Comments on: Arranger’s Toolbox 1: Bell Chords To Try http://www.portamental.com Fluidity of Mind and Music Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:03:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Dan Newman http://www.portamental.com/a-cappella-arranging/advanced-explorations/arrangers-toolbox-bell-chords-to-try/comment-page-1/#comment-7690 Dan Newman Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:10:24 +0000 http://www.smartermusic.us/?page_id=1148#comment-7690 There's two ways- the hard drill-it-until-you-get-it and the easy cheating. The hard way is to drill it again and again, slowly building the chord from the bottom note up to the top note through lots of repetition. The easy cheating way is to put a place holder in the space of the rest. The downbeats of bell chords are easy, so they're fine. The off beats can put a silent syllable or an up-breath. Sounds like this: nnDo...nnDo...nnDo or (breath)Do...(breath)Do... The danger of the cheat is that it becomes distracting, audible, or a crutch. However, for singers who may not have the rhythmic chops to pull off-beats out of their bum, it's a great way to start to learn off-beats. There’s two ways- the hard drill-it-until-you-get-it and the easy cheating. The hard way is to drill it again and again, slowly building the chord from the bottom note up to the top note through lots of repetition.

The easy cheating way is to put a place holder in the space of the rest. The downbeats of bell chords are easy, so they’re fine. The off beats can put a silent syllable or an up-breath. Sounds like this:

nnDo…nnDo…nnDo

or

(breath)Do…(breath)Do…

The danger of the cheat is that it becomes distracting, audible, or a crutch. However, for singers who may not have the rhythmic chops to pull off-beats out of their bum, it’s a great way to start to learn off-beats.

]]> By: Stephen http://www.portamental.com/a-cappella-arranging/advanced-explorations/arrangers-toolbox-bell-chords-to-try/comment-page-1/#comment-7686 Stephen Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:15:07 +0000 http://www.smartermusic.us/?page_id=1148#comment-7686 What is the best way to teach a four-part, a'capella bell chord? What is the best way to teach a four-part, a’capella bell chord?

]]> By: SmarterGuide to Arranging: Bell Chords in Transcriptions | SmarterMusic http://www.portamental.com/a-cappella-arranging/advanced-explorations/arrangers-toolbox-bell-chords-to-try/comment-page-1/#comment-56 SmarterGuide to Arranging: Bell Chords in Transcriptions | SmarterMusic Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:53:57 +0000 http://www.smartermusic.us/?page_id=1148#comment-56 [...] that we’ve looked at some fundamentals of bell chords, it’s time to look a little more closely at how this technique can play a role in an [...] [...] that we’ve looked at some fundamentals of bell chords, it’s time to look a little more closely at how this technique can play a role in an [...]

]]> By: Bell Chords in A Cappella | SmarterMusic http://www.portamental.com/a-cappella-arranging/advanced-explorations/arrangers-toolbox-bell-chords-to-try/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Bell Chords in A Cappella | SmarterMusic Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:16:46 +0000 http://www.smartermusic.us/?page_id=1148#comment-49 [...] Read More… Posted Under A Cappella Arranging, Arranging, Voice [...] [...] Read More… Posted Under A Cappella Arranging, Arranging, Voice [...]

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