posted by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sevenhelz at 10:00pm on 08/02/2007 under learning journal
sevenhelz at 10:00pm on 08/02/2007 under learning journalHad a minor cold this week, but surprisingly good sound. I also randomly found top notes easier - possibly just from pushing more air through? -When playing a ff top B, I managed to blow the second slide right out of the baritone (at Grangemoor). I spent the rest of the piece holding it in with my left thumb. I'm not sure the bari's doing anything good for my muscles - my right thumb/hand has been uncomfortable. Again, bad posture causes these kind of problems... I don't want to get to the point where I have to take time off playing because the hand position in itself is painful.
Lesson was encouraging. New study, "Polka" from the Vizzutti book of dances, is going well. Itcould be a little faster and I need to look at the second page. Towards the end of the lesson I played Gareth Wood's 'Aubade' and my bottom Gs weren't coming out; although my embouchure is generally secure in the bottom register now, I was having difficulty slurring down to it. D promised to think up a way to help this, but in practise next day I could slur down fine; I've now put it down to a tired lip, after the morning's rehearsal.
I made too many breath points in Andante et Allegro. Must look up Barat's other works - in our performance lecture we discussed interpretation, and what that means, and how you inform your interpretation; having a 'route map' may involve knowing the context of the work, including other pieces of the time, by the same composer, etc. It was a structured method of interpretation, which was handy.
This week's favourite type of exercise is lip flexibilities. Looking in the mirror I can see I still have a twitchy chin, and on loud notes or passages I'm pushing air under my lip for some reason. It's difficult to eliminate these problems with the loud note exercises I'm so fond of, but when I play lip flexibilities I have a nigh-on perfect embouchure; if I start with a bad set-up I can't play the faster exercises, but some work leaves me with a good embouchure for everything else as well as sextuplet semiquavers.
Grangemoor has decided not to play the Area contest as they're missing too many front row cornets. I've agreed to play baritone a little longer, to help out at a concert, but I'm mildly unhappy about it. In Uni band, there has been some talk of Scott leaving - whether these rumours have any basis remains to be seen. If he leaves, it'll mean a lot more work and responsibility for me, and I'm not sure my stamina is high enough yet, particularly with our planned concert repetoire.
Masterclass on singing on Tuesday - apart from general interpretation notes, I noted that Lynn Dawson recommended not swaying while performing. It is distracting, at least in singers. I'm not sure how much this applies, as have heard/read people stating that some movement can show how involved in a piece the player is. I may ask D, and take advice from other students etc.
D checked a few notes for tuning on my euph - good to have confirmation that the top B is flat. He's happy for tit to be played on 1+2 regularly, where my last teacher thought it changed the sound. Perhaps not so much of an issue since my sound has changed anyway. D explained that the prestige is better for the top register, and obviously has a trigger to mess about with pitch. He said he's probably forgotten just how much alternative fingering he used on a 967. I'm hoping to get a Prestige in the long run, though of course I want to try various mouthpieces as well, and that's more financially viable than getting hold of more euphoniums.
he called the new Besson euphs "interesting". not beautiful, though of course that was the first thing i was thinking. i'm still trying to work him out.
After carrying everything home from the train station, I quite a lot of back and shoulder pain on Monday, but massage and heat eased it considerably. Need to look up the chiropracter I've been recommended. There's also a masterclass on Alexander technique next Tuesday.
found out, paul duffy is playing for black dyke now. phil thinks he's third man down. go paul!
wonder if i can get a seat on black dyke's coach for whit friday? ;)
Lesson was encouraging. New study, "Polka" from the Vizzutti book of dances, is going well. Itcould be a little faster and I need to look at the second page. Towards the end of the lesson I played Gareth Wood's 'Aubade' and my bottom Gs weren't coming out; although my embouchure is generally secure in the bottom register now, I was having difficulty slurring down to it. D promised to think up a way to help this, but in practise next day I could slur down fine; I've now put it down to a tired lip, after the morning's rehearsal.
I made too many breath points in Andante et Allegro. Must look up Barat's other works - in our performance lecture we discussed interpretation, and what that means, and how you inform your interpretation; having a 'route map' may involve knowing the context of the work, including other pieces of the time, by the same composer, etc. It was a structured method of interpretation, which was handy.
This week's favourite type of exercise is lip flexibilities. Looking in the mirror I can see I still have a twitchy chin, and on loud notes or passages I'm pushing air under my lip for some reason. It's difficult to eliminate these problems with the loud note exercises I'm so fond of, but when I play lip flexibilities I have a nigh-on perfect embouchure; if I start with a bad set-up I can't play the faster exercises, but some work leaves me with a good embouchure for everything else as well as sextuplet semiquavers.
Grangemoor has decided not to play the Area contest as they're missing too many front row cornets. I've agreed to play baritone a little longer, to help out at a concert, but I'm mildly unhappy about it. In Uni band, there has been some talk of Scott leaving - whether these rumours have any basis remains to be seen. If he leaves, it'll mean a lot more work and responsibility for me, and I'm not sure my stamina is high enough yet, particularly with our planned concert repetoire.
Masterclass on singing on Tuesday - apart from general interpretation notes, I noted that Lynn Dawson recommended not swaying while performing. It is distracting, at least in singers. I'm not sure how much this applies, as have heard/read people stating that some movement can show how involved in a piece the player is. I may ask D, and take advice from other students etc.
D checked a few notes for tuning on my euph - good to have confirmation that the top B is flat. He's happy for tit to be played on 1+2 regularly, where my last teacher thought it changed the sound. Perhaps not so much of an issue since my sound has changed anyway. D explained that the prestige is better for the top register, and obviously has a trigger to mess about with pitch. He said he's probably forgotten just how much alternative fingering he used on a 967. I'm hoping to get a Prestige in the long run, though of course I want to try various mouthpieces as well, and that's more financially viable than getting hold of more euphoniums.
he called the new Besson euphs "interesting". not beautiful, though of course that was the first thing i was thinking. i'm still trying to work him out.
After carrying everything home from the train station, I quite a lot of back and shoulder pain on Monday, but massage and heat eased it considerably. Need to look up the chiropracter I've been recommended. There's also a masterclass on Alexander technique next Tuesday.
found out, paul duffy is playing for black dyke now. phil thinks he's third man down. go paul!
wonder if i can get a seat on black dyke's coach for whit friday? ;)