Favorite blog posts, August 2020

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See the woodwind blogs I’m following, and suggest others!

Keeping your fingers “close”

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There’s a common idea with woodwind players and teachers that it’s important to keep your fingers close to the keys. Keeping the fingers within a certain reasonable distance does have benefits: It’s easier to keep track of where the keys are and not “miss,” especially for beginners Allowing the fingers to rise too far can … Read more

Clarinet vibrato

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The question of whether the clarinet should use vibrato has been argued to death, and I won’t pursue the question further here. Suffice it to say that it’s a matter of taste and a matter of tradition. American and European classical clarinetists usually don’t use it. Why that particular quirk of taste and/or tradition has … Read more

Should I buy a “step-up” instrument?

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Should you buy a “step-up” or “intermediate model” woodwind instrument? In most cases, I think the answer is no. For flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or saxophone, I think the wisest course, if you can afford it, is usually to start with a high-quality, best-in-class student-model instrument. The advantages of this are: Lower price range (though … Read more

Don’t say this to your beginning oboists

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Here is a version of a handout I provided recently to graduate students at the American Band College, a summer program for school band directors. Band directors, don’t say this to your beginning oboists: “Shh.” As a university oboe teacher, I routinely meet young oboists who play like they are terrified of making a sound. … Read more

Update: COVID-19 wind playing resources

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In a recent blog post I offered a few personal thoughts on wind playing and the COVID-19 crisis, and began listing some articles and resources related to the topic. I have now moved those to a separate and freshly-updated page. If you are aware of other resources, feel free to bring them to my attention … Read more

Understanding response and stability

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For most players and situations, some kind of middle ground is the right choice: enough response to articulate notes at pianissimo, but enough stability that you don’t have to devote all your attention to keeping things in tune.