth position)
C - G (VI - sixth position)
G (I - first position)
D (II - second position)
G (III - third position)
B (IV - fourth position)
D (V - fifth position)
G (VI - sixth position)
After learning the three basic intervals, you might notice how the same notes appear in different positions. For example, D appears in the first position as major second up, but D also appears in the second position as perfect fourth down.
C - D (I - first position)
G - D (II - second position)
Or A, which appears in the second position as major second up, is found in the third position as minor third down.
G - A (II - second position)
C - A (III - third position)
Or Bb, found in the third position as major second down, appears in the second position as minor third up.
C - Bb (III - third position)
G - Bb (II - second position)
C - Eb (I - first position)
G - Bb (II - second position)
C - Eb (III - third position)
E - G (IV - fourth position)
G - Bb (V - fifth position)
C - Eb (VI - sixth position)
Eb (I - first position)
Bb (II - second position)
Eb (III - third position)
G (IV - fourth position)
Bb (V - fifth position)
Eb (VI - sixth position)
Now we bend inward to minor third (m3).
C - A (I - first position)
G - E (II - second position)
C - A (III - third position)
E - C# (IV - fourth position)
G - E (V - fifth position)
C - A (VI - sixth position)
A (I - first position)
E (II - second position)
A (III - third position)
C# (IV - fourth position)
E (V - fifth position)
A (VI - sixth position)
Bend outward to perfect fourth (P4).
C - F (I - first position)
G - C (II - second position)
C - F (III - third position)
E - A (IV - fourth position)
G - C (IV - fifth position)
C - F (VI - sixth position)
F (I - first position)
C (II - second position)
F (III - third position)
A (IV - fourth position)
C (V - fifth position)
F (VI - sixth position)
Press inward to perfect fourth.
C - G (I - first position)
G - D (II - second position)
C - G (III - third position)
E - B (IV - fourth position)
G - D (V - fifth position)
C - G (VI - sixth position)
G (I - first position)
D (II - second position)
G (III - third position)
B (IV - fourth position)
D (V - fifth position)
G (VI - sixth position)
After learning the three basic intervals, you might notice how the same notes appear in different positions. For example, D appears in the first position as major second up, but D also appears in the second position as perfect fourth down.
C - D (I - first position)
G - D (II - second position)
Or A, which appears in the second position as major second up, is found in the third position as minor third down.
G - A (II - second position)
C - A (III - third position)
Or Bb, found in the third position as major second down, appears in the second position as minor third up.
C - Bb (III - third position)
G - Bb (II - second position)
Notes for Lesson 5:
Technical goals
- Correctly produce notes when bending outward/inward to minor third and perfect fourth.
- Place the left hand at the 90-degree angle to the rod, keep the wrist straight
- Pluck the string with the right hand and bend the rod with the left hand at the same time.
- Control how much you are bending the rod to find the accurate notes.
Acoustic goals
- Produce notes that are in the correct pitch and at a volume and quality similar to that of notes in neutral position.
- Produce clear sounds that are distinctive from notes in the neutral position. Avoid unclear, murky transitions
Practice method
- Practice each interval until you can bend the rod in a precise and quick manner to produce the desired notes
- At the start, practice bending from notes in neutral position to minor third and perfect fourth.
- Practice opposite bending, meaning going straight from bending outward to bending inward to minor third or perfect fourth. Or practice bending with a combination of different intervals, for example, bending inward to major second then bending outward to minor third or perfect fourth; or bending outward to minor third then bending inward to major second or perfect fourth.
- The student should use a tuner to correctly measure the pitches of the desired notes. At the same time, try to memorize the sounds of minor thirds and perfect fourths so that you won’t always have to rely on a tuner.
- After you have learned the techniques, apply them in the exercises and folk pieces.
- Always start in a slow tempo – only gradually speed up when you play everything correctly (right pitches, sound quality, left and right-hand techniques, etc.) until you meet the required tempo of the piece.
Practice duration
- Every day for three to four weeks (two to three hours a day) depending on your personal schedule and capability.
Video Exercises
- Minor third up
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- Minor third down
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- Perfect fourth
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Pieces
- QUA CAU GIO BAY
Qua cau gio bay (THE WIND BLOWING ON THE BRIDGE) is a Quan Ho (a style of folk music) folk song of Bac Ninh (region in North Vietnam). The song talks about the romantic love of a couple. The young couple exchange keepsakes like rings and hats and even clothes, but because they keep their relationship a secret from their parents, they lie that all their stuff were blown away by the wind when they crossed the bridge.
The music is gentle, graceful and romantic.
The music is gentle, graceful and romantic.
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- HOA THOM BUOM LUON
Hoa thom buom luon (FRAGRANT FLOWERS, FLUTTERING BUTTERFLIES) is a folk song from the Northern Delta of Vietnam. The graceful, gentle music talks about people who wait for love to arrive, but also are afraid that love will be as ephemeral as flowers and butterflies, that it comes and it goes, and wonder if they can find someone who truly loves them.
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- NGUOI OI, NGUOI O DUNG VE
Nguoi oi, nguoi o dung ve (PLEASE STAY, DON’T LEAVE) is part of the series of Da ban (Farewell songs) of Quan Ho (a style of folk music) of Bac Ninh (region in North Vietnam). These songs are sung at the end of a festival, when the lien anh and lien chi (male and female singers) bid farewell to each other, not wanting to part ways. They exchange promises of love and remembrance, and to meet again either in real life or in another festival.
The music is romantic, smooth, and passionate.
The music is romantic, smooth, and passionate.
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- CON DUYEN
Con duyen (THE STRING OF FATE IS STILL HERE) is a Quan Ho (a style of folk music) folk song of Bac Ninh (region in North Vietnam). The song is about lovers telling each other to take the chance and offer their hands in marriage, and not to let youth pass by without paying attention.
The music is charming and somewhat youthful and bright.
The music is charming and somewhat youthful and bright.
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Score
- Minor third up - Excercise
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- Minor third down - Excercise
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- Perfect fourth up
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- Perfect fourth down
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- Pieces Score
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Transcript
Vibrato is the most important technique in all genres of music, from traditional folk music to contemporary or experimental music. It also plays an important role in helping listeners identify the music genre. This is a particularly important role in the three traditional music genres included in the curriculum of music institutes in Vietnam, which are Cheo, Hue, and Tai tu - Cai luong.
In this video, I will only introduce the basic vibrato techniques which are: in neutral position of the rod; with the rod bent outward; and with the rod bent inward.To master the vibrato techniques of the three aforementioned genres requires a great amount of time, effort, practice, and study. Because aside from the common vibrato techniques, each genre has different characteristics as well as rules regarding vibrato. I will further explore this topic in other videos. For the vibrato in the neutral postion of the rod, place your left hand on the rod in the same way as you do for the neutral position plucking technique.
Use the index finger and the thumb and bend the rod to the left and right to make the sound vibrate
in a continuous and even way until the note ends. With vibrato, use your forearm to bend the rod instead of your wrist and fingers. For the bent up vibrato, the fingers holding the rod are same like when playing non-vibrato in the same position. However, for vibrato, you must hold the rod very firmly so that the main tone doesn't change. For the bent down vibrato, the fingers holding the rod are same like when playing non-vibrato in the same position, in the same way as we did for the bent up vibrato, which is holding the rod firmly to prevent the main tone from changing.
I have just introduced you to a few left-hand techniques of Dan Bau. These techniques will allow you to start playing some traditional Vietnamese pieces. For Dan Bau and the majority of other traditional instruments, left-hand techniques are very crucial. They are the keys to evoke the characteristics and essence of traditional Vietnamese music.
In this video, I will only introduce the basic vibrato techniques which are: in neutral position of the rod; with the rod bent outward; and with the rod bent inward.To master the vibrato techniques of the three aforementioned genres requires a great amount of time, effort, practice, and study. Because aside from the common vibrato techniques, each genre has different characteristics as well as rules regarding vibrato. I will further explore this topic in other videos. For the vibrato in the neutral postion of the rod, place your left hand on the rod in the same way as you do for the neutral position plucking technique.
Use the index finger and the thumb and bend the rod to the left and right to make the sound vibrate
in a continuous and even way until the note ends. With vibrato, use your forearm to bend the rod instead of your wrist and fingers. For the bent up vibrato, the fingers holding the rod are same like when playing non-vibrato in the same position. However, for vibrato, you must hold the rod very firmly so that the main tone doesn't change. For the bent down vibrato, the fingers holding the rod are same like when playing non-vibrato in the same position, in the same way as we did for the bent up vibrato, which is holding the rod firmly to prevent the main tone from changing.
I have just introduced you to a few left-hand techniques of Dan Bau. These techniques will allow you to start playing some traditional Vietnamese pieces. For Dan Bau and the majority of other traditional instruments, left-hand techniques are very crucial. They are the keys to evoke the characteristics and essence of traditional Vietnamese music.
Notes for Lesson 6:
Technical goals
- Have a good grasp of bending techniques to play different intervals on the đàn Bầu.
- When creating vibrato, exert force using your arm and your thumb, index finger, and middle finger (similar to the bending technique) while keeping your wrist still.
- Hold the rod firmly and move the rod back and forth continuously and evenly until the sound stops or the note runs its course.
- Ensure that the vibrato stays a regular, pulsating change of pitch where the vibrated note doesn’t get lost.
Acoustic goals
- Smooth, continuous, and regular vibrato.
Practice method
- Practice vibrato with the longest possible notes and wait until the sound nearly finishes before playing a new note. Do not stop vibrating the rod between the notes – try to build up the endurance in your arm, so you can do long vibratos.
- At the first practice, a slow vibrato, aiming for an even and continuous vibrato of the vibrated note. Once you are more proficient in the left-hand vibrato technique, start practicing faster vibrato until you meet the required tempo.
- Only move on to the exercises and corresponding folk song when you can create a good vibrato out of long notes.
- Select pieces with many long notes to practice in the beginning, then mix in shorter notes for your vibrato practice.
- Always follow this order in the beginning: neutral-position vibrato, bent-outward vibrato, and bent-inward vibrato.
Practice duration
- Every day for four to six weeks (two to three hours a day) depending on your personal schedule and capability
Exercises
a. Vibrato - Neutral position
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b. Vibrato - Bent up
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C. Vibrato - Bent down
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Pieces
- LY THUONG NHAU
Ly thuong nhau is a folk song originating from Central Vietnam, telling the tale of two lovers who are away from each other and their untold longing for each other, which makes them always in pain, as if sitting on needles.
The music is gentle, soft, romantic, and full of longing.
The music is gentle, soft, romantic, and full of longing.
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- CACH CU
Cach cu* is an ancient tune of Cheo, a traditional theatre genre of Vietnam. The music of ancient Cheo is one of the three traditional music genres included in the curriculum of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. The musical piece describes working activities such as working on the fields or hunting.
The music is fast-paced, joyous, and is classified as part of the happy tunes in ancient Cheo.
(*ancient vietnamese, the meaning is lost to time and it can not be translated any longer - tr.)
The music is fast-paced, joyous, and is classified as part of the happy tunes in ancient Cheo.
(*ancient vietnamese, the meaning is lost to time and it can not be translated any longer - tr.)
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- LY CHIEN CHIEU
LY CHIEN CHIEU is a folk song originating from the South. The song describes a young man's quiet love for a girl in the countryside of the South. The girl watering the Chinese parasol tree becomes an incredibly romantic and sentimental image for the young man, which speaks of his affection for her.
The music is romantic, gentle, and somewhat melancholic.
The music is romantic, gentle, and somewhat melancholic.
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Score
a. Vibrato - Neutral position
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b. Vibrato - Bent up
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c. Vibrato - Bent down
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Piece score
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