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Re: learning curve

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2018-02-03 19:33

LC007 wrote:

> We do practice at an excruciatingly slow speed sometimes. I
> think that may contribute to my tendency to speed things up. I
> will need to watch that. I will start practicing at home in
> slow-mo.

My personal opinion (which I know isn't universally shared) is that slowing things too much so completely changes the nature of the problem that the benefit may not transfer to a faster speed. That's not to denigrate slowing difficult passages down to a manageable speed, but only enough to allow more accurate reading (people tend to skip details at too fast a reading speed in both music and text). It should still retain its musical character. When you're at home, find a tempo that's only slow enough for you to play the passage accurately, not so slow that it becomes "excruciating." All you want to do is learn accurately what the notation says and be able to control your playing result. Then start to gradually speed up, trying to push the threshold at which you lose control closer to the performance tempo.

> Toe tapping comes completely naturally to me and I don't think
> I could stop if even if I tried. In fact I get both feet going
> sometimes - one on the up beat and the other on the down.

It isn't so much the toe tapping that's a problem, it's the visible movement of your foot (feet) up and down (distracts the audience) and the sound of shoes hitting the floor (adds unintended and unwanted noise to the music). Players who compulsively tap their toes only need to learn to minimize the motion so it's unnoticeable to an observer and doesn't add an audible drumbeat.

> Another thing I thought about is to sit more in front of my
> section. That way I would have clarinets behind me rather than
> saxes and tuba. Next week I will get there a bit earlier to
> secure a front row seat.
>

In many bands this may not make you popular. The chairs at or near the front of the section are usually considered to be where the more experienced and either skilled or politically influential players sit. In many groups, the seating is assigned. If seating is really first-come-first-seated, you might go for something more in the middle. You should sit with other clarinetists who are playing the same part (3rd clarinet?) because even the sound of one of the other parts may confuse you.

Karl

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