 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: whole note
Date: 2013-10-01 18:56
Recently I have been playing in a lot of chamber groups and realize I am very bad at cueing the other musicians. It seems like this should be easy but is there a formula for the gesture? If you are counting in 4/4, do you take a breath on "3" and give a whole down beat gesture on 4, or to give more incremental detail, take a breath on the and of "3" and give a 1/2 beat gesture?
Also if you need to cue an ending, is the swirling motion of the bell the best way?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Cueless
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2013-10-01 21:00
One approach for medium tempo 4/4 is 3 swinging to the side 4 swinging back to center and then a downward motion for 1.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-10-01 22:41
Cues are done very much like a conductor's gestures in front of an orchestra.
I have a student who is currently trying to learn to do this. There are two basic parts involved (1) A starting cue needs to be prepared in the same way a conductor gives a preparatory beat. (2) The actual start needs to be large and un-casual enough to be absolutely clear - not subtle or vague or in any way covert (don't try to hide it from the audience). Remember that your ensemble colleagues generally aren't looking directly at you - they're looking at their music and seeing you peripherally.
Take your starting breath with the prep beat. Often, an audible breath itself can be enough to bring in the ensemble even without a gesture. If you aren't secure about setting a tempo, think a whole measure of the actual music in your imagination at the correct tempo and then indicate the prep beat as you come to it (inhaling in tempo as you show it). So, if the ensemble starts on "1," take your breath as you indicate "4" with an upward bounce. Then, show a definite, firm downbeat with the clarinet. Normally, a conductor's downbeat "rebounds" or bounces slightly upward after the beat point occurs. It doesn't hurt to do that with your clarinet, if only to keep from becoming rigid.
Later, when you're more comfortable, you can try making the preparatory beat more reflective of how the first note should sound (small and gentle or large and firm). Always take you first inhalation in tempo with the prep beat.
A cut off can be a swirl or a dip with a rebound. If a swirl, there should be a small upward hook motion to end it or the other players won't know when the actual release should occur (how many conductors have you played for whose circular beats made you scratch your head and wonder where the actual beat was?).
Watch a good conductor and try to move the clarinet the way he or she moves the baton. Later, you can find your own way toward minimizing the gestures without losing clarity, but to start I would recommend being more outgoing even at the risk of overdoing things.
One last point to think about: look around and make eye contact before you start with each player to be sure he or she is ready to start. The clearest possible cue won't accomplish much if players instruments are still on their laps or they're still fussing with a reed when they should be playing the first note.
Karl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-10-01 22:47
In a good ensemble, I raise an eyebrow on 3 and inhale and raise my head and clarinet on 4. If the others need more, I move my head and clarinet to the right on 3 and up on 4. The bell has nothing to do with it.
Alas, many people need a whole measure, or maybe even two. Those people I play with only once.
Ken Shaw
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Author: ruben
Date: 2013-10-02 09:42
Chamber musicians should learn self-reliance. You shouldn't have to cue them in at all or if you do so, it is done unconsciously by using natural body language. If people have trouble coming in, prompt them to write in cues on their parts. The absence of a conductor should make people beter listeners.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2013-10-02 12:54
Use your eyes, small head movements, small clarinet movements, breathes. The person giving the cue becomes the conductor using all types of subtle body movements. Different people use different movements. Watch a good string quartet you will get some ideas but they have their bows to use as well.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-10-02 13:40
Whatever you settle on for a cue, remain consistant. This will then enable the others in the group to rely on what you do to bring them in.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-10-02 14:47
ruben wrote:
> Chamber musicians should learn self-reliance. You shouldn't
> have to cue them in at all
As I read the original post, the question was about how to start and end the piece with good ensemble. I may have misunderstood the question.
Of course, players should be listening and counting and writing landmarks into their parts as the music goes on - even in a bigger orchestra or band no one should*need* a cue from the conductor to enter correctly. So during the course of a piece of music you're absolutely right.
It'shard to know by ear among four or five players when to play the first note of a piece, so that generally needs to be cued by someone. You can get away with listening for the top voice to stop at then end, but it can result in ragged releases.
Karl
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Author: whole note
Date: 2013-10-03 01:06
I can't thank you all enough for your helpful advice. I went to rehearsal tonight and put some of it into practice and it worked really well. Hopefully giving a good cue will feel more natural over time, but your guidelines have already helped me to be more accurate and effective. I will also take the suggestion to watch some string quartets.
Again, many thanks!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-10-06 22:53
Whatever you do should be agreed upon and arranged with and practiced with the group.
For most of the time, the player with the lead starts the movement by breathing in (in rhythm) on the upbeat and attacking on the downbeat --and we're off.
Unfortunately we recently failed when the group took off like wildfire, leaving me behind...
Bob Phillips
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Author: TAS
Date: 2013-10-07 22:58
From a visual standpoint. make sure you don''t look like a laughing mule. Do not let yourself become a distraction to the audience. Everything in moderation, with consistency.
The above comments from fellow clarinetists are good. Just be aware of unintended consequences.
TAS
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-10-08 00:26
After thinking it over, I prefer two beats to one, at least where you're not restarting in an agreed tempo. Almost all conductors give a double upbeat to start a movement.
A war story about what can happen, similar to Bob Phillips's experience. I was at Josef Marx's apartment (where he held Saturday night musicales), playing the Telemann Recorder Concerto in C. The finale goes at a furious tempo -- 16ths at around 132 -- but I kicked it off with one upbeat at 160. After a couple of minutes, Josef came rushing with a fire extinguisher. Everyone fell on the floor in laughter, and I recommenced at a saner tempo.
To hear what it was like, listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InYLmaIpwEg.
Ken Shaw
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