 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Meredith
Date: 1999-05-29 18:35
Well, it is summer now and since I am going to summer school to fit in extra classes, I don't have time to go to band camp and thus, I have nothing to practice or play. Besides that I want something to play simply because I love it, I don't want to go back to school in august only to realize that I have lost my chops. My question is, what are some good etude or drill books? Ability wise, I will be a junior in high school and I am at the top of my section. I live in texas and I know that the region and area cuts are taken from certain etude books. If you know which books these are, that would be great. Thanks.
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Author: Amy
Date: 1999-05-29 21:12
In Texas, virtually all the etudes for region and area are taken from the Rose Etude Book 1, from the French School (I believe that is the exact name). If you work on those etudes, you will be ahead the game when they choose the state etudes in the fall. There are also other books with other etudes in Books 2 and 3. Also practice all scales...major and minor (natural, melodic, harmonic). I use the Albert scale studies book (don't quote me on that name either). Hope I could help!
Amy
PS..What area of Texas are you from? I will be a junior next year too..perhaps I've seen you at region or area.
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Author: Clare
Date: 1999-05-30 00:54
I like Hite's Melodious and Progressive Studies. It's great for sightreading practice.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 1999-05-30 01:35
Meredith wrote:
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Well, it is summer now and since I am going to summer school to fit in extra classes, I don't have time to go to band camp and thus, I have nothing to practice or play. Besides that I want something to play simply because I love it, I don't want to go back to school in august only to realize that I have lost my chops. My question is, what are some good etude or drill books? Ability wise, I will be a junior in high school and I am at the top of my section. I live in texas and I know that the region and area cuts are taken from certain etude books. If you know which books these are, that would be great. Thanks.
Meredith -
You've got the right attitude. There's nothing better than coming back in shape.
The first etude books to get are "32 Etudes" and "40 Etudes" by Rose. If etude excerpts are asked for on auditions, they will probably be from the 32 book. Every serious clarinetist studies these etudes, usually starting with the 32 and then going on to the 40. They are transcriptions from violin etudes, so they aren't written to present problem passages on the clarinet. On the other hand, they are terrific music, and they teach you how to play beautifully as well as mechanically accurate.
If you don't already have it, you should get Part III of the Baermann Method, often called the "clarinetist's bible." It's made up entirely of scales in varying patterns and in every possible major and minor key. To be a complete player, you need to have every one of these "in your fingers." That way (at least in tonal music), you never come to a passage you don't already know. However, it's very medicinal. You shouldn't work on more than a couple of pages at a time, and you have to start *very* slow - quarter notes at 60, if you have to - so that you get completely comfortable and don't have to guess. Also, remember that even scale exercises need to be played as music.
A shorter version of the scale exericses is in the other method books - Klose, Lazarus, Langenus, and so on. I never used the Rubank, but I'm sure the Advanced gook has the same. The essential ones are each major and minor scale, plus the same in broken thirds (that is, in the key of C, it's C,E,D,F,E,G, and so on), plus arpeggios and broken arpeggios.
My "full dress" warmup exercise for technique is to play the scale of C major up and down for 2 octaves, and then do it in broken thirds, in arpeggio and in broken arpeggio. Then I go to A minor, F major (3 octaves), D minor, and so on through each major and minor key around the circle of fifths back to C major. It's not easy to learn this. It gets *really* nasty around F# major. The point is, though, that you will have to play in F# occasionally. Even if the key signature doesn't show 6 sharps, a piece will often modulate quickly through F# or some other extreme key, and you have to know what to expect.
I eventually memorized the entire exercise, so I could put my hands in my pockets and run through it while waiting for a bus, or before I sent to sleep.
Is your teacher in town during the summer? Why not arrange a lesson every 2 or 3 weeks?
You've gotten to the top in the school band. Now is the time to get to know the other good players around town. Call up the top piano teacher and ask for a recommendation of a good player you can work with to play through songs for voice and piano. Piano players tend to practice alone, and teachers will jump at the opportunity to give a good student the chance to play with another good player. Start with what appeals to you both -- say, the Rogers & Hammerstein Songbook, or a book of Schubert songs. Of course you'll have to transpose, but you're first chair now, and you need to learn. It's not hard once you get the hang of it.
Getting better has 2 parts -- technique and musicianship. At your level, it's not enough just to be accurate -- you have to be beautiful too. People are looking up to you and trying to play like you.
Remember to have fun. And practice.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Joey
Date: 1999-05-30 02:18
Hi, I like your attitude about playing in the summer. I just bought a couple of books today (I'm goint to be a senior) and one is a must have. Artistic Studies Book-1 From the French School is a collection of many etudes that are often used for TMEA All-State auditions. Just about every year, the pieces are taken from this collection. Also, there are Book-2 from the Italian and Book-3 from the German Schools. These three would make a well balanced collection, and could produce a killer clarinet player if they are a constant practice. However, another book I purchased was the Klose-Prescott First and Second Year Studies. These are just excerpts from the Complete Klose book, which is REALLY the Clarinet Players Bible because of its in depth availability of technical, musical, and combined pieces. The complete book is somewhere like 500 pages, but worth the purchase, I am going to be sure to order one this summer. I'm from the Rio Grande Valley, and a little town called La Joya, basically at the southern end of Texas. Oh yeah, the 40 and 32 Studies by C. Rose are excellent, but you'll find just about all of them plus more etudes in the three books above (French, Italian etc) for about the same price. Good Luck! Maybe we'll see one another at State, I'm gunning for it with the help of my instructor.
_-~Joey~-_
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-05-31 03:58
Texas Region/State etudes come from one of the three Artistic Studies edited by David Hite from Southern Music Company. Book one (French School) is the Rose 32 and 40 Etudes and 9 Caprices. Book two (German School) is part of Baermann division 4 and all of division 5. Book three (Italian School) is works of Cavallini, Labanchi, Magnani, and Gambaro.
When i am bored or have spare time, i like to practice the Opperman Modern Daily Studies. They go all over the place in respect to key signatures. And the second book is actually fun and the etudes aren't pure mindless repetition. The first book is mostly drills for various situations.
Also, just get some solos or look through varoius other method books, or even books for other treble clef instruments. Practicing is the only way to get better at it. So the more you do it over the summer and through out the year, the better you will get. Obvoiusly, don't try to read through something like Tomasi, Nielsen or some other gawd-awful technical piece. That's only self-destructive. But something like the Artistic Studies books is what you should be able to sightread with little difficulty at this pint in your playing.
Best wishes.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-05-31 04:00
Meredith wrote:
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I am from Nacogdoches, in east texas.
Do you study with Raphael?
He's a great player, and an excellent guy to know.
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Author: Pam L
Date: 1999-05-31 20:03
This may not be exactly what you are looking for, but you might also want to look at Odd Meter Etudes (for all treble clef instruments) by Everett Gates. Published by Sam Fox. Technique-wise, these aren't the most complicated etudes you will find, but playing in odd meters (5/4, 5/8, 7/8, etc.) can be a real trip, and you may run into one of these meters for a few bars in the middle of a piece (and I think Mars, by Holst is almost entirely in odd meter). The ones that threw me the most were 8/8 (3/8 + 5/8) and 9/8 (4/8 + 3/8 + 2/8). Have fun practicing!
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-05-31 21:37
Pam L wrote:
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This may not be exactly what you are looking for, but you might also want to look at Odd Meter Etudes (for all treble clef instruments) by Everett Gates. Published by Sam Fox. Technique-wise, these aren't the most complicated etudes you will find, but playing in odd meters (5/4, 5/8, 7/8, etc.) can be a real trip, and you may run into one of these meters for a few bars in the middle of a piece (and I think Mars, by Holst is almost entirely in odd meter). The ones that threw me the most were 8/8 (3/8 + 5/8) and 9/8 (4/8 + 3/8 + 2/8). Have fun practicing!
The easiest thing for me to do in odd meters is to think of simply the eighth notes and forget the divisions. There's another book by gates which is odd meter duets. Some of them are schmoozy, but they are fun.
There's another book that's much more challenging as far as meters and sudden modulations into other keys. It's called "30 Changing Meter Duets" by James Meyer. Ever measure is a different meter. Usually only interchanging between two or three. So there's still a pattern. It's good practice for pieces like Carmina Burana and the Copland Cancertoand the like.
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Author: Meredith
Date: 1999-06-01 17:30
I know who Dr.Sanders is but I have never worked with him. My private lessons teacher is a college student (was a former all stater) and she is one of his students.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-06-02 22:30
Dee:
Your book list that you posted on the BBS almost a year ago was FANTASTIC! Wow! All of the books referenced above, plus a few others were on your list.
I'd love to see the list again.
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-06-03 02:21
You asked for it (most of it is listed in Daniel Bonade's Clarinetist's Compendium which is also a must for serious clarinettists IMHO). And no I have not worked my way through all these myself. The Rubank or Klose (or equivalent) probably should be completed before tackling the Bonade list.
Rubank Advanced I & II
Klose Complete Method
Listed by Bonade
Rose 40 Etudes (usually two books)
Rose 32 Etudes
Rose 20 Grandes Etudes
Stark Arpeggios
Baerman Book IV
Baerman Book V
Cavallini Thirty Caprices
Stark 24 Studies in All Tonalities
Jeanjean 18 Etudes
Jeanjean 16 Modern Etudes
Stark 24 Grand Virtuoso Studies (two books)
Capelle 20 Grandes Etudes (two books)
Perier 20 Etudes de Virtuosite
Perier 22 Etudes Modernes
Perier 30 Etudes d'apres Bach, Paganini, etc
Jeanjean Etudes Progressives et Melodiques (three books)
Other works for consideration would be Langenus and the other sections of Baerman.
The Bonade book describes mini-drills for improving technique such as tonguing and synchronization and references some of the exercises in the Rose studies.
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