Klarinet Archive - Posting 000358.txt from 1998/08

From: ROBERT ABRAHAM <rkabear@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: [Re: [kl] re:Audition Scales]
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:00:34 -0400

Just to put my 2 cents in...that's all they're worth, anyway...

Between Baermann and Klose scales, my choice would be Baermann, but..

*DO* ask the college you are auditioning for. Klose scales are not as difficult, but if you could use the added time to prepare Baermann scales to better prepare your prepared pieces, and you already are familiar with Klose, *and* Klose scales are acceptable, use them.

My preference for auditions scales (being a teacher and performer myself) is to use some quarter/eighth note pattern (quarter note on tonic, eighth notes on the rest of the notes for the scales - two or three octaves as necessary or accessible to the player). If you can't play a three octave G scale, *don't*. Most people I have auditioned for want to know that you can navigate a scale in a key (without wrong notes) and play with a good tone. Don't try to play the scales faster than you can. Use good judgement...if you can't play an F# scale 3 octaves, practice that, but remember that scales show continuity in playing, solo work shows technique.

Baermann *would* still be my choice between Baermann and Klose, if you can master them by the audition, but unless they are specified, or unless you like the extra work of preparing them, then Plain (vanilla type) scales would be a good choice.

BTW,I would assume that since the student asked about scales, the student doesn't play Klose or Baermann scales on a regular basis already. I would definitely recommend the plain scales if the student has never played Baermann or Klose scales on a regular basis before. If the student messes up the scale because they are having trouble navigating the Baermann or Klose patterns, it looks *much* worse than playing the scale right in a bland pattern starting and ending on tonic. If a clarinettist/teacher who is auditioning the student can't tell about technique from the prepared pieces and takes all technical assumptions from scale patterns, the student should look for a better school.

Just as a last aside...playing scales correctly with good tone says a lot about a student, students who hide their bad tone and shoddy finger movement by playing scales *FAST* are definitely a turnoff for me as a teacher.

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds/Computer Geek
New York City
**********************************************************************
> On Tue, 11 Aug 1998, Neil Leupold wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 11 Aug 1998, David C. Blumberg wrote:
> >
> > > How about playing the Scales page from the Klose book. That covers the keys
> > > major, and minor for your tape.
> >
> > The range is too limited in the Klose'. While the exercise is good
> > for demonstrating an ability to play all of the major and relative
> > melodic minor scales, it does not show the ability to play them
> > cleanly and evenly throughout the range of the instrument (lower
> > chalumeau through altissimo). The panel will be interested in
> > this. It would be best to contact the school and be informed
> > regarding which particular scales the prospective teacher(s)
> > are interested in hearing -- then record them as played from
> > the Baermann.
>
> For those of us who have been auditioning students for a decade or longer,
> I can say with quite a bit of assurance that the Klose scales will be
> perfectly acceptable for an audition into college. If you can play the
> Baermann studies and range, by all means do what you feel comfortable
> doing. But the primary objective of the audition committee is not to see
> if your range is great but to see if you have good, controlled technical
> abilities as well as a strong knowledge and ability to play in a wide
> range of keys.
>
> David Blumberg's advice is excellent.
>
> Roger Garrett
> Illinois Wesleyan University
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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