Oboe fingering table
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Friday, June 21, 2019
Clarinet Articulation: Getting it Right from the Beginning by Dr. J. Kirk-Doyle
CLARINET ARTICULATION: GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING
by Dr. Julianne Kirk-Doyle
Before addressing articulation, we as teachers must be certain students have solid fundamentals of embouchure, air support and tongue position. It is important to understand how the reed works and why it is important use the tongue to articulate.
One of many problems encountered with young students is "huffing" which is not using the tongue to create the separation. This is diagnosed if you see neck, cheek or throat puffing on every articulation. The player is stopping the air to create the separation rather than interrupting the air with the tongue. Remember: Air is always constant.
If a student has jaw or lip motion on every articulation, they are most likely anchor tonguing. Anchor tonguing occurs when the tip of the tongue is anchored behind the lower teeth and the articulation is created with the middle of the tongue touching the reed. Ideally, the tip of the tongue touches just below the tip of the reed to interrupt the vibrations of the reed.
The reed vibrates in a “diving board” motion against the tip of the mouthpiece. Insert a business card between the mouthpiece and reed to see how far down the reed the “diving board” goes. This shows students how much mouthpiece should be in their mouth when playing.
Embouchure stability is the most crucial element for achieving successful articulation. To set the embouchure, have students pronounce “Ewe” as if they sucked on a lemon! Do the same exercise again while looking into a mirror. (Using a mirror is incredibly helpful) Next have the student feel this sensation by using only the barrel, mouthpiece and reed. Close the end of the barrel with the hand, form the “ewe” embouchure, and suck the air out of the mouthpiece as if they were drinking a milkshake. This helps them see and feel the lips seal around the mouthpiece and creates a flat chin – essential elements of a good embouchure. Have them observe this in the mirror, then remove the hand and blow (creating an F# pitch) while maintaining the shape of the embouchure.D
Using the Tongue to Articulate
The clarinet is played with a high tongue position. The tongue should be parallel to the roof of the mouth, arched and high. Use the syllable “Shhhh" to get the tongue in the right place. A great illustration is that of a garden hose. If you have a plant at the end of your driveway and your garden hose will not reach it, how do you get the water to the plant? If you put your thumb over the end of the hose, only a few drops might reach the plant. But, if you angle the garden hose up the allowing the water to arc up and over into the plant, it gets watered. The position of the tongue for clarinet articulation is very similar. The tongue is high inside the mouth, the air comes up and over the tongue and down into the mouthpiece. Only a small amount of tongue motion at the very tip of the tongue is required rather than the entire tongue moving. This allows a quicker and more effortless articulation speed.
Air is another essential fundamental for good articulation. The tongue interrupts the flow of air, but the air never stops to create separation. Have students put their hand on their lower abdomen and breathe in through their belly. As they exhale, have them hiss "Tsssssss" and note that when expelling the air with this syllable, they will keep the belly extended rather than let it collapse in. This is how their abdomen should remain while playing whether they are sustaining or articulating.
Syllables should be used to create the desired quality of separation. Syllables such as “toh” while ideal for a brass player, are not desirable for clarinet. Any syllable that lowers the tongue position will cause embouchure movement and create unfocused tone quality and unclear articulation. Syllables such as “tee” or “dee” will keep the tongue high in the mouth and maintain the embouchure shape. Have students practice the breathing exercise (mentioned above) while speaking different rhythms on “tee” or “dee.” Use a mirror for reinforcement of the “Milkshake face” embouchure with no excessive neck or jaw movement.
These syllables should be practiced on just the mouthpiece and barrel assembly. Barrel and mouthpiece practice will allow the student not to worry about the resistance of the entire instrument. When the student can comfortably articulate with a constant air stream and efficient embouchure without jaw or huffing motion, add the upper joint, then the lower joint, and finally the bell, to build the air column.
For more advanced students who want to create a “secco” or stopped staccato, add a “t” to the end of the syllables creating “deet” or “teet.” Envision a glass bottle filled with soda. If you shake the bottle, what happens to the soda? It fizzes! The soda is pressurized so that if you open the soda after being shaken, the fizz would explode everywhere. Imagine poking a hole in the top of the bottle cap with a needle, then there would be a thin stream of “fizz” coming out the bottle cap. If the hole is then covered, the fizz would continue to pressurize, but would stop temporarily until the finger is released. For stopped staccato the fizz is the air and the finger is the tongue. Our air should pressurize behind the tongue so that the articulation is a “release” rather than an “attack.” This will minimize tongue pressure on the reed and allow for a much cleaner and crisper form of articulation. Try this with the breathing exercise discussed earlier. Use the tip of the tongue to stop the air first, and then release the tongue, allowing the air to flow out immediately however the air never truly stops.
A simple approach to this is to have the student do the following:
- Stick out their tongue
- Release, tongue back on reed, etc.
- Place the tip of the tongue just below the tip of the reed
- Put the mouthpiece in the mouth without taking the tongue off,
- Form the embouchure, inhale through the corners, blow (no sound)
- Release the tongue.
- Put the tongue back on the reed (keep the air moving)
Always listen to the quality of sound when articulating. If the sound seems flabby or spread, the tongue placement or air support are lacking. The student could also be using too much tongue surface or pressure on the reed. Equipment should also be evaluated as to proper reed strength. A reed that is too soft will not lend a desirable quality of articulation. and a reed that is too hard will sound stuffy. For successful articulation, be sure the embouchure is stable, the air column is constant, the sound is supported and the tongue position is high.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Tamborine Technique
For text and videos click link below
https://banddirectorstalkshop.com/2019/01/07/tambourine-101/
https://banddirectorstalkshop.com/2019/01/07/tambourine-101/
Unfortunately, in the depths of preparing for a contest and various pieces, some of the auxiliary percussion gets pushed to the side. This places a mentality in the students that those instruments do not hold the same standard of playing or respect as we command from a trumpet or saxophone. This article is to help the director teach the detailed and imperative techniques in order for their students to successfully perform on the tambourine.
Playing Position
- Always stand with feet shoulder width apart. Let this be the non-negotiable standard for all percussion performance.
- Shoulders should remain relaxed.
- Holding the tambourine with the non-dominant hand will allow the player to execute all rhythms using their dominant hand. No need to switch for any type of playing.
- Fingers should wrap the rim and the thumb should be resting on top the head. The palm should be free from touching the rim.
- The hand executing rhythms should form the “birds beak” and will be played on the rim directly above the jingles for a quicker response.
Begin with both arms down to your side with your non-dominant hand holding the tambourine. Bending at the elbows bring the tambourine up to chest height. The dominant hand should set at about “chin height”. The tambourine should be set about 30 degrees above horizontal. The angle in which the tambourine is set will determine the amount of resonance from the jingles. The flatter the tambourine sets, the faster the decay of the jingles.
Playing Techniques
Indeed, the approach to holding and playing the tambourine simply depends on the dynamics and tempo of the rhythms you are playing. Based on the music given, you must decide the approach to take.
- Slow and Soft
- Slow and Loud
- Fast and Soft
- Fast and Loud
Slow and Soft
You can control the amount of sustain from the head by resting the bottom of your hand on the head while playing. For soft passages, you can also eliminate fingers used to play while still keeping your thumb behind the finger for support.
Slow and Loud
When the music calls for louder dynamics but still at a moderate tempo. For fortissimo and sforzando, you would need to “change your beating implement.” A fist in the center of the head will create the appropriate sound for louder dynamics as if “knocking on a door”. While striking the tambourine you will also use a rebound stroke for maximum resonance from the jingles and head.
Fast and Soft
You will need a chair or some stool to bring your knee closer to your playing position. Turn the
tambourine upside down so that the head is dampened against your knee. You will use your
fingers set directly above the jingles for quicker response (much like we always play directly
above the snare bed for the best response). For lesser dynamics, you can eliminate fingers for
softer playing.
tambourine upside down so that the head is dampened against your knee. You will use your
fingers set directly above the jingles for quicker response (much like we always play directly
above the snare bed for the best response). For lesser dynamics, you can eliminate fingers for
softer playing.
Fast and Loud
My favorite! Much like the implementing the fist for louder dynamics for the slow and loud
passages, we can also keep the tambourine resting on the knee and use two fists “knocking”
on the head. Lastly is the “fist/knee” technique. This is when we play fast passages while
striking the tambourine alternating between the fist and knee. The tambourine will mostly be
played with the knee but as sixteenth notes are added, the fist will play the “e’s” and the “ah’s”.
passages, we can also keep the tambourine resting on the knee and use two fists “knocking”
on the head. Lastly is the “fist/knee” technique. This is when we play fast passages while
striking the tambourine alternating between the fist and knee. The tambourine will mostly be
played with the knee but as sixteenth notes are added, the fist will play the “e’s” and the “ah’s”.
Shake Rolls
Every roll on every percussion instrument contains three parts. It starts with an attack, then sustain, and ends with a release. The most common roll on tambourine is performed with wrist rotation. Hold the tambourine vertically for the most resonance and sustain. Begin with rotating the wrist in then out on quarter notes. Once a full and consistence sound is established, gradually increase the tempo until a smooth roll is achieved. For the attack and release simply strike the tambourine according to the dynamic written, then release the same way. Placing the entire hand flat on the head will dampen any sustain if the music calls for a quick release. It is important to begin the shake roll with an attack and not the shake to prevent a sloppy jingle attack.
Types of Tambourines
Size:
- 10″ are the most common. Smaller sizes are also available.
Jingles:
- Bronze – darker sound
- Copper – medium sound
- Silver – brighter sound
- Mix – combinations of different timbres
Rows of Jingles:
- Single – dryer sound
- Double – richer lush sound (most common)
- Stacked vs. Staggered – Staggered rows of jingles will increase jingle response when playing directly above the rim.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Piccolo tips by Dr. Diane Boyd Schultz
https://banddirectorstalkshop.com/2018/11/22/piccolo-faqs/
Do I play the piccolo like I do the flute?
Piccolo problems and solutions The piccolo embouchure needs to be firmer than the flute embouchure (remember, you are playing an octave higher than on the flute), but if the embouchure is too tight the sound will not be pleasant. If you use the “smile” embouchure where the lips are pulled upward and tightly against the lips, you will definitely make a buzzing sound on the higher pitches. By keeping the lips and corners forward, the lip opening very small and round, the throat relaxed, and the air stream constant, you will achieve a good tone–although it will take time to train the muscles of your embouchure. Avoid covering too much of the embouchure hole, pressing the headjoint too hard against the face, or closing the teeth since each of those leads to a thin, pinched tone. The headjoint needs to be slightly higher on the bottom lip when playing piccolo.
Why do I have such trouble playing some notes in tune? The answer lies in acoustical principles. The flute has a cylindrical body, and the conical bore piccolo tapers slightly to the end, thereby accounting for the differences between the two. Listening well and working assiduously with a tuner will assist you in learning and correcting the tendencies of your particular instrument. While flute fingerings will work on the piccolo, there are many fingerings better suited to the piccolo. Seemingly “alternate fingerings,” these fingerings should almost be considered “principal fingerings” because they ensure good intonation, smooth finger changes, a beautiful sound that blends well, clean attacks, and reliable soft playing.
Do I have to practice piccolo since it is so similar to the flute?
Some basic techniques are similar, but it is best to think of the piccolo as a separate instrument. In order to be proficient on the instrument, you must produce a good tone throughout, play well in tune, learn alternate fingerings, develop flexibility, and articulate cleanly. These skills cannot be achieved by practicing flute alone. Instead, you should continue your flute practice and add piccolo practice to the end of the session when you are warmed up. Over time you will be able to play for longer periods of time without fatigue or tension. Since the piccolo sounds an octave higher than written, it is helpful to play in octaves with a flutist to build confidence while playing the piccolo.
Dr. Diane Boyd Schultz is Professor of Flute at the University of Alabama, Flutist of the Capstone Wind Quintet, and Principal Flutist of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. She has performed and presented at festivals in Russia, the UK, and throughout the United States, including the British Flute Society, the National Flute Association, Interlochen Arts Camp, Midwest Clinic, and Texas Music Educators Association. She was a Rotary International Foundation Scholar to McGill University in Montréal Canada and holds graduate degrees from the University of North Texas.
Do I play the piccolo like I do the flute?
Piccolo problems and solutions The piccolo embouchure needs to be firmer than the flute embouchure (remember, you are playing an octave higher than on the flute), but if the embouchure is too tight the sound will not be pleasant. If you use the “smile” embouchure where the lips are pulled upward and tightly against the lips, you will definitely make a buzzing sound on the higher pitches. By keeping the lips and corners forward, the lip opening very small and round, the throat relaxed, and the air stream constant, you will achieve a good tone–although it will take time to train the muscles of your embouchure. Avoid covering too much of the embouchure hole, pressing the headjoint too hard against the face, or closing the teeth since each of those leads to a thin, pinched tone. The headjoint needs to be slightly higher on the bottom lip when playing piccolo.
Why do I have such trouble playing some notes in tune? The answer lies in acoustical principles. The flute has a cylindrical body, and the conical bore piccolo tapers slightly to the end, thereby accounting for the differences between the two. Listening well and working assiduously with a tuner will assist you in learning and correcting the tendencies of your particular instrument. While flute fingerings will work on the piccolo, there are many fingerings better suited to the piccolo. Seemingly “alternate fingerings,” these fingerings should almost be considered “principal fingerings” because they ensure good intonation, smooth finger changes, a beautiful sound that blends well, clean attacks, and reliable soft playing.
Do I have to practice piccolo since it is so similar to the flute?
Some basic techniques are similar, but it is best to think of the piccolo as a separate instrument. In order to be proficient on the instrument, you must produce a good tone throughout, play well in tune, learn alternate fingerings, develop flexibility, and articulate cleanly. These skills cannot be achieved by practicing flute alone. Instead, you should continue your flute practice and add piccolo practice to the end of the session when you are warmed up. Over time you will be able to play for longer periods of time without fatigue or tension. Since the piccolo sounds an octave higher than written, it is helpful to play in octaves with a flutist to build confidence while playing the piccolo.
Dr. Diane Boyd Schultz is Professor of Flute at the University of Alabama, Flutist of the Capstone Wind Quintet, and Principal Flutist of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. She has performed and presented at festivals in Russia, the UK, and throughout the United States, including the British Flute Society, the National Flute Association, Interlochen Arts Camp, Midwest Clinic, and Texas Music Educators Association. She was a Rotary International Foundation Scholar to McGill University in Montréal Canada and holds graduate degrees from the University of North Texas.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Two Kinds of Music Students
“Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.”–Arthur Koestler, author
The tricky passage that finally rings true, the ‘aha’ moment, the transcendent performance – all are creative achievements that result from learning.
In effect, the more adept we become at learning, the more facile we’re likely to be with the creative process.
And for us musicians, only deep learning enables us to perform securely and artistically under pressure.
From Musiciansway.com
I’ve observed that music students generally divide into two types of learners: deep or shallow.
Here are some distinctions between those two types.
I’ve observed that music students generally divide into two types of learners: deep or shallow.
Here are some distinctions between those two types.
“The more adept we become at learning, the more facile we’re likely to be with the creative process.”
Deep vs Shallow Learners
Deep Learners
• Set specific practice goals and then work in organized yet flexible ways
• Isolate problem spots in practice – they vocalize rhythms, play hands alone, recite song text, etc.
• Maintain awareness as they play or sing, directing their actions from within
• Infuse their practice with joy and spontaneity
• Manage repetition so that they absorb passages without needing to repeat them ad nauseum
• Listen intently in practice and evaluate their work with open minds
• Embody excellence
• Perform securely and enthusiastically
• Isolate problem spots in practice – they vocalize rhythms, play hands alone, recite song text, etc.
• Maintain awareness as they play or sing, directing their actions from within
• Infuse their practice with joy and spontaneity
• Manage repetition so that they absorb passages without needing to repeat them ad nauseum
• Listen intently in practice and evaluate their work with open minds
• Embody excellence
• Perform securely and enthusiastically
Shallow Learners
• Practice haphazardly without clear objectives or are overly rigid and mechanical
• Play or sing through lengthy sections without attending to specific details
• Often let their attention wander during practice
• View practice as drudgery that must be endured
• Repeat endlessly, hoping that repetition alone will bring security
• Evaluate sporadically, often drifting off pitch and out of rhythm
• Let inaccuracies and difficulties slide by unaddressed
• Deal with persistent performance anxiety and may dread performing
• Play or sing through lengthy sections without attending to specific details
• Often let their attention wander during practice
• View practice as drudgery that must be endured
• Repeat endlessly, hoping that repetition alone will bring security
• Evaluate sporadically, often drifting off pitch and out of rhythm
• Let inaccuracies and difficulties slide by unaddressed
• Deal with persistent performance anxiety and may dread performing
Fortunately, musicians with shallow learning habits can transform themselves into deep learners by setting clear goals, gaining disciplined practice habits, employing self-motivation strategies, and seeking expert guidance.Sunday, April 8, 2018
Double Tonguing
http://banddirectorstalkshop.com/2018/04/07/demystifying-the-double-tongue-technique/
DEMYSTIFYING THE DOUBLE TONGUE TECHNIQUE
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Band Isn't Fun Anymore by Scott Lang
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Thursday, November 2, 2017
TUNING TIPS FOR CLARINET by Paula Corley
http://www.dansr.com/vandoren/resources/tuning-tips-for-clarinet?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vandoren_wave_master&utm_content=Tuning+Tips+for+Clarinet+
Author’s Note: It is essential that clarinetists have good equipment in order to play as “in tune” as possible and blend with other wind and string instruments. This applies to everything: instrument, mouthpiece, and reeds. Mouthpieces can greatly affect pitch as can barrel length and design. Reeds may affect to a lesser degree (reeds too soft may equal ‘sagging’ pitch and loss of focus). Ligatures affect more of the tone ‘color’ rather than pitch.
Choose equipment that promotes solid intonation on the “Best Clarinet Tuning Notes” listed below. The 12th’s (chalumeau to clarion) should match between registers. For example, if the bottom note is sharp, so should the upper note.
Step One:
Warm-up your instrument. Play long, slow notes for at least 3 minutes. Begin in the chalumeau (low) register and work your way up to the clarion (middle) register.
Step Two:
Check the notes below with your tuner. Check all 4 notes before adjusting anything. Note whether you are sharp or flat on each pitch.
If you are flat, here are two possibilities:
1) your instrument is still cold;
2) there may a problem with your equipment – mouthpiece choice; barrel length.
An unfocused clarinet tone will almost always be flat. To check for focus, play on your barrel and mouthpiece first. Your barrel and mouthpiece should match a focused F# (as close as possible.)
Step Three:
Check Open G again. If you are sharp, pull the barrel out. On some instruments, pulling out to get the open G ‘in tune’ will make other notes flat. Venting (the use of extra fingers down) may need to be used on Open G (and subsequent tones G#, A, Bb) to bring the pitch down. (See tuning tendency chart.)
Concert A (your B-natural) should be pretty close to ‘in tune’ after tuning Open G. If it is still sharp, pull the bell out slightly.
The C-G 12th connection may be affected by pulling the middle joint. While some notes in the lower clarion may be affected by pulling the middle joint, others may not.
Barrel length and design affects tuning.
Most clarinetists need a 66 millimeter barrel to play in tune. A 65 will raise the tuning and a 67 will lower the tuning but are also acceptable choices. There are many custom barrel designs available that can also change the tuning of the clarinet. Purchasing a new barrel can be expensive and should be a careful process done through extensive testing with a tuner.
Mouthpieces affect tuning.
Look for mouthpieces that say American Pitch, A440, etc. Again, purchasing a mouthpiece can be complicated and requires testing with a tuner. In choosing a mouthpiece, one must also consider ‘ease of playing’ as well as tuning. If your pitch is extremely sharp, you can pull the mouthpiece out slightly. This is not recommended except in extreme cases.
Below, you will find a tuning tendency chart. It is essential to know your tuning tendencies so that you compromise with piano, other winds, and strings.
Each clarinet manufacturer builds instruments with relatively similar tuning tendencies. Most also build instruments with an ‘even scale’ meaning that the interval distance (between the notes) is accurate.
The acoustical design of the clarinet leaves very little room for pitch adjustment. Adjusting the pitch of any particular note while playing can be problematic because the embouchure must be involved. It is very easy to lose the focus of the sound if the embouchure becomes too loose. Biting the mouthpiece to try and raise the pitch may cause the sound to lose its’ ‘presence.’ Therefore, many professional players seek out master repair persons to ‘undercut’ the tone holes on the clarinet. Undercutting is a process where the shape of the tone hole is changed, which affects the pitch of individual notes. Key height can also be adjusted to assist in the tuning process.
“Bringing Down the House” (Pitch)
How do you bring down or bring up the pitch while playing passages in your music? The reality is clarinetists cannot significantly change the pitch of any given note. However, minute reductions in the amount of lip surface next to the reed and/or lip pressure may help lower the pitch slightly.
In “Advanced Intonation Technique for Clarinets/JB Linear Music” (September 19, 2006), John Gibson concludes:
“There are three basic ways to change the pitch while playing. One is to change the embouchure by firming around the mouthpiece to go higher or loosening to go lower. Remember, it is firming, not biting. Some control can be had by pushing upward or relaxing the pressure with the right hand thumb. A better route in some situations is to use alternate fingerings. An altissimo G can be fingered many ways and some may be more in tune on your instrument than the standard fingering. Also, adding fingers or opening tone holes by depressing a key can change intonation as well as resonance. Lastly, shading tone holes is a useful skill. While playing a low C, lower the right hand fingers close to the tone holes to lower the pitch…”
James Lockwood in “Pitch Adjustments in Clarinet Playing/The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America”, May 1978, Volume 63, Issue S1, page S57 states:
“Both damping and reed aperture changes may be effective in pitch adjustments made while playing…It is suggested that the single effect that dominates pitch control in a given case depends on the shape of the mouthpiece (facing)… (A closed facing)…that remains practically flat against the reed…lends itself to damping control through variation of the position and firmness of the lip. (An open facing where) there is already a significant gap at the lip position, lends itself to reed aperture control through variation of the lip pressure.”
What does all of this mean?
Basically it is easier to lower a given pitch (while playing) by moving the bottom lip first. Lockwood found that a “closed” mouthpiece responds to “damping” – (rolling more lip inside or outside the mouth). An “open” mouthpiece responds to relaxing lip pressure (without moving the lip in or out).
A “Closed” mouthpiece has very little space between the top of the reed and the mouthpiece surface. An “Open” mouthpiece has a large space between the top of the reed and the mouthpiece surface.
After warming up, check the pitch of each note with a tuner. Do this process several times over a few days for consistency. Mark each note appropriately: flat – 0 in tune – sharp.
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