This arrangement can work with a variety of student levels. If you only have a few upper level players, be sure they use part 1a. If you have several advanced players, divide them between parts 1a and 2a. The most basic version uses all level 5 students (parts 1b, 2b, and 3). The all level 5 version of this piece provides practice with simple slurs. Isolate the slurred sections and practice them as a group.
Remind students to play ascending slurs (hammer-ons) by adding the appropriate left-hand finger with a small, quick motion. Many students feel the need to move the “hammering” finger far from the fingerboard “winding up” before hammering-on. Teach students to avoid these large movements. Rather than large, forceful movements, place emphasis on sharp, quick movements from fingers that hover just over the anticipated note. A suggested rule of thumb is to keep the left-hand fingers “floating” about 2-4 millimeters from the fingerboard.
Remind students to play descending slurs (pull-offs) by snapping the finger off the desired string sideways toward the floor. Many student tend to pull the finger up off the fingerboard, creating a weak sound. When correctly executing pull-offs, the left-hand finger essentially plucks the string, resulting in a note that is close in volume to the preceding note.
As always, ask for beautiful tone and adherence to expressive instructions in the score. Practice conducting the dynamics and tempo alterations as separate exercises. Ask students to internalize the passage in question to ensure they pay attention to the conductor instead of the score.
Historical Notes:
Frequently used in movies and television, the “Flower Duet” comes from the opera Lakmé by the 19th century French composer Léo Delibes. In the original context, the daughter of a Brahmin priest and her servant sing together while gathering flowers by a river. This opera, set in British controlled India, demonstrates Western fascinations with what was then seen as the “exotic” East.