Hi everyone, here is the homework for this week.

Jonathan:

  • Info on where I’m playing: Poetry Jazz Cafe in Kensington Market from 4-7 this Sunday :)
  • Keep working on your chromatic scale; remember to focus this time on coming down the scale. Remember to tongue all scales coming up, and slur them coming down. If notes are slurred, they are connected!  That means no breathing in between (unless necessary) or space in between notes.
  • Continue working on C, F, and G major scales and arpeggios. Remember, the arpeggio is the same both up and down. Try to think of the arpeggio in terms of scale degrees (1, 3 and 5) as opposed to the space in between each note. The arpeggios should be tongued going up and slurred going down as well.
  • Spend some more time working through Summertime. Listen to some different versions, particularly Ella Fitzgerald’s version (I believe there is one with her and Louis Armstrong). Listen to her/their phrasing of the melody, how long they hold out the notes, and their sense of rhythm. Make sure not to rush through your half notes/quarter notes and not to fall behind with the eighth notes. Always practice with a metronome.

Susan:

  • Keep working through your major scales, with emphasis on A, Eb, E, Ab and B. Isolate any problem spots (usually the altissimo register) and run them 4-5 times SLOWLY (haha). Make sure everything is even before moving on.
  • Remember: really try to push the sound in the upper/altissimo register. This means blowing a bit harder, making sure you are supporting the sound, and tightening up your embouchure so the tuning doesn’t go flat.
  • Work on the exercises we talked about in the Galper book. This is the perfect opportunity to work on pushing your sound, and getting a nice even tone. Particularly when working on larger leaps/intervals, make sure there is a clean transition getting from each note to the next. Be wary of any “blips”.
  • Keep working on the Beethoven piece in the purple book. Try to remember to use a lighter touch when tounging each note. Make sure you are only using the tip of your tongue to hit the tip of the reed!

Thomas:

 

  • Thomas should be working on his fingerings this week, from C# down to low C. If he isn’t able to get a sound on the lower notes, it’s not a problem – this is a work in progress. After he works on these fingerings, he should do the same thing with the octave key down like we talked about. He should be playing through this with the metronome at 60, each note for 4 beats.
  • Thomas should also be working on his C major scale, same thing – metronome at 60, 4 beats each.
  • If you get a chance to stop by Long and McQuade, try to pick up some reeds (the same ones he has now) along with the strap!