 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ginny
Date: 1999-04-07 01:48
For the next two months, due to circumstances beyond my control, I will only have about 20 minutes to practice each day. Other than NEVER READING SNEEZY again (unthinkable) what do you think would be the best way to spend my brief time with the clarinet?
Ginny - who is looking forward to the summer.
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-04-07 02:41
Scales and arpeggios in all keys and inversions of the arpgeggios.
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Author: Rick2
Date: 1999-04-07 04:02
I agree with Dee. Does this mean no more duets?
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-04-07 04:49
1: Long-tones. Though i just do #2a slurred to take care of the LT requirement
2a: half (or quater) of the Albert scales book one day, other half the next day (or other quarters for the next three days).
2b: various articulation patterns in various scale/arpeggio patterns. Can do this intertwined with #2a to save time and repition on the same day.
3 (assuming time permits): work on trouble spots on whatever pieces you're working on.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-04-07 05:13
If you intend to become a professional player,Dee and Rick's suggestion is reasonable.But if you play for fun and joy like me:if I were you,I do not like practicing only scales and arpeggios for two months!( although I know its importance.) 20 minutes is very long.
My suggestions:
1)5 minutes or less:Practice specific key scale or its arpeggio for a Rose32 tune(below).It will let you set an object of scale practice.
2)5-10 minutes:Rose 32 etude.Odd numbers(slower ones) first and even numbers(faster ones) later.Practice one tune a day.Brush it up next day.Needs 64 days.
3)5 minutes:Any tune you select.
4)The rest:chromatic scales.This can cover every scales practice.Take good care of middle and high break(using half tone hole technique).
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-04-07 05:49
As Daniel suggested long tone practice should have been included.In my case:
1)Its aims should be clarified by the player himself/herself. Aimless practice is nothing but nothing.In my case,they are to have a long air column,to have a breath control,using lung and diapharagm(some singers say many instrument players,even pros,use stomach),and ability to use air effectively.
2)It will be better to use lowest E at first,since it needs the longest air column.Then open G since this is emitted with the most short air column length and necessary to be played apparent longer air column.
3)Play p not f.Playing in p is much more difficult and needs good embouchure and exhaling controllability.
4)Measure how long I could play every day and write it down and see my improvement.Just playing long tone will make me dull.
5)3 times will be enough for a day.It will need only 1-2 minutes.
6)If in a day I do not like long tone practice,I will play Baerman's number #24 etude.By this I can practice long tone,change of expressions and breath support at once.
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 1999-04-07 12:57
I definitely agree with all of the above. Doing long tones and technique will keep you enough in shape that you can get back into it easily. If you do find the time elsewhere, you can also try mental practise: take out a score you've been working on and look over it, trying to hear it as you read it. I find that I can now look over a score this way in a few minutes, and the next time I play I'll make fewer mistakes. I empathize totally--fortunately, I'm in university, so the summer starts Friday (well, really after exams, but don't bother me with the picky details! ;-)
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-04-07 20:15
Interesting follow-up comment to Katherine Pincock's comment about mentally reviewing particularly difficult passages. I have found that once I "got it in my head", the rest of the pieces come together and I can actually play it fairly well.
So, take advantage of those daydreaming times of the day to mentally go back over the music that challenges you. That way, you might get a good jump start on your "hands on" practice session.
I guess the phrase "If you can dream it, you can do it" is actually true.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 1999-04-09 22:45
Good ideas from everyone. The main thing is to be organized. Here's what I do:
Warm up the embouchure muscles as you open the case and put the instrument together. Take a couple of deep breaths and blow a small, intense airstream, as if you were trying to bend a candle flame.
Take a couple of minutes on long tones. Do just enough to get the embouchure, breath and sound "locked in." Start on a forte low E, slur up to the clarion B above, and fade. Listen to keep high overtone energy in the low note and carry the roundness of the low register up into the clarion note. Go up chromatically. When you get to A, go to the E above and then roll your left index finger down for the altissimo C#, once again concentrating on carrying the roundness up.
Relax, stand up, walk around the chair, hold your arms straight up and shake your hands a couple of times.
While you're fresh, pay some dues. For only a 20 minute session, probably the best exercise is the one in the Klose book for scales in thirds, going all the way around the circle of fifths, major and minor. It's about 2 pages long, and Klose puts a note at the bottom of the first page saying, "This excercise I consider to be one of the most important." As you come around toward the easier keys, concentrate on relaxing your hands and fingers, so that you use the least possible finger movement.
Ideally, you should be "grooved" by this point and feeling good. Stand up, move around the room and shake your arms a couple of times more. Put on a new reed.
Now you can do some fun stuff. Play some orchestral solos or a movement of a sonata, not to work on it but just to feel good.
Then work on an etude (the Rose 32 and 40 are great), concentrating on the passages that give you trouble.
Finally, end with more fun. Play along with a record. Set up a tape recorder and tape one part of a duet, so you cn play along with yourself next time. Do some jazz. Practice the glissando from Rhapsody in Blue and freak out the cat.
Dry out the instrument and the reeds and put them away.
You should be able to exhaust yourself within 20 minutes -- get the "mule kicked me in the face" sensation and walk away tired but content.
Finally, remember that there are lots of exercises you can do without the instrument. As you walk down the street, take breath in for one step, hold it for one step, and breathe out for one step. Then do 2,2,2, 3,3,3, and so on. You should be able to get up to 10,10,10 without much difficulty. I can almost always make 13,13,13 and once made 20,20,20 on a downslope.
As you walk, you can also play scales with your fingers, to keep the movements familiar.
You can make an "embouchure face" any time. I used to drive 45 minutes to work and back each day. I had an old mouthpiece and barrel and a cut down reed, and I got to where I could hold it for several minutes just with lip strength. I got some really odd looks from other drivers, but also got some genuine muscle development. Don't let yourself be embarrassed. What do they know? You're doing what you need, and if they don't like it, that's their problem.
20 minutes can be enough to stay in good shape. Just be sure to have some fun, too. That's part of what playing is about.
Practice, have fun, listen to the best players do the best music, and come back in the fall playing better than ever.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ginny
Date: 1999-04-10 18:55
Thanks to all of you, I have taken this advice. I actually seem to have made a little progress (well I do have a long way to go) during this busy time. Perhaps 20 min. of well planned practice is better than an hour of aimlessness.
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