Author: vboboe
Date: 2008-01-26 23:14
Hey Judy <<I have problems with the counting>>
Yes, yes, yes, this one's a real toughie, i've had tons of troubles knowing exactly where we're at in the music and coming in on time (especially in cold reads of completely new music or unfamiliar arrangements)
over the last coupla years in band, i've found these things help me most:
the first most important thing of all i've learned is *always* be in a position to clearly see the director's arms all the time in your peripheral vision when you're reading your music -- over the rim of your glasses, downbeat, to your left, to your right, upbeat ... get that music stand adjusted just so it's all see-able together when you're in playing and music-reading posture
next, be completely sure you can visually recognize the arm-waving patterns for each time signature as directed, 4/4, 3/4 in three and 3/4 in one, cut-time, slow 6/8, 6/8 in two, etc.
somehow you have to internalise these visual cues to a mechanical clicking sound that's also inflected with the characteristic strong & weak beat rhythms of each tempo -- so that you're psychologically in complete synch with the director -- not your own sense of timing, but 'cloned' with the director's timing -- this bit's still elusive for me, i find it's always finger fumbling for those blasted multiple incidental notes, or not recognizing the rhythmic pattern so fingers miss the rhythmic sequencing that totally messes me up here
so, long-term, the only solutions there are practice those finger moves umpteen times until they're totally smooth moves, and practice those darn rhythm exercises umpteen times to connect visually read patterns to physical sound patterns for future reference
when counting Rest bars before the next entrance, mentally count bars on Downbeats -- ONE-2-3-4, TWO-2-3-4 ... TWENTY-2-3-4 ...
When really familiar with any piece, probably don't need to count, you know exactly what's playing just before your entrance, but until you're this familiar always count, count, count every single rest bar entirely to the director's beat (but don't be seen to be counting by the audience)
sometimes I la-la my tongue silently in mouth to keep the beat uppermost in mind, or more likely, fumbling around trying to re-establish it when i've lost it !
it's a no-no to tap one's foot up and down, or rhythmically tilt one's head side to side, or jiggle in one's seat to keep the beat ... but if shoes are thick enough to disguise the action of my big toes inside keeping the beat, i use 'em
after any lengthy playing, i like to do 'recovery breathing' in any two (or more) bars of rest, on the beat -- Out-In Out-In -- this speeds up oxygen ventilation and clears head up faster than just breathing normally
in the last two bars of many counted rests before coming in, i like to count-down on my breath, using each beat again -- Out-in Out-in -- to re-establish direct contact with the director's timing, then 'prime my air' ready for whatever beat or semi-beat my entry in next bar, place reed on tip of tongue, form embouchure at the most appropriate moment that's perfectly timed precisely for me to physically release tongue for first attack on target ... and believe me, that bit's a complex art all by itself !
Of course this is 4/4 time, have to adjust breathing in tempo for 3/4, 6/8, cut time, etc.
and the last, most important and really wonderful thing i've discovered fairly recently is -- i don't have to physically hear myself playing my part to know that i'm in tune with 'Them'
-- what i've discovered i'm getting able to do is read the music, pitch intervals and rhythms mentally and 'hear' my head voice ringing it in the front of my forehead, and They're 'accompaniment' to that head voice (so there's where playing in tune comes in) -- no matter how loud they're actually playing out there so that i can't physically hear myself playing
This is still under development, very patchy on familiar music, rarely there on cold reads unless the tune's recognizable, but it's a very exciting experience to know there's something marvellous hatching, do other folks have something like this happening for them?
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