 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Steve
Date: 2002-03-10 18:56
Oftentimes, the first time through the trio portion of a march is played an octave below what's written. The final repeat is then played straight. (Traditionally, many of Sousa's marches are played this way.) The brass players have it easy, since all their notes are fingered the same from octave to octave, just lipped up or down.
What's the best way to learn to do this mentally? I find the altissimo register or a passage with many sharps or flats in it especially hard to drop an octave. I often resort to re-writing the passage so I get it right. There are other clarinetists in the band I play in who say they've never been able to do it mentally, either.
Any tips?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-03-10 20:46
Steve...Although I've never found tranposition or octave skips particularly difficult to do, I can understand where it might be troublesome to learn to be entirely comfortable with.
Perhaps it comes from occasionally playing along with my students an octave lower to help them stay in pitch, or playing far too much theater pit work, or for a multitude of other reasons, it just takes doing it more frequently to get quicker at it.
One tip which may help, is to think of G5 (G just above the staff)as your "base line". This note will obviously transpose down to an open G.
Then, thinking that way, every note in the passage will then be above or below this "base line" - an in turn, above or below an open G.
That's just one mental gymnastic trick to try. The other, of course is doing much more of it, perhaps with a friend playing a simple tune very slowly and you shadowing him/her an octave lower. The more you do - the easier it will seem.
Good luck...GBK
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Author: Dale T. Rodgers
Date: 2002-03-11 01:31
I can understand your difficulty. The best advice I can give is what I tell my students: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I'm not aware of any particular tricks, although GBK's is certainly an option. GBK also gives a good practical practice tool - to play along with a friend on simple tunes at first, and thenincreasing difficulty. In time, you should be able to handle it.
Incidentally, the only march I've played regularly an octave down is the trio (first 2 times) of Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever."
Good luck, and don't give up.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-03-11 01:40
Hmm, I played quite a few Sousa marches in the six years I was in the school's marching band - but I don't ever remember having to transpose anything down the octave. Perhaps it wasn't a challenge or perhaps I just didn't read the fine print -- wish I could remember.
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Author: willie
Date: 2002-03-11 03:21
It just takes a little practice and it come naturaly. When I play tuba parts on my contra I transpose. When I play string bass parts, I transpose and think/play an octave lower. At first I had trouble doing both as it overtaxed my noggin pretty good. Now it just comes naturaly. Just practice.
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-03-11 03:41
In 41 years (on and off) I've never played a march down an octave in any band, perhaps its a tradition in the area where you live. (I have played a great many of the Sousa marches over the years, including 8 or 10 in the last 5 years.) I also can't recall a recording where this is done. I really can't imagine a reason to do so as the relatively weak (in comparison to sax or trumpet) clarinet sound travels better in field or parade situations at the upper end of the range.
The only tradition on Sousa marches I'm aware of is the ritardando on the 3rd time through the trio on Stars and Stripes. Many directors do that one, though my present director in a community band refuses to do so.
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Author: Todd
Date: 2002-03-11 03:53
I've played in concert bands where I've been asked to play a strain the first time an octave down, then as written the second time. It adds greater contrast in volume and texture to the march. Frank Byrne has edited some of Sousa's marches. He marks some of the strains down an octave the first time. It is written out so it's easy to do. However, I've learned from practicing over and over to be able to play down or up an octave from what is written. Good luck!
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Author: fredR
Date: 2002-03-11 05:18
Just a point of reference: The lower octave ine the 2cd strain was a a Sousa invention (preference) that he never wrote out. The tradition is continued by Sousa scholars and purists today (my former band director was one). The ritard in the trio is considered the ultimate blasphemy by this group.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-03-11 16:01
Steve -
Octave transposition is part of your technical equipment. Get comfortable first transposing up an octave. After than, going down the octave should "click" after a few days.
If just doing it isn't enough, I'm afraid the answer is medicinal. It's the octave-leap scale exercises in Baermann Part 3. I don't remember whether the descending part has the jumps going down. If it doesn't, just reverse the direction and practice downward.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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