Klarinet Archive - Posting 000369.txt from 1996/03

From: Bob Chesebro <Chesebro_Bob/furman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Teaching transposition in the US
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 15:37:32 -0500

> A couple of years ago I had an eye opening experience. I was
> studying in Vienna at the Conservatory in the summer of 1991 with
Roger
> Salander. It was an intense study of reed making, literature, and
other
> things (beer, ice cream, & bus schedules).
> One exercise was to play duets with Roger in front of the
class.
> We would start out normal and then 5 lines in he would say 1/2 step
up.
> Next in C. Next 1/2 down. I really learned fast how to sight
transpose.
> Not that I had never transposed before - Bruckner Mass, Schubert
Great,
> misc. C parts. But I would always have the music before and learn the
part
> transposed before rehearsal (memorize the harder passages).
> I now do daily transposition of a Rose (40 or 32) etude Which
> includes reading it in C on Bb and A (using the bass clef method) and
doing
> 1/2 step up and down transposition. I find this helps my overall
reading
> skills (music is so much easier when your brain doen't hurt) and in
> partuculair my sight reading skills. I also try and do alot of bass
> clarinet in bass clef reading (Bach cello suites are great for this!).
The
> one area that I have to force myself to work on is Bass clarinet in A
in
> bass clef (bass clef in A, No thanks I'll just take the live rattler
> please).
> I'm curious do USA teachers do any transposition skills with
their
> students? It was a skill I never thought of until it was called for
in the
> music. In Europe it's much more part of a players tool box.
>
> Dan
>
>
************************************************************************
******
>
> Daniel A. Paprocki
> dap@-----.us
>
>
************************************************************************
******
>
Dear Dan,

To answer your question, I insist my students learn to transpose. I use
all that you have mentioned above. It doesn't matter if they are
college--mus.ed. or performance--, or younger--H.S and Jr Hi. I feel it
is a necessary skill and they will find it highly useful. Thanks for
asking.

Bob Chesebro
Furman Univ.