Greetings,
By using the formula outlined in the "Chromatic Exercise" document posted in the LeGrand Virtual Studio, you will master your chromatic scale staring on each pitch.
Practice well!
Catherine
Showing posts with label fingering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fingering. Show all posts
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Let your toes give you a helping hand...
Greetings,
This video shows the use of an unexpected practice prop--a pedicure separator.
These medium density foam objects are perfectly designed to keep phalanges from cramping up.
For many years, I have found this to be a useful method for helping students experience a relaxed, open right hand position.
Inexpensive, and they come in fun colors!
Best,
Catherine
Friday, November 30, 2007
"Chopsticks", "Buzzing," and improved finger dexterity
Hello,
I have found that practicing difficult passages after buzzing or with a chopstick in my mouth, not only helps my lips create better sounding notes and intervals, but also helps my embouchure remain stable and independent and my flute better balanced.
When I remove the chopstick, the difficult passages seem almost effortless, like my flute is floating. Since my embouchure is stable, I don't have to hold the flute to keep it from wiggling about due to migratory tongue or flopping lips.
See if it works for you. Let me know!
Catherine
I have found that practicing difficult passages after buzzing or with a chopstick in my mouth, not only helps my lips create better sounding notes and intervals, but also helps my embouchure remain stable and independent and my flute better balanced.
When I remove the chopstick, the difficult passages seem almost effortless, like my flute is floating. Since my embouchure is stable, I don't have to hold the flute to keep it from wiggling about due to migratory tongue or flopping lips.
See if it works for you. Let me know!
Catherine
Monday, September 24, 2007
Galway Technique--Hand Position
Galway Technique--Hand Position
This is a video by Sir James Galway on hand position and finger technique. He emphasizes:
Have a look!
Catherine
This is a video by Sir James Galway on hand position and finger technique. He emphasizes:
gentle, efficient finger movementin developing a good finger technique.
and
the value of legato and good tone production
Have a look!
Catherine
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Picking up Speed
Hello,
One of the recurring themes in lessons this week is ways to increase tempo in difficult passages.
First things first: check your body balance and hand position. Often, adjusting these things can be a miracle cure for the problem. Even if it does not solve the difficulty, at least you will not be practicing more problems!
In my own practice, I use a variety of exercises, juxtaposing and combining them.
In music (as in life), it is good to have a lot of different ways to work on a problem.
Here are some of my tried and true approaches:
SLOW practice should not require explanation, but we all need to be reminded to do it!
"Butterfingers" (on the list of future videos) is a slow practice technique for improving legato and efficiency of fingerings. Touch the surface of all keys all of the time. The key is either closed, or you allow the key to push your finger up, experiencing the resistance of the springs. This results is "gooey" sounding notes, but really helps us get acquainted with our instruments. (This exercise is modified for wind players with ringed keys, ie.oboe or clarinet.)
"Add-a-note" and "Reverse Add-a-Note": Play the first 2 notes of a passage. Play again, adding the third note, Play again adding the 4th note, etc. To reverse, play the last 2 notes of the passage, then the last 3, last 4, etc.
"Bursts of Notes" (on the list of future videos) are small groups of notes--3, 4, 5, 6--whatever units you can play very well up to tempo. In this exercise, play the selected number of notes beginning, in turn, on each note of the passage.
"Reverse Add-a-Note" and "Bursts of Notes" encourage even rhythm and build in confidence and ability to start on any note in a passage--very useful if you lose your concentration in a performance!
"Pyramid form" (on the list of future videos) is an exercise for passages that change direction. Play the 3 notes of the passage where the direction changes, then add one note on each side of the direction changes until you have mastered the passage. Example--C arpeggio:
Catherine
One of the recurring themes in lessons this week is ways to increase tempo in difficult passages.
First things first: check your body balance and hand position. Often, adjusting these things can be a miracle cure for the problem. Even if it does not solve the difficulty, at least you will not be practicing more problems!
In my own practice, I use a variety of exercises, juxtaposing and combining them.
In music (as in life), it is good to have a lot of different ways to work on a problem.
Here are some of my tried and true approaches:
SLOW practice (I mean 10 times slower than the tempo!)There are video lessons on "Fingers Ahead" and "Unevens and Double Unevens" posted in the LeGrand Virtual Studio.
"Butterfingers"
"Fingers Ahead"
"Unevens and Double Unevens"
"Add-a-note" and "Reverse Add-a-Note"
Bursts of Notes
Pyramid form
SLOW practice should not require explanation, but we all need to be reminded to do it!
"Butterfingers" (on the list of future videos) is a slow practice technique for improving legato and efficiency of fingerings. Touch the surface of all keys all of the time. The key is either closed, or you allow the key to push your finger up, experiencing the resistance of the springs. This results is "gooey" sounding notes, but really helps us get acquainted with our instruments. (This exercise is modified for wind players with ringed keys, ie.oboe or clarinet.)
"Add-a-note" and "Reverse Add-a-Note": Play the first 2 notes of a passage. Play again, adding the third note, Play again adding the 4th note, etc. To reverse, play the last 2 notes of the passage, then the last 3, last 4, etc.
"Bursts of Notes" (on the list of future videos) are small groups of notes--3, 4, 5, 6--whatever units you can play very well up to tempo. In this exercise, play the selected number of notes beginning, in turn, on each note of the passage.
"Reverse Add-a-Note" and "Bursts of Notes" encourage even rhythm and build in confidence and ability to start on any note in a passage--very useful if you lose your concentration in a performance!
"Pyramid form" (on the list of future videos) is an exercise for passages that change direction. Play the 3 notes of the passage where the direction changes, then add one note on each side of the direction changes until you have mastered the passage. Example--C arpeggio:
GCGHope your practicing is productive! Let me hear from you!
EGCGE
CEGCGEC
GCEGCGECG
EGCEGCGECGE
CEGCEGCGECGEC
Catherine
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
New video series: Flutorials™
"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity".
--Charles Mingus
"Flutorials" is a new series of progressive video lessons for novice flutists, intended as supplemental material to enhance what the student is learning in flute lessons or band class.
Lesson 1: "Hot Cross Buns," now posted in the LeGrand Virtual Studio, presumes the student already knows how to make a sound on the headjoint, how to assemble and hold the flute, and how to play the low notes: B, A, and G.
Students are often overwhelmed with a task that seems too large, complicated or, even, amazing, to approach. The video lesson guides the student through some small, manageable steps to learn the complete song.
Teachers, I hope these Flutorials™ help you with your teaching, too! The art of simplifying is one of our most valuable teaching tools!
Look for more Flutorials™ later this week!
Catherine
--Charles Mingus
"Flutorials" is a new series of progressive video lessons for novice flutists, intended as supplemental material to enhance what the student is learning in flute lessons or band class.
Lesson 1: "Hot Cross Buns," now posted in the LeGrand Virtual Studio, presumes the student already knows how to make a sound on the headjoint, how to assemble and hold the flute, and how to play the low notes: B, A, and G.
Students are often overwhelmed with a task that seems too large, complicated or, even, amazing, to approach. The video lesson guides the student through some small, manageable steps to learn the complete song.
Teachers, I hope these Flutorials™ help you with your teaching, too! The art of simplifying is one of our most valuable teaching tools!
Look for more Flutorials™ later this week!
Catherine
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Feeling "Over-exposed?": Piccolo Fingering Charts
One of my readers asked this week where to locate good fingering charts for the piccolo on the internet. Coincidentally, the topic came up this week in FLUTE LISTSERV as well, making this an extra easy blog entry to write. Thanks to listers for their ideas. you can read their responses at Archives of FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU .
One source others mentioned that I have used before is The Woodwind Fingering Guide/Flute.
Be sure to scroll down to the Alternate Fingering Chart for Piccolo. The listed "basic" fingerings for high f-sharp and high g-sharp are actually the ones I use in normal circumstances.
Christine Erlander Beard is a recognized piccolo specialist. Her website listed a number of online sources for piccolo fingerings on the page entitled Pedagogy (that means "teaching").
I second Jennifer Cluff's suggestion on the LISTSERV to wear earplugs when trying out all the high fingerings on piccolo! No joke. Those of you dusting off your marching piccolos, get yourself some good earplugs for your summer practice!
Jennifer's website also has a fingerings page with a vast list of fingering sources and topics for both piccolo and flute.
"A Basic Guide to Fingerings for the Piccolo" by Steven Tanzer is comprehensive and has helped me out in a few difficult situations. This book can be purchased from Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
Hope this helps!
Catherine
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