 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: bookron ★2017
Date: 2016-10-15 03:56
After having had the luxury of being able to practice 2-3 hours a day for most of the past year, now I will be traveling for a month and will be lucky to have 15 minutes a day. (That's usually about the time I begin to feel fully warmed up.) Any suggestions for how to keep as sharp as possible during this time? Would you focus on weaker areas, or would you devote time on the things you do well? Any suggestions are appreciated.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ned
Date: 2016-10-15 04:19
Here are two options:
Play long notes, to keep your muscle tone, and to ''feel fully warmed up'' as you say. One can't expect any more than this with long notes. NOTE: there are some on this BB who do not recommend long notes, but you should do what works for you, nonetheless.
You won't, I'd say, be able to actually learn anything new given the huge constraints whilst travelling. I suspect that your travelling companion/s won't be clarinet players? If so, their needs will have to be accommodated, not to mention, the needs of other travellers, whom you won't know.
I travelled to Europe in May-June of this year and didn't pack a horn. I did reserve the time to woodshed thoroughly upon my return though, and was able to do a three hour jazz job fairly effortlessly very soon thereafter.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed
Date: 2016-10-15 05:25
Check out the Jean Jean- Vade Mecum. Great stuff that gives a good workout in a limited amount of time.
Beyond that, I would mix it up from day to day so over the course of a week you cover a variety of skills.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2016-10-15 16:44
I strongly second long tones as one of the primary uses of your scant practice time. I would also suggest interleaved practice for what time you have -- a good description is here:
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/why-the-progress-in-the-practice-room-seems-to-disappear-overnight/?hlst=Interleaved+
I would look at it as a challenge to "practice" mentally in different ways: active listening, score study, ear training, meditation/mental focus. I'm assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that your travel will have down time, just not down time where you can comfortably pull out your horn?
The biggest place you're going to decline is your chops, and long tones will help with that. You can also avail yourself of something like the Wind-O, or achieve similar results with a sip-stick.
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-10-15 19:20
I have had to do this several times. To preserve basic technique, it's best to go back to the way you originally acquired that technique. For most of us, that means the Klose Method single page of Major and Minor Scales (pg 123 in the Bellison edition) and the two pages in the Klose Method of Scales in Thirds, Major and Minor, pgs. 126-127 in the Bellison edition. Remember how hard it was to get through these dense scale and interval passages in all the keys when you were learing to play the clarinet? Well, that hard-earned basic technique is the first thing you don't want to lose, so it should be the first thing to practice if you have only 15 minutes a day. Way better than long tones! Of course you will also throw in a few chromatic scales, but that seems to be second nature for most clarinets, Remember to play all the scales and scales in thirds both legato and articulated.
The two other parts of basic technique that tend to erode if you don't practice them are left hand control in the throat register and across the break, and control of the little fingers. These can easily be kept in practice by playing a few short etudes from Kalmen Opperman Modern Daily Studies for the Clarinet BOOK ONE (M. Baron, pub.). Etudes 1, 2, 3, and 5 are perfect for that. After you've played the Klose scales and scales in thirds, you should have time for one or two of these brief Opperman studies. Just that routine will preserve your basic embochure and technique. The upper altissimo, of course, is likely to fade a bit and will have to be patiently recultivated when you get back to longer practice sessions.
Post Edited (2016-10-15 19:22)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
