Teaching String In College

Author

Julius Bertram Jones, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College

Date of Award

5-1957

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Music Education (MME)

Degree Discipline

Music

Abstract

This thesis is based on tested experiments in the psychology of teaching string music in a standard liberal arts college. The string course anticipates a pre-requisite of basic musical theory, and therefore, begins with the application of such knowledge to the learning of stringed instruments. Music is a complex science, consisting of multiple operations which must be carried on simultaneously in order to achieve good musical performance. With this concept in mind, it is fully realized that certain basic technics must be practiced to a point of automacy in order to permit the student to pursue various other necessary operations unincumbered. The capacity of any student is too limited to digest all of the essentials at once for good musical performance. The introduction of finger patterns, rhythmical patterns, intonation, the counting of time and the proper holding of instrument and bow, all must come in their proper psychological sequence if the successful performance of music is to be attained.

A student, enrolling in a string class, reasonably has the right to expect to be playing something familiar, and soon, just as he would do in a singing class. He has no time to be confused by a maize of seeming non-entities. The idea presented to him must be concise and clear. The very purpose of class teaching is economy of time, which makes no allowance for lost motion. Scales are the very essence of musical production, and must be introduced at the proper time though they are purely academic and have very little, if any, motivating value. Leopold Mozart wrote the first violin method about 200 years ago, but the entire concept of teaching has changed since that time. The teaching of strings has changed greatly even in the last twenty years, as much applied psychology has been incorporated into the technic of string pedagogy.

Publisher

Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College

Rights

Date of Digitization

12/09/2021

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Jones, J. B. (1957). Teaching String In College. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-theses/830