- Jennifer Stucki, oboist: The Causes of Loose Sides and Why It Matters
- eflatclarinetproject (Jennifer Fraley): Selecting an E-flat Clarinet
- Bill Plake Music: Why “Feeling Relaxed” Isn’t Always a Good Thing To Aim For When Playing Music
- International Clarinet Association (Paula Corley): Pedagogy Corner: Leonard Bernstein’s Sonata, Movement II: A Practice Duet for Two Clarinet
- Rodriguez Musical Services (Justin Stanley): Guest Article: Creating a Compelling Recital Program
The difference between “student” and “professional” instruments
Visit a music store or an instrument maker’s website and you will frequently see band instruments sorted into categories like “student,” “intermediate/step-up,” and “professional.” It’s important to understand that these distinctions are not bound to any specific criteria, and not policed by any governing body. The labels have a lot to do with target market, … Read more
FAQ: Ligatures
These are questions I am often asked about clarinet or saxophone ligatures, by blog readers or by my students. Is there a ligature that can accomplish _____ for me? If you are looking for something to hold the reed onto the mouthpiece, then yes. If you are hoping to achieve something loftier, then probably not. … Read more
Things beginning band directors say to clarinet sections
Tough love for teachers of beginning clarinetists.
Favorite blog posts, November 2018
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, November 2018 edition.
How to get 10 good reeds from a box
If you are getting less than 80% playable reeds from the boxes you are currently buying, buy different ones.
Discount on book and new t-shirts
I’ll keep this short: there are new bretpimentel.com t-shirts available, and everything in the store (shirts and the PDF of my book, Woodwind Basics) is priced at 1/3 off through Christmas Eve 2018 if you use coupon code reeds2018. Your purchases help pay for hosting and other site costs, and otherwise support what I’m doing … Read more
Planning breaths
When learning a new étude or repertoire piece, it’s common to practice at first with focus on the notes, often playing them at a slow tempo and/or divided into chunks. This is a good approach for mastering the needed finger technique, but it may neglect one of the crucial parts of a performance: breathing. In … Read more
Using sticky notes to focus my performance thinking
I might put in weeks or months preparing for a high-pressure performance. But all of that can fall apart pretty quickly if my head isn’t in the right place.
Favorite blog posts, October 2018
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, October 2018 edition.