 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: missclarinetist
Date: 2005-08-04 15:07
Hey guys just wondering what you would practice first. Scales or pieces? I tend to be the opposite as I always start off with the pieces and not warming up on scales. What techniques do you recommend to enhance your practice times within a given hour? How many hours do you practice a day?
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Author: chumbucket804
Date: 2005-08-04 15:33
I usually start with some long tones. Then something in all twelve keys... scales, clarke studies, arpeggios, thirds.. Next I practice music for school and region. Then the actual pieces. And I end it with something to play just for fun.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-08-04 15:58
I've posted this before, but here again in 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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This is the warm-up practice routine which I encourage my students to follow.
Combine the above with weekly selected etudes, technique, tonguing and repertoire work...GBK
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-04 16:29
OK, I'll bite, what do you do on Sunday?
Bob Draznik
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Author: Markael
Date: 2005-08-04 18:34
We have seen the daunting GBK routine before, but what I read as the key phrase in the beginning post of this thread is “warm up.” That is, what do you do when you first put the clarinet in your mouth?
Long tones sound to me like a place to start.
Someone gave me an article out of Windplayer magazine, entitled “The Comprehensive Warm-Up,” by Julia Heinmen. Heinmen’s routine is in two parts, the first of which is a lengthy and detailed regimen of long tones and twelfths.
How much is enough?
How much time spent on warm-ups is realistically practical for busy players who are not “professional clarinetists” and don’t always get in enough practice time?
How soon after taking the horn out of the case should one go into the fast and furious mode?
Aren’t there performance situations where the ideal warm-up is not possible?
Can you warm up till you're worn out?
I have thought about these same issues in reference to piano practice. Some people warm up on scales and Hanon. To me, if you do this at a fast pace, it is tantamount to a runner warming up on the hundred metre dash.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2005-08-04 20:34
I split my time-sometime long, sometime short-to three sections:
1)Tone development, scales, arrpegios etc
2)Exersises and etudes
3)Pieces
Tone development means:
1)Find the most beautiful tone you have. Try to make the tone half tone up(or down) have the same tone quality and the same with the tone a hole tone up(or down) etc.
2)Embouchure muscle training using long tone. Long tone exercises with crescendo and decrescendo are very good for this training.
3)Try to change tone colors:this is too difficult for me.
Someone advised me to change the starting note of every scale every day.
Chromatic scale has everything other scales have-Kalmen Opperman Modern Clarinet Studies.
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Author: TonkaToy
Date: 2005-08-04 21:12
1. Long Tones
Each day I start with 3 octave dominant 7th chords beginning on low E and continuing to the 1st line Eflat. (I do three octaves up to the C chord and then 2 octaves on Dflat, D, and Eflat)
While doing the long tones I'm thinking about several things; a centered beautiful tone, a firm and relaxed embrochure, and most importantly, connectivity between notes. My primary teacher was a Bonade student and silky legato, playing "through the notes", and a minimum of finger noise was something that was fundemental in his teaching.
Also, I try not to rush through this portion of my warm up. If I'm not satisfied with the connection between two notes or the timbre or volume between the two doesn't match to my satisfaction I'll work on it a while so that I can live with it.
2. Scales
A long time ago I learned all the major and melodic minor scales from the Klose book. There is an section that has all the scales connected with little "turn arounds" and transitional notes to tie them each together. I do this once tongued and once slured.
From the same section of the Klose book are the major and minor scales in thirds. I do them both tongued and slured. Occasionaly to mix things up I'll do the scales in thirds in different articulations; two and two, one and three, three and one.
Again from the Klose, there are exercises where he goes through the circle of fifths with major chords, major 7th chords, and diminished 7th chords. I do each of the exercises once slured and once tongued.
3. Baermann
Each day I do one major and minor scale from Baermann, working through each exercise presented for the key, i.e. scales, chords, returing scales etc.
Some days due to time constraints i have to cheat a little, maybe just do things tongued not slured, but this takes me about an hour as a rule.
I know lots of really fantastic players who warm up for ten mins and they are good to go. I've never been one of them. I've always had to warm up very methodically and for a fairly long time before I felt like I was ready to go work on etudes, solo pieces, or ensemble music.
It's interesting to see everyones warm-ups. Lots of ideas to think about.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2005-08-05 03:29
FWIW, I don't believe the usual "long tones" are a good _FIRST_ thing to do when you stick the clarinet in your face.
I think it's important to "noodle" around a bit first. I usually do arpeggios myself, 3 octave majors starting on low e and going up to c.
Then I do Baermann. That (for me) is a much better means of achieving the tone I want than holding one note can be. I think long tones have their place but warming up is not it for me...
As for Baermann, I play both major and relative minor versions of each exercise, as well as the diminished seventh chords, "diverse chords," and at least half a page of all three studies in the back. Takes about 20 minutes on a good day, 25-30 on a bad day (or a key I don't do frequently!)...
Katrina
Post Edited (2005-08-05 03:32)
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2005-08-05 04:03
I just got Artie Shaw's two books for practicing. I thought they would be extremely difficult but they are not. After that I switch over to Jamey Aebersold and work on improvisation until I'm tired.
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Author: ned
Date: 2005-08-05 04:03
Upward chromatic from low D (concert) played slowly. It's good for encouraging practice over the break.
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-08-05 04:07
Long tones to remind your embouchure muscles how to function throughout the rest of your practice session, then scales/arpeggios/thirds/etc. to wake up your fingers.
-Tyler
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-08-05 04:12
I do not use long tones in my warm up and do not advise my students to use them either. I feel that they accomplish very little and take unnecessary time away from scales and arpeggios, which are the building blocks of technique.
A better approach would be to play your scales very slowly, listening for smooth connections between the notes, and checking that the down and/or up movement of each finger is absolutely precise and seamless.
I also do not think that long tones help to improve your tone quality. Playing notes slowly, in context, whether scalewise or arpeggiated, and matching their sonority and color will do much more to develop your overall tonal concept.
Music making is the connections of notes at different speeds, not just one sustained note...GBK
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2005-08-05 04:44
*what he said*
GBK's articulation of the points involving the lack of importance of long tones were what I meant to say above...
Katrina
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-08-05 04:53
Katrina wrote:
> *what he said*
>
> GBK's articulation of the points involving the lack of
> importance of long tones were what I meant to say above...
>
> Katrina
I knew that you and I agree on our approach to warm-up and practice time.
Actually your original posting reminded me to put down my thoughts...GBK
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-08-05 14:25
I warm up on long tones with the full chromatic scale all the way up and down the instrument. Then, I use "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" as a breath exercise--using one breath for the whole first part. If I make it through without crashing I'm ready to advance to other more difficult things. This drives my fellow clarinetists crazy in pre-rehearsal. But, have you ever had an opera singer stay in the room next to yours?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-08-05 15:30
I think everyone should begin each practice session with scales and technical polishing. You're at your freshest and best then.
Robert Spring has described his monster warmup regimen at http://www.people.memphis.edu/~ggholson/unitus/clar/WARMUP.TXT.
No one but Spring could survive this, but anyone can work with total concentration on playing an exercise perfectly -- no fluffs, no blips.
Go dead slow. Set your metronome to 60 and play one note per beat. Perfect technique means getting rid of even the slightest unevenness. You can't go fast until you're perfect going slow.
At 60, you have time to visualize each movement before you make it, like an olympic diver visualizing the complete dive before doing it. Whether it involves moving one finger or all nine, your goal is to put everything into a single image, which you can trigger whenever you need it.
Getting each change exactly right improves your playing at all speeds. The changes from one note to the next happen just as quickly with the metronome at 60 as they do when it's at 200.
Do this for as long as you can hold your concentration. At first, this may be only 5 or 10 minutes. The moment you get tired and start to make mistakes, STOP and go on to something else.
For what more on this involves, see http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=178641&t=178641
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=158256&t=158204
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=160752&t=160676
Ken Shaw
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2005-08-06 02:58
For me, warming up involved getting the instrument to playing temperature. Then i just start working on whatever needs to be prepared for the week. Playing operas requires a lot of stamina, so i would rather use as much practice time for preparing.
Secondly - Scales are much more helpful than longtones. I play the scale with the same kind of breath and support i would use on a long tone. I also think its smart to learn arpeggios up to the 11th and 13th.
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Author: clarinetmaniac101
Date: 2005-08-06 07:53
well I practice 4hrs and 35mins, and here is what I practice in that time.
1. 7th's, octaves and whole steps
2. Scales- Out of the H. Klose Celebrated Method for the Clarinet.
1.Major and Minor Scales
2.Major and Minor Thirds
3.Chromatic Excersices(Tounged and slurred)
4.Tonic Chords(in all keys)
3. Octave Exersices
4. Articulation Excersices
5. Etude
6. Solo Piece(Concertino By Weber for an audition)
7. Sight Reading.
So that is My Practice shcedule, a long time but very good for me, helps develope my clarinet skills and numerous more. You do what you feel like you need to work on. Good luck.
Rashad
*clarinet
Post Edited (2005-08-06 08:04)
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