Favorite blog posts, February 2016

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Some woodwind blog posts I liked in February:

  • Bassoonist Barry Stees shares an interesting idea about reed autopsies, plus a method for practicing the Rite of Spring solo.
  • Oboist Patty Mitchell has some advice for students who think they have unfixable technique problems.
  • Rachel Taylor Geier has some suggestions if you need more flute etudes to work on.
  • Saxophonist Andy Austin discusses the role of passion in pursuing a musical career.
  • Specific instrument brand/model recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt, but woodwind doubler Josh Johnson discusses the importance of backup instruments, plus some of the issues involved with choosing instruments for situations where crack-proofness is important.
  • Clarinetist Meri Dolevski-Lewis shares a process for developing sight-transposition skills [update: link dead].
  • Flutist Jennifer Cluff offers some ideas on increasing success on the problematic high B.
  • Jolene Harju plays the flute with her feet. (Okay, it’s really a post about having “a grounded, rooted connection between the feet and the floor.”)
  • Gaenor Burchett-Vass discovers some favorite treasures of the English horn repertoire [update: link dead].
  • Clarinetist Sandy Herrera seeks a new balance between a musical career and family life after having a baby. (Congratulations, Sandy!)

Trevor Wye’s “Flexibility I” flute exercise

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One of my favorite flute warmups is “Flexibility–I (after Sousseman)” from Trevor Wye’s Tone book. This exercise is value-packed and meticulously thought out, and leads inevitably to some fundamental truths about flute playing.

Beginners, parents, and making double reeds

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If you are a parent or band director of a young oboist or bassoonist, here is what you need to know about reedmaking.

Practice slump checklist

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Sometimes my students complain that they have had bad practicing days or weeks. Here are a few ideas for breaking out of a practicing slump.

Favorite blog posts, January 2016

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, January 2016 edition.

Creating fingering charts with diagrams from the Fingering Diagram Builder

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Here are a few examples of how to create fingering charts with diagrams from the Fingering Diagram Builder, using music notation software, using a word processor, and using a text editor to create HTML code (such as for a website).

Endurance and breath support

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Physical endurance can be an issue for woodwind players, most often manifesting as fatigue in the muscles of the embouchure. But in most cases I think tired facial muscles are a symptom of a more fundamental problem.

Practicing and the two-minute rule

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David Allen’s well-known book Getting Things Done is always within arm’s reach at my desk. I find its concepts and techniques valuable for managing my time and productivity. I don’t consciously use a lot of “GTD” ideas in my practicing, since practicing seems to me like a thing that is never “done.” (If any of you are … Read more

Favorite blog posts, December 2015

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, December 2015 edition.