Just wondering what pieces people are choosing to play for their Grade 7 Clarinet and when people are taking their exams? Mine's the 10th December!

I'm doing:
Andante Sostenuto - Donizetti
Scherzo Tarantella - Hughes
Variations 5 and 10: from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Rachmaninov

Any one struggling with anything in particular? The aural is way out of my league!?

to the forum!

You've got a good programme of music there. I do think the Rachmaninov works well for clarinet - I was pleasantly surprised when I played through all of it.

Might be worth asking questions about your aural in the general music forum, if you have specific concerns.

Hi

I'm planning to do it next session

William Hurlstone Scherzo for list A

Brazilian Walk for List C

but still haven't made my mind up for list B

Possibly Phlip Sparke concerto

There is an excellent film of Rob Buckland playing this on YouTube, although he's playing it on sax rather than clari, it's well worth watching.

Thank you! I've finally taken the leap, and joined the forums. Seemed like a sensible idea, when I have so many questions flowing through my brain, and no one to answer them!

I wanted to do Bach's Courante, but was put off, as it's written for Violoncello solo! I really liked Brazilian Walk, but couldn't get into it. I played it in a Music Festival, and didn't do so well with it, so the Rachmaninov seemed like a good choice!

I haven't heard William Hurlstone's Scherzo, or the Phlip Sparke conterto. What are they like?

The Hurlstone is a pleasant little piece, fairly traditional in nature. Requires some dexterity, as it's quick, but it's fun to play.

The Sparke is a modern work, with jazzy idioms. Again, it's quick, and has technical bits that'll need work. Again, I think it's good fun to play.

Thank you for that! Nice to know what I could have chosen to do!

I quite liked The Quick Brown Fox, but it's not really my playing style.

The scales are quite shocking! I'm getting there though. There's just so many of them, it takes a bit to get used to them!

You can listen to a very good clarinet version of Brazilian walk at astute-music.com. They've also got recordings of some of the other exam pieces by Rob Buckland and co. I think the Hurlstone is very pretty, I'd previously tried and decided against Saint-Saens and Weber.

The scales can be mastered but I've found that they need a lot of time invested in them

I've just managed half of the minor scales, so I'm on my way!

Does anyone have a pattern to work out Diminished 7th's? For the Dominants, I can work out the starting note, play that arpeggio, and add the 7th, but I can't seem to find a pattern for the Diminished!

The diminished 7ths are tricky little ones.

This is (i think) the best way to explain them:

For example, take dimished 7th on C.

We need the C minor triad: C, Eb and G
We use the first to notes, C + Eb and then we take the G and move it down one semitone.

We now have C + Eb + Gb.
Then take the last note (G) and move it up two semitones: C + Eb + Gb + A is the diminished 7th on C.


Sorry, i explained it in a complicated way but i can't think of an easier way to put it.

Or you just think in minor 3rds/count up 3 semitones.

C (C# D) Eb (E F) Gb (G G#) A.

x

XD! That would be a smart idea!

Thank you for the help with the Diminished 7ths. It does make sense, just will take me a while to get my head around working it out!

xxxx