- Joffe Woodwinds (article by Ron Odrich): Science in the Art of the Clarinet Sound
- Hodge Products, Inc. Double Reed Supplies Blog (Rebecca Watson): Bassoon Wire Gauge: Does It Make a Difference?
- How To Make Oboe Reeds (Tim Feil): Reed Response
- Jennet Ingle | Oboist: Harder Isn’t Better
- International Clarinet Association (Marcus Eley): Clarinet Works by Black Composers
- International Clarinet Association (Katherine Breeden): An Overview of Making Clarinet Reeds by Hand
- Bill Plake Music (saxophone): Awareness In Playing Music: “Looking For” In Contrast To “Noticing”
- Indy Flute Shop (Erin Nichols): Open-holed flutes
- Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. (Zhenya Strigalev): The Secret to Reaching Below the Saxophone’s Low Bb
Year: 2020
Factors in woodwind instrument response
Response is how readily the equipment/player combination produces sound. “Good” response generally means that the player-plus-instrument are able to produce a sound that starts precisely when intended, with clarity and with no unwanted additional noise. Many factors affect the quality and reliability of the response: Instrument condition. An instrument with leaks, cracks, problematic dents, etc. … Read more
Using “borrowed” fingerings in EWI mode
The Akai EWI series’ “EWI” fingering mode is powerful and flexible. It bears a resemblance to basic saxophone fingerings (while wisely eschewing saxophoney compromises like rollers and palm keys). But with a little imagination EWI players can “borrow” a number of useful fingerings from other woodwinds, too.
Favorite blog posts, November 2020
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, December 2020 edition.
Do woodwind instruments have similar fingerings?
I get lots of emails and search traffic from people trying to find the answer to questions about woodwinds and “similar” fingerings: Do they use the same or similar fingerings? Which instruments are the most similar? Can I use fingerings from _____ instrument on _____ instrument? I’ve addressed before why these questions might be coming … Read more
Teaching with your ears
We have this conversation often in my woodwind methods classes: Me: What do you hear in so-and-so’s playing?Student: Their embouchure is too tight?Me: Can you hear their embouchure muscles?Student: …?Me: Not directly, right? But what are you hearing that makes you think their embouchure is tight?Student: Well, it looks like it could be kind of … Read more
Interpretation at small and large scales
When I ask my students about their interpretation of a piece of music, their answers are often about shaping phrases. The phrases should have some kind of beginning, middle, and end, often expressed in some kind of dynamic shape, like starting softer, growing to a louder peak, then gradually getting softer again. That isn’t wrong, … Read more
Favorite blog posts, October 2020
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, October 2020 edition.
Giving feedback in masterclasses and competitions
As a graduate student and younger professional I started to get opportunities to teach in masterclass/workshop settings and to adjudicate competitions. I had taught private lessons for many years. But sometimes I found it challenging to give effective feedback in these newer situations, where I was hearing someone play for the first time and needed … Read more
Advice on multiple-woodwinds graduate degrees and teaching careers
I often have university students bring up the idea of graduate school and a university teaching career, and I have previously given general advice about that. Perhaps since my graduate degrees and a teaching career are in multiple woodwinds, my students sometimes wonder if that’s a path they should take. Here are a few thoughts: … Read more