Zoom Meeting or in-person at
Yes We Can Music Office
40 West 135th St., Ste. 1S, NY10037

You can stick to or alternate between Tuesdays and Sundays.

Prerequisite: none. All are welcome.

Đàn Tranh can be loaned from Mekong NYC.

Classes are conducted in person or via Zoom. Eight sessions will cover the basics and three songs: “Yellow Submarine (Tàu Ngầm Màu Vàng), “Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi” (Northern Song), and “Lý Mười Thương (Traditional Huế Song). Students will learn how the Vietnamese created a basic version called “lòng bản” from Vietnamese unique free styles

Curriculum

• Session 1: (Sunday 22 Oct, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 24 Oct, 2023 at 7 PM)

  • Class recording Sunday Oct 22 at 12PM (Hybrid)
  • Class recording Tuesday Oct 24 at 7PM (Hybrid)
  • Introducing the audio of the 3 songs that we will learn in this course, take a listen of these during the next few weeks:
    • “Yellow Submarine (Tàu Ngầm Màu Vàng),
    • “Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi” (Floating fern Wandering cloud – Northern Song), and
    • “Lý Mười Thương/Lý Tình Tang” (Love You for 10 Reasons – Traditional Huế Song)
  • Explaining the differences between time of practicing Đàn Tranh (Multi-Level Approaches)
    • Focus on Sounds
    • Focus on Techniques / Speeds
    • Focus on Note reading / Theory
    • Focus on Ear Training
    • Focus on Repertoire
    • Focus on Improvisations
    • Focus on Emotions
  • You & Your Đàn Tranh (Swallow Positions, Sitting, Hand Position, Touch Points, Bead Navigation)
  • Finger sensation
  • String order & Tuning
  • Tablature Reading
  • Yellow Submarine (Lòng Bản – Part 1)
• Session 2: (Sunday 29 Oct, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Nov 7 at 7PM)

  • Class recording (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Sunday Oct 29 at 12PM (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Tuesday Nov 7 at 7PM (Hybrid)
  • Right Hand Techniques:
    • Single Notes. Patterns suggest by students
    • Octaves. Patterns suggest by students
    • Three Finger Exercises
  • Compare Sounds of the Zither Family
  • Left Hand Techniques
    • Left Hand Techniques – Do’s & Don’ts
  • Yellow Submarine (Lòng Bản – Full)
• Session 3: (Sunday 5 Nov, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 14 Nov, 2023 at 7 PM)

  • Class recording (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Sunday Nov 5 at 12PM (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Tuesday Nov 14 at 7PM (Hybrid)
  • Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi Floating Fern Wandering Cloud (Lòng Bản – Key Phrases)
    • Pulse – Beat – Rhythm (Evenness + Accents)
    • Switching fingerings when switching directions of the melody.
    • Single Notes. Patterns suggest by students
    • Á Glissando
• Session 4: (Sunday 12 Nov, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 14 Nov, 2023 at 7 PM)

  • Class recording (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Sunday Nov 12 at 12PM (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Tuesday Nov 21 at 7PM (Hybrid) – No Shows
  • 7 suggested exercises (Feel free to create your own) – Adjust the playback speed as needed.
    • Multiple Fingers Patterns
      • Index – Thumb Alternate Warmup
      • Index – Thumb Evenness Warmup
      • Middle Finger – Index – Thumb Going Up & Down
    • Quãng 8 Octaves
      • Song Thanh Octaves with Middle Finger & Thumb
      • Quãng 8 Tách Rời Broken Octaves
      • Ngón Luân Phiên Trong Quãng 8 Three Fingers Alberti Bass with Octaves
    • Á Glissandi
      • Á Đi Lên Ascending Glissandi
      • Á Đi Xuống Descending Glissandi
  • Explored different techniques often used by Đàn Tranh’s artist:
    • Rung Vibratos
    • Tách Quãng 8 Breaking up the last notes into a broken octave.
    • Song Thanh Blocked Octaves on heightened moments.
    • Adding Á Glissandos at the beginning of the phrase.
    • Fast figure
  • Using timestamp to access the Bèo Giạt Mây Trôi‘s practice-along video (each phrase are looped 12 times).
• Session 5: (Sunday 19 Nov, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday 21 Nov, 2023 at 7 PM)

  • Class recording (Hybrid – Both sessions)
    • Class recording Sunday Nov 19 at 12PM (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Tuesday Nov 28 at 7PM (Hybrid) – No Shows
  • Review 7 Suggested Exercises
  • Left Hand Techniques – Do’s & Don’ts
  • Prepping for Tremolos (Speed)
  • Octaves – Tuning – Nốt Hò – Nốt Rung
  • Improvisation & Composition on Đàn Tranh
    • Tag Line (Câu Lót) (–> Rung Strings or Hò String): tagged at the end of a musical idea. Can be alone, repeated or paired with another Tag Line.
    • Show-off section: No rules, can be on the side of loud/fast or slow/deep.
• Session 6: (Sunday Dec 3, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Dec 5, 2023 at 7 PM)

  • Class recording (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Sunday Dec 3 at 12PM (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Tuesday Dec 5 at 7PM (Hybrid)
  • Tuning Steps:
    • Step 1: Arrange the con nhạn “swallows” in a neat row.
      • The highest con nhạn “swallows” is approximately the length of an index finger away from the bridge.
      • The lowest con nhạn “swallows” is about a foot away from the tuning pegs.
      • Con nhạn “swallows” become closer to each other as the strings become shorter. This is because less movement of con nhạn “swallows” is required to adjust the high strings.
    • Step 2: Find a suitable place to put or clip your tuner, or use a ninja tuner on your phone.
    • Step 3: Begin tuning from the lowest string:
      • Pluck the string with the right hand while tuning the tuning peg with the left hand. Push down as you turn.
      • Often, we don’t need to look at the right hand plucking to save time; instead, glance back and forth between the two ends of the instrument.
    • Most tuning is accomplished by turning the peg first.
    • Use con nhạn “swallows” only for fine adjustments.
  • Using VoceVista to observe the differences between:
    • Tone with good resonance vs. tone that is not “healthy” or “not full”
    • Differentiating between bending and gliding
    • Left-hand exercises for bending and gliding on G-C-D strings
  • Lý Mười Thương (Standard tuning with WIDE rung vibrato on C & D strings)
    • Explaining the Tag Lines of Lý Mười Thương
    • Explaining Huế Styles for vibration on Lý Mười Thương
• Session 7: (Sunday 10 Dec, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Dec 12, 2023 at 7 PM )

  • Class recording (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Sunday Dec 10 at 12PM (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Tuesday Dec 12 at 7PM (Hybrid)
  • Lý Mười Thương
    • Vuốt Gliding Exercises
    • Guide Practice Videos
    • Review Healthy Tones and Vibration with VoceVista
  • Improvise
• Session 8: (Sunday Dec 17, 2023 at 12 PM or Tuesday Dec 19, 2023 at 7 PM)

  Special Venue For Sunday Dec 17: Milbank Chapel, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th street, NY 10027

  For Tuesday Dec 19: Regular Location

  • Class recording (Hybrid)
    • Class recording Sunday Dec 17 at 12PM (Live)
    • Class recording Tuesday Dec 19 at 7PM (Hybrid)
  • Tuning in a way that the switch between C pentatonic (for Lý Mười Thường and Bèo Giạt Mây Trôi) and F pentatonic (for Yellow Submarine) can be quick while performing.
  • Recap the rationale of the curriculum
  • Narration: “Captain Beatles and a Huế Girl”
    • Introducing
    • Practicing different scenes in the narration
    • First runthrough
  • Reception. Thank you all!