 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: sarah
Date: 2001-10-22 14:15
I was told to try and make the peices I am playing sound easy. Does this just mean practice a lot, or should I be doing something else? Right now I am working on the Rose 32, and for the next few days #16 and #18. I'm not just looking for answers for there two etudes though, everyting I play should sound easy. Anyone have any tips??
sarah
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2001-10-22 18:44
Sarah -
Please allow me to share with you a 'tip for the day' that people far wiser than I have shared with me over the years. Always, it seems, just at a time when I needed to hear it repeated. And I still repeat it to myself... often 
The key word to making everything you play sound easy: RELAX.
I know - much easier said than done :| At first, you may have to work really hard at not working hard but it gets easier the more you do it.
Practice, of course, to gain control and boost your confidence. No question about that. We all agree. But, practice does not necessesarily equate to the number of hours spent doing it; it's the quality of practice that counts. Twenty minutes of intelligent, focused practice will benefit you far more than hours of going through the motions. Do everything you can think of to reduce tension, maintain physical fitness and stay alert. You'll surprise yourself, guaranteed, how quickly your confidence will increase. Confidence in your ability promotes a relaxed performance. A relaxed performance is a joy to yourself and whomever your audience happens to be.
- ron b -
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2001-10-22 20:41
A musical interpretation that sounds natural and "relaxed" must also be tecnically perfect with no unevenly executed notes, accoustically nor rhythmically. No matter how hard the notes are--key signiture, range, articulation or tempo--your execution should always sound "easy." Most "pro" auditions are lost or won by the rhythm factor alone, not necessarilly interpretation or sound. Unfortunately, there is also the "know the right person" factor in auditions, but that is another story.................Good Clarineting!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kyle
Date: 2001-10-22 20:59
What I like to do is find a recorded version of what I want to play and play along with it. This helps me get the articulation and everthing just right. Any way, hope that helps!
~Kyle~
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jason M
Date: 2001-10-23 00:11
Relax and be yourself is the key, in Violin (clarinet is not my background - but similar principals), you will hear different capable musicians play the same peice note for note but all achieving a different overall sound. It can be a lot to do with the 'attack' and speed with which you play the peice. You could listen to the famous Four Season's Solo (G Minor op.8/2 Presto) played by say Yehudi Menuhin and listen to it by another musician and the sound is very different although the notes and rhythm are the same. This I account for the 'soul' of the musician, so perhaps a recording would be helpfull, but in the end, it is you who is playiing so you need to put a part of yourself in it as well, and as for auditions, well... William's comments are often the case, so be yourself and relax.
J
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-10-23 00:18
My youth orchestra conductor constantly says "How slow is it within the pulse? Don't think about how fast it is." If you rush, it's going to sound anxious.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-10-23 01:05
Have you ever looked at a lead guitarist before? Playing the most difficult licks? If you look at his fingers, you start to realize that it must "definitely be easier than it sounds!!" and then you realize that it was ":Much harder than it sounded or looked."
Lead guitar players make the music sound easy all the time.
One thing I remember, though, something that my band director taught me, you can have perfection in your music and the song will still suck. We need to spend less time perfecting music and more time PERFECTING music, putting your soul into it.
I believe THAT is the key to making music sound easy or difficult, more than it really is, either way.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: janlynn
Date: 2001-10-23 13:12
my band director tells the clarinet section to make it sound easy all the time. to relax and not to rush. when i tried to relax i got too slow then rushed to catch up. i didnt really understand how to accomplish this at first (last year).
now beginning to understand because in a song we are playing, there are several measures of 8th notes which is really not that hard. but i am noticing in certain places like where theres an A to B (over the break) the fingers stumble a little slowing it down so you naturally wont to catch back up making it sound uneven and choppy. and also (for me) in places going from a D to C i want to put my pinky down too soon therefore speeding up and then having to slow it down.
so by learning to make a smoother transition between just those 2 notes (or wherever the problem is), it will keep the rest of the measures smooth, and sounding easy and relaxed.
good luck
JL
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
