 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-02-16 13:48
i probably already know the answer to this, but any more suggestions would be appreciated.
ive been in our community wind symphony for about 6 yrs. i have made progress but its been slow going. im now at the point where i pretty much 'get' the music we are given - but i still have trouble with speed.
i got thru a process of building the speed over a period of time...i play it over and over - at first slow and increasing the speed of the metronome a few clicks at a time, i set goals for myself, and i do get the fast passages faster - but not fast enough. when i go to rehearsal, its still cant keep up. i always feel like i need way more time to get it to a fast enough speed.
is the answer - just keep practicing, just keep doing what im doing - or is there something else i can do?
thanks - janlynn
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2005-02-16 14:13
Sounds like you are doing it right with the metronome. Sometimes it helps me to play fast passages in different rhythms than written.
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Author: hans
Date: 2005-02-16 14:22
janlynn,
Learning to read six bars ahead of where you are playing, if you are not already doing this, might help.
Hans
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-02-16 14:25
hans ... do you mean ...while im playing one bar, be looking at the next until im about 6 bars out? that would help, yeah .. never thot of that. not sure how i can be playing something while looking that far ahead but i guess you build up to it, just like with the speed, yes?
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Author: William
Date: 2005-02-16 15:04
Developing the skill to look ahead is a key factor in reading music accurately, especially seeing it for the first time (sight reading). Another "key" skill is to be able to instantly recognize scale and chord patterns and effectively eliminate the need to read every single note. Learning to instantly analyze rythmic structure is also a must in music reading. And all of this comes in time with experiance and serious practice.
Technical speed is also an acquired skill that develops naturally with practice and experiance. What helps most is to learn to play all of the major and minor scales (diatonically and in thirds) and arpeggios (chordal patterns) in every key--not just the "easy" ones. For many of us, the Baermann Complete is our "Bible" and we practice parts or all of it every day before practicing lessons or music we must master for the gig. But remember, when playing the scales and arpeggios, musical performance is the main goal. So keep them even, smooth and in tune. Avoid the urge to just rush through the notes to "get them over with".
Playing music with technical ease and musical feeling simply takes time--a lot of experiance and practice. And try to remember, like in a journey, getting there is half the fun. So, set that metronome and enjoy the trip.
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-16 15:12
I think that there is some excellent advice (especially from william) - look ahead in the music, continue practicing with a metranome and increase your speed all the while, change up rhythms... for example: 4 groups of 4 sixteenths- play three notes, stop, next three notes, stop... play the sixteenths like triplets (you'll have to regroup of course), or dotted eigths... swing the notes.... etc. changing the rthythm really helps.
I also find that to improve technically, I practice etudes made to better your technique. (i.e. Baermann, Rose, Klose, etc.) - those studies REALLY help.
there's a post about warm up routines somewhere on here that you should check out- if you do some of those warm up routines your technique will get better and you can do things faster.
another question- how's your tonguing? is that part of the problem?
here: http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=172013&t=172013
that's the warm up post/thread you should check out
-Lindsie
Post Edited (2005-02-16 15:13)
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-02-16 15:25
hey - THANKS everyone! ... i already feel more inspired! ah yes - the Baerman bible - book III ... have been working in it ..but so far only the major scales.
i think im on the right track as i was practicing one piece last week i noticed a chromatic scale in the music and just wrote above it "chromatic" ...
i few key points clicked for me here -
looking ahead ...that i DEFINATELY need to work on ..even if i just start with 1 group of 4 16ths instead of each indivdual note that makes up the 1 group.
the other is rushing ..just trying to get it over with and get to the end ...
and the last is to remember the journey
as far as my tonguing goes ... thats even worse! lol right now i was just talking about slurring.
i asked this question today becuz we are playing a piece where we have to go fast and its all slurred and ive been working on increasing the speed and yet i still couldnt do it last night in rehearsal. made me so frustrated cuz i really pracriced it a lot and thot i had it better than that.
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-16 15:36
well, in case you want to work on your tonguing, I'll tell you what my teacher told me... and it works!
set your metranome at a playable speed... I'd say quarter note = 80 (a bit slow, but it's a start) and play 4 groups of 4 sixteenths- straight, on a low F. make sure each group falls on one beat. end on a half note...two beats of rest, then do the same pattern on a G. keep going until you make it up to "thumb F" or whatever it's called. then slowly increase the metranomes speed until you can't tongue that fast anymore. work on that everyday and I guarantee that your tongue will get faster. you just have to push yourself- don't play where it's "comfortable"
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2005-02-16 15:49
That's good for the low register. But the upper registers are much harder to tongue without getting that gutteral after-sound. I suggest keeping with the Baermann, for certain, and possibly playing the triplet excercise, at least the first few lines of it. It is not technically difficult but can be played slow or extremely fast, depending on your ability and comfort level. The key though is to USE A METRONOME. Sounds like you are doing that and that is fantastic! One step ahead of the game and many, many players (who don't use a metronome and as a result, cannot play steadily).
Another etude book that I found was very useful was the Jeanjean 18
Etudes Modernes. It is very challenging, but well worth the effort. There are fast, slow, rhythmically rediculous, lyrical, accidental-ridden, and duet etudes throughout. Baermann, though, is the key to technique, i.m.o. It's important to do ALL of the scales and arpeggios. All of the major, melodic, harmonic, and natural minor, augmented, diminished, whole tone, etc. Then play the thirds, fourths, fifths, etc. Those are helpful as well especially for fast jumps that need to sound lyrical or musical. As for tonguing and Baermann...I believe the book has a staccato excercise in the back of the book. The first (I think) three lines are not very difficult and are great for practicing tonguing. This was how I developed my tongue. Now I can tongue 16ths at around 170-180 throughout the registers of the clarinet.
For your specific case, it may be helpful to learn the passage faster than necessary. That way, when you go into rehearsal, you will feel comfortable with the speed and have no problem. Yes, easier said than done.
Good Luck!!!
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-16 15:57
thanks clarinetist '04! I work with Baermann, but never seemed to get how any of the excercises really helped with tonguing, so this might be good. what, specifically, is it that you worked on to get your tongue so fast? ('cause mine is struggling at 120!)
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-02-16 16:36
You don't have to play the Baermann as written. Slur-2-Tongue-2 and All-Tongued are very effective. As for speed, think of tonguing groups of notes rather than T-T-T-T-T each individual note. For high notes, make sure your tongue isn't in charge of moving the air and rather just separates the notes.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-03-02 11:40
hey ...ive been working on all the suggestions given to me and guess what??? im improving with my speed which i didnt think i could do!!
we played 'that' song in rehearsal last night "the melody shop march" karl king ...and i 'just' about had it. i missed some notes along the way but jumped right back in and did good.
he had the flutes and clarinets play that spot by themselves and i after i have to say i was feeling kind proud - until- he said, "and it will be even more fun when its up to speed." OH NOoooo! i think i can get it faster tho. i have until the end of April to keep working on it.
thanks for the help everyone!!
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Author: ginny
Date: 2005-03-02 15:19
Having had a recent breakthrough and suffered a similar experience (never quite getting up to tempo) in the lack of speed I will share.
My teacher suggested I just sit, eyes closed and 'listen' to my body. It turns out I sort of lift my shoulders habitually and my upper arms and shoulders have a great deal of tension. It translates to my hands which I had thought to be relaxed... The difference was immediate, even the conductor noticed the improvement, the first rehearsal after I discovered this. There are still some passages that are too fast for me but many fewer and I believe this is lessening rhythmic problems, rushing. In fact I do daily tasks more quickly as well.
You may or may not be carrying inappropriate tension somewhere when you play. It might be worthwhile to sit and 'listen' to your body to find out.
Post Edited (2005-03-02 15:20)
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-03-02 16:25
MELODY SHOP?! did you ever say it was melody shop? oh my! I'm playing that piece and was having the hardest time getting it faster, even though I have played faster, harder pieces. There is something about that piece...there must be... it is VERY fast, and it's supposed to be about presto by the end (my band director liked it being insanely fast and then by the end speeding up)
ginny: thank you, I will try that, because I have the feeling I have tension too...
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-03-02 17:42
YEP! thats the one!! its fun, but FASSSSST! hey, maybe we have the same director lol he has more than one wind symphony. i do hope i get it fast enough by the concert. that is my goal. and if not. well, i know im trying my very best.
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