Year: 2019
Fingering Diagram Builder, version 0.8
I’m pleased to announce a new release of the Fingering Diagram Builder. One thing I wanted to do in this release is give something back to the very generous and sexy people who have been kind enough to use the PayPal donation link to show their support over the years, so I’ve added some special …
Where to buy your child’s new school band instrument
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in EducationThere are pros and cons to the places you might shop for a band instrument. Here’s what you need to know, bad news first: Big-box stores (Walmart, Costco, etc.): these may already be your favorite places for one-stop back-to-school shopping, but a musical instrument probably shouldn’t be on your list here. The “instruments” they sell …
What if I don’t love to practice?
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in MusicianshipMusicians are supposed to wake up every day filled with a burning desire to practice for hours, right? If you don’t feel that way, you must not really have what it takes, right? And even if you don’t feel like practicing, you should be able to will yourself to do it anyway, right? It’s normal …
Favorite blog posts, June 2019
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, June 2019 edition.
What are registers?
“Registers” are a tricky concept in woodwind playing. Here’s how they work. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say I am playing a flute with a C footjoint. If I finger a low C, that closes all the instrument’s toneholes and produces a C4: As I work my way up the chromatic scale, I gradually open more …
So you want to hire a horn section
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in MusicianshipSo, you want to hire a “horn” section for an upcoming gig or recording. Great! Horns can add a special touch to your rock, pop, blues, etc. performance. If you haven’t hired horns before, here are some things to keep in mind: A small thing: the word “horn” as it’s used in this kind of …
Woodwind doubling and oboe problems
There’s an increasing expectation that woodwind doublers be competent and confident oboists. It can be a challenging double, but a worthwhile one. Many of my doubling gigs have come to me because of my ability and/or willingness to play the oboe. And even though it’s not my strongest instrument, there are considerable spans of my …
Favorite blog posts, May 2019
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, May 2019 edition.
Time-crunch vs. long-term practicing
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in MusicianshipMy approach to practicing has to adapt to deadlines. Sometimes the deadlines come up fast, and there isn’t time to make everything as perfect as I would like. Other times I have plenty of preparation time and want to make the best use of it. Suppose the music I’m working on has one or two …
Local vs. big-picture dynamics
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in MusicianshipAn important part of interpreting music is figuring out how to use dynamic markings. They aren’t as simple as just playing louder or softer. It helps a lot to understand the difference between what I call local dynamics and big-picture dynamics. Unfortunately, they are marked in sheet music using the same symbols, so it’s not …
