 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-12-23 03:45
I have Hite's edition which is in order of key (all exercises for key of C, and so forth). which editions should I be looking for if I want one that has exercises in order of exercise, NOT key (meaning all the straight scales in every key, then the next section is scales in thirds for every key, then scales in fourths in every key, etc).
I just feel that my practice time would be better used if I could run through various exercises in every key rather than running through all exercises for a few keys but not getting to other keys.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-12-23 14:55
Alexi -
The Hite edition of Baeremann III puts the exercises in the order you're looking for. Gary van Cott has it as item C131, http://www.vcisinc.com/clarinetmusicmethods.htm.
However, the Baermann III exercises are not designed just to be played through. Your mind dies if you try to get through the straight scale, the one in thirds, fourths, fifths, etc., all the way through the two facing pages.
And actually it's only a little better to do, say, a scale-in-thirds, turn the page, and do the same thing in the next key. That's a good warmup, and it's all on two facing pages in the Klose Method. It lets you go around the circle of fifths and get the feel of the same pattern in all keys.
However, you get the best out of Baermann III by taking a single two-line exercise and getting it into your muscle memory by setting your metronome to 60 and playing in quarter notes. When you can get through an exercise 10 times without a single fluff, turn to another page at random and learn another exercise -- as a random example, Bb minor in sixths.
You need to play scales musically. Each phrase has a shape. But Baermann III is primarily a woodshedding device to get every possible scale/arpeggio pattern "into your fingers." Then, whenever you come across that pattern, you don't have to read the notes, but only recognize the shape of a group of notes and let your fingers play what they already know.
That's why I think you should spend only the first, best 10 or 15 minutes of each practice session doing a couple of Baermann III exercises with total concentration. If you do it the right way, you'll only be able to get through two exercises during that time. When your mind starts to wander, go on to etudes, excerpts and solos.
You're like an old-fashioned carpenter's apprentice, who, literally, began by making his own tools. You're making your own tools, too. Everything comes back to the fundamentals. Build them right and you'll use them with skill and pleasure for the rest of your life. Skimp on them and you'll be frustrated forever.
For more, see the following posts and the links in them:
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=208770&t=208705
As I recall, you're in a military band. Then you're lucky, because you have practice time built into your schedule. Go back and do it right. Hzve your fun, but finish building your toolkit, too.
Ken Shaw
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-12-23 21:52
Another difference between the Hite edition and the Langenus edition is that David Hite does not extend the exercises to the extreme high register (B6, C7) ...GBK
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-12-23 22:11
Thanks very much for the info Ken. Your advice has helped me QUITE a bit just from reading various posts. And, yup, my situation is as stated in your post - I'm having my fun but never really built up the fundamentals like I should've. Actually, on the military audition grading, my scales were the lowest. BARELY passing. Whereas if I had the correct foundation, they should be much higher than my prepared piece and (especially) sight-reading.
Basically, the little video that was posted about Robert Spring has re-invigorated me to practice and get things done the right way. With a goal of getting into a premiere band in about five years.
So to sum up, would one good practice method would be to warm up with page 123 of Klose, scales in thirds, diminished sevenths all out of the same book, then playing dominant seventh arpeggios from memory/ear, and then spend 10 - 15 minutes really isolating myself to a few exercises of Baermann? I try to do everything but the Baermann on a daily basis as warmup (including not only melodic minor, but also harmonic and natural minors and also arpeggios added into page 123) but would like to add baermann. Just trying to set up a good warmup before getting into practicing some pieces. Thank you.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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