 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2005-08-22 10:59
Hi everyone
What's the best way to go about raising my endurance for a long concerto performance? It's three months away which gives me just enough time to improve my fitness.
Thanks for advice/info!
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Author: jangjiman
Date: 2005-08-22 12:40
practice a whole bunch? Play some super long notes with a proper embouchure. Some slow songs might help too.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2005-08-22 14:13
Practicing a lot is good advice, but how about just playing wherever you can, like chamber groups, or another performing group at whatever level, or busking for charity. Might as well make it fun.
johng
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-08-22 15:47
Being an OLDT "cat", I have endurance problems, breath in partic, some muscular/finger fatigue. I now have a real test, in our comm. band, one of our drummers/retired teachers, wrote out an arrangement of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, giving me, on Bass cl, the "continuo" bass part, which really is Non-cessation playing, and I gasp for air in the few 1/4 note rests. It DOES teach me breath conservation/control and test eduurance. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Keith Ferguson
Date: 2005-08-22 16:26
I'd suggest that your practice routine be modified to include a "dry run" performance of the concerto or (since you don't want to get sick of it) other pieces of comparable length. I would do this once or twice a week to start, and increase the frequency as you get closer to the performance date. You will need both physical and mental stamina for a longer performance, and IMHO, the best way to prepare is to actually start doing it.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-08-22 16:44
This is little askew from endurance but it might be interesting to try. Often times the nerves kick in so try running up and down stairs a few times and then immediately perform the concerto and record it. Try to be out of breath to start.... also try playing in a cold room....make it an uncomfortable environment....if you can do it with these hindrances you will find it easy in good conditions. John
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-08-22 22:06
Try breathing exercises......
1) in for 6 out for 6, in for 8 out for 8, then 12, then 16
2) huge breath, hold, take a couple more sips of air then you think you can hold and then hold it, hold it, then slowly breath out
3) in 4, out 4, in 4, out 4, (all the way in and out always), 3-3, 3-3, 2-2, 2-2, 1-1, 1-1, 1-1, 1-1, (stop when you get light-headed)
4) in 8, hold 8, out 8, " " " 12, " " "16, " " " 20, etc.
5) high-march in place for 3-4 minutes to raise your heart rate and then begin doing: in 4, out 4, in 4, out 4, 8-8, 8-8, then 16-16 if you can
6) big sigh!!!
Do things like these for 10-15 minutes once or twice a day for a week, and you really will feel the improvement...you'll be able to breathe much more deeply.
Running, biking, swimming, or other similar things also help increase breath support endurance.
Other than that, just relax relax relax! I'm working a lot on this kind of stuff right now, too so I know how frustrating it is when you know you can play a passage but your mouth or diaphragm get exhausted during a performance.
Oh! Jon Manasse told us to jog in place or run up and down a staircase a couple of times and then try playing something you're working on when you practice. This is mainly to emulate physical symptoms of nervousness, although it could also be applied when working on endurance.
-Tyler
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-08-22 22:55
my breathing excercises are different...
in for 8 out for 8
in for 4 out for 12
in for 2 out for 16
in for 1 out for 32
and if you wanna try in for 1 and out for 64
keep doubling it if you can... I can't get to 64 though :(
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2005-08-23 11:44
Thanks for the suggestions but it wasn't really what I was thinking. I'm thinking more about what kinda gym work, what kinda exercise, is the most efficient and will lead me to greater indurance.
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Author: archer1960
Date: 2005-08-23 12:23
Morrigan wrote:
> Thanks for the suggestions but it wasn't really what I was
> thinking. I'm thinking more about what kinda gym work, what
> kinda exercise, is the most efficient and will lead me to
> greater indurance.
Nothing you can do in the gym is going to help your embouchure's endurance. Aerobic exercise (cycling, running, swimming) will improve your wind if you push yourself, but I think that would not be limiting you anyway, compared to the embouchure.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2005-08-23 13:29
So you're saying fitness has nothing to do with my endurance? Lemme get this straight - I'm not worried about my embouchoure or how much I practice or my ability to concentrate. I'm worried I'm gonna nearly pass out halfway through the last movement! Surely fitness plays a huge role here?
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Author: archer1960
Date: 2005-08-23 13:43
Morrigan wrote:
> So you're saying fitness has nothing to do with my endurance?
Not at all.
> Lemme get this straight - I'm not worried about my embouchoure
> or how much I practice or my ability to concentrate. I'm
> worried I'm gonna nearly pass out halfway through the last
> movement! Surely fitness plays a huge role here?
I would think so, but I was assuming that when you were talking about 'endurance', you were referring primarily to your lips giving out. If you mean you are getting winded part way through your performance, then yes, aerobic exercise would almost certainly help you. Lifitng weights will not, however, which is what I think of when people talk about "going to the gym". I prefer to do my aerobic exercise outside, usually on a bike.
Sorry about the misunderstanding; I was just passing your question through the filter of my personal experience, where aerobic endurance was never a problem, but my lips' endurance was.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2005-08-23 16:20
I hear from other musicians that the best for physical endurance is swimming, but I don't like that sinking feeling, so I just ride my bike. You are right to equate general good physical health to a good experience at a performance. johng
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-08-23 21:47
I'm pretty big into fitness. Swimming is an excellent overall workout, and the weightlessness and fluidity (pun intended) of the movements in water means you'll be putting very little wear on the cartalidge and joints in your body (so basically, you aren't going to get bad knees or tennis elbow from a good swimming workout).
I myself am into mountain/road biking ('road' in this case meaning with my mountain bike because I can't afford a decent road bike, but I still get a good workout). This has less stress on your knees than jogging and works great for me (I hardly ever find myself running out of breath, however it's the embouchure that fatigues first before the rest of my body).
HOWEVER . . . this doesn't mean that you have to be in good shape to play for a very long time. Because I have seen PLENTY of professional and semi-professional wind players who, to put it gently, don't exactly scream 'Mr. Fitness'. So I'm thinking that wind capacity and endurance to playing is more independant of your overall fitness level.
Alexi
PS - However it still might not hurt to do a little exercise on the side though! never hurt me!
PPS - Please read the above post by Archer and take special note to the part about how lifting weights doesn't improve endurance. It's a common misconception. However, calisthenics WILL help endurance (pushups, pullups, squats, jumping jacks, etc.) I'm a big fan of doing those too.
US Army Japan Band
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