 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: brian
Date: 2000-01-31 20:00
Any suggestions out there regarding scale study methods? I've been using Stievendard for about the last year or so and I'd like to try something a little different for a change. Thanks.
Brian
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-01-31 21:43
I've been using Hite's edition of Baermann III for a while. You also might look into Klose' for scales drills.
I'm sure there are many others. I look forward to seeing more feedback on this subject.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-01-31 21:46
brian wrote:
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Any suggestions out there regarding scale study methods? I've been using Stievendard for about the last year or so and I'd like to try something a little different for a change. Thanks.
Brian
Brian -
If you want etudes in various keys, the best place to start is the Rose 32, followed by the Rose 40. These are very fine music as well as exercises. You play them throughout your life.
The various advanced method books (Baermann bk. 2, 4 and 5, Langenus bk. 3, Lazarus bk. 3, Klose) have etudes in all the keys. These are decent music, though not as good as Rose, and they give you a workout in every key.
There are four volumes of very short studies by Kroepsch -- over 400, ranging from 4 measures to a couple of lines. Each isolates a particular problem or group of related problems. They're hardly music at all -- just notes arranged to pose a problem that you need to work out because sooner or later you will come across it in real music. They're not easy. Even # 1 is something you will need to work on for weeks to get perfectly smooth.
As to pure scale studies, there is no such thing as "something different." They're all basically the same, and lay the foundation for your technique. The most complete is book 3 of the Baermann method, known as the "clarinetist's bible." It goes up, down and around through every scale and arpeggio.
You need to learn to make music even when playing scales. Still, this is nasty medicine, and the first 100 times through, say, the scale of D# minor (6 sharps) in thirds about as much fun as eating light bulbs. It's also essential. If you don't get these fundamental elements completely "in your fingers" then you will be helpless when a piece modulates through that key. It's like trying to read without knowing the whole alphabet.
It can be done. Furthermore, it's something anyone can do. Every professional player has paid these dues and lived. When it gets tough, remind yourself that you're creating your own tools, each of which will last you the rest of your life. It's a great feeling to come to a new piece of music *knowing* that nothing can surprise you -- that you've run every possible combination 1,000, 10,000 times or more.
Good luck. It's not easy, but it's doable, and it feels great when you stop.
Ken Shaw
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-01-31 22:27
Ken:
I laughed out loud at your reference to devilish drills and chewing light bulbs. It fits so well. No pain, no gain.
When it comes to scales drills, you just gotta love that crunchy stuff...
Here is one more hint for drill books. Look at the back of a Southern Music drill book edited by Hite. Jot down all of the books it references. Buy them all (at once if you can afford it, they aren't that expensive). Then, pound away at the drills in them ad nauseum and beyond nauseum. Get professional help, too. You'll need it. No, not a shrink. A clarinet pro tutor.
Ken is absolutely totally on target. I heard this same story from my master pro tutor every week for years. There has to be some truth to it to be repeated like a bad drill over and over and over...
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Author: Rick2
Date: 2000-02-01 03:08
It's book 2 of Lazarus that is packed with scales. Book 3 is the one with what you called "athletic duets."
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-02-01 04:17
If scales are exercised over and over and every time with a or a few flaws,it is not a study but an absurdity fixing many bad memories.
There should be absolutely no flaw in scale playing. If there is one, its bad memory should be cancelled out by a correct scale playing and to fix a correct memory another correct playing should be done.This is what our memory does.
This is why it is absolutely absurd to play a scale over our possible range and speed. Baerman is OK. But they should be played 'within' our range and speed and without 'any' flaw.
One way is to break a scale to small range like 6 degrees.
In case of flute,Taffanel and Gaubert daily exercise (for beginners and intermediate) uses this technique.I have never found ones.
Exercising chromatic scale is overlooked by many but very important to all wind players.
If you are interested in improving finger clumsiness,Karmen Opperman's Modern Clarinet Study or Velocity Study might be good. I have Modern Clarinet Study I. It is very systematic although it is not a fun to play.
If I were more musically intelligent in my youth,I should have devise scale studies for myself to suite my ability at the time.
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 2000-02-01 14:54
If you want something a little different, but that still qualifies as a scale study, get the Jeanjean Vademecum daily studies book. One of the exercises does scales and arpeggios in all keys. However, this particular exercise is great because it doesn't necessarily go straight through the scales--it tosses in a few chromatic notes, turns, etc. I found it really useful, because I couldn't just automatically turn my mind off--I had to pay attention to what I was doing, so I picked up on unevenness, etc. Also, when you're actually playing a piece that uses scale patterns, they're more like this: I rarely find a piece where a run is TOTALLY part of one scale.
Another classic is the Galper scales and arpeggios book for clarinets (although this is probably more of a classic here in Canada, because he taught at University of Toronto, so all of his students had to use that book.) This is more along the lines of the Baermann scale book, though, and the Baermann covers all of the altissimo register. If you haven't done much altissimo work, you might want to start with Galper and graduate to Baermann as you get more comfortable. Besides, having the Galper book is amusing just to see the looks of horror on Canadian clarinetists having flashbacks triggered by the hideous fluorescent-yellow cover ;-)
Hope this helps you out.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-02-01 15:01
Katherine Pincock wrote:
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Besides, having the Galper book is amusing just to see the looks of horror on Canadian clarinetists having flashbacks triggered by the hideous fluorescent-yellow cover ;-)
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Luckily mine's in red :^)
Abe's a sponsor of Sneezy.Org (and a great guy!) - his site is at:
<b><a href=http://www.avrahm-galper.sneezy.org>http://www.avrahm-galper.sneezy.org</a></b>.
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-02-01 15:02
I have to emphatically agree with Hiroshi. Practice drills excruciatingly slowly to get them absolutely perfect first and foremost. Accuracy is paramount. Learn to do it 100% accurately and repeat it with 100% accuracy very slowly at first. Keep up the accuracy at no less than 100% perfect and gradually build up speed. If at any time you aren't 100% perfect, slow it down until you are.
That's why I say I'm slowly hacking through Baermann III. If I have to stretch each note out to a whole note and take several minutes to go through one measure each, so be it. Most players know when they have made a mistake. I know I do. This is the time to stop, review the troublesome part and analyze it. Then, figure out the fingering strategy one note at a time if necessary. Practice the worst part, even if it's only two notes at a time until they are smooth. Add a previous note and a following note for a total of 4 notes and practice it. Then, add other surrounding notes only when capability and competence can tolerate it. After that, go through the entire drill very slowly and see if you get the troublesome part right. If you did, great. If you didn't, repeat the nearby note drill until you do.
Reading this posting should be boring and repetitive. About as enjoyable as crunching light bulbs or getting your teeth scraped. So be it. That's the nature of these drills. There are no shortcuts to it. This is the key to playing the clarinet with extreme accuracy and very smooth motion.
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Author: Jim Carabetta
Date: 2000-02-01 16:02
Somewhere in the Rubank series is a book called "Selected Studies" which covers all the scales and has extremely challenging exercises in all of them. I use it for both clarinet and saxophone.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-02-01 18:56
Paul -
You and Hiroshi are exactly right. You must not let yourself tolerate even the slightest unevenness in scale practice. If you do, you'll build it into the foundation of your technique. If you have to start with whole notes at 40 quarter note beats per minute, then that's where you start.
I had forgotten about the Jeanjean Vade Mecum - thank's Katherine. In Latin, the title means "Come With Me" -- and it's what you take along when you have room for nothing else, to get you "tuned in" at the start of the day. In his preface, Jeanjean says going through it will do everything necessary to get all the parts operating together.
Ken Shaw
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Author: saturnsax
Date: 2005-10-21 01:01
If you want to work on different scale types, try finding books with different modes in them. Everyone can play major/minor, harmonic and melodic scales. There are so many books out there with great ideas its ridiculous or great for us.
Just take any scale that you know and try a different starting/finishing points.
example c major
C D E F G A B C
D E F G A B C D
E F G A B C D E
F G A B C D E F
G A B C D E F G
A B C D E G F A
B C D E F G A B
I personally don't remember the names of all the Modes of the scale are but this will give you an idea of what i mean.
Just play the c major scale starting at the different points and play them in 2nds, 3rds, arpeggios, etc. Do this with all scales you know to give you great technique.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2005-10-21 03:17
There are lots of books of scale material, but one of the better ones is Hamelin-Gammes et Exercises.
I have always felt that it is also good to do scales in formats where you take a pattern and learn it across the entire instrument. It gives you a complete command and gets your aural-finger connection going. It also severs that bond with the page, forcing one to think globally about the instrument and helps one develop a greater connection with the instrument. This does a lot to develop listening skills.
Toward that end there is a great book of patterns by the great jazz saxophonist and teacher Tony Dagradi (from Astral Project, Carla Bley) for study. It starts with basic diatonic scale patterns and continues through more advanced patterns. Here is the description from the Kendor Music website:
ESSENTIAL SCALE STUDIES FOR IMPROVISATION - DAGRADI
Item # 20655 Price $18
Written by award-winning jazz artist and teacher Tony Dagradi for all instruments, this book develops solid technical skills in players at all experience levels. Young players can play just the basic exercises, while more proficient players can attempt the variations which follow each etude. There are 205 studies in all, covering the full range of intervallic relationships in major, pentatonic, diminished and whole-tone scales. Used with great success by Dagradi's jazz and sax students at Loyola University in New Orleans.
This is an excellent book that would provide great practice material for anyone, whether a jazz player or classical.
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Author: Connor
Date: 2005-10-21 05:00
I personaly belive one should study scales outside of a method book. Practice the memorization of scales from day one, then come up with as many patters as possible to continualy engage and challenge your self. my favorite patterns;
1234 5432 3456 7654 ect
135 246 357
1 8 7 2 3 6 5 4 1
as well as the inverse of each pattern.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2005-10-21 10:59
Hey Connor,
Great suggestion! I would also suggest perhaps just jumbling up the order of scales from session to session so that the order doesn't become a pattern. For this (please bear with me) you can jot the names of all the diatonic scale forms on the back of a set of playing cards and shuffle every time. This sounded so stupid to me the first time I heard it I resisted the idea for months. Just have someone ask you to play a scale (of their choice) and see how easy it is........go ahead.......I dare ya!
.........Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed
Date: 2005-10-21 13:00
Connor says:
"I personaly belive one should study scales outside of a method book"
My point exactly. In Tony Dagradi's book, he gives you a pattern in the key of C, and then you are expected to take that pattern and mentally work it out in every key, in the entire range of your instrument. There is enough stuff here that it could easily take years. IF it was all written out, a) it would defeat the purpose b) you couldn't lift the book, as it would be huge.
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Author: Connor
Date: 2005-10-21 16:16
"For this (please bear with me) you can jot the names of all the diatonic scale forms on the back of a set of playing cards and shuffle every time."
The clarinet studio is subjected to Bil Jackson's "Wheel of Misfortune"
The circle of fifths is placed in a wheel and you randomly spin an arm to select wich major/minor scale is played. There is also a spinner for playing the scale in Thirds, diatonic, or the Arpegio.
Another thought; Always play scales the full range of your horn! Music doesn't always start on the first scale degree and stop on the eight scale degree. Scale in thirds and the arpegios must also be played full range.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2005-10-22 03:43
Yes, the Jeanjean Vade Mecum is wonderful and one can go through the whole book in a reasonable time.
I still like to go through the Klose page 123 as often as I feel like it. By playing it three times, slurred, single tongued, and double tongued, one can get even more out of it. I also like to use short, medium and long spaces between the notes when single or double tonguing. Using very short notes with long spacing between them makes it easier to speed up the tempo when needed. Good luck!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-10-22 04:05
I use (and also teach to my students) the 6 day practice routine for basic fundamentals as was originally laid out by Marcel Moyse:
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MONDAY - E major scale, F major scale, E minor scale, F minor scale, E whole tone scale, F whole tone scale, Diminished 7th chords starting on E, F and F#, Augmented chords starting on E, F, F#, and G, Dominant 7th chord on E resolving to Major and Minor triads on A, Dominant 7th chord on F resolving to Major and Minor triads on Bb, 3 octave chromatic scale in triplets starting on E
TUESDAY - F# major scale, G major scale, F# minor scale, G minor scale, E whole tone scale, F whole tone scale, Diminished 7th chords starting on E, F and F#, Augmented chords starting on E, F, F#, and G, Dominant 7th chord on F# resolving to Major and Minor triads on B, Dominant 7th chord on G resolving to Major and Minor triads on C, 3 octave chromatic scale in triplets starting on F
WEDNESDAY - Ab major scale, A major scale, G# minor scale, A minor scale, E whole tone scale, F whole tone scale, Diminished 7th chords starting on E, F and F#, Augmented chords starting on E, F, F#, and G, Dominant 7th chord on Ab resolving to Major and Minor triads on Db, Dominant 7th chord on A resolving to Major and Minor triads on D, 3 octave chromatic scale in triplets starting on F#
THURSDAY - Bb major scale, B major scale, Bb minor scale, B minor scale, E whole tone scale, F whole tone scale, Diminished 7th chords starting on E, F and F#, Augmented chords starting on E, F, F#, and G, Dominant 7th chord on Bb resolving to Major and Minor triads on Eb, Dominant 7th chord on B resolving to Major and Minor triads on E, 3 octave chromatic scale in triplets starting on G
FRIDAY - C major scale, Db major scale, C minor scale, C# minor scale, E whole tone scale, F whole tone scale, Diminished 7th chords starting on E, F and F#, Augmented chords starting on E, F, F#, and G, Dominant 7th chord on C resolving to Major and Minor triads on F, Dominant 7th chord on C# resolving to Major and Minor triads on F#, 3 octave chromatic scale in triplets starting on G#
SATURDAY - D major scale, Eb major scale, D minor scale, Eb minor scale, E whole tone scale, F whole tone scale, Diminished 7th chords starting on E, F and F#, Augmented chords starting on E, F, F#, and G, Dominant 7th chord on D resolving to Major and Minor triads on G, Dominant 7th chord on Eb resolving to Major and Minor triads on Ab, 3 octave chromatic scale in triplets starting on A
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Combine the above with weekly selected etudes, technique, tonguing and repertoire work...GBK
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-10-22 06:59
GBK, many thanks. Every time I look at my Baermann III book (which I bought off of the advice of this particular BBoard), my head starts to swim. Thanks for the above guide to help narrow down a "what/when".
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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