So why, exactly, should we practice our scales?
We all do it. Run through our scales as fast as we possibly can so we can check them off of our list of things to do, like a household chore. We play them because our teachers tell us to. We play them out of a sick sense of guilt that occurs if we don't. We play them because that's the way we have always warmed up. It's a shame, really, because our scales provide us with the ideal vessel for perfecting so many different aspects of performance.
Probably the most obvious thing to work on is tone. Take time with your scales. Play them as long tones and never move on to the next note before achieving the most perfect, pure tone imaginable. Keep in mind that practicing your scales does not mean that you have to play all of them. Just accounting for majors and all 3 forms of minors you have 48 to choose from. Select a handful to focus on each day. If you have trouble keeping your tone consistent between the low, mid, and high registers, slowly play them the full range of the instrument, making each note tonally perfect through the entire range before moving on.
Practice them in different rhythmic patterns and at different speeds. When you have your scales memorized, and I mean truly memorized, you can focus entirely on your rhythm without the notes themselves getting in the way. Note accuracy should not be an issue, so do more than just play them as straight eighth notes. Throw in varying articulations while you're at it. Staccato, accents, marcato, slurs, legato, and so on. Use this as an opportunity to practice making a distinct difference between the different articulations we are required to use. Practice your multiple tonguing. Work them faster and faster until you can no longer control the rhythm precisely. Switch things up by playing a jazz rhythm/style. We horn players are notoriously "square," so take the time to work on your swing patterns every now and again. You may surprise your fellow orchestra members at your next Pops concert.
Dynamics. Oh how easily we forget to actually practice these. Start soft and crescendo as you ascend. Start loud and decrescendo as you descend. Start loud, decrescendo halfway through, and crescendo again as you reach the top of the scale. Start soft, crescendo halfway through, and decrescendo as you reach the top. Play all of them as soft and controlled as humanly possible. Play them all as big (with focused and controlled tone of course) as possible, pushing your dynamic limits to their max.
Use them as part of your warm-down routine at the end of the day. Soft, slow, descending scales are a perfect way to pull an abused embouchure back into the proper shape again. Keep your focus on controlling your corners and bring the very center of your embouchure back into control. Get rid of any gravel that may have appeared in your sound and eliminate any occurrence of a double buzz that can appear when we've played heavily.
We seem to always be looking for that perfect exercise or etude to fix all of our playing problems. You already have the perfect tool that you can modify in any way you want to fix any problem you may have. Never forget how to effectively use them.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Lessons I Wish I had Learned (and Listened to) Earlier in My Career
I think every time I practice, I come up with something that I wish I had known sooner in my playing career. Sometimes it's as straight forward as wishing I had known a particular piece. Others, it's a lesson I wish someone would have taught me sooner. We learn from our mistakes, no matter the situation. There are simply a few mistakes I wish I had made much earlier.
1. Never go into a rehearsal without knowing a piece, no matter how obscure.
Never, EVER do this. I will never forget my way around Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto as a result of this particular lesson. There are few times in my life where I have been this mortified. I learned the hard way that this particular piano concerto has several large and well know second horn solos. I had no idea, and mutilated the part. Luckily I had time to rectify the situation before the first performance, never again have I ever gone to a rehearsal unprepared.
2. Get along with people, even if you don't like them.
You don't have to be everyone's best friend, but you never know who may be able to get you a job.
3. Don't piss off the wrong people.
Just as some people may get you a job, others can just as easily prevent you from getting one, just because you have proven to be difficult to work with.
4. Always know the back story of a piece you are playing.
Mozart will never be played the same way as Strauss. I cringe to think of a Bach work performed in the style of Stravinsky. Know the differences between your composers. Each of them has a distinct style that gives them their identity. This is particularly important if you are playing a piece that is actually intended to tell a story. For example: Strauss' "Don Quixote" is broken into an introduction, theme, maggiore, 10 variations, and a finale. Each section of the piece depicts a different part of Don Quixote's life/story with each character represented by a different motive. If Variation VI (Meeting with Dulcinea) was performed the same way as Variation VII (The Ride Through the Air), Don Quixote's first meeting with his love, Dulcinea, would come across as drastically more violent than it is intended to be.
5. There is always someone else out there who is practicing more, and is practicing more effectively, than you are.
There really isn't a whole lot of explanation needed on this one. If you aren't practicing, someone else is. The only way to do something about it is to practice, and practice effectively, every chance you get.
6. Don't settle for an instrument just because it's cheaper. Save up and just buy the one you really want.
Buying a cheaper instrument just to save a little money was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. I ended up selling it in less than 3 years because it was a terrible fit for me. Be patient. Save everything you can and keep your eyes open. It will be worth all of the waiting when you're playing the instrument you really want.
7. Take chances.
You never know what kind of opportunities may come your way, simply because you took a chance on something. Some of the most incredible performing experiences I've had came along simply because I allowed myself to take a chance on something new.
1. Never go into a rehearsal without knowing a piece, no matter how obscure.
Never, EVER do this. I will never forget my way around Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto as a result of this particular lesson. There are few times in my life where I have been this mortified. I learned the hard way that this particular piano concerto has several large and well know second horn solos. I had no idea, and mutilated the part. Luckily I had time to rectify the situation before the first performance, never again have I ever gone to a rehearsal unprepared.
2. Get along with people, even if you don't like them.
You don't have to be everyone's best friend, but you never know who may be able to get you a job.
3. Don't piss off the wrong people.
Just as some people may get you a job, others can just as easily prevent you from getting one, just because you have proven to be difficult to work with.
4. Always know the back story of a piece you are playing.
Mozart will never be played the same way as Strauss. I cringe to think of a Bach work performed in the style of Stravinsky. Know the differences between your composers. Each of them has a distinct style that gives them their identity. This is particularly important if you are playing a piece that is actually intended to tell a story. For example: Strauss' "Don Quixote" is broken into an introduction, theme, maggiore, 10 variations, and a finale. Each section of the piece depicts a different part of Don Quixote's life/story with each character represented by a different motive. If Variation VI (Meeting with Dulcinea) was performed the same way as Variation VII (The Ride Through the Air), Don Quixote's first meeting with his love, Dulcinea, would come across as drastically more violent than it is intended to be.
5. There is always someone else out there who is practicing more, and is practicing more effectively, than you are.
There really isn't a whole lot of explanation needed on this one. If you aren't practicing, someone else is. The only way to do something about it is to practice, and practice effectively, every chance you get.
6. Don't settle for an instrument just because it's cheaper. Save up and just buy the one you really want.
Buying a cheaper instrument just to save a little money was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. I ended up selling it in less than 3 years because it was a terrible fit for me. Be patient. Save everything you can and keep your eyes open. It will be worth all of the waiting when you're playing the instrument you really want.
7. Take chances.
You never know what kind of opportunities may come your way, simply because you took a chance on something. Some of the most incredible performing experiences I've had came along simply because I allowed myself to take a chance on something new.
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