Counting Long Rests
Terry Ewell's counting system for rests in music. This is apparently based on Chisenbop--thanks to Stephen Koo and Martin Brown for pointing this out. Bassoon Digital Professor video #43. www.2reed.net.
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Terry Ewell's counting system for rests in music. This is apparently based on "Chisenbop"--thanks to Stephen Koo and Martin Brown for pointing this out. Bassoon Digital Professor video #43. www.2reed.net.
The original transcript is available here.
Videos
Captions are unavailable. The complete transcript follows.
Chapters
Transcript
00:00Introduction
Music: Flight of the Bumblebee, opening. 14 two three four 15... it is so beautiful... my solo is over. Oh, no! I lost the count. I can't believe that I did that again. Oh, no, what am I going to do now? I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am. Help!
00:54Losing Count in Performance
Well, if you are an experienced musician, you have probably had this situation happen to you. Maybe your solo is over in the symphony, you start to relax, you have a number of measures to count, and the music is just gorgeous around you. You are just listening a little bit and counting away and suddenly you lose count.
01:20The Counting Method
This video will provide you with a method that I have used for many years. I discovered this method when I was an undergraduate at University and I have used it over and over again. It has saved me many times.
01:32Mahler Symphony Example
One of the most harrowing experiences I had counting measures was when I was called upon to play the tam tam in the Mahler 1st Symphony. Being in the back of the percussion section and counting measures of rests in the 70s and 80s was really difficult. Fortunately with my counting method I didn't miss a single measure of rests. So, I will demonstrate that to you now.
02:01Limits of Ordinary Finger Counting
Most people, when they count rests, either use their mind or the fingers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and then you run out of fingers. If you have a large rest, you are in trouble. Maybe you need your toes as well! After 20, you have run out of digits.
02:16Assigning Finger Values
My system assigns different values with the fingers. So, in the right hand, each of the fingers here has a value of one. The thumb has a value of 5. Each of the fingers in the left hand have values of 10 and the thumb has a value of 50.
02:38Counting 1--20
Slowly this is how I would count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. You can see that I have a lot of fingers still left to use in this counting system.
03:13Counting into the 50s--90s
For instance, 52, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80. This system will work all the way up to 99, where all of the fingers are open.
03:37Counting Discreetly
You can count quietly in your lap. You can count by fingering your instrument. This was I find: that even if my mind wanders off, I have trained my fingers to keep counting. They just keep progressing on.
03:55Conclusion
I hope you find this useful. God bless you. Give Him thanks today. Music: Flight of the Bumblebee, ending.
Credits
- author Terry B. Ewell