Klarinet Archive - Posting 000251.txt from 2001/10

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] time signatures
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 14:02:51 -0400

I have several 10 to 12 year olds, and we come across 2/2 often in the
English tutor books. I just write 1-2-3-4 over the minims, (half notes),
tell them to think in 4 ( to ignore the 2/2) and think of it as 4/4. This
gets over the mathematics side without too much time wasting explanations,
and allows the lesson to continue (flow). They will have time when they are
in their middle teenage years to understand more fully (if they don`t
already, after my 'short cut') what 2/2 really means.

T.D.D.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Wojtowicz" <ewoj@-----.net>
Subject: [kl] time signatures

> I have a question regarding the use and origins of time signatures. Often
> when teaching young students cut-time (2/2), I get a puzzled look and they
> inquire "why don't they just write it in 2/4 and use quarter notes instead
> of half notes?" I don't really have any good answers. I suspect that there
> is a historic reason, but unless I fell asleep that day in music history,
I
> really am not aware of it. Any answers?
>
> Ed

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