omieelizabeth

the licorice stick

My Clarinet

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This is my clarinet. It is a low pitch Buffet clarinet made around 1910. The register key is in the front. I think having the register key in the front and not inside the instrument allows for more flexibility in the sound and resonance in the upper register, but I could also be making that up. This horn does have a special sound though.


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Study No 5 – Opperman

Practice 11/6
Studies

I have been a bit too relaxed on working on studies. This week has been primarily chromatic work. However, the studies, though extremely boring are still more interesting to listen to than chromatics. I am attaching  Study No 5 for developing strength and accuracy in the thumb and first finger for the left hand by Kalmen Opperman. He is not kidding either. This piece I could really hear when the hands did not line up. I had to focus on light fingers, no wrist movement and the alignment of fingers hitting exactly in sync with each other. If you listen to the study you will probably also notice that it is time for a new box of reeds. I sound like Gervase de Peyer, spread and grumbly. With that said, I love to listen to Gervase and find him to be extremely musical.

Listen:

Study No 5


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Harvey Hermann

Harvey Hermann

Clarinet choir day at U of I in high school was something I went to every year and thought nothing of it. I thought that this was something everyone anywhere would have access too. Now I realize what a gift it was and that it took people like Harvey Hermann with his dedication to the arts and dedication to pedagogy to make days special by hosting events like that. Besides running the clarinet choir, he used to teach 80 students a week and is responsible for creating one of the largest libraries of music arranged for clarinet choir. Click on Harvey in green above to link you to his arrangements of music available for sale. I may just have to start a library.


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Mozart Quintet for all Clarinets – Clarinet Institute

Clarinet Institute

Clarinet Practice 10/30/12
Mozart

 

The Mozart Clarinet Quintet has inspired many of us clarinetists to play clarinet. Today, I went out of my comfort zone and attempted the first page and a half of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet clarinet parts 1-4.

Listen:
Mozart Quintet

audio images for the need for delayed gratification

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Clarinet Practice
Technique

Rather than post the recording of me doing 112 bpm staccatto rhythms, here are these two images. They bring a visual to the problem I have with timing. Visually showing why I am a bit premature to be trying to tongue a series of 4 16th notes at that 112bpm speed. The first image is the metronome pulse. The second image is the metronome pulse, small wave, and the big goop of wave is me playing 5 note pulses. This shows that I am late. You can see the metronome wave right after the fourth clarinet pulse and prior to the fifth pulse for the downbeat. The fifth pulse and the metronome click should line up together.

This image is a chromatic going up and down. If I were playing right on time you would only see the tip of the metronome sound wave poking through the beginning of my clarinet sound wave. Instead you clearly see the metronome wave followed by my clarinet wave. I believe that clearly shows I tend to start milliseconds late. I try to hear a pulse in my head prior to starting the patterns, I also imagine/anticipate the first note of the next pattern while I am playing a pattern.

Clarinet Practice 10/14/12

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