Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-10-20 18:23
If you have a format of, rhythm, range, tempo, articulation, scale order, etc. that you must follow in an audition, there isn't much you can do other than playing them perfectly without thinking about them.
It is a shame there is a format because learning this way doesn't mean that a player 'knows' the scales. Knowing the scales means they are in the fingers and a player doesn't have to think which notes are sharp or flat.
I remember in one of my All-State auditions, hearing one student play a three octave F scale OK. The piece in the audition was the Weber Concertino, Op. 26 and she fumbled the scales at the end. I was astonished that she didn't know that these were F scales! After mentioning this, she played the scales without any fumbling.
After practicing them in the required format, then be creative and make up a different format every practice so you teach the fingers how each scale feels. For my students, I ask that they make up a new 3, 4 or 5 note melody every practice and play them in every scale and register. My good students have no problem playing any music in any key, not necessarily at any tempo, but without fumbling.
I have also seen music in the key of F where every 'B' in the piece is marked in pencil with a flat! Yikes!!!
Good luck - some auditions are not fair, but neither is life sometimes.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
