sistermama gets real

Learning and Teaching the Pentatonic Flute

I taught myself to play the pentatonic flute several years ago, knowing that I wanted some experience before I taught J and L. I can read music, so I just taught myself using the fingering chart that came with the Choroi, and then I played music mostly from the Elisabeth Lebret book. I thought that it would come easily when I was ready to teach Jack at the start of first grade, but when the time came I just wasn't sure where to start. I looked at several books at the Steiner library, but couldn't find anything that great. I ordered Playing and Teaching the Pentatonic Flute and Pentatonic Recorder by David Darcy and I ended up being very pleased with it. It comes with a CD with all the music which I think would be very helpful if you were just learning how to play yourself.

It starts with a good introduction on why to start with the pentatonic flute, its limitations/strengths and how to introduce it. It also includes a story to go with giving the flute, but I better the one I shared yesterday. Next is a section for the adult to teach him/herself. Then comes the real meat of the book - pentatonic songs Darcy has written himself listed in the order in which he taught them to his class. One downfall of this book is that he doesn't write out clearly "how" to teach these songs to your child/children. However, we used simple imitation, sitting at chairs across from each other, and it worked out really well. The first song involves just the left thumb! And the next the left thumb and left index finger. The songs increase in complexity in a really manageable way.

Jack really liked the songs, and was proud of his ability to learn them.  By the end of second grade he knew approximately 15 songs by heart and could play them quite well.  Lucy is only on day 2, so if Jack's experience is a guide will be working on controlling her breathing while trying to coordinate her fingers at the same time.  Watching her learn I'm reminded that one of the main reasons to start with a wind instrument is that it is so helpful in moving towards a very regulated breathing cycle. 

The book ends with a retelling of "Masha and the Bear" with several songs to learn interspersed. I think we may turn this into a play this year.

If I get really brave, maybe I'll have Jack video me teaching Lu one day next week. 

Sweet Story for Introducing the Pentatonic Flute

I received this story at a conference several years ago.  Like many stories and verses you get at a Waldorfy conference, this is on a photocopied page with no author attributed, so I'm going to share it.   Jack didn't know he would learn the flute in first grade, so I told this to him the night before his first lesson and in the morning his own flute magically appeared.  Lucy has know since then that when she started first grade Jack would move up a flute and she would receive his.   I read this story to her yesterday, on our first actual day of school. 

Dear Heart and the Recorder

Once upon a time there was a young shepherd boy whose name was Dear Heart.  In the small village where he lived there was a beautiful young maiden whom Dear Heart liked very much.  But the beautiful young maiden took no notice of the young shepherd boy.

One day Dear Heart took his sheep out into the meadow to graze.  The beautiful warm sun made him very sleepy.  He decided to take a rest beneath the boughs of a majestic maple tree.  He soon fell into a deep sleep.  In his dream he heard beautiful music.  He looked up to find that a woodpecker had made holes in one of the branches and as the wind passed through the branch beautiful music was made.  Dear Heart wished that he too could make such beautiful music.

When Dear Heart woke from his dream, to his amazement, a beautiful recorder was sitting in his lap.  Dear Heart picked up the recorder very carefully.  He felt the smooth surface of the branch given so freely by the tree.  He admired the holes made by the woodpecker.  He held the recorder to his lips and gently blew through the recorder as if he were a gentle breeze.  He too made beautiful music. 

Dear Heart carefully wrapped the recorder in his scarf and tucked it in his pocket.  He thought of nothing else as he brought his sheep home for the night.

A few months later all the people in the village were gaily celebrating a festival.  Everyone had worked so hard to make this day so special. Dear Heart wanted to do something special for everyone so he began to play his recorder.  Everyone enjoyed his music so much - especially the beautiful maiden.

Year later, Dear Heart and the beautiful maiden married and to this day they make beautiful music together. 

People seem to call the Choroi instrument a "flute" or "recorder" interchangeably.  I prefer calling it a flute, but want J and L to know that it can also be called a recorder.  So when telling this story I use both words.   Tomorrow I'll share how I learned to play and how I teach.