Some reflections...

As I've been going through the process of recording my parts for "Down a Country Lane", I realize I’ve gained a completely new respect for composers. I’ve never really understood the extent to which the different instrumental parts fit together to create one ensemble. I've always been pretty aware of how the three clarinet parts fit together in any piece since we're so closely related, and I can figure out how my entrances feed off of the other sections, but I have a new understanding of what it takes to build a piece.  It’s really hard to explain, but there’s a new sort of enlightenment that comes from playing ALL of the different parts and layering them together.

I don't think this is the first time I've had this realization.  Over the course of three years, I've played "Shenandoah" by Frank Ticheli three times for three separate ensembles.  Each time, I've played a different clarinet part.  Learning the three different parts gave me a new awareness of how the three parts feed off each other.  However, this is the first time this thorough understanding has applied to the entire band.  I know not only the clarinet's parts, but every other instrument's parts as well.  It's like the difference between reading news about the countries in the world and actually living in them.

I also talked to Mr. Klepacki about my experience with recording the parts for saxophone.  I’ve gotten so much better since December - I can play in tune more easily and get a better tone quality.  The big difference between saxophone and clarinet is the angle of the mouthpiece.  The clarinet's is angled down, and the saxophone's is straight into your mouth.  Mr. Klepacki asked me which instrument I have better control over.  I initially wanted to respond “clarinet”, because I have more experience on the clarinet, so therefore I should have more control. But then I thought about it some more. I realized the change in mouthpiece direction makes a big difference. Lipping down the pitch is easier on the clarinet because it involves dropping the jaw and loosening the embouchure.  I think the mouthpiece's natural angle is what makes it easier. It's harder to lip the pitch up, or make it sharp, because I have to tighten my embouchure a lot.  With the saxophone, I think I can’t lip it down as far because the angle is straighter, but at the same time the angle provides more freedom to lip it up. (If I tilt the mouthpiece so the angle is more like the clarinet's, it makes the pitch sharper.)

History of trombone

My tenor trombone

The history of the trombone is unclear, but it's agreed upon that its immediate precursor was the sackbut, a term which refers to any brass instrument with a slide.  The earliest trombone was in 1551, and was closer to contemporary trumpets than modern trombones.  Its melancholy timbre in the 17th century meant it was associated with death and the underworld.  However, it almost disappeared in the 18th century due to a lack of interest.

In the 18th century, the trombone began to reappear, mainly in Mozart pieces and military bands.  Several changes were made to the instrument after this time.  In the late 1700s, the Bb trombone with 7 slide positions (vs. the previous 4) was developed.  In the early 19th century, the bell was widened and the bore (interior chamber) was enlarged by 20 - 30%.  By the middle of the century, it was common to have two tenor trombones and one bass trombone in an orchestra.  By the 20th century, it was also popular in jazz and swing bands.

Trombones with triggers include
the tubing highlighted in blue.

A trombone has seven slide positions; 1st position is when the slide isn't extended at all.  Some trombones also include an additional set of tubing, accessible by a trigger, which drops the pitch a fourth.  This extends the compass of the instrument and allows the player to play certain notes in more than one slide position (more so than you could with a trombone without a trigger.)

The trombone family consists of the alto, tenor, and bass trombones.  The alto trombone has a compass of A to e'', and the tenor and bass trombones have a compass of E to f'''.  The tenor trombone sounds an octave below the Bb trumpet and an octave above the tuba.  The alto trombone sounds a fourth or fifth (depending on the key of the instrument) above the tenor.

The compass of the tenor
and bass trombones

Instrument #9?

A clarinet (left) and Bb clarinet (right)

Today I picked up an A clarinet from a friend of mine from WCYO.  She has carpal tunnel and won't be able to play for a while, so I'll be taking over her part.  I'm the only clarinetist of the three of us who doesn't have both a Bb and an A clarinet, so I'm borrowing hers.

The only difference between a Bb clarinet and an A clarinet is the pitch (hence the names Bb and A.)  The fingerings and compass are exactly the same.  But because the A clarinet is longer, it sounds one half step lower.  Occasionally I have to fill in a part written for the A clarinet on my Bb clarinet.  In this case, I have to transpose down a half step.

So why was the A clarinet created if it's almost exactly the same as the Bb clarinet?  A clarinet is easiest to play in keys related to its own.  So, since "A" is a sharp key and "Bb" is a flat key, keys that are difficult for one type of clarinet are easy for the other.  Composers choose the type of clarinet based on the key they want their piece to be set in.  Here's a diagram of some key transpositions between the two clarinets:

Click to enlarge

Orchestral pieces that are written in sharp keys in concert pitch are best played on the A clarinet, and pieces in flat keys in concert pitch are best for the Bb clarinet.  I don't think I've ever seen concert band music that has more than 2 sharps for concert-pitch instruments.

"Aura Lee" on a new reed!

My new reed came on Friday!  Third time's definitely the charm - it's a lot easier to play now.  I still have to get used to a few things.

First, the fingerings are different.  The fingerings for F and F# are switched compared every other woodwind instrument I've played.  Here's a diagram.  Note how F for one instrument is basically the same as F# for the other, and vice versa.

Fingerings comparisons, clarinet vs. oboe.
Diagonal fingerings are almost the same.

Some oboe fingerings also require using the "half-hole."  No other instrument I've played so far has this feature, so I often forget when I should or shouldn't be using it.  However, it's a little similar to the use of the left pointer finger on flute - the notes where you need it are similar.)

Half-hole is in green, fully pressed key is in blue.
Effective because of the hole in the blue key.

Finally, I have to get used to using less air than I do with other instruments.  It's a smaller reed with a smaller opening, and I've heard my orchestra conductor say that oboists tend to store air they don't need.  If I take too big of a breath, it strains my lungs and embouchure and I end up getting a headache.  A little goes a long way with the oboe.

Here's "Aura Lee", first attempt (bad reed) and second attempt (good reed).

History of the oboe

A shawm

The oboe is a direct descendant of the shawm and the hautboy.  A shawm is a six-holed instrument with no keys that produces a very powerful, raucous sound.  It's often associated with ceremonial music and processionals.  During the mid-17th century the shawm became the hautboy, which has eight holes and a completely exposed reed, allowing for greater control, a softer timbre, and greater difficulty to play.

Further changes were made to the hautboy between the 17th and 19th centuries.  (The instrument also found a place in orchestra during this time.)  Over time, it was given a narrower bore, thinner walls, and smaller finger holes.  While this increased agility and produced a quieter, more focused tone, the lack of keys meant it still had inaccessible or different-sounding pitches.  Therefore, the Conservatoire system was introduced in the 1870s.  The speaker key was added, and the instruments became primarily made of African blackwood.

Other members of the oboe family include the oboe d'amore (a "mezzo-soprano" oboe), oboe da caccia (a "tenor oboe"), and cor anglais (more commonly known as the English horn.)  The oboe de caccia has faded away, but the English horn continues to be popular.  It's plays a perfect fifth below the oboe, is slightly longer, and has a round bell.  It's compass is the same as the oboe's: b♭ to f#'''.

The oboe's and English horn's compasses

First oboe lessons

Chip (top) and Stanley (bottom)

I started experimenting with oboe embouchure about two and a half weeks ago since double reeds don't need an instrument to make a sound.  I succumbed to my impatience and bought my first reed from Bethel Music Center... for $17.99.  And then, as soon as I got home, I dropped and chipped it (I wasn't used to opening that kind of case!)  It felt like ripping up a $20 bill.  So I bought another on Amazon for $12 to be safe.  And it's flat and really hard to play.  Oboe lesson #1: reed problems.

An oboe reed's opening should,
unfortunately, be between these two

Oboe embouchure is a lot different than the clarinet's; I'm still getting used to it and increasing my stamina.  I managed to play a Bb at home, but not much else.  After taking a lesson with Allie, I could play a little less than a scale (sort of), but I was still getting used to the reed and forcing air through it.  (It's a smaller reed so you don't need nearly as much air, but the chips weren't making it easy.)  It also needed soaking in water every 5 minutes.  It was a good start.

Two days later, I had a lesson with Mrs. Harvison.  By the end of the period, I could play "Hot Cross Buns fairly successfully, but we decided I needed more reeds since Chip and Stanley (Get it?  'Cause it's flat?)  weren't helping at all.  I ordered another for $11.99.  (So far I've spent $43.87 on oboe reeds.  But let's not think about that.)  I was also pointing the instrument too far down, so fixing that helped me play better.  Overall, needless to say I gave Mrs. Harvison and Mr. Klepacki a good show that day.

Videos and more detailed updates will be coming soon!

Flute Tips & Tricks

Flute posture

The flute was a different experience than any other instrument I learned so far.  Trumpet was completely new, and saxophone and bass clarinet were very similar to what I already know; flute was a combination of familiar and unknown.

Posture
Proper flute posture involves sitting up straight and holding the flute so it's close to parallel to the floor.  I'll admit my flute wasn't completely parallel, but I wasn't hunched over the instrument like some flautists in band tend to do.  A good way to summarize good posture is, "Bring the flute to you; don't bring yourself to the flute."  Don't get lazy and rest your arm on the chair next to you or lean over so your arms aren't as high.  You'll eventually get used to holding your arms up if you keep practicing.

Embouchure

Flute embouchure

A flute makes a sound when the mouthpiece splits the musician's air column, resulting in a swirling pattern inside the instrument.  Therefore, it is very important to correctly place your lips on the mouthpiece.  If the mouthpiece is turned too far outwards or inwards, you can't produce a sound.  The lips should be pursed with the corners tight, as if they're pulled towards your ears (think of blowing air over your chin - it's a similar feeling).  This creates a "compressed" air column that's directed towards the mouthpiece.  Keeping a mindset of "blowing through a straw" helps a lot.  The edge of the mouthpiece should be touching the outside edge of the lip.  (It's perfectly normal to produce a very airy sound at first - you have to get used to the embouchure and mouthpiece placement.)

The flute can be turned inwards or outwards to slightly change the pitch of the note.  If a note is a bit sharp, roll the flute in towards your face to lower the pitch.  This comes in handy when playing lower notes; rolling the flute in a bit aids in getting the note to sound since it requires slower air.

I found it very helpful to watch my embouchure in the mirror as I was playing.  My embouchure tends to get tired after I've been playing for more than 20 minutes, so seeing it in the mirror helps me remember where it should be and improve my tone.

Octaves
Unlike other woodwind instruments, there is no octave or register key on the flute.  To play higher, one must blow faster, "cooler" air.  To do so, the embouchure must be tighter.  The opposite is true for low notes; relax the embouchure and blow slower, "warmer" air.  I've always heard Mr. Klepacki tell the flautists to pretend they're "cooling hot soup" for the lowest notes.

The higher notes may require more intonation adjustments; tighten the embouchure to raise the pitch, and relax it to lower the pitch.  Rolling the flute inwards may also lower the pitch slightly, but be careful not to lose the sound.

Dizziness
In elementary school, I always heard flautists complain about getting dizzy when they play.  As a clarinetist, I couldn't understand how playing an instrument would make you dizzy, but it's true.  More air is required to play the flute, so it's easy to get lightheaded.  If you do feel dizzy, stop playing and take a break.  Stretch, walk around, get a drink.  After a few minutes, once the oxygen has returned to your brain, you may continue playing.  With time and practice, you will develop the endurance to play for longer periods of time.

One cause for lightheadedness is exhaling too much air at once.  Air has no resistance on the flute, so it must be controlled by the embouchure.  Make sure your embouchure is tight and directed towards the mouthpiece (the same concentration as blowing through a straw.)  This will help your air supply last longer so you won't feel dizzy.

Instrument Troubleshooting
I discovered that it is possible to unscrew the dome-shaped cap at the head of the flute.  If this happens, the flute won't play properly (I learned this the hard way.)  Make sure it's always screwed in.