Following on from Lizbun’s thread publicising her oboe vidclip on YouTube, I thought it might be a good thing to have a thread dedicated to members’ YouTube submissions. So if you have a clip of you demonstrating your prowess on YouTube, post the link here.

Lizbun is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYbsrQZol0E

Notmusimum’s daughter Berni is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kljKUxRKY2k

If you have a clip on YouTube, add the link to this thread.

Best wishes

barry

Found Lizbun but not Berni from the link given. Any ideas?

Berni's is apparently a private video.

What I thought interesting about Lizbun's video were the comments. A really excellent way of getting useful feedback and learning a lot!

Okay, two short clips of my son (13) rehearsing for a school party. He's the one with the blue guitar. His main instrument is the trumpet, but like many teenagers he thought the electric guitar was 'cool' so taught himself.

Er..best be polite and not comment on the singer!

Steve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNMiWNU1xZU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL7WLJzK6jU

Here's son Lawrence playing some Bach E Major flute sonata.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IipFSm8CXyk

(As for Berni - I was able to watch it last night. Maybe the settings have channged since then.)

barry

I tried last night and got the same result as Oboist - just for the record.
Will have another go later.

Hi

Sorry I made the video's private last night, I've unblocked them now! I thought they might still work on the forum. the Oboe video is not really representative of her playing and she's not seriously worked on this piece.

Here are two more, please remember that she doesn't have Sax lessons and is largely self taught, she started playing seriously around October. Oh and we off to get a new mouthpiece this weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQbs04SbxAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZH4wdQSyJg

Watch this space later in the week for some Jazz

By the way I'm Berni not my daughter Thought most of you knew that

I'm covering folk songs at the moment..but please look me up and let me know what you think!

I recorded 2 other things as well, just for fun.


me playing a bit quick-tempoed traumerei on the piano

Me playing 'pastorale' by edvard german on the oboe

OK, can't believe I am actually going to let people see this.....there are loads of out of tune notes and bad bowings and stuff but here is a video I made this evening of me playing the slow movement of the 5th Cello Sonata in E Minor by Vivaldi on my viola. Videoing yourself really makes you study where you're going wrong doesn't it! I'm not supposed to be playing my violins or viola much anymore because of my back being messed up, so I have to be as smart as possible about practicing and I think the video is going to be a big help with that.

ARGH the shifts!!!

notmusimum, it looks like your daughter is using a double embouchure like she would if she played oboe?

Oooh *feels like she might even record herself*

I'm just looking at the flute video - E major flute sonata is gorgeous

I'll get her to check this, although if she does it as a rule then I'm suprised the guy who plays some Jazz with her hasn't picked it up! She had been playing Oboe just before and that's unusual

Yes, over the past few weeks I have taken to recording my violin practice and then playing back to myself and it is amazing what you miss while you're playing, isn't it? I find it really helpful to record myself.

By the way, I thought your playing was wonderful, few wrong notes here and there, but a very nice performance!

Blimey, thanks Lisa! I'm currently loving Lizbun's oboe playing....she's really making me want to play my oboe again, she's fantastic. I'm going to check out everyone else's videos now too so I'll look you up

ETA: I love your singing, I would love to be able to sing like that! you have a really gentle, beautiful voice, and it sounds so good with your guitar. You have got to make more videos as it's obvious people are really enjoying them!

Thanks. I hope you'll play the oboe again soon

There's another clip of Lawrence playing flute here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXDV7W54tCQ

barry

A lovely clip Barry!

My username on youtube is sarahflute (no hyphen) but my output on there is singularly uninspiring at the moment - B major scale times 3 from sometime last year!

Dear Berni

Thank you (on L's behalf) for your kind words.

Best wishes

barry

I've just uploaded a video of me playing the oboe again It's to see how much a harder reed can make a difference in tone. Sadly, It's unsicronized the sound and motion as always
Why does uploading it to youtube do this, when It's fine before uploading?




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8POErrN6Y8

Recorder Piece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEOvRUVEGVE

and some Flute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxY84z4pF2I

I like the flute one - how old is your daughter? (I didn't listen to the recorder one)

He's a great flautist.

I quite enjoyed Summertime and Calyspo - well done to her

My daughter is just 12

Great videos. Any treble recorder ones?

Just a little point about the flute ones that I couldn't help noticing the right thumb sticking out and sliding around. I've lost count how many times I've said this in lessons. It should sit nicely under the fourth finger and still. Looked a very smiley embouchure as well.

Great work nonetheless.

I like them both

Smiley embouchure!! Is that bad? I expect she's not been told about the thumb. More Flute ones soon..Classical ones next time.

I don't know where she's at with Treble, or how presentable the pieces are,
I'll have a listen and see.

If she does grades on trinity, she'll have to be the same as with descant.
Your daughter sure playes a lot of instrumetns I wish I could play as meny


I went the whole hog and recorded a violin one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr-w5ctmmak

warning: my violin playing is not very good

I really liked that Liz, and it was sychronised for me edit, it wasn't

I enjoyed your violin playing!

My daughter is working towards Grade 5 Treble but I'm not sure how good the pieces are, she's not played them with the piano for a while, the exams are AB.

Thanks.


to oboe players: apart from long tones, what exersizes are good for improving the tone on the oboe? or is long tones the only answer?

This video and this video might be worth watching. Not sure how good this particular exercise would be, but demonstrates the point nicely.

Personally I found a big difference when I lost the smiley embouchure (well, just a slight smile), but it was Andy Piano Flute that first told me about it at Woodford last year.

We have seen the first one before but not the second. I'll try to persuade her to give it a go tomorrow!

I find it interesting.(even if I don't play the flute)

..not too sure from the flute video but your daughter seems to be moving the fingers of her right hand a lot (they're supposed to stay over the keys/in contact with them) - especially finger 3 (that is if thumb counts as 1 ) - it looks as though she keeps using the 2nd trill key - is she?

Which video? You may need to see her playing classical pieces. Which key do you mean?

Wish I'd done this before appreciate all the technique tips..but might need to wait until after Grade 5 to correct them.

This video...
there are 2 trill keys - the 1st between the keys for fingers 2 & 3, the 2nd between the keys for fingers 3 & 4.(right hand)
It looks as though your daughter tends to move finger 3 laterally off the key & over the trill key. It's best technique to try & keep your fingers in contact with the keys. At her level you're only going to need the trill keys occasionally

I haven't listented to the violin one yet but I like the oboe ones.
You might find your tone improves a bit if you lift your head up more and hold the oboe out at a higher angle (away from your body). (Although it is a bit hard to tell from the video as I can't see all of the instrument). At the master class I went to last month the oboist running got a couple of the younger ones just to lift their heads up a bit more and the change in tone was dramatic.

My teacher has had me experimenting with the angle quite a bit recently and the comparative weight of the left and right arms on the instrument and this does change both the tone and intonation quite considerably.

It's hard to tell exactly because of the angle of the recording how "smilie" her embouchure is, but in general a more relaxed embouchure is more flexible, more capable of tonal variation, produces a better sound... etc etc, than a smilie/tense embouchure. She certainly also moves her right hand fingers a lot, which probably doesn't give her much problem at the moment but WILL when she gets further on in her studies - learning good habits in the first place is FAR easier than correcting bad habits later.

Thanks. That migh work. I remember my oboe teahcer sayng my head was too low when playing.

I wonder if her first Flute teacher knows anything about habits on any instrument. These technical problems are minor comared to my eldests with Clarinet. They are certainly something she can work on after Grade 5 (it's too close now).

You are right Sarah, but sometimes it is a case of what habits simply have to be corrected immediately, and what can you let go in the short term. Rigid adherence to technique can be too much for some when they just want to enjoy playing. If it's something that would cause bad habits permanantly then it has to be corrected. The things we have picked up on or fairly minor, and as long as they are aware it is best to just do this exam and seriously look at technique that can be improved.

As soon as I get a suitable camera I am recording myself on there. Just looking for one that won't cost the world. *ideas anyone*

Neil I appreciate that people are pointing out technical poblems, they can be worked on after the exam and I agree can be corrected. I think it's what my daughter's current teacheras well as myself and child would want. Some of this has no doubt been the result of her first teacher, you don't want to see my eldests Clari technique, she is supposed to be a Flute specialist (daughter only changed a few months ago). She needs to work on technique but overall I'm proud of her playing as she's come so far in 2 years.

Neil I'm recording with a Kodak Easyshare Camera, bought one for my daughter which is better quality than the one I'm using for £!20. There are several models around on the internet. They are the ones slightly larget than a compact.

I've recorded myself again because I thought my video collection would be incomplete without a baroque(ish) peice.


here it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9D68ocJLvc

I don't think I'll be recording myself for a very long time now that I have a wide youtube-video repertiore

I've signed up to youtube; just need to record myself playing.

Yes, Neil, I know I was not telling anyone "sort this out now, it's vital to do it this second", or indeed the reverse. I was merely explaining to notmusicmum the reason behind people's comments about the RH movement and the embouchure.

Personally I always think that while it isn't always vital to correct a technical error "right this second", if a student is keen and musical, it isn't a bad idea to look at things such as correct embouchure and technique sooner rather than later (especially things which are relatively easy to get into good habits with but far more difficult to break bad habits later), and let students know WHY (because it's much better to be told, "try this, because then this will be easier" rather than "change this because you're doing it wrong).

To give an example, I have a grade 3 flute student, and I don't insist that every last note she had her fingers mega-close to the keys - she's busy learning and playing the notes and it isn't appropriate. However, I have encouraged her to practise slow things and scales and see if she can encourage her fingers to be lower/get used to how it feels, and this has gradually impacted her playing and her technique without me being a harridan about it; and moreover, she doesn't resent the fact that I have encouraged her to do this, because I have explained and demonstrated why it's a good thing!

Anyway - my post was not intended to make notmusicmum go and get her daughter changing things round right this second, merely to give her a reason behind all the "smilie embouchure is better" "fingers moving too much" posts. It's not always in any way obvious to a non player of an instrument why one thing is better than another or why something is considered bad technique, and knowing why gives a reason whereas "this is just the right way and you're doing it wrong" can be very discouraging.

Sarah stop worrying!!

I appreciate the comments about her fingers, this isn't something I find too worrying as I think it might be happening more as these are the Jazz pieces and never get played exactly the same, She does add trills in different places.

My daughter is still learning I fully accept this and one of the reasons I posted the Videos was for feed back. the points raised weren't what I expected but they are things I would never have noticed. On the point of embouchure she has looked at the Gallway Master Classes and had a go at experimenting with changing her embouchure. she's not stressed by doing this, again Sarah you were right it's not quite as smiley in reality as it appears on the Video. Anything that's going to improve her playing is worth a try. My daughter is very lucky in that she can correct little things and it's good that she is confident enough to take points on board. Usually I have no idea what things mean, so any further comments please provide idiot proof explainations, she generally knows what is being referred to and can correct it without too much effort.

Maybe I'm odd but I don't find these sorts of tips discouraging at all, however it does annoy me when big obvious problems get ignored this is destroying and far worse than pointing out tiny errors. Before you are all running back to the Vids to spot what I mean lol! I'm referring to my older daughter who is in a complete mess with 2 instruments because her teacher has encouraged her to be dependant and has never corrected any technique. Sad for her especially having a forge ahead sister and very frustrating for me. It's got to the stage where I'm suggesting things(that have worked for my youngest) for her to try without really knowing what I'm doing. She has improved and I can't change teacher as she needs a terms notice. I didn't diagnose the problem either it was brought to my attention by our neighbour who heard her through the wall!

I'll leave you to work out which situation angers me most!

Glad you find them helpful notmusimum. That was the intention! Although I can say from experience it's hard for peris to get technique right, much more than in private teaching. Take teaching in groups just for a start. Then the reduced contact with parents, the conditions they work in, I could go on.

Why not upload some clarinet ones and let us do the same.?