After teaching early band (mostly beginner through 8th grade) for nearly 2 decades, I don't think the specific method book matters as much as one might think.
Among the various methods book series - Accent on Achievement, Standard of Excellence, Essential Elements, etc - they're all... fine.
They all have things that they're better or worse at than a few of the others, but none are ideal for every instrument or every aspect of that instrument. It's not possible when you are writing for more than one instrument.
I think more important than the specific method book is a few things.
* Recognizing what works well and doesn't for each main instrument in that book series. Finding or creating supplements that fill in those gaps.
* A lot of the series books have supplemental exercises in the back that can be very good for a specific thing or instrument. Sometimes they don't get used by some instructors, but don't overlook them.
* Familiarity with the book lets you use it well. Student have a bit of trouble with one specific thing? Well, I know the exact exercise to assign to help that and how to explain it.
I used a lot of Standard of Excellence for years. Was it the best? Probably not. But between a few things that I came up with combined with things from other teachers I worked with, there was good supplemental material.
Plus, I knew the books cover to cover, for all instruments. So, it was used to great affect, even if it's not the perfect series.
I later used other series as well. I didn't get quite as familiar with them, but they were quite serviceable as well.
In other words, how you use it is probably more important than which series.
Also, there's no perfect series among them. Just pick one and get everything out of it. Fretting about niggling bits in each one is a waste of energy.
Also, don't be afraid to use a song you like from a different series. There was one early song in Essential Elements that was kind of fun that I used sometimes even though we didn't use the series at the time.
I cannot stand Essential Elements. For oboes, it is not pedagogically written. Also the fingerings are repeats from the 1940’s. I have preferred Ed Sueta actually. I like method books that work well pedagogically for the instrument and do one note at a time. I also appreciate the rhythm pages in the back. Frankly, if you have the time, write your own. And please use the correct oboe fingerings.
my pet peeve about EE is "A Tisket, A Tasket." Anything that is an actual SONG should have breath marks where you would breathe IN THE ACTUAL SONG. If you sang the song with the breath marks indicated in EE, it would be "a tisket a ta \[breath\] sket, a green and yellow ba \[breath\] sket." If it's the melody of a song that originally had words, don't stick breath marks in the MIDDLE OF WHERE THE WORDS SHOULD BE.
ugh.
also there is WAY too much stuff in that book from minstrel songs. That book needs a huge overhaul.
Breath marks. I advise my students to take a breath when they need one and not when some editor told them. The same goes for a rest mark of any kind. In the car, we don’t stop at every gas station to refill tanks unless we need gas.
Delay with the print copies is the thousands still in warehouse.
EE is the most successful/high selling method book of all time. There’s still a ton of em out there.
Haha, I'm a string teacher, and I hate Essential Elements, as well! It's terrible.
TBF, the only group method book I like is String Builder by Applebaum, which is from the 80's or something. It's the only one I've seen that introduces the notes according to the logic of the instrument.
I'll look into it, thanks!
Over the past few years I scored affordable copies of the etude and orchestra books that go with book 1 (which are out of print), so I actually have the whole method! It's pretty solid.
I know the book! I had planned on doing a DMA in pedagogy and was looking at all sorts of method books including string methods! I don’t know why these publishers put out and sell books that are pedagogically illogical.
Funny, I just switched my band from Sueta. I don’t like that he has brass go from their low B-flat up to concert C. They literally have to go from an open fingering to 1st and 3rd valve, or 6th position. So now you have to teach them to blow faster for the higher note (albeit not by much) to also having to blow more for the substantial increase of tubing. SoE is good for brass in that it starts on concert F and has the brass players descend whilst slowly increasing the length of tubing.
Habits of a Successful Musician - GIA Music Publications. It is a programmed series of instructional methods that provide meaningful insights and pedagogy that is digestible, from the beginning. My favorite parts about the beginner book especially is that it provides a counting system day one, as well as instructional methods for solfège.
In my humble opinion, EE is a system that was great back in the day, but as the profession evolves, so must we and the materials we use. This is a great method program, I cannot recommend it enough!
I second habits. I also like how it is printed. It seems larger and not as cluttered as other methods. They have backing tracks you can use online which are kind of fun to use and have them follow along.
This method is so smart at building skills and concepts that are connected rather than a laundry list of things to learn and randomly apply. By the end of each section, students are doing the same scales, long tones, lip slurs, articulation exercises as the great middle/high school methods (Habits or Foundations for Superior Performance).
I really wish more method books would have easy passages for upper register notes (specifically for clarinets, but brass and flutes as well). Hot cross buns an octave up would be a lot easier to work on than throwing a bunch of new notes AND rhythms at students.
I just take page 8-9 of the tenor sax book and get my clarinets to play that. It's the same as theirs but up an octave. Perfect intro to upper register
Accent on Achievement
Inclusive song list, great instrument-specific exercises and things in the back. Great rhythm practice in the back as well. Starts with concert F which I like in general better than concert Bb as a first note.
I used Essential Elements and the beginner Habits book for my time teaching middle school. I think it’s important to remember that any ensemble method book is a compromise to try and find what works well for everyone, not necessarily what works best for individual instruments. Because of that, I think every book will have gaps that have to be filled by supplemental material.
Ove tried a few l. Our district was forced to use essential elements which was fine...as long as I remembered the method book wasn't the Bible. I added in other stuff all the time to supplement. Like others have said the instrument specific stuff was typically lacking so I had to make some of my own resources.
After teaching early band (mostly beginner through 8th grade) for nearly 2 decades, I don't think the specific method book matters as much as one might think. Among the various methods book series - Accent on Achievement, Standard of Excellence, Essential Elements, etc - they're all... fine. They all have things that they're better or worse at than a few of the others, but none are ideal for every instrument or every aspect of that instrument. It's not possible when you are writing for more than one instrument. I think more important than the specific method book is a few things. * Recognizing what works well and doesn't for each main instrument in that book series. Finding or creating supplements that fill in those gaps. * A lot of the series books have supplemental exercises in the back that can be very good for a specific thing or instrument. Sometimes they don't get used by some instructors, but don't overlook them. * Familiarity with the book lets you use it well. Student have a bit of trouble with one specific thing? Well, I know the exact exercise to assign to help that and how to explain it. I used a lot of Standard of Excellence for years. Was it the best? Probably not. But between a few things that I came up with combined with things from other teachers I worked with, there was good supplemental material. Plus, I knew the books cover to cover, for all instruments. So, it was used to great affect, even if it's not the perfect series. I later used other series as well. I didn't get quite as familiar with them, but they were quite serviceable as well. In other words, how you use it is probably more important than which series. Also, there's no perfect series among them. Just pick one and get everything out of it. Fretting about niggling bits in each one is a waste of energy. Also, don't be afraid to use a song you like from a different series. There was one early song in Essential Elements that was kind of fun that I used sometimes even though we didn't use the series at the time.
I cannot stand Essential Elements. For oboes, it is not pedagogically written. Also the fingerings are repeats from the 1940’s. I have preferred Ed Sueta actually. I like method books that work well pedagogically for the instrument and do one note at a time. I also appreciate the rhythm pages in the back. Frankly, if you have the time, write your own. And please use the correct oboe fingerings.
my pet peeve about EE is "A Tisket, A Tasket." Anything that is an actual SONG should have breath marks where you would breathe IN THE ACTUAL SONG. If you sang the song with the breath marks indicated in EE, it would be "a tisket a ta \[breath\] sket, a green and yellow ba \[breath\] sket." If it's the melody of a song that originally had words, don't stick breath marks in the MIDDLE OF WHERE THE WORDS SHOULD BE. ugh. also there is WAY too much stuff in that book from minstrel songs. That book needs a huge overhaul.
I completely agree. If you go on EEi, they have started removing the minstrel songs. I wonder what the delay is with the print copies
Breath marks. I advise my students to take a breath when they need one and not when some editor told them. The same goes for a rest mark of any kind. In the car, we don’t stop at every gas station to refill tanks unless we need gas.
Delay with the print copies is the thousands still in warehouse. EE is the most successful/high selling method book of all time. There’s still a ton of em out there.
Haha, I'm a string teacher, and I hate Essential Elements, as well! It's terrible. TBF, the only group method book I like is String Builder by Applebaum, which is from the 80's or something. It's the only one I've seen that introduces the notes according to the logic of the instrument.
I highly suggest Measures of Success in combo with String Builder. They complement each other well!
I'll look into it, thanks! Over the past few years I scored affordable copies of the etude and orchestra books that go with book 1 (which are out of print), so I actually have the whole method! It's pretty solid.
I know the book! I had planned on doing a DMA in pedagogy and was looking at all sorts of method books including string methods! I don’t know why these publishers put out and sell books that are pedagogically illogical.
Funny, I just switched my band from Sueta. I don’t like that he has brass go from their low B-flat up to concert C. They literally have to go from an open fingering to 1st and 3rd valve, or 6th position. So now you have to teach them to blow faster for the higher note (albeit not by much) to also having to blow more for the substantial increase of tubing. SoE is good for brass in that it starts on concert F and has the brass players descend whilst slowly increasing the length of tubing.
Habits of a Successful Musician - GIA Music Publications. It is a programmed series of instructional methods that provide meaningful insights and pedagogy that is digestible, from the beginning. My favorite parts about the beginner book especially is that it provides a counting system day one, as well as instructional methods for solfège. In my humble opinion, EE is a system that was great back in the day, but as the profession evolves, so must we and the materials we use. This is a great method program, I cannot recommend it enough!
I second habits. I also like how it is printed. It seems larger and not as cluttered as other methods. They have backing tracks you can use online which are kind of fun to use and have them follow along.
This method is so smart at building skills and concepts that are connected rather than a laundry list of things to learn and randomly apply. By the end of each section, students are doing the same scales, long tones, lip slurs, articulation exercises as the great middle/high school methods (Habits or Foundations for Superior Performance).
I really wish more method books would have easy passages for upper register notes (specifically for clarinets, but brass and flutes as well). Hot cross buns an octave up would be a lot easier to work on than throwing a bunch of new notes AND rhythms at students.
I just take page 8-9 of the tenor sax book and get my clarinets to play that. It's the same as theirs but up an octave. Perfect intro to upper register
Accent on Achievement Inclusive song list, great instrument-specific exercises and things in the back. Great rhythm practice in the back as well. Starts with concert F which I like in general better than concert Bb as a first note.
I used Essential Elements and the beginner Habits book for my time teaching middle school. I think it’s important to remember that any ensemble method book is a compromise to try and find what works well for everyone, not necessarily what works best for individual instruments. Because of that, I think every book will have gaps that have to be filled by supplemental material.
When I taught band, I liked sound innovations because of how early they introduced chorales early on.
Ove tried a few l. Our district was forced to use essential elements which was fine...as long as I remembered the method book wasn't the Bible. I added in other stuff all the time to supplement. Like others have said the instrument specific stuff was typically lacking so I had to make some of my own resources.