I've been doing a lot of reedmaking practice this week. I've had a week off work, the weather has been too poor to go out so it's been the perfect opportunity. I also had a reedmaking lesson with my teacher this week which gave me lots of new things to try and think about.
I have to admit that I was feeling quite pleased with myself at the start of the lesson. Before my last reedmaking lesson I didn't even really know how to tie on a reed, and now I can pretty consistently make reeds that are playable. I wouldn't necessarily play them in public but I can manage a practice session on them. Surely it was only matter of tweaking them a bit to get that final refinement. I was beginning to think that reedmaking wasn't really as difficult as people made out. Which just goes to show that ignorance really is bliss.
Needless to say that this attitude didn't last long. My teacher wasn't as impressed as I was by my reeds. The tips are raggedy and to get round that I am clipping them too short, my scrape isn't long enough, some of them are overbound and my knife technique needs work. My knife also needed sharpening.
She did say that they seemd to be bound on well and the scraping was generally quite smooth and even, for a beginner. She even said that they played much better than she would have expected.
The lesson itself felt a bit uncomfortable at the time as I was being pushed out of my "comfort zone" and trying to do things differently but, in retrospect, it was actually a perfect lesson and I came out of it with three important things:
1. The bar set higher, no longer is it enough just to make a reed that plays. My understanding of what I am aiming to do is increased.
2. Specific things that I need to change/ practice in order to improve. We looked in detail at my scraping technique, and where it was going wrong.
3. Confirmation that I am making progress had been made even if it was slower than I would like.
I suppose it reminded me, again, that feeling a little bit uncomfortable in lessons is a good thing because it means I'm being pushed and that feeling frustrated that my actual playing, or reedmaking, doesn't match up to what I want it to be is also a good thing because that is what drives my practice.
So over this week I have sorted through my reeds and ruthlessly put aside those not up to standard. I've been using those as scraping practice. I have been practicing my scraping technique, cutting the reeds, scraping the tip, cutting the reed, scraping the tip - trying to avoid damaging the corners by keeping my knife parallel to the reed, not pressing down too hard, keeping my thumb behind the blade as a pivot not on top, doing small movemnets not large sweeps, moving up the reed to the corners and then moving my knife along so I don't just use one part of the blade. I've also been sharpening my knife. Having made lots of space in my reed box, I've started filling it up again by tying on another 7 to see if I can make some better ones.
Monday 26 November 2012
Thursday 22 November 2012
Practice update
I've really enjoyed having this week off work while staying at home. The weather has been horrible so we haven't been able to get out too much - so I've had lots of time for practising and thinking about practice.
The two double reed days, and my lessons have focussed my mind very much on technique and I've found myself spending more and more time on this. I am still working through my flute technique books and I've found that I am improving both my articulation and finger facility. I am now moving my focus back to vibrato, tone and control. Spending more time on long notes, improving resonance, shaping the dynamics. I need to spend a lot more time on this.
I am working in Ferling studies again in my lessons. I usually have a fast and a slow one to work on. Some of these I first looked at 2 years ago. When I first looked at these I found the slow ones pretty straight forward and spent all my practice time trying to get the fast ones under my fingers. It is amazing how much more difficult the slow studies have become in the last 2 years. I'm now finding that I can spend all my alloted time on just a few bars of the slow study. I am trusting that this is a sign of my awareness of details increasing rather than my playing deteriorating.
I'm still working on the Vivaldi Sonata in C minor - so far just the first and second movements. Again, trying to get the control and smoothness required for the first movement is really tricky. The second movement is coming along too though some of the notes are not quite in place yet.
No other "official" pieces at the moment but, as it is my week off, I've been having some fun going back over the Mozart Oboe Quartet - trying to get those semi quaver sections a bit quicker, and I've also been having a look at the Arnold Sonatina 3rd movement which will be a labour of love to get anywhere close to speed. It is fun to play though.
The two double reed days, and my lessons have focussed my mind very much on technique and I've found myself spending more and more time on this. I am still working through my flute technique books and I've found that I am improving both my articulation and finger facility. I am now moving my focus back to vibrato, tone and control. Spending more time on long notes, improving resonance, shaping the dynamics. I need to spend a lot more time on this.
I am working in Ferling studies again in my lessons. I usually have a fast and a slow one to work on. Some of these I first looked at 2 years ago. When I first looked at these I found the slow ones pretty straight forward and spent all my practice time trying to get the fast ones under my fingers. It is amazing how much more difficult the slow studies have become in the last 2 years. I'm now finding that I can spend all my alloted time on just a few bars of the slow study. I am trusting that this is a sign of my awareness of details increasing rather than my playing deteriorating.
I'm still working on the Vivaldi Sonata in C minor - so far just the first and second movements. Again, trying to get the control and smoothness required for the first movement is really tricky. The second movement is coming along too though some of the notes are not quite in place yet.
No other "official" pieces at the moment but, as it is my week off, I've been having some fun going back over the Mozart Oboe Quartet - trying to get those semi quaver sections a bit quicker, and I've also been having a look at the Arnold Sonatina 3rd movement which will be a labour of love to get anywhere close to speed. It is fun to play though.
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Double reed days are like buses....
...you wait three years for one and then two turn up at the same time. Well, not quite the same time but a mere fortnight apart. The RNCM have previously run Woodwind weekends which have been pretty good. The last one was in 2010. This is the first time they have done a Double Reed Event, as far as I know. Although it was a full weekend of events I could only go to the Sunday due to Orchestra commitments on Saturday.
The first concert was by Gareth Hulse (oboe) and Meyrick Alexander (bassoon). It was quite early in the morning so it seems a little unkind to be critical. Gareth Hulse did play beautifully but I felt a little underwhelmed by his performance, he had his head buried in his music and I didn't find the pieces particularly memorable. However, the bassoon pieces were a different story, it probably helped that MA gave a little introduction to each piece which put it into context and helped engage the audience but his playing was also breathtakingly good.
I went to the lunch time concert which was put on by first year students at the college. There were three wind ensemble pieces - two of which were incredibly modern and included lots of multiphonics which I still find quite weird to listen to, the third was a lovely Haydn wind serenade which I enjoyed immensely.
In the afternoon I watched two masterclasses, one lead by Jacques Tys (from the Paris Conservatoire) and the other by Gareth Hulse. All the players appeared to be students from the college, or maybe other colleges - we were given no information on their background, or their names or indeed the names of the pieces they were playing. However, Jacques Tys was really quite inspirational. He was very engaging and commented on a wide range of issues from posture to tone to intonation to interpretation. He talked a lot about using the resonance in your head to help intonation and how you should adjust your soft palate to place higher notes as you do when singing. He also talked about directing the air through the note and the phrase so that you always know whether you are moving towards or away from the peak of the phrase. Gareth Hulse focussed more on interpretation of the specific pieces, though, again, many comments on shaping phrases and notes.
There were a number of very good trade stands there, though having had a splurge earlier this month there wasn't much I needed to buy. I did spend a very enjoyable hour or so trying different Cor Anglais models. I managed to resist buying one (for now) but I have a much better idea of which makes I prefer. It turns out my dream Cor is a Howarth S5. It was worth going just for that I think. I was a disappointed that the bass oboe was packed away before I managed to get a go.
Overall it was a very different event to the Big Double Reed Day at Guildhall and, in fact, to the last Woodwind Weekend at RNCM. Both of these events invited everybody to participate, they gave opportunities to ask questions and to join in with ensembles and workshops. By contrast, this event invited all but the chosen few to observe only. As an attendee it seemed as if very little thought or imagination had gone into planning the event. They went down the easy (lazy?) route of concerts and masterclasses only. What about something on reed making - drop in clinics or Q&A? What about a few workshops on technique or repertoire or ensemble playing or extended techniques? Why not give the opportunity for people to play together? Rather than just 6 masterclasses -why not theme them on different techniques, periods of music, or group them by ability and invite more people to participate? Or at least tell people which pieces are going to be played at each one? While it was quite an enjoyable day, it really wouldn't have taken much effort to make it a really good one and I came away thinking they could, and should have done a whole lot better.
The first concert was by Gareth Hulse (oboe) and Meyrick Alexander (bassoon). It was quite early in the morning so it seems a little unkind to be critical. Gareth Hulse did play beautifully but I felt a little underwhelmed by his performance, he had his head buried in his music and I didn't find the pieces particularly memorable. However, the bassoon pieces were a different story, it probably helped that MA gave a little introduction to each piece which put it into context and helped engage the audience but his playing was also breathtakingly good.
I went to the lunch time concert which was put on by first year students at the college. There were three wind ensemble pieces - two of which were incredibly modern and included lots of multiphonics which I still find quite weird to listen to, the third was a lovely Haydn wind serenade which I enjoyed immensely.
In the afternoon I watched two masterclasses, one lead by Jacques Tys (from the Paris Conservatoire) and the other by Gareth Hulse. All the players appeared to be students from the college, or maybe other colleges - we were given no information on their background, or their names or indeed the names of the pieces they were playing. However, Jacques Tys was really quite inspirational. He was very engaging and commented on a wide range of issues from posture to tone to intonation to interpretation. He talked a lot about using the resonance in your head to help intonation and how you should adjust your soft palate to place higher notes as you do when singing. He also talked about directing the air through the note and the phrase so that you always know whether you are moving towards or away from the peak of the phrase. Gareth Hulse focussed more on interpretation of the specific pieces, though, again, many comments on shaping phrases and notes.
There were a number of very good trade stands there, though having had a splurge earlier this month there wasn't much I needed to buy. I did spend a very enjoyable hour or so trying different Cor Anglais models. I managed to resist buying one (for now) but I have a much better idea of which makes I prefer. It turns out my dream Cor is a Howarth S5. It was worth going just for that I think. I was a disappointed that the bass oboe was packed away before I managed to get a go.
Overall it was a very different event to the Big Double Reed Day at Guildhall and, in fact, to the last Woodwind Weekend at RNCM. Both of these events invited everybody to participate, they gave opportunities to ask questions and to join in with ensembles and workshops. By contrast, this event invited all but the chosen few to observe only. As an attendee it seemed as if very little thought or imagination had gone into planning the event. They went down the easy (lazy?) route of concerts and masterclasses only. What about something on reed making - drop in clinics or Q&A? What about a few workshops on technique or repertoire or ensemble playing or extended techniques? Why not give the opportunity for people to play together? Rather than just 6 masterclasses -why not theme them on different techniques, periods of music, or group them by ability and invite more people to participate? Or at least tell people which pieces are going to be played at each one? While it was quite an enjoyable day, it really wouldn't have taken much effort to make it a really good one and I came away thinking they could, and should have done a whole lot better.
Sunday 11 November 2012
Winter Concert
Yesterday was day one of a very Double Reedy Weekend as it was Orchestra Concert Day. We only do 3 main concerts a year so it is quite a big deal which takes up the whole day as there is a final rehearsal in the afternoon before the final performance in the evening.
As I've probably mentioned before we are an unauditioned, "all comers welcome", amateur community orchestra with a wide range of playing ability. So it is a challenge to bring it all together to make it sound good on the night. I think the standard of the orchestra as a whole has improved even in the 3 years I've been involved and every programme feels like "the hardest we've done yet". There was some very tricky woodwind sections in this one - especially for the flutes in the Vltava and for everybody in the Debussy. But I think we pulled it off again (flutes did brilliantly). I was rather worried on Tuesday as it was sounding quite ropey in places, but some determined practising seemed to have gone in over the last 3 days and it sounded rather good last night. I was very proud of how we played and feel lucky to have the opportunity to be part of it. There really is nothing like playing music with other people.
I absolutely loved this programme, there is usually at least one piece per concert that I've felt ambivalent about, but this time I wouldn't have dropped anything. I had some really lovely oboe bits to play, and I absolutely loved having the opportunity to play the Unfinished Symphony which is an amazing piece of music. Special mention must go to our cellists who played spine tinglingly well in the opening. Just beautiful.
Oh and I also won a box of chocolates in the raffle!
I actually feel quite sad that we are leaving these pieces behind and moving on to the next programme (yet to be announced)
Today I am off to a double reed day at the RNCM. More on that later in the week.
Programme for Winter Concert 2012:
Mozart - Magic Flute overture
Schubert - Unfinished Symphony
Rossini- Barber of Seville
Smetana - Vltava (arrangement)
Debussy - Petite Suite (arrangement)
As I've probably mentioned before we are an unauditioned, "all comers welcome", amateur community orchestra with a wide range of playing ability. So it is a challenge to bring it all together to make it sound good on the night. I think the standard of the orchestra as a whole has improved even in the 3 years I've been involved and every programme feels like "the hardest we've done yet". There was some very tricky woodwind sections in this one - especially for the flutes in the Vltava and for everybody in the Debussy. But I think we pulled it off again (flutes did brilliantly). I was rather worried on Tuesday as it was sounding quite ropey in places, but some determined practising seemed to have gone in over the last 3 days and it sounded rather good last night. I was very proud of how we played and feel lucky to have the opportunity to be part of it. There really is nothing like playing music with other people.
I absolutely loved this programme, there is usually at least one piece per concert that I've felt ambivalent about, but this time I wouldn't have dropped anything. I had some really lovely oboe bits to play, and I absolutely loved having the opportunity to play the Unfinished Symphony which is an amazing piece of music. Special mention must go to our cellists who played spine tinglingly well in the opening. Just beautiful.
Oh and I also won a box of chocolates in the raffle!
I actually feel quite sad that we are leaving these pieces behind and moving on to the next programme (yet to be announced)
Today I am off to a double reed day at the RNCM. More on that later in the week.
Programme for Winter Concert 2012:
Mozart - Magic Flute overture
Schubert - Unfinished Symphony
Rossini- Barber of Seville
Smetana - Vltava (arrangement)
Debussy - Petite Suite (arrangement)
Saturday 10 November 2012
Reed making update
This week seems to have been incredibly busy - no time for blogging, practice took priority!I have been inspired to kick start my reed making again since the Double Reed making. I had stalled a bit since summer. I have been making more of an effort to play on my own reeds while practising and have been a little more ruthless with the reeds that I couldn't get to work. I picked up a lovely craft case from Hobby Craft to store things in and a beautiful new reed case from Crowthers. It has been very handy to be able to easily transport everything I need from one room to another so I can still be sociable while tying on.
The reeds in the box are all my own handiwork - there are three that I've been playing on with another 4 ready to start blowing in to test and another 4 just able to crow. Fortunately room for another 12 on the other side of the box so will be tying on another 2 soon. Here's a closer look.
I've found the Making Oboe Reeds DVD really helpful and I like the systematic approach to where and how much to scrape off. They seem to be improving but I still have a long way to go.
I've found the Making Oboe Reeds DVD really helpful and I like the systematic approach to where and how much to scrape off. They seem to be improving but I still have a long way to go.
Sunday 4 November 2012
A reminder of Summer
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