Klarinet Archive - Posting 000562.txt from 1995/06

From: Lynn Thomas <thomas@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: Practice Makes Perfect?
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 1995 13:02:10 -0400

What Chad said, plus:

Don't say you "know" your scales until you've tried memorizing the first
page of the Klose book (all major & minor scales), and then add the next
three pages (chromatics and thirds) once you've done that. Then use that
first page and the page of thirds as a warmup every day. (The chromatic
page gets a bit monotonous, zzzzz!) BTW, these memorizations are the
first thing that Anthony Gigliotti (Principal clarinetist, Phila. Orch.)
makes you learn in lessons.

As for music, if you want to learn something different that doesn't get
boring - there's plenty of solos to choose from. Chad suggested the
Concertino (a good choice, standard high school solo). I'd like to add
to that the following: Schubert "Arpeggione," Jean Jean "Arabesques" (I
loved this one in high school), Rabaud "Solo de Concours," Schumann
"Fantasy Pieces" (this will give you some work with accidentals, tricky
keys and such), and Hindemith "Sonata."

I'm trying not to give you all classical period solos here - playing
music only from that period gets somewhat stifling for a good musician!
And I know I'll probably get some flack for the Hindemith suggestion,
but I learned that as a freshman in college, and wished I'd known about
Hindemith years before. That solo turned me on to 20th century clarinet
music, I just love it; and it's not too difficult for a good high school
player.

The other thing about practicing every day - you have to build up your
embouchure. If you skip a day or two, don't your chops hurt a bit after
you've played 10-15 minutes? Your muscles are telling you something...

Good luck!

Lynn