The Mixed Abilities School Ensemble Series

Children (and adults) who learn a musical instrument will always progress at different rates.Students also develop some of the many skills involved in instrumental playing faster than other skills.

The Mixed Abilities School Ensemble Series has the flexibility to allow pupils of different standards to play together in one ensemble (up to five parts). It also encourages students to develop improvisation skills by providing soloing opportunities within all parts, with suggested pitches for improvising.

Each piece has five different parts which are split into four ability levels as follows:

A – Range of about 5 notes, easy rhythms. B – Range of about 1 octave, basic rhythms. C – Range of about a 12th, some more difficult rhythms. D – Range of about 2 octaves, some rhythmic complexity.

This enables the teacher to select parts which are suitable for the standard of individual players in the group. As a general rule, the pieces have been composed as follows:

Part 1 – melody / countermelody (alternates with Part 2)

Part 2 – melody / countermelody (alternates with Part 1)

Part 3 – accompaniment (synchronises with Part 4)

Part 4 –accompaniment (synchronises with Part 3)

Part 5 – bass line (independent)

Each part also comes in a wide array of transpositions, clefs and pitches. Hence, almost any combination of instruments can play together in an ensemble of mixed abilities,including:

Flutes, clarinets, saxophones, mixed woodwind, trumpets, mixed brass (including brass band), violins, strings, keyboards/pianos, tuned percussion.

An ensemble using any combination of instruments (as is often found within schools) will work effectively as well.

Example: A quintet might be selected as follows:

1A (violin), 2C(trumpet), 3B (clarinet), 4B (tenor sax), 5D (trombone)

The melody in 1A would be very simple but would contrast nicely when passed to the more difficult 2C. Parts 3B and 4B will have quite a simple accompaniment between them, whilst the bass line on 5D will be more complex and rhythmically interesting. Parts can obviously be doubled up as well beyond five players.

Please note that the teacher of the ensemble should be careful to pick parts which are well-suited to the players’ abilities.

This pack includes BANANA BLUES (a 12-bar Blues piece) and CRAZY LATIN! which has additional parts for Latin percussion commonly found in the classroom.

Please listen to the mp3 file, which is an electronic example of the piece being played with glockenspiel on 1C, piano on 2B, xylophone on 3B, clarinet on 4A and 'cello on 5D.

Score and all parts are included here in a variety of pitches, clefs and transpositions. It is the complete package with over 300 pages, and represents a huge saving on individual purchase prices.