 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2002-11-27 04:51
I have tried everything...dotted rhythms, playing it slow and building it up, practicing sections of it, but I can't get this study up to a respectable tempo. It's not even that difficult, I just keep making silly mistakes and breathing at wrong places. It is No.1 from Polacheks (spelling) 12 Etudes. Any suggestions anyone? Getting desperate now. WHat tempo should I be playing it at. I've been trying to get it up to about crotchet (quarter note) = 112.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2002-11-27 10:09
Nick, what my teacher has been SO wisely saying to me this week is to practise it a little slower than you intend to perform it. Then, go in and play it at the tempo you've been practising it at. This way, with the nerves and adrenalin, you'll probably play it at the perfect tempo! And if not, and you play it at the slower tempo, it's still OKAY, because you'll get it right and this way, there's really no fault in the eyes of the panel. It's a win-win situation!
Besides, with my study, I can't play it perfect at up tempo, but I don't intend to play it that fast. I want to get it right, and tempo is not what they'll be looking at anyway.
PS> Best of luck! I hope we're going to VCA together next year!
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Author: William
Date: 2002-11-27 14:54
"I just keep making silly mistakes and breathing at wrong places."
Marking the breath points would help you "remember" where to breath, and would help you learn the "flow" (musical phrasing) of the etude in some consistant fashion. The "silly mistakes" are Your Problem--probably a result of insufficient preparation or ineffective practice. After marking the breath points, keep practicing at a slower tempo for consistant, musical effect and just "give it your best" at the audition. (it will probably go better than you thought) Best of Luck!!
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-11-27 18:16
Nick -
One good way to work on difficult passages is to work backward. Play the last bar. Then the last two bars. Then the last three. The unfamiliarity, and working in small chunks, can help you come at it in a new way.
When you say you worked at it with dotted rhythms, did you do it in the very thorough way I described at http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=24907&t=24731.
Finally, here's an idea from Eloise Ristad's wonderful book A Soprano On Her Head. Play the etude through *trying* to make the mistakes. Play it standing on one leg. Play it lying on the floor. Play it, in fact, standing on your head. Get the mistakes made and out of your system, and just go ahead as if they hadn't happened.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-11-27 19:15
As the tempo indication on this etude is Vivace, your current tempo of quarter note = 112 is a bit too slow for this exercise.
Vivace (lively) is usually thought of as a tempo indication between allegro and presto. As a guideline, Allegro is generally considered to begin at the quarter note = 120. Some metronomes set the range of Allegro at anywhere between 120 - 168.
Start slowly, in small sections, as Ken and others have advised. Then, think in phrases.
Mark your music for places to breath. As you start to increase your speed, you may notice that you can get by with fewer breaths.
Not all practicing need be done with the clarinet. Mentally sing through the exercise, listening for the structure of the phrases. Imagine yourself playing it.
This exercise is made of three sections - exposition, development and recapitulation. By learning the exposition perfectly, you have, in essence learned the recapitulation.
Spend twice as much time learning the development section, then put all three sections together...GBK
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