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 How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: mmichel 
Date:   2021-02-13 02:34

Hello all,

As I mentioned in a recent thread, I've been getting back into clarinet recently and I'm trying to really focus on proper technique and tone production.

As part of this process, in addition to working on scales, arpeggios, and transcriptions/repertoire, I've also been working out of Klose's Celebrated Method (i.e., the commonly available version edited by Drucker & Drucker). However, the book has a lot of material just thrown together and, as a result, I find myself sort of jumping around in it arbitrarily. I'd like to try to tread a more methodical path through it.

For those of you who use this book (either for your own playing, with your students, or both), how do you use it? In particular:

- Are there certain sections that you find particularly useful?
- Do you have a specific progression that you recommend to students?
- What sorts of goals do you set for yourself or your students (e.g., tempo markings, etc.) and how do you decide when to move on from a particular exercise?
- Are there any exercises that you return to consistently or recommend for daily practice?

Edit: I'm playing both soprano and bass (to low Eb), so I'd also be interested in any exercises that target problems specific to either voice.

Thanks,
--Melchi



Post Edited (2021-02-13 02:37)

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: kdk 2017
Date:   2021-02-13 03:51

mmichel wrote:

> For those of you who use this book (either for your own
> playing, with your students, or both), how do you use it? In
> particular:
>

First, are you using the first part of the book or the second. I've never used the Drucker edition, only the old Fischer edition, which was actually divided into two volumes.
> - Are there certain sections that you find particularly useful?
>

For students, I mostly use the material in the Daily Studies (in the old Fischer Volume 2). - the major and minor scales, arpeggios and scales in thirds. I think there's newer, more musically interesting study material available for technical work.

> - What sorts of goals do you set for yourself or your students
> (e.g., tempo markings, etc.) and how do you decide when to move
> on from a particular exercise?

For students, obviously, correct rhythm is important followed by accurate notes. I never set tempo goals as such. The tempo the student reaches should be (a) musical and (b) one at which he/she can maintain rhythmic and fingering accuracy with fluency. That's different for different students. I tend to have a student move on when the result of continuing practicing stops producing improvement. If it never becomes fluent at any tempo, I've made a poor choice of material.

> - Are there any exercises that you return to consistently or
> recommend for daily practice?

The diatonic scales, thirds and arpeggios.

Karl

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: mmichel 
Date:   2021-02-13 04:51

kdk wrote:


> First, are you using the first part of the book or the second.
> I've never used the Drucker edition, only the old Fischer
> edition, which was actually divided into two volumes.

Both, I think. The Drucker & Drucker edition that I'm using is a single, spiral-bound 352-page volume.

> > - Are there certain sections that you find particularly
> useful?
> >
>
> For students, I mostly use the material in the Daily Studies
> (in the old Fischer Volume 2). - the major and minor scales,
> arpeggios and scales in thirds. I think there's newer, more
> musically interesting study material available for technical
> work.

Thanks.

> > - What sorts of goals do you set for yourself or your
> students
> > (e.g., tempo markings, etc.) and how do you decide when to
> move
> > on from a particular exercise?
>
> For students, obviously, correct rhythm is important followed
> by accurate notes. I never set tempo goals as such. The tempo
> the student reaches should be (a) musical and (b) one at which
> he/she can maintain rhythmic and fingering accuracy with
> fluency. That's different for different students. I tend to
> have a student move on when the result of continuing practicing
> stops producing improvement. If it never becomes fluent at any
> tempo, I've made a poor choice of material.

Thanks. In asking this question, I was really looking for a sort of heuristic to help me balance depth vs. breadth. I'm sufficiently obsessive that I could easily spend a month of daily practice on a single exercise (and keep improving), but I'd like my practice to be as efficient and comprehensive as possible.

> > - Are there any exercises that you return to consistently or
> > recommend for daily practice?
>
> The diatonic scales, thirds and arpeggios.

Thanks. Thus far, for scales and arpeggios, I've just been copying the standard exercises that I use on saxophone (which I don't need to read). However, I'll look at these exercises in the Klose book to see whether they add anything.

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: seabreeze 
Date:   2021-02-13 05:01

In the US, The Simeon Bellison Carl-Fischer edition is still probably the most used version of Klose. It has been published in both a two-volume and a single-volume "complete" edition. Many teachers ask students to eventually memorize the "major and minor scales" and the "scales in thirds, major and minor" (pages 123, 126-7). The "Fifteen Grand Duets" (pages 136-201) in a sort of Mozartian style are way too hard for beginners but make good practice for intermediate-level students. The "Scales and Exercises" duets (pages 51-73) go through all the keys and offer excellent practice in varied time signatures and rhythmic subdivision but are also too hard for beginners. They are best taken up by students who have already worked through books like the Rubank series. The 141 "Practical Exercises ...for acquiring equality of the fingers" (44-48) are excellent and need to be followed up with similar finger equality work in the Baermann Method, book 2.



Post Edited (2021-02-14 05:21)

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: kdk 2017
Date:   2021-02-13 05:05

mmichel wrote:


> > > - Are there any exercises that you return to consistently
> or
> > > recommend for daily practice?

> > The diatonic scales, thirds and arpeggios.

> Thanks. Thus far, for scales and arpeggios, I've just been
> copying the standard exercises that I use on saxophone (which I
> don't need to read). However, I'll look at these exercises in
> the Klose book to see whether they add anything.

Well, scales are scales. The only thing I'd say Klosé adds - I don't know if he was the first, but many method book editors have copied his setting since - is that they're connected into a continuous etude that goes from major to relative melodic minor to next major in the circle of fifths to its relative minor, etc..., through all 24 major and melodic minor scales. It can be adapted - you can substitute harmonic minor scales, for instance. It does go through the flats (from 0 to 6) and then back through sharps from 5 back to 0, not 1 flat-1 sharp-2sharps-2 flats, etc., as some layouts do.

The thirds and arpeggios are laid out the same way.

Karl

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: Jarmo Hyvakko 
Date:   2021-02-13 11:33

If the american version is anything like the "real one" published by Leduc in France, i would suggest to use it as a sort of an encyclopedia of clarinet teaching: lots of more or less useful stuff here and there and use some good compact progressive method with the student.

What that good progressive method would be, is another story...

Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland

Post Edited (2021-02-13 11:46)

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: BethGraham 
Date:   2021-02-14 02:03

When I mentioned in my recent thread that I use Klose, I mean the 2015 one-volume Drucker edition. In it, I specifically use "Sixty-Eight Exercises of Mechanism" (pp. 12-14) and "Practical Exercises" (pp. 53-58) in my practice so far.

I tend to work through several books simultaneously and jump around, because I'm easily bored. Plus, hey! I'm an adult, so can do what I want.

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: Tom H 
Date:   2021-02-14 02:40

I found my old one. Celebrated Studies--like an encyclopedia. Don't know what to say as it's been decades since I practiced it. The scales, arpeggios--well, you can get that anywhere. The rest of it-- I would just plow through it or maybe pick out certain sections that benefit you the most. Practice what you can't do.

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 Re: How do you use the Klose Book?
Author: Ed 
Date:   2021-02-14 07:06

I would have to go through the book and verify pages for each section, but here is a brief overview of the ones I regularly use with students.

I use the mechanism exercises, assigning maybe 3-4 per week. I have them play each first at a slow tempo around 60 working on tone, technique, etc. They play them a number of times as the book suggests and then again twice as fast. I also use the exercises that go sequentially though each key and the earlier stylistic duets. (I find much of the duet material very enjoyable to play and great for teaching style and musicality as well as a host of other skills....of course that was when I could see students in person and play duets!) Later there are articulation studies that are a good challenge.

I pick and choose from different sections as needed. Once students are advanced enough I use the harder etudes. I find there is so much valuable material here and it will help students become really solid players.

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