Clarinet studies (from 50 Classical Studies) - lots of articulation exercises, arpeggios across all the registers and playing the same note in different octaves using different articulation - phew!

Sax had its first trip to band on Saturday and all was fine, so now time to resume some real work on clari again!

EDIT: This was last night - haven't done all that this morning!!

The Lutoslawski (2nd Dance Prelude) is just about starting to 'click' for me...... Just need to be sure where the notes are.

Also played through the whole of the 2nd movement of the Opie Sonatina for the first time in a lesson.

Mendelssohn Symphony number 5... which is conveniently written for C clarinet (not playing with orchestra, but going over the hard bits with my teacher).

Also, to help with the above, learning fingerings for top F# I felt sorry for the people having flute lessons next door...

I know what you mean - been doing top Gs and As and attempting higher recently - feel sorry for the neighbours quite frequently

Well....... Fantastic rehearsal at band last night. Usual conductor not there so taken by two other members. 1st half sat on 2nd playing not too exciting new pieces.

2nd half conducted by lead clarinettist (my teacher) and I was instructed to take his seat but I wasn't really lead as the 2nd lead player was also there.

We played Patience, Pirates of Penzance and Yeoman of the Guard. Great fun!!! Time went sooooo quickly!! It was all sight reading again and I, in the main, kept up Soooo exhilarating and fun. And I've actually realised I can play better than I thought I could ..... My sight reading at this level has really come on this year.


(Anyone tell I'm a bit excited by all this???? )

And this morning a number of things with Oldnotes: Finzi 5 Bagatelles - One of our priorities for this year, Lefevre Sonata No 2, Frensham Pond, and a bit from the Emma Johnson Book "Voyage".

All good fun.
Nice to see you again oldnotes . Good to be back to and

Pity my poor neighbours. I have an entire programme of exceedingly hard sax parts to prepare. As well as subjecting them to some bat like pitches that no alto sax part should ever go up to they've had to endure a significant chunk of chromatic grovelling around the bottom of the instrument. I'm beginning to wonder if a mouthpiece upgrade may be needed as I can't get the flexibility of tone I require.

I think I'll go and do Sainsburys to give them a break and my embouchure time to recover before I start some clari practice.

All sounds great Dawn, really sorry I can't get there at the moment.


Had forty five minutes flute practice at lunchtime, went ok. More work on the lower notes, some long notes and exercises then a couple of pieces.

That sounds really good, Dawn

Don't worry Louise I know you'll be back Passed your message on. Couldn't text as out of credit



Thanks Barry It was!!

Just had another really good practise session.

Lots of scale exercises in keys with 5 or 6 sharps and flats - Just don't do them one after another

And the Rondo Amabile (Muller) on p 114 of the Langey tutor.

Been practising the first two pages for the last couple of weeks on and off. Decided to sight read the rest at a pretty brisk pace. Went ok!!

Anyone know the piece? is it a really well known one as I think I've heard it before or at least something like it ....

Oh ..... and it's the first piece I've ever played that actually has a top C written in it!!!

Struggling a touch at getting it on demand and I feel it's horribly flat when it does sound....

However, on the positive .... top A's somehow become part of my usable range How did that happen?

Never played it, but I have the book. Will play it through (not tonight though ) and get back to you

No definitely not tonight though I bet your ending notes'll sound a lot nice than mine!! (see edit to above post)

Excellent!

Top C is fun You do need to really support it though, whichever fingering you choose to use

Not picked up the flute today

A day off, even with a diploma coming up, won't do you any harm.

Using overblown long Bb fingering.

That's the same fingering as I use, with the addition of the right little finger Eb key

I hope not! We will see what happens tomorrow.

It's tomorrow! Hope practice goes well

I hope so. Practice starts at 9!

*Nicki's still here at 9:03am *

All the best!

Had a great band practice last night, all new repertoire, including Poet and Peasant Overture (EEEK), Chit Chat Polka, and others - mostly a bit easier than the Poet, thankfully! Also got asked to play a bit of folk fiddle with them - Will ye go, Lassie, go? so I can't wait!! have 3 weeks until the gig to get my fingers around them....

I so wasn't!

Done an hour of warm up stuff. Off to my Alexander Technique lesson then diploma stuff and baking this afternoon.

Well, all was going fine until I recorded myself

Thanks Barry - couldn't remember if I needed that key or the C one. Didn't seem to make a huge difference.

Can I ask for some real specific clarification - of "lots of support" - what EXACTLY am I supposed to be doing?

My book says to change the sound from G to C I need to change my mouth shape as if changing from 'Taaa' to "Teeee" which is what I'm trying. I'd really value anything you have to add to that.

And .... All the VERY VERY best Nicki-flute

Thanks. I am now baking biscuits in the shape of musical notes as a diversion from my bad practise. I thought I was ok the other day!

More on the Langey exercise, Summer Landscape, and Summer. Plus trying to decide which of the two shortlisted pieces for Glasgow I like the most and will be able to play to a decent standard......... The overall tone was a lot better this evening not sure what I was doing yesterday to make it sound so bad but today I'm so much happier with it

More on the Muller...

More top Fs, Gs As and Cs!!!

Where does an hour's practice go so quickly????

How on earth can you fit long notes, scales, technical exercises (articulation, breathing and a whole bunch of other stuff) as well as actual pieces into anything less than two hours?...

It varies from player to player, and clari to clari : both keys are valid.



Using an awful lot of your diaphragm! Otherwise the note will come out too low in pitch.

I don't! I split my practice into sessions (up to you for length) and just focus on those. So, I start with a session of long tones, then a session of scales/technical exercises, then a session per piece. I try not to count the time I've practised (although I have a general idea of how long I need/want/have to spend on something) .

OK, it means that not everything is covered everyday - I might not do all my pieces or a certain exercise, depending on the time, but theoretically, it means that everything is done often and thoroughly.

Since doing sessions, I've always found that a good warm up is very beneficial than not doing one, so even if I don't have much time, I always do my long tones, and hopefully at least something to get my fingers going.

(Ahh, I am supposed to be leaving the house now )

I don't have time to practise today- out and then out to a rehearsal an hour after I get back.

Which I guess does at least mean your flute gets some exercise

Thanks again Barry. I think I am doing that - still needs work but it came out a bit more to demand yesterday.

Must check tuning .....

I'm playing stuff from that book too and had a look just to see how nasty it was,

Ok now try looking at p 97 -99 - in particular 99!!! That's what I had to "try" to sight read today!!!! And work on next week. What pages are you looking at?

Oh and my husband said I sounded like a burglar alarm the other night when tyring to get out top C "bip" (G) bip bip bip BEEEP! (When top C came out) so lots more burglar alarming this week!! Top Gs and As a plenty and a peppering of top Bbs too

Oh and I've asked for a progress report .....

Now you're just scaring me Dawn

I'm looking at the Allegretto on p36


At band we were playing March of the Toreadors, Hey Jude, Summer Nights from Grease and some new stuff Was very pleased with how I played tonight Also we have a date for our concert

I have my flute lesson tomorrow morning. Last one before the dip! It could be interesting given the amount of time I've had to practise.

Try to chill and enjoy playing.

All the best with that : I'm sure you'll be fine

Thanks. I am sure it'll be fine.

What editions?
I bought some band music in the UK for our band/orchestra, including 2/3 of these pieces and it's been a huge success, both with players and audience. Especially for our Film Music concerts (complete with film clips - pretty hard to conduct accurately!).


Good luck, nicki_flute!

Hope your lesson goes well nicki_flute




katica the Hey Jude is a John Hammonds arrangement, March of the Toreadors - David Farnon, and the others I'm not sure as I've only got copies of the part not the front cover but they are the easy versions as it's only a training band. Having said that, some of MotT is in 3 or 4#'s They are great to play though, Hey Jude is sounding rather good already

me too!!!!

where and when's your concert?

our concert is on 14th May at the United Reformed Church on the corner of West Park/Victoria Avenue in Harrogate We're playing for about 20 minutes then the main band take over but we've been asked if we want to join the main band when they play the pieces to accompany a local junior school choir

I had a really good lesson which was surprising considering I had had 6 hours of sleep and had to get a bus before half past 7am. ZZZ.

Excellent nicki_flute

I've had a really good practice session this evening, have been practising my 'homework' pieces/exercises and the possible pieces for Glasgow. Don't know how I'm going to decide which one to play, might have to get a second (or third or fourth) opinion

More of the same plus some work on March of the Toreadors for band on Thursday.

Half an hour on flute too.

Been running through lots today trying to see if I've got enough courage to start preparing for a dipabrsm, just the thought of it is giving me the collywobbles

Also practising stuff for band orient express by philip sparke amongst others and lots of scales yuk!!!

some simple duet stuff with mum this morning then some work on the Langey duet and concentrated on a couple of bars of the Summer Landscape that are tripping me up. Had a look at a few new pieces to start on tomorrow.........

Didn't realise your mum played .... that's nice.

Been a bit headachey today so no practice.

Hope to do a bit tomorrow before band.

ooo

she doesn't really, I've just taught her a few notes. Hope you feel better tomorrow Dawn, enjoy band


ooo indeed Barry!