My teacher gave me the first movement of the Poulenc Sonata to do over the holidays and I know it is going to drive me mad! The rhythms are ok, but when it comes to the bottom of the first page with the double tonguing I just fall to pieces. I think she gave me the piece because of the double tonguing, and I have nearly mastered it but not quite, my fingers just get confused, and I can never remember whether my last tonguing was a D or a G. Also, bars 30-31, I can't change from E to C quick enough so it sounds all hazy.
Tips needed on how to play this piece.
Cheers!

I'm doing this for my grade 8 soon, & I know exactly what you mean! I practice double tounging with a metronome, going up a scale, so i do every beat of the metronome is a crotchet & if I'm doing Cmajor, I do 4 semiquaver C's, crotchet C, 4 semiquaver Ds, crotchet etc all the way up and down, and see how fast i can get it. I can usually get it up to crotchet= 176 or around that. In the piece, try playing it without the double tounging until you're fingures know exactly what theyre doing, then add the double tounging back in. Advicef for the whole piece, play it very slowly to start with, especially the e-c bits (they still drive me mad!)

Oh dear, seems like this is going to be a very frustrating piece!!

Poulenc in general is frustrating! Tell your tecacher to give you something nicer and less torturous!

I think it will do me good if I can do it.
Welcome back by the way.

IMHO the Poulenc Sonatas for woodwind instruments are all absolutely gorgeous! Yes, they're hard to start with but well worth the effort of learning. I first learnt the oboe sonata when I was 18 not long after it was written - a long while ago now - but, to this day, it remains my all-time favourite oboe piece. I did it for my diploma examinations and I just adore it but (in the case of the oboe) the 2nd movement's really the technical killer and the outer movements are musical/atmospheric challenges.

Try getting stuck into it and let it grow on you - have you heard any recordings of it to give you encouragement. There used to be an excellent Naxos CD of Poulenc wind music, including the fabulous trio for oboe/bassoon/piano and the sextet and some of the individual sonatas are also recorded separately.

I never teach Poulenc's oboe sonata to my pupils until they're approaching or already at grade 8 standard. It takes technical and musical maturity to play it but I remain convinced that learning it matures you as a musician even if, ultimately, it doesn't become your favourite piece.

Enjoy!

No comment...

I did the Poulenc for my grade 8. To get the double tonguing I used to sit on the bus going T-K T-K for ages (as long as there weren't too many people around!). I used to walk aorund the house doing it too!

The Poulenc is hard. Double tounguing is quite difficult, don't know the best way. I find as with a lot of wind music that singing before you play, and singing in your head while playing can help intonation and other things.



Why?

Yes I agree - practise double tonguing say with scales first - but dont try and do it too fast to begin with. You need to aim for even-ness. But dont let the tonguing take over from the sound - make sure you have a constant stream of air going through the tongues. Once your tongue is fully exercised you can then start relaxing it a little so the tonguing itself isnt so harsh.

Thanks all for replies. I love it, and yes have got a recording, and have heard it being played wonderfully, but I'll be practicing things like mad until I get them right.