 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Amanda S
Date: 2004-02-19 01:44
I already tried searching the bboard for this and found nothing...
For solo and ensemble contest, I am playing the Finzi Fughetta(I'm in 8th grade). I'm still having problems with the thirty second notes in the run. Is there anything I can do to help this besides play it over and over and over? Also, is there anything else I need to know to get a one on this solo?
What grade did ya'll play this piece in?
Thanks,
Amanda
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Author: Tom A
Date: 2004-02-19 03:11
In the Australian board exams this is described as grade 6. It's probably one of the harder pieces in this grade.
In honesty, the first person you should ask is a teacher, for learning or practising techniques (I make a distinction). I'm sure that I and other teachers here would love to help, but I could go on for pages making suggestions, because there are so many, and because they're easy to demo but difficult to describe in writing.
When's the performance? If my home computer gets repaired or replaced beforehand, I'll try emailing you directly.
Cheers
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2004-02-19 03:12
Try searching under "Five Bagatelles," that's the name of the whole piece (the Fughetta's just the last movement). Playing over and over helps a lot, but make sure you're playing it at a tempo where you're comfortable, even if that's really slow. Once you can consistently play without mistakes at that tempo (and I don't mean just getting it once), try it a little faster. When you're perfect there, kick it up a notch. You get the idea. It can be tedious but it is the best way to learn something thoroughly.
Make sure you play with good dynamic contrast, attention to the pianist (get one if you can, especially for this piece!) and general flair and confidence. Good luck! And look at some of the other movements if you have time; they're lovely.
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2004-02-19 03:22
Oh yeah, I forgot this. Do you know what a fugue is? If you don't, look it up. A fughetta's just a little fugue (as opposed to a fugato, which is a little fugue inside a larger piece- think the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth). Look carefully at the score (I'd give you measure numbers but my music's in my locker in the college music building; I was playing this just yesterday) and find each entrance. When you're playing with the piano, know who has the main subject. If it's not you, be quiet. Look at how the different voices interact- it's a bit like a conversation. Listen to a recording if you haven't already.
And I haven't actually worked on this piece formally yet, which is a shame. I played the Finzi Concerto in 10th grade, though. If you like the Bagatelles you'll love the Concerto, but it's longer and somewhat more complicated. The key signatures are a bit evil (5 flats?).
Post Edited (2004-02-19 03:25)
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2004-02-19 03:54
There are many different rhythms that you can use to practice runs that will help you gain speed and evenness. It's hard to describe these without playing them for you. Maybe ask a teacher about to help you with this. FOr me, this is infinitely more effective than simply playing them "straight" over and over again.
Don Hite
theclarinetist@yahoo.com
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Author: Amanda S
Date: 2004-02-19 11:51
Wow...thanks everyone. I have someone at school who helps me with this piece, but she hasn't been around often. Solo and ensemble is this weekend. I've been working on the thirty-second notes forever now, and they're just not coming around. I was also wondering about which cresendos and decresendos should be the most prominent. I played with the accompianment and I got yelled at because I wasn't overly confident...oops. I've listened to a recording I found on the internet (Lauren Del Re I think...)but it not a great recording. Some of the notes seem like they're in the wrong places, but thats probably just me.
Thanks again,
Amanda
Post Edited (2004-02-19 11:57)
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Author: Renato
Date: 2004-02-19 14:00
Hi
Very nice piece! I like it a lot. All those 5 bagatelles. Not that I can play it thoroughly, but I like it a lot.
The tips I got about learning/practising fast passages is to ignore they are fast and play the notes as if they weren't 32nd notes. Practise them more slowly, and you don't even have to play them steadily at first. Play "with" them, not only play them. I mean, break them up in smaller groups, pairs of dotted and non-dotted notes, anything that helps your fingers and your mind to get more familiar with those notes. And don't be a masochist while practising. Take breaks, have fun too. Don't try to bring them up to tempo on this same day. The trick is to familiarise yourself with that particular sequence of notes, to let your fingers and brain take them in.
Then forget about them until the next day, for there are studies showing that what you study today will only be processed by your brain hours (I forget how many) later. As soon as you start the next day's practice, check how you are doing. If you're still stumbling on the notes, go over that process again. Break the notes up into smaller groups, change these groups, play slowly but clearly, as clean as you can. Have the notes at your fingertips, know them by heart, they must become your friends. Then, once again, put them to rest, and yourself. Go back to practice after a number of hours, or the next day. I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing nice results very soon.
I hope it helps.
---- Good luck,
Renato
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-02-19 14:47
Amanda -
As you have found, just playing a difficult passage over and over isn't the best way. Here's a method taught to me by the great teacher Keith Stein, which isolates each pair of notes and lets you work in an organized way.
Please go to http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=24907&t=24731 and find my message. What to do begins at "Evening Out the Changes."
Try this, and, after a week or so, come back and give us a report.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2004-02-19 15:41
The run up to the high G is pretty tricky, and therefore you should investigate all the fingerings for this note...it goes by pretty quickly however, a good reed and sound is a must.
David Dow
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2004-02-19 22:58
This run is tricky. The best thing to do is work out with your pianist how it's going to happen. This is the part that if the piece is going to fall apart, it will happen HERE!
Note the marking - it is broadened, not slowed down. So you and the pianist need to work out what broadening is, then do that. Then, get straight back into the tempo. If these runs fall apart, then your chance to impress will be in getting 'back into it'.
Remember that this piece has a lot of charm, so play it as such, and charm the pants off everyone who listens! This one is the type of piece you can win an eisteddfodd on!
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-02-20 09:01
i don't know how old "10th grade" is, but i played this piece at age 13 for an exam, and looking back i must have butchered it!
i'll make my advice on the run short and sweet.....
re "slow practise"- make sure that as/when you speed up, you are still doing the same things with your fingers as you did when playing slowly... too many people practise slowly thinking it will improve the run when they speed up, but neglect this simple step.
there are many other bits of advice, but actually i'm sure that the advice given above by Ken Shaw will be enough help if you follow it through.
donald
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