 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-06-23 19:22
I belong to an informal educational music group that meets once a month. Someone presents a five minute lesson and, those who would like to, perform a piece. Then we have dessert afterwards:) I volunteered to present the lesson next month and I'm going to talk about ways to practice difficult passages. I believe the whole purpose of repetitive practice of a difficult passage is to create muscle memory in your fingers while fully engaging your brain. If you practice it only one way, after awhile I would imagine your brain becomes disengaged. So, we need ways to vary our practice. I already know several ways. For example, setting the metronome at an extremely slow tempo and practicing extremely slowly and gradually increasing the tempo. Also, "chunking:" breaking the passage into perhaps three notes segments and playing the first three notes several times, then the next three several times, then linking them. Or playing one of the notes within the group of three for a longer period of time than you play the others, and varying which one it is. Playing half the passage forwards then backwards. Playing four notes, rest for one beat, playing the first note of the four and adding three more, resting, etc. What I'd be interested in learning from you is what are some of YOUR favorite ways of practicing a difficult passage? Thank you!
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2016-06-23 19:51
duplicate post
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
Post Edited (2016-06-23 19:57)
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2016-06-23 19:55
Attachment: sorcerer before 53.jpg (628k)
Roxann - sounds like an interesting group! Here is what I wrote earlier this week on the topic of The Sorcerer's Apprentice that has my favorite method for difficult passages.
Lots of really good advice here and I would add: 1) everyone comments about how hard it is, but a better attitude is that it is all fun....and good luck! 2) slow practice and judiciously leaving out some parts is excellent advice and to that I add my favorite difficult (but fun) passage method which is based on practicing at the fastest tempo you can play, but pausing on the last easy note before completing the passage. Of course, you mayneed to break some passages up into small bits.
So for example I have attached the section before (53). Let's say that you crash when you get to 2 before (53). Play the passage to the last note of the previous measure (E natural in this example) and hold that note for enough time for you to process what you need to do next for the upcoming measure. Then continue at tempo. What you are doing is giving your mind time to train itself. Most of the time I find multiple places where I have to pause so I just keep changing pausing places as I practice. This is similar to another good method where you change the rhythm of the passage in order to emphasize different finger movements.
Good luck with your performance and keep having fun playing!
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: brycon
Date: 2016-06-23 21:15
I posted this article in another practice thread that popped up about a week ago. It seems to address some of the problems you're examining (e.g. becoming disengaged during a practice routine).
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/why-the-progress-in-the-practice-room-seems-to-disappear-overnight/
The article focuses on (for lack of a better word) meta-practicing--that is, it doesn't prescribe a certain technique (e.g. start slow; gradually speed up the metronome), but rather looks at effective ways of arranging the practice techniques that you currently use. Maybe it'll be of some use in your class.
Post Edited (2016-06-23 22:11)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2016-06-24 17:30
I believe there to be a paradox in practicing difficult passages that you cover well Roxanne:
Perhaps the single best method of perfecting and maintaining difficult passages lies in taking the music at a tempo that we can handle, so that we don't reinforce in our brains the mistakes we make when taking music faster than we can handle.
BUT
This can lead to monotony, and, as you've mentioned, for our brains to lose focus.
Still more, its been my experience that students sometimes get locked in to playing hard passages correctly only at a particular speed. Even if this is at performance tempo, conductor deviations from this speed can throw off players, even when the tempo is slower that that rehearsed.
Accordingly, both to vary our practice so we remain focused, and to really master difficult sections, as a teacher I have deliberately altered tempo for students mid piece, at places and speeds unknown ahead of time to the student, only telling them upfront that this might happen.
I've only seen one smartphone app that offers a random metronome tempo adjustment, such that the student can practice this on their own. I'd like to see more apps develop this feature, allowing the student to pre-program the percent deviation from tempo, as well as its randomness and frequency, so that they can train for this on their own.
Another thing I encourage is to practice variations of fingerings. This can come in several forms. It could be learning how to play a passage not simply the best way from a fingering standpoint (e.g. use of chromatic keys), but using alternative pinkies where indicated. This includes, on instruments lacking a left pinky Ab/Eb lever, where pinky slides are indicated to free up a right pinky for such Ab/Eb tones, to do such slides all the different ways (often there is more than one place to effect such slides in music). I've even had students effect such slides where it wasn't necessary--just to keep things interesting.
I've had students memorize sections, and be able to play them on both their A and Bb clarinets. It's all about mixing things up, not to make things harder for them, but too keep the mind focused.
Another place where technology can fit in is to create random passages with known need for alternate fingers based upon notes in the next few measures. This can not only train students to read ahead, but identify common places in music where note patterns coming up affect fingers used on currently played notes.
Finally, students have to learn to walk away from a passage until later, when their gains for the day have been maximized, even if the passage still needs work. This can be enforced by teachers through time limits, helping students identify when daily plateaus have been reached, or training students to break up daily practice time into multiple sessions.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-06-24 20:47
WhitePlainsDave wrote:
> Perhaps the single best method of perfecting and maintaining
> difficult passages lies in taking the music at a tempo that we
> can handle, so that we don't reinforce in our brains the
> mistakes we make when taking music faster than we can handle.
The trouble often is that students *think they're playing the difficult passages correctly.* They don't realize or seem to notice on their own how messy and sloppy the technical passages are. Whether they practice slowly or fast, they make the same rhythm and note mistakes. They still rush, losing control of the notes because the rhythm is faulty. Only at a lesson when I point out the problems do many of my students seem to even notice the difference between what they're playing and what's on the page.
So, I think we miss the boat a little (or maybe a lot) by focusing so much on how to practice difficult passages instead of what in those passages needs to be practiced. Slow doesn't guarantee accuracy. Sometimes students think they *are* handling technical passages at the tempi they've chosen. Whatever practice techniques we teach students to apply are a waste of time **unless they know what needs to be fixed.**
I think this concept, maybe obvious to most of us, needs to be given a prominent - perhaps overarching - place in any list of practice techniques. Without it, all the rest is time poorly spent.
> Still more, its been my experience that students sometimes get
> locked in to playing hard passages correctly only at a
> particular speed.
I agree with this, and I think that when we insist that an entire piece must be slowed down to make the hardest places perfectible before increasing the tempo anywhere, we may as teachers be bringing some of this on ourselves. Unless a student is really not up to the overall technical demands of a piece (and should be playing easier music to build technique), the spots that need to be slowed and carefully looked at are finite and identifiable. IMO, these should be isolated, practice techniques applied to them as needed, and then reintegrated into the rest of the piece, which is being prepared at a musical tempo.
> Even if this is at performance tempo, conductor deviations from this
> speed can throw off players, even when the tempo is slower that that
> rehearsed.
Yes, flexibility is a function of control, which should be the goal of practice.
Karl
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2016-06-28 22:08
If I have a several-measure long passage that has a distinct ending that is difficult, I actually start at the end. I practice only a beat or two at the end of the passage until that is solid, then move backwards, patiently, adding a couple of beats at a time. I find that by the time I start from the beginning of the passage, the end is like a downhill slide on a sled.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-07-01 18:46
Thank you to all of you who took the time to help me with this project. I had no doubt there were more "tricks of the trade" than what I was aware of. THANK YOU!
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2016-07-01 22:21
MichaelW: That is a brilliant approach in that video!!! Thanks for the link!!!
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Author: tucker ★2017
Date: 2016-07-01 22:43
Thanks for posting the forward chaining link, Michael. Great idea. Will try that today!
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2016-07-02 22:51
Great youtube link! Thanks Michael!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-07-03 12:03
Before playing/recording some of the harder pieces, symphonies, concerto's, like the Copland, the Nielson, Mendelssohn's 4th, changing rhythms, playing the scales over and over in the same key signatures, different articulations, always helps. Bottom line it still takes hours of hard work. Even the slow pieces are challenging such as Beethoven's 6th and even the Egmont Overture, it's just 4 notes, but breathing is so hard, the right reed, lifting your fingers slowly. Most players screw up Peter and the Wolf, the middle section, by rushing it. You have to practice hitting the main notes then later hit the accents one measure at a time, as you practice. If you try to hit the accents first you will most likely waste valuable practice time and wreck the concert. So practice SMART, change the rhythms, slur 2 tongue 2, get away from making the same mistakes over and over. Figure out how to fix the mistakes. About reeds, I sometimes play harder reeds on slower pieces for better air and articulation control.
Maybe that's why my friend John Yeh with Chicago plays on a tip opening of 120 plus with a 5 strength reed and a double lip! Julian Bliss plays on a very heavy setup as well, but uses a single lip with a 5 strength reed and a VERY short facing. They are animals!
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-07-04 08:47
Pretty cool Ken
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-07-04 14:58
Bob -
It's the same exercise Keith Stein taught me in 1958. Good teaching never goes out of style.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-07-11 01:31
Ken Shaw, you mentioned Keith Stein above. The Boise State University marching band is named the Keith Stein Blue Thunder Marching Band. He was the director for several years. Do you suppose it's the same person?
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-07-11 07:45
Tonight's presentation went great! People were shocked at what I had learned by watching the videos all of you so kindly suggested. Seems we've all been doing things incorrectly! Even the tennis coach / clarinet player is going to change the way he teaches tennis, emphasizing speed rather than accuracy. The information in the videos is excellent and I truly appreciate the help all of you gave me!
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-07-11 07:48
Thanks, Ken. After messaging you, the word "beer" kept creeping into my mind. Now I know why! Stein Distributing!
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Author: JasonOlney
Date: 2016-07-29 01:52
Something I've been experimenting with (specifically with the tuplets in Daphnis) is to practice both very slowly and also fast. I've started to notice that when I play very slowly, I move me fingers in ways that aren't actually applicable to how I want the passage to sound at full tempo. There's more time to hear potential inaccuracies but slow practice requires slow technique. If something is gestural, then it needs to have a shape that lends itself to that. So I play very slowly to ensure accuracy and efficiency of movement (and lightness of touch!) but then I try much faster to work on the gestural aspect of the passage.
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The Clarinet Pages
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