Advanced Australian Fair or Star Spangled Banner?
Found in: Accompaniment, Foundation Songs
Kathleen C., Australia
Just started 2 students with Star Spangled Banner and they mentioned it would be great if it were Advanced Australia Fair instead.
I am wondering when do you (mainly Australian teachers) normally introduce Advanced Australia Fair? I noted the scores is in the music reference file but can’t see any other reference?
David P., Western Australia
I usually introduce Advance Australia Fair following the completion of Accompaniment 1.
Peter S., Australia
I had this same question last year and asked a few teachers here in Perth. They replaced the Star Spangled Banner in Level 2 with Waltzing Matilda. Then in Level 3 SSB is replaced with Advanced Australia Fair.
Depending on the student, I teach Advanced Australian Fair in stages. For example, they could spend time first becoming comfortable playing through it with no split chords, i.e. instead of playing G/B, both hands just play the G. Then gradually the splits can be introduced. The students can choose which ones they want to introduce. Also, in bars 5, 9, 15 and 16 where there’s a chord change on every beat, they can leave out the chord on the 2nd and 4th beats and just play the chords from the 1st and 3rd beats twice like all the other bars. As they improve they add those extra chords back in.
Leanne V., Australia
Here is a simpler version of Advanced Australia Fair that I have used with my students once they know the white major chords. Some of them have used it to play along with a guitarist at school assemblies. It is in A so not so high to sing along to. You play two 1:2 ratios in each bar.
Kerry V., Australia
I’d like to add here that I do NOT replace Star Spangled Banner with Advanced Australia Fair but include it. I give them AAF when they have felt comfortable with chords, yes usually after Accomp 1 and also as a reading project.
If a student says they do not like SSB I use this as a perfect opportunity in 1. It isn’t about the song we are playing but the skill and 2. they can now change the words around which helps in the lyric writing. Perfect opportunity to show how you can ‘arrange’ existing songs.
Assuming you are not teaching SSB because of it being USA’s national anthem and not Australias. Do not replace a song only because a student or group don’t like it because of its origins or simply because they do not like it. The chords and progression in SSB are really great – especially in showing how you can go from simple to more complex.
Likewise for those with religious groups, again, simply change the words and have the group do it as a project.