 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-01-01 07:00
Hello
I have a question for everyone - why do you play the music that you play (in case it's not clear, I am not asking why you play music, but why the specific music that you play)?
Happy new year!
Nitai
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Author: EuGeneSee
Date: 2007-01-01 07:08
I usually play either what is in my clarinet lesson materials or pieces from our community band repetoire. Then, for my own entertainment I play my favorite songs, by ear because I don't have any music for them. Eu
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-01-01 11:00
Often I choose a new piece because I've just heard a fine performance or recording of it and can't keep away from it, even if it's a good bit too difficult for me. That kind of motivation can work two ways. It can prompt me to work harder on technical weaknesses and interpretive questions in order to learn the new piece. Often I make my best progress then. But sometimes my ambitions exceed my abilities so much, and the music is so far beyond me, that struggling with it is discouraging. If I catch myself avoiding practice altogether, I'll set the new music aside and try to find an excercise or a different piece to work on the specific weakness(es) getting in the way of learning what I really want to play.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Danny Boy
Date: 2007-01-01 12:37
At the moment, it's whatever is coming up at college that I have been put in.
So, upcoming projects include a performance of the Nielsen concerto, Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale, Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time and a programme that I had to put together to fit a time limit of Schumann, Goddaer and Debussy for a competition. I know I also have a performance of Barry's "Handel's Favourite Song" in the near future and am quite scared by the fact that they haven't let me have the part yet!
That being said, I still try and go with the flow and find new works by expanding my listening and taking ideas from other players around me. I am fortunate that I haven't had a teacher who has told me what to play for 4 or 5 years.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-01-01 14:48
Nappy New Year Nitai!
I play what the bands usually play, but for my own enjoyment I play pieces that I've heard good examples of.
At the moment I'm immersed into playing Oehler system clarinets (while making the most of the old Fritz Wurlitzer set I'm borrowing!), and digging out all my old music from college and some new music I bought recently but never played all that much, just to find how I can benefit from playing Oehlers (and working out how to get around some difficulties) and how Oehlers suit some pieces more than others (obviously Mozart, Weber, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, but not Poulenc, Debussy, Pierre-Max Dubois - but Finzi seems to work with both) - the altissimo is definitely easier to get around as well as being more stable in pitch and the tone is very full up top too - especially the huge leap in the 2nd mvmt. of Weber's 2nd from bottom E to altissimo G and the Ab following it - I can't do it this easily on my Selmers!
One significant difference in Oehlers is that the upper register Eb overblows to altissimo C#, so I can't do the gliss up to top C in 'Rhapsody in Blue' using oxx|xxxEb for the top C as I can on Boehms, though I can start the gliss from the C# to top C using oxxF#/C#|xxxF/C instead.
Now I'm wondering if I should play Oehlers full time, or as and when I feel like it - they'll cause a stir in most circumstances as hardly anyone has seen Oehler systems here, though the older simple system players (there's only about three of them) might be proud of me.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2007-01-01 16:13
A question for contemplation. I have to / need to play my teacher's assignments. I generally don't mind working on the seemingly endless stream of etudes because I'm committed (I won't ask why) to improving my mastery of this instrument.
I pick "recreational" pieces because I'm attracted to them --last year, I fell in love with the amazing lyrical inner movements of the Crusell concerti. My teacher is eager to help me master/improve those works; and has amazing insights.
I also suffer with the community orchestra performance pieces --but try, along with the other wind players, to influence the selections.
I also play with a ww5, and that repertoire is just fantastic, and a joy to be immersed in. This year, I'm planning to continue with my work in a flue/clarinet duet; and we're pretty selective in our choice of music. We think it'll be fun to master a transcription of the Rumanian Fantasy --lots of interaction, eye contact, schmaltzy interpretation.
I love the interactions with my colleagues in the small ensembles; and I guess that "togetherness" is as important as the choice of music.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2007-01-01 17:07
Not being a pro, I get the luxury to play what I want.
I love chamber music best and I love Brahms most. My goal has been to be able to perform at least once, Mozart Quintet and Brahms quintet and trio.
I have done the trio several times and read the Quintet and Brahms zith strings, but never got the opportunity to perform them in concert.
These I really want to play, and will.
I like best playing with strings, I am not as crazy about the piano/clarinet combination in general, although there are exceptions. I love orchestral/opera playing, but it is hard to find a gig...
For the rest it's a combination of me seeking out music for a specific combination of players or music I am kindly asked to play.
As for genres, I rarely venture out of classical music because that is what I am most familiar with. Within that I like to do a little bit of everything (classical, romantic, impressionist, mid 20th century and contemporary).
If I had the ability and all the time in the world I would love to play Jazz trumpet in a be-bop quartet...
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: ginny
Date: 2007-01-01 18:38
I play specific music for three reasons
1. I love that piece and I am compelled to learn it.
2. I need to learn my part for one of my groups, which may overlap with 1.
3. It will improve my technique which may overlap with 1. and also 2.
I would say 2 predominates, with enough love of the pieces to make me very happy and enough technique improvement to make me fell I've accomplished something. A nice reward cycle for the most part.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-01-02 05:17
OK, I'll clarify my question a bit. I didn't mean why you choose specific pieces to play. I meant (maybe more philosophical?), in that case, why do you choose to play pieces at all (and not improvised music for example). If you play only chamber and orchestral music, why (maybe you don't like the spotlight for soloing)? Maybe you only play what you get paid to play? etc. The reasons are not necessarily musical, but could be cultural, philosophical, or practical, etc. Sylvain was close to what I meant (by the way, many pros can choose what to play).
For example in Danny Boy's case - more interesting is why you chose the route of classical clarinet performance (the things you play are simply a result of this choice).
In Chris P's case - Why did you choose to be in the band you are in? When you play for enjoyment, why do you choose pieces you've heard good example of?
I'll answer my own question to maybe give a better example of what I was asking - I play mainly improvised music, both solo and with other musicians. This is because what I am trying to do musically is create my own language and try to find new ideas. I play with other (mostly jazz) groups, original music by someone in the group, because I like to join in other active people's ideas and contribute. I also sometimes record soundtracks because the music sometimes is interesting, it supports active new musicians, and it pays pretty decent. I'll also ocassionally play in a "classical" group (i.e. completely composed concert music), usually a small chamber group, because this also supports and helps other musicians. The reason I try to do all of these things is because I just want to do many different musical things (instead of just doing one thing like playing in an orchestra, or just playing classical music, or just playing improvised music, etc).
I am interested to know other people's reasons for the things as I described about myself.
Best Wishes,
Nitai
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2007-01-02 05:38
Nitai
I'm not sufficiently accomplished to improvise; and, when I do it, I hate it when I lose a good lick. I tend to sit with manuscript paper, capture the fleeting strokes and build on them.
I love the sound a clarinet can make, and I enjoy trying to flow the subtlties into the playing.
I've enjoyed hearing your stuff, and admire your virtuosity. Happy new year, be safe, and thanks for your sharing.
Bob Phillips
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2007-01-02 10:23
i find written music very often limiting. It helps you in studying certain technical and musical difficulties, but it is not what music is about very often.
Written music is a way to communicate your ides to other people, to write down things that are too complex to communicte verbally ( eg a lot of players in an ensemble , better write it down then to play every part for every voice to be laerned by ear ). But very often i encounter people ( clasically trained ) that limit a lot of their possibilities just by being trained to reproduce written music.
The tenth rendition of the same classical piece by another performer is not going to give me a lot of musical sattisfaction anymore . They are too look-alike and follow the same explicit/implicit musical and even social rules.
Improvised music gives you a lot more surprises , views on people musical personalities ( certainly when they play own pieces ) .
I'm very often amazed that clasically trained people are not at all mature enough to musically express themselves without some melody on paper.
It seems as if only written music can be played and is valuable.
I think however that with the crossover happening all the time now the attitudes are changing. I see a lot of differences compared to 30 years ago.
I dropped out of musical education three times when i was young just because of those limiting factors.
Concerning the music that i play :
Some folk, some jazz , more and more i use a motif or bassline out of a tune to start a new improvisation that can become a link between two tunes or a line to another mood or piece in a suite
Gr
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Author: EuGeneSee
Date: 2007-01-02 12:58
Claribass, I guess I didn't explain my choices, so Ill try here:
1. The clarinet lesson music is, of course, assigned by my teacher, so the question is why I am taking clarinet in the first place. I like the clarinet and its sound and want to be able to play it. I started on clarinet in the 4th grade because I liked it then. I had grown up hearing big band music, and one of my parents' favorites was Benny Goodman . . . I had been hearing his records sine I was born.
2. I play music from our community band repetoire because I am learning to play the clarinet, am a member of the band, and want to learn the clarinet parts for the music played by the band. I'm in the band because I enjoy the comradship of my fellow musicians and love playing music with them. I have always enjoyed bands, be it from my school days, growing up with various community bands, Octoberfest oompah bands, or just local jam sessions. I like music and like making it.
3. Improvising? Since I'm not an accomplished musician but rather a retread who has reverted back to beginner level, I enjoy picking up the horn and playing by ear tunes I enjoy. Although music teachers everywhere since time began have lambasted students for playing by ear, it is still a natural urge, I suppose. Just as I find myself whistling "I was Kaiser Bill's Batman" or "Un Bel Di" without ever conciously choosing them, sometimes when practicing my lessons, I just start playing some tune out of the blue. Like whistling, playing a simple melody by ear is something almost anyone can do with a piano, guitar, or some other instrument once the have a rudimentary familiarity with the instrument . . . no skill required.
Eu
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-01-04 06:43
Thanks for answering.
It would be especially interesting for me to hear from those who has been doing what they are doing for a long time. For example, someone who is mostly playing in an orchestra for many years, someone who is only playing jazz for many years, etc.
I can't believe any good player who is commited to what they are doing haven't asked themselves why they play certain music, for philosophical, practical, cultural, musical, or social reasons, because I ask myself 'why' with pretty much every note I play or listen to, trying to understand the reasons (a bit of an exageration to explain what I mean better).
Thanks & best wishes,
Nitai
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-01-04 14:03
I play classical music for its purity and for the discipline it requires (and the feeling of accomplishment I get during those rare moments when I play it well). I play jazz to satisfy my need to create my own musical ideas and express them; R&B/funk as an outlet for my rhythmic feelings, and big-band jazz as sort of a synthesis of all the aforementioned needs. Anything else, I play for the money! My classical side is mainly exercised through the various sizes of clarinets, while my improvisational/jazz/rock side is usually taken care of via the saxophone family.
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Author: Markus Wenninger
Date: 2007-01-14 18:15
That's a post I nearly missed to read, reflection being so rare amongst all this "whichbarrelwhichreedwhichhaveyou".
My spontaneous thought "Because I have to." of course doesn' answer much. I play New, posttonal music because of the technical challenge it poses & because of its beauty growing from "there are songs to sing still beyond man", as the great poet Paul Celan has it. I find music that unifies complete freedom & the most intriguing technical demands simply irresistible. This is music beyond the structural distinction of composed vs. improvised pieces / playing, though I'm most grateful that improvisation has appeared in this thread. The most fertile grounds for this music is chambermusic, from solo to tentetts, so that's why I'm in such small ensembles from the beginning, it's most comfortable in a small, flexible group, able to express such a vast range of colours whilst backing the individual voice. It's a most rewarding music, including electronic means, graphical scores, traditional 5line-notation, theatrical performance skills, a permanent demand to evaluate one's own perspectives & opinions, &, last but not at all least, I meet performer from every corner of the arts there, academical just as well as nonacademical, & perhaps this music is, for the first time in musical history, able to come near to the rennaissance/baroque conception of a Gesamtkunstwerk. Most improtant to me, however, is that New, posttonal music is a prayer, a spiritual exercise, to me, so much more able to adress God by means most devoid of petty selfishness and fears. No other music can do this.
Post Edited (2007-01-14 18:16)
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2007-01-14 19:29
As of now, most of what I play is what I've been assigned in my lessons. I'm also involved in chamber ensembles and sometimes a professor picks what we play, sometimes we get to choose. So far, I'm just going with the flow and trying out many types of playing to see what I'll concentrate on more in the future.
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Author: William
Date: 2007-01-14 21:22
I play music because I like to.............that is, except polka's & polka bands. I do not play polka's unless someone is paying me to do it.
(I even like to play "In The Mood", but "Proud Mary" is push'n it a bit)
Favorite Music--anything orchestral. For me, the classic's are where it's all at.
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