Summer is nearly over and in less than a week the new term will be begin. Despite having no real connection with schools anymore - the academic year still exerts its influence. Everything seems to stop over July and August. Life steps down a gear - though work still continues at usual it just becomes harder to get anything done. August is my least favourite month.
But September is something else. I love September. A chill comes into the air, Autumn clothes are dug out, life begins to pick up again. After the lethargy of the "summer" I feel a new energy to embark on new projects and get back to all my usual activities. Orchestra begins next Tuesday with my first oboe lesson the day after. A new term, a new academic year, a new start. I already have my new practice book, am wondering what music we will be playing in our first Orchestra concert and have started browsing June Emerson wondering what music my teacher may suggest we work on this term.
This week I've booked myself on two courses for next year. One is a day's reed making course, the other a weekend wind ensemble playing course. They are both months off but I am already excited. Later this year there is a double reed day that I am hoping to go to, and in February an annual wind play day which is always lots of fun.
Summer practice has been reasonably productive though. At the start of the summer I wrote a list of old repertoire that I wanted to play through. I have come to the end of that list now - some pieces I lingered over for a few days (Marcello and Cimerosa concertos, Britten Metamorphoses, Poulenc Sonata), for others one play through was sufficient (Meyer Rustical Miniatures, Schumann Romances). I also played through the Ferling Studies that I studied in my first year of lessons. I've played through some of the Luft studies too.
I've managed a little bit of reed making - not as much as I maybe should have done but I have managed to do 3 or so practice sessions on reeds that I have made myself. A small step in the right direction.
I think I've improved on the pieces that my teacher asked me to look at:
Telemann Fantasia No 4 - I think I am just beginning now to really get to grips with the second movement. It has been a struggle - but finally it is paying off. A few more days will hopefully make this even more secure.
Harty - Orientale. There are some timing bits here that I can't fathom but the rest of it is coming together reasonably. Though need to work on the cadenza runs a little this week.
Hindemith Sonata Mvt 2 - this has really grown on me. I have been playing this along to a recording in the last couple of weeks. It isn't something I often do but in this case it has really helped in understanding the music. Playing with the piano accompaniment has made a number of things click into place.
Luft Study 23 - notes are fairly secure and have been working on playing through, breathing, phrasing.
Luft 24 - well, I wasn't asked to look at this, but I have done and it is sounding OK now.
Scales are becoming more engrained, I've worked on playing extended major scales (tonic to highest note on instrument, down to lowest and back to tonic) and playing major scales in 3rds. They are beginning to be more fluent now.
I think my tuning and vibrato has also improved over the last few weeks when I've been able to put in very consistent practice.
What will this year bring? No exams to focus on this time, but I am looking forward to improving all aspects of my playing by exploring lots of new repertoire. I would like to focus on learning to make reeds so that I can more self reliant in that departmnet. I would also love to buy a Cor Anglais at some point. Let's see what the year brings.
Thursday 30 August 2012
Wednesday 22 August 2012
Filming myself
In a bid to bring some variety to my practise sessions over the long summer break I've been playing with technology a little bit.
I found some recordings I'd made of myself playing about 2 or 3 years ago. They weren't that great so I thought I'd do some more to see whether I'd improved. I did my earliest recordings using the film feature on my digital camera so I've initially done a couple more of these - one of my playing the first movement of the Poulenc sonata and one of Arethusa. Both of these were pieces I played for my Grade 8.
It's fair to say that the tone in both of them sounds pretty terrible but I think this is as much due to the limitiations of the equipment as my actual playing. It is hard to get a good recording in a room full of soft furnishings - the sound will never sound resonant or full. My camera is also not really designed to do high quality sound recording. So I am not going to worry too much about the tone quality in this case.
Positive improvements that were apparent were:
1. Posture - in my early recordings my posture was terrible and my head was bent forward all the time. The new recordings show a much more balanced posture with my head, neck and spine in much better alignment. This was the main reason I chose to video myself rather than just record. I had been quite shocked by the first video as I was completely unaware of what I was doing and since then I have consciously tried to improve how I sit.
2. Embouchure is much more controlled and stable.
3. Finger changes are much smoother and more controlled. The overall line is much more legato.
Most obvious area for improvement was intonation! I know this is much improved but playing in tune really does seem to be my achilles heel. I find it much easier when playing with other people, and I can certainly hear the problems when I play it back. The issue is being able to play each note in tune as it comes out. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever be able to do this!
Since doing my recording I've been doing more practice with the tuner - on scales, arpeggios, with my pieces. Trying to play in tune and then checking against the tuner to try and train my ear rather than watching the light! I've been focussing on hearing the note in my mind before I play it! Something to keep working on.
I found some recordings I'd made of myself playing about 2 or 3 years ago. They weren't that great so I thought I'd do some more to see whether I'd improved. I did my earliest recordings using the film feature on my digital camera so I've initially done a couple more of these - one of my playing the first movement of the Poulenc sonata and one of Arethusa. Both of these were pieces I played for my Grade 8.
It's fair to say that the tone in both of them sounds pretty terrible but I think this is as much due to the limitiations of the equipment as my actual playing. It is hard to get a good recording in a room full of soft furnishings - the sound will never sound resonant or full. My camera is also not really designed to do high quality sound recording. So I am not going to worry too much about the tone quality in this case.
Positive improvements that were apparent were:
1. Posture - in my early recordings my posture was terrible and my head was bent forward all the time. The new recordings show a much more balanced posture with my head, neck and spine in much better alignment. This was the main reason I chose to video myself rather than just record. I had been quite shocked by the first video as I was completely unaware of what I was doing and since then I have consciously tried to improve how I sit.
2. Embouchure is much more controlled and stable.
3. Finger changes are much smoother and more controlled. The overall line is much more legato.
Most obvious area for improvement was intonation! I know this is much improved but playing in tune really does seem to be my achilles heel. I find it much easier when playing with other people, and I can certainly hear the problems when I play it back. The issue is being able to play each note in tune as it comes out. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever be able to do this!
Since doing my recording I've been doing more practice with the tuner - on scales, arpeggios, with my pieces. Trying to play in tune and then checking against the tuner to try and train my ear rather than watching the light! I've been focussing on hearing the note in my mind before I play it! Something to keep working on.
Thursday 16 August 2012
Trio Sonatas
The Summer seems very long and I am missing both orchestra and lessons. I am still practising and taking time to play through some old repertoire, which is fun. But for the pieces that I am practising for my next lesson I am now feeling a bit stuck. I've done what I can but I need some fresh imput and insight from my teacher. Only 3 weeks to go!
I did have a great evening's playing on Monday though when I met up with some orchestra friends for a session of Chamber Music. I love playing music with other people. There is a sort of magic that occurs when you all play together and someone manage to create something that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Due to the make up of the group we tend to focus on Baroque Trio Sonatas - we have flute, oboe, cello and a keyboard player (with nice harpsichord sound!). We worked on two Handel Trio Sonatas which were a little challenging in both timing and harmony. There were times when you just had to trust all the parts would come together in the end (which they did). Apparently these were originally composed when Handel was 10 years old - which is quite astonishing. We spent about an hour on these two. After a break for refreshments, chat and browsing through music we tried a JS Bach one. This was originally written for violin and flute so there were a few bits I had to "adapt" but overall it sounded pretty good.
I would love to do more chamber music playing. It is challenging -when there is a small group and you are one to a part and you are sight reading, you learn quickly. You need to keep going, you need to keep count, most of all you need to hold your nerve and trust yourself. If you hesitate and doubt the whole thing falls apart. On top of all that you need to play in tune with other people, you need to blend to their sound and hoepfully match dynamics/ ornaments/ phrasing. A great fun way to improve all aspects of playing! I must do more chamber music playing.
I did have a great evening's playing on Monday though when I met up with some orchestra friends for a session of Chamber Music. I love playing music with other people. There is a sort of magic that occurs when you all play together and someone manage to create something that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Due to the make up of the group we tend to focus on Baroque Trio Sonatas - we have flute, oboe, cello and a keyboard player (with nice harpsichord sound!). We worked on two Handel Trio Sonatas which were a little challenging in both timing and harmony. There were times when you just had to trust all the parts would come together in the end (which they did). Apparently these were originally composed when Handel was 10 years old - which is quite astonishing. We spent about an hour on these two. After a break for refreshments, chat and browsing through music we tried a JS Bach one. This was originally written for violin and flute so there were a few bits I had to "adapt" but overall it sounded pretty good.
I would love to do more chamber music playing. It is challenging -when there is a small group and you are one to a part and you are sight reading, you learn quickly. You need to keep going, you need to keep count, most of all you need to hold your nerve and trust yourself. If you hesitate and doubt the whole thing falls apart. On top of all that you need to play in tune with other people, you need to blend to their sound and hoepfully match dynamics/ ornaments/ phrasing. A great fun way to improve all aspects of playing! I must do more chamber music playing.
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