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Re: Method for Learning Daunting Music

Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-02-26 22:12

Thank you all for your thoughts.

Tom: funny enough, my discussion prior of how many an etude book looses a small degree of effectiveness over time for me due to partial memorization dovetails extremely well, IMHO, to the efficacy of your etude book, The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--which I own.

For those not familiar with Tom's book--and I say this with complement--it presents the player with constant "curve balls of play" where pretty much any technique for sight reading, including knowledge of scales and repetition of themes is made impossible by the randomness of notes and rhythms, such that the player is left only with good ole fashion "concentration" as the sole tool in their arsenal from which to address challenges. The book is the mental equivalent IMHO of the basketball player who works with ankle weights during practice.

A page a day hugh? I think I'll seek to master a line a day! lol

Alexis: I really like what you said about not forsaking musicality while engrossed in mastering technique.

Another thing that really resonates with me about what you said is using a metronome speed at which I can consistently handle a passage to perfect its fingering. That slow speed offers time to correct less than perfect finger placement that performance speed does not. Thanks.

Brycon: I admit some confusion in your wish that people learn the musicality of this piece and yet shy aware from listening to others perform it. While I can completely appreciate not listening to just one interpretation for fear of making it your own, my musicality is formed from a composite of how those who came before me played it.

That said, I appreciate, like Alexis, how you believe musicality is not some--pardon my metaphor--condiment to be added to the metaphorical hot dog that is technique, once that hot dog is prepared. Musicality is more like the onions, and garlic, and other things that got stirred into the meat prior to and while it was being cooked.

I've read the book you site and am terrible at playing fast initially: feeling that it only reinforces mistakes. But changing up tempo is something I do feel important as it's easier for my brain to get hardwired to one speed, where slower or faster presents difficulty.

John: I'm in a virtual COVID clarinet quartet playing Aaron Copland's 5 Old American Songs this upcoming week, arrange by a gentlemen with your name.

Cooincidence?

"The Last Easy Note."

I guess I'm going to have to retrain myself to think about the next note, not passage, the latter my go to.

Unfortunately this technique may cause me to pause in measure 3 of the work as I perfect pinky swaps of middle "C". lol!

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