 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: patrickryan04
Date: 2008-03-27 01:45
Hello all,
I am asking for suggestions on a practice routine. I am preparing for college auditions and I have many musical goals for this year and unfortunitly no teacher to assist.
A few of my goals...
1. 2 solos (Mozart 1st Movement and the Stravinsky three pieces)
2. 2 Rose Etudes
3. Beethoven 6th Symphony, Mendehlsohn Midsummers night dream and Cappricio Espagnol.
4. A solid foundation of scales I.E Baerman 3rd division and Klose Scale studies
5. Opperman velocity studies books 3 and 4
I am aiming for 3 hours of practice a day and any help constructing my session would be appreciated.
Thanks all and best wishes.
Patrick.
1st Armored Division Band
Clarinetist
Dixie Band
Woodwind Quintet
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: swkeess
Date: 2008-03-27 01:53
Hi Patrick,
I suggest you do a search on this bulletin board for practice routines, as there are many previously posted answers on this subject. In particular, I remember that GBK's suggested routine was challenging and worthwhile:
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=189083&t=189070
Good luck!
Susan Keess
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-03-27 02:28
Every school has different admission requirements so I suggest you check the web sights of the schools you’re interested in auditioning for. Also, I’m assuming you are planning on auditioning next year since most schools have already had their auditions for the fall of 08. As far as a routine there are many ways to approach this. I suggest you plan something like the following.
Start off by warming up on some type of tonal excises, 12th, octaves, long tones, slow scales, legato finger exercises, interval exercises etc. Then work onI agree, you have much more control with a reed knife because you can see exactly where you’re beginning and ending your scraping. I do use sand paper for the underneath of the reed to seal and flatten the reed if necessary. I love the Reed Wizard to balance the middle of the vamp but I use the knife to balance to tip. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
articulation with a metronome, a variety of tonguing exercises, finger before the tongue, fast tongues scales, legato tonguing etc. Then perhaps work on scale studies like the Baerman book three and do some other technical studies and etudes. Then work on some excerpts and then work on a solo piece. Decide in advance how much time you will spend on each category with a few breaks in between so you don’t over use anything. After a while you will form a routine that’s good for you. Good luck with your auditions. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: crnichols
Date: 2008-03-27 03:32
Patrick,
I suspect I knew you at the Armed Forces School of Music and you're currently serving in Iraq in a less than ideal situation for preparation in regard to serious study. I'm sure you'll make the best of it! I remember your playing ability is much higher than most entering undergraduate students. You have an excellent program of repertoire and studies for what you seek, but I recommend you not focus on these exclusively for 12-15 months. You'll be very well prepared if you do, but likely bored and lack spontaneity in your playing. I hope Mr. Palanker can back me up on a desire to hear potential for creativity in auditions (say hello to Steve Barta for me if you read this!). Try to mix things up a bit. You already have a broad and varied repertoire in addition to an excellent foundation in regard to clarinet playing.
I also recommend that you seek help upon redeployment from a clarinet teacher in the Wiesbaden area for suggestions. I refer to the advice I received from my teacher at the conservatory in Nuremberg in my practice regularly! Please get in touch with me via ABI if you need anything. I'll gladly give necessary (or unexpected) help of any kind to any fellow veterans or currently serving members of Army Bands. I appreciate what you do!
Christopher Nichols, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Clarinet
University of Delaware
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetmike
Date: 2008-03-27 23:18
FYI, I have a practice routine and practice tips on my web site:
http://www.michaeldean.ws/resources/
Mike
Michael Dean
Southeast Missouri State University
www.clarinetmike.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2008-03-28 15:15
Patrick -
1. Give technical work your best time -- the first 10-15 minutes of each practice session. The moment your attention wanders, STOP. Relax and play your favorite tune for 30 seconds. Then go back to the hard work. You can train yourself to do this several times before you lose your mental sharpness.
2. Never practice faster than perfect. Permitting mistakes only trains you to make mistakes. Slow practice engraves scales in your muscle memory just as efficiently as going fast.
3. Avoid scale exercises that don't go beyond the tonic note. That is, when practicing for example in the key of A, continue below A below the staff and above A above the staff. Use the Baermann III exercises, which cover the entire range. Otherwise there are sequences in each key that you never learn.
4. Lighten up your fingers. Think of raising your fingers with muscle power, but letting them drop only by gravity on the open holes, and with the minimum muscle use necessary to overcome the tension of the springs on other keys. Watch in a mirror to eliminate excess movement -- for example, don't roll up your hand to open the throat A key -- just "nudge" up. Again, slow practice is better than fast, and just as effective.
5. For mastering difficult passages, the way that works for me comes from Fernand Gillet, the great principal oboist of the Boston Symphony. See http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=158256&t=158204.
6. Make music all the time, especially in what most people think of as "mechanical" work.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetdaddy
Date: 2008-03-29 01:44
Hello Patrick,
Isn't Steve King with you? He could show you a few things and help you. I had lots of time to practice during my 15 months over there. I just had to use Legere reeds due to the extreme weather over there. Take care and BE SAFE!
clarinetdaddy
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing".
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: D
Date: 2008-03-29 09:32
If you have access to appropriate equipment then recording yourself is always good for a laugh......I mean instructional. It helps you hear what you can't hear when you are concentrating.
Also, If it starts to become a chore every day, then just play some fun stuff. If you can track down any other instrumentalists or singers then play as much as you can with them. Improvise lots. Invent cadenzas for the pieces you know. Learn everything you can by memory. We use the phrase 'learn it by heart' without thinking about it. But it really means that. Heart. The music can then come from you, not from the notes on the page.
A year is a long time without input from a teacher or from other musicians.
Don't glue your self to something too rigid. A long term plan, steps along the way, and details about how to achieve those are great. Write it down even, tick things off when you are starting to feel happy with progress. But most important, the clarinet is there to make music. I know that a high standard is required on the technical side, but if you can't play musically then you won't be happy long term and you probably won't get wherever you want to go music career wise. So the most important thing is remember step back and have some fun. Frequently!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: patrickryan04
Date: 2008-03-29 21:30
Hello all, and thanks again for the great advice.
Miles, yes I am here with Steve, he is a great player and I am learning allot from his playing. BTW, could you please say hello to Bill Smith for me.
Chris, how have you been? Thanks for the adivice and good luck.
1st Armored Division Band
Clarinetist
Dixie Band
Woodwind Quintet
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
