 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2014-03-19 13:05
There' a great article on section playing at http://www.thestrad.com/latest/editorschoice/what-conductors-want-from-their-string-players-by-sir-antonio-pappano. Ignore the specific string stuff and concentrate on the rest, which is pure gold:
As a section player, you must join into a feeling of movement in the section, a flexibility that creates a tone that is always in motion.
Warm-bloodedness and a singing quality are paramount.
When you're the best player in the room and are the 1st chair player (the concertmaster), you must do more than play everything put in front of you. You must help and lead the other players to be better. Also, you must be flexible. You face all sorts of conductors and can’t remain the same with every one. You have to be open to what each conductor brings but have a strong enough musical personality to keep the line of players in order.
Your tone has to be able to infect the whole band. With a great concertmaster the band alters.
When a conductor gives an up-beat, you must communicate it to the clarinet section and other sections. When everyone breathes with that up-beat, it makes a huge impact.
The most important thing in this business is listening. One is always reminding players to listen, especially to listen out for when they’re supposed to be accompanying and when they’re meant to be leading.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2014-03-19 17:56
>The most important thing in this business is listening. One is always reminding players to listen, especially to listen out for when they’re supposed to be accompanying and when they’re meant to be leading.
>
Such good advice. Clarinet players have an advantage in that we're taught to listen right from the start, if we play in school music classes. I remember my beginning band teacher reminding us over and over, "Don't just listen to yourself. Listen to the music."
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: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-03-19 18:18
Said with part comedy and part reality:
What [do orchestral] Conductors [who are classically trained clarinetists] want from their clarinet players?????
....what does a dad who almost had a career in hockey want from the hockey playing son he sees both enormous potential and lazyness in???
answer: the sun, moon, and stars!
..the times I wanted to say, (but thankfully didn't), "but Maestro , I'm phrasing it exactly as you did when you were in this seat" ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-03-19 20:07
Appreciate the reference Ken and will read asap. But post reminded me of a couple of things. One was the recent passing of the Concert Master of the Chicago Symphony which caused me to download the 1960 CSO/Reiner "Sheherezate" that featured this violinist. Second was recalling the many first chair clarinet players I've played with over the years. And finally our old cliche...."Don't look at the conductor, it only encourages him". ps Hope you are mending well.......
Bob Draznik
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Author: TAS
Date: 2014-03-23 03:24
A great musician who understands that cooperation, congeniality and a huge ego rarely mix.
TAS
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The Clarinet Pages
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