THE ARS PERSONAL STUDY PROGRAM

IN THIRTEEN STAGES TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR PLAYING

A Supplement to American Recorder - September 1996

Stage 1

            I can:

1. Play a one-octave C Major scale and arpeggio by memory, using tongued legato and staccato articulations.
2. Play another easy major scale and arpeggio by memory, using the same articulations.
3. Play the same two scales by memory, holding each note with a steady tone for four beats.
4. Imitate simple melodic patterns of up to five notes, using no sharps or flats.
5. Imitate simple dance patterns clapped by someone else.
6. Clap or play notated rhythms in 2/4 and 4/4 meters at sight.
7. Sight-read simple pieces with no sharps or flats.
8. Play a short melody by memory.
9. Tell about the composer of the short memorized melody, or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin of the short memorized melody.
10. List the different sizes of recorders that are commonly played today.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 1 and may now move to Stage 2. 

Stage 2

            I can:

1. Play one-octave C, G, and F Major scales and arpeggios by memory, using tongued legato and staccato articulations.
2. Tell the key signatures and the names of the notes in the above scales.
3. Play an easy natural minor scale and arpeggio by memory, using tongued legato and staccato articulations.
4. Play all of the above scales by memory, holding each note with a steady tone for four beats.
5. Imitate simple melodic patterns of up to five notes in F Major.
6. Accompany a dance tune, using simple repeated rhythmic patterns in duple meter.
7. Clap and play notated rhythms in 3/4 meter at sight.
8. Sight-read simple pieces with a key signature of one flat.
9. Play two short solo pieces, accompanied or unaccompanied.
10. Tell about the composers of the solo pieces, or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin of the solo pieces.

Congratulations! You have finished Stage 2 and may now move to Stage 3

Stage 3

            I can:

1. Play one-octave a, e, and d natural minor scales and arpeggios, using tongued legato and staccato articulations.
2. Tell the key signatures and the names of the notes in the same scales.
3. Play the above scales by memory, holding each note with a steady tone for four beats.
4. Match a named, sustained pitch played by someone else.
5. Imitate simple melodic patterns of up to five notes in G Major.
6. Accompany a dance tune, using simple repeated rhythmic patterns in triple meter.
7. Clap and play notated rhythms in 6/8 meter at sight.
8. Sight-read simple pieces with a key signature of one sharp.
9. Play one part from each of two different duets.
10. Tell about the composers of the duets, or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin of the duets.
11. Tell about the care of both plastic and wood recorders.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 3.

 Stage 4

(If soprano or tenor recorder was used during Stages 1-3, alto should be used for Stage 4, and vice versa.)

            I can:

1. Play by memory on the new instrument all the scales and arpeggios covered in Stages 1-3.
2. Match a named, sustained pitch played by someone else, using the new instrument.
3. Create by ear and notate ostinatos for Renaissance dances such as the pavane, allemande and galliard.
4. Sight-read simple pieces with key signatures up to one sharp or one flat, using the new instrument.
5. Play the appropriate part from a medieval duet for S/A or A/T on the new instrument.
6. Play two appropriate parts from one or two Renaissance duets on the new instrument.
7. Tell about the composer of the medieval duet, or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin, and tell about at least one composer or historical figure who lived in that country at the same time.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 4 and may now move to Stage 5.

 Stage 5

            I can:

1. Play one-octave C, G, and F Major scales and arpeggios by memory on both S/T and A recorders, using staccato, tongued legato, and slurred articulations.
2. Play the a, e, and d natural and melodic minor scales and arpeggios by memory on S/T and A recorders, using staccato, tongued legato, and slurred articulations.
3. Play all of the above scales by memory, holding each note with a steady tone for six beats.
4. Tune unisons, octaves and fifths by playing the upper note of the interval on an alto recorder.
5. Play divisions on ascending and descending unisons, seconds, and thirds by memory using a soprano recorder.
6. Play the same divisions sequentially by memory on each note of major and minor scales that have key signatures of up to one sharp or one flat.
7. Sight-read pieces from the Level I music list on both S/T and A recorders.
8. Play both parts of a medieval duet for S/A or A/T.
9. Play all parts of two Renaissance duets (a total of four parts: two parts played on S/T recorder, while the other two are played on A/B recorder).
10. Tell about the composer(s) of the Renaissance duets, or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin of the duets, and tell about at least one other composer or historical figure who lived in the country of origin at the same time.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 5 and may now move to Stage 6

 Stage 6

            I can:

1. Play the following one-octave scales and arpeggios by memory on S/T and A recorders, using staccato, tongued legato, and slurred articulations:  BI major, and g natural and melodic minor.
2. Play the same scales by memory, holding each note with a steady tone for six beats.
3. Tell where the whole and half steps are in the major, natural minor, and melodic minor scales.
4. Tune unisons, octaves and fifths by playing the upper note of the interval on a soprano recorder.
5. Play divisions on ascending and descending unisons, seconds and thirds by memory using an alto recorder.
6. Play the same divisions sequentially on each note of major and minor scales up to one sharp or one flat.
7. Clap or play the notated rhythms at sight from a variety of pieces from the Level II music list.
8. Sight-read Level I pieces, playing alto recorder “up an octave” on all appropriate lines.
9. Play two contrasting Baroque movements or pieces (one slow, one fast).
10. Tell about the composers of the Baroque movements, or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin of the Baroque movements, and tell about at least one other composer or historical figure who lived in the country of origin at the same time.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 6 and may now move to Stage 7. 

Stage 7

            I can:

1. Play the following one-octave scales and arpeggios by memory on S/T and A recorders, using staccato, tongued legato, and slurred articulations: D Major, b natural and melodic minor.
2. Play the same scales by memory, holding each note with a steady tone for six beats.
3. Notate the major, natural minor, and melodic minor scales up to two sharps and two flats.
4. Play a one-octave chromatic scale on both S/T and A recorders, beginning on the soprano recorder’s G and on the alto recorder’s C.
5. Imitate divisions on ascending and descending unisons, seconds and thirds on either S or A recorder, after hearing each division played by someone else.
6. Identify incorrect notes and rhythms played by someone else, while looking at the music.
7. Sight-read Level I pieces, alternating back and forth between S/T and A recorders.
8. Play a short medieval dance by memory on soprano recorder.
9. Play two contrasting twentieth-century movements or pieces, or one longer twentieth century piece.
10. Tell about the composers of the medieval dance and the twentieth-century piece(s), or in the case of an anonymous composer, the country of origin of the performed pieces, and tell about at least one other composer or historical figure who lived in the countries of origin at the same time.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 7.

Stage 8

            I can:

1. Play by memory all of the scales and arpeggios covered in Stages 5-7, utilizing the entire first two octaves of both S/T and A/B recorders and using staccato, tongued legato and slurred-tongued combination articulations.
2. Play by memory all the scales in Stages 5-7 for one octave, holding each note with a steady tone for eight beats.
3. Play one-octave D, A and G Dorian scales.
4. Notate all of the above scales with the correct key signatures and accidentals.
5. Imitate and notate rhythms clapped or played by someone else.
6. Sight-read Medieval and early Renaissance pieces from the Level II music list.
7. Play a memorized Medieval monophonic work.
8. Write program notes for the Medieval monophonic work.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 8 and may now move to Stage 9.

 Stage 9

            I can:

1. Play by memory all of the scales and arpeggios covered in Stages 5-7, utilizing the entire first two octaves of both S/T and A/B recorders and various historical and modern compound tonguing articulations.
2. Play one-octave G, D and C Mixolydian scales.
3. Notate one-octave G, D and C Mixolydian scales.
4. Imitate and notate simple Renaissance divisions played by someone else.
5. Sight-read both treble and bass clef lines from Renaissance works which might have no barlines.
6. Ornament the top parts of a mid-sixteenth-century pavane, a galliard, and either an allemande or a basse dance.
7. Play all the parts of a late-sixteenth-century pavane, galliard, courante and allemande.
8. Write program notes for both sets of dances.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 9 and may now move to Stage 10. 

Stage 10

            I can:

1. Play the following one-octave scales and arpeggios on both S/T and A/B recorders, using all articulations:
2. E-flat and A Major, c and f-sharp natural and melodic minor.
3. Play the same scales by memory, using slow vibrato and holding each note for eight beats.
4. Play one-octave E, B and A Phrygian scales.
5. Notate all of the above scales with the correct key signatures and accidentals.
6. Tune unisons, octaves, fourths and fifths, playing the appropriate note above or below a sustained pitch.
7. Identify octaves and perfect, augmented and diminished fourths and fifths when the notes are played either consecutively or simultaneously.
8. Sight-read alto clef lines from Renaissance works which might have no barlines.
9. Play from original sixteenth-century notation: all parts of a trio or quartet, or both parts of two duets.
10. Write program notes for the piece(s) played from original notation.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 10 and may now move to Stage 11.

Stage 11

            I can:

1. Play the following one-octave scales and arpeggios on both S/T and A/B recorders, using all articulations: A-flat and E Major, f and c-sharp natural and melodic minor.
2. Play the same scales by memory, using fast vibrato and holding each note for eight beats.
3. Play one-octave F, C and B-flat Lydian scales.
4. Notate all of the above scales with the correct key signatures and accidentals.
5. Tune major and minor thirds, playing the appropriate note above or below a sustained pitch.
6. Identify major and minor seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths when the notes are played either consecutively or simultaneously.
7. Sight-read early Baroque works that include meter changes.
8. Play one late Renaissance or early Baroque work.
9. Write program notes for the late Renaissance or early Baroque work.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 11 and may now move to Stage 12.

 Stage 12

            I can:

1. Play the following one-octave scales and arpeggios on both S/T and A/B recorders, using all articulations:
2. D-flat (C-sharp) and B(C-flat) Major, b-flat (a-sharp) and g-sharp (a-flat) natural and melodic minor.
3. Play the same scales by memory, using either slow or fast vibrato and holding each note for eight beats.
4. Notate the same scales with the correct key signatures and accidentals.
5. Play an ascending two-octave chromatic scale, starting on the lowest note of the recorder.
6. Identify major, minor, augmented and diminished triads when the notes are played consecutively.
7. Sight-read late Baroque movements or pieces, executing the appropriate Baroque ornaments at sight.
8. Play one late Baroque solo sonata or suite, accompanied or unaccompanied.
9. Write program notes for the sonata or suite.

 Congratulations! You have finished Stage 12 and may now move to Stage 13 

 Stage 13

            I can:

1. Play the following one-octave scales and arpeggios on both S/T and A/B recorders, using all articulations: G-flat (F-sharp) Major, e-flat (d-sharp) natural and melodic minor.
2. Play the same scales by memory, using either a steady tone, or slow or fast vibrato, and holding each note for eight beats.
3. Notate the same scales with the correct key signatures and accidentals.
4. Play an ascending and descending two-octave chromatic scale, starting on the lowest note of the recorder.
5. Identify major, minor, augmented and diminished triads when the notes are played simultaneously.
6. Sight-read twentieth-century compositions with complex rhythms and numerous accidentals.
7. Play one piece composed in the twentieth century.
8. Write program notes for the twentieth-century composition.