Hey everyone, here is the homework for this week:

Susan:

  • Keep working through your twelve major scales. Remember – be honest with yourself! If you are not able to play them consistently and accurately with the metronome, slow down the speed. Try to work on evenness with your eighth notes; they should all sound the same. Remember to subdivide in your head (one-and-two-and-three-and-four). End all scales on a chord tone.
  • Work through the Galper exercises – use your discretion to figure out which ones need more work. Don’t shy away from exercises because they are too hard! Those are the ones you need to work on.
  • Aim for more fluidity and dexterity with your fingers. If they are not moving off the keys from note to note quickly enough, you may encounter squeaks. Be sure in your movements. Also, watch out for air escaping out of the corners of your mouth.

Jonathan:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5QGBHavF0U Here is the famous version of John Coltrane playing “Equinox”. Check it out!
  • Focus on your embouchure this week. http://www.clarinet-now.com/poor-clarinet-embouchure.html Check out this article, and compare your embouchure. Remember to be conscious of how much mouthpiece you have in your mouth, and the angle of your head (you should be looking straight ahead, your head/chin should not be tilted down).
  • Continue working on your scales, tongued going up, slurred going down. Remember to support the air with your diaphragm! This means sitting up straight, and taking deep breaths before playing.
  • Things to think about on “Summertime”: Work on evening out your eighth notes. This will be made easier by “subdividing” in your head (one-and-two-and-three-and-four.) When you see an eighth rest, try thinking of it as a note at first. You may play an extra note in place of the rest, and then slowly phase it out until you can hear the note in your head where the space is. Make sure to hold notes out for their full value as well, and count, count, count! Make sure you don’t come in early after half notes/dotted half notes.

Audrey: