- Jenny Maclay gets a little judgy (not really) about deadly clarinet sins.
- Flutist Meerenai Shim explains the “tongue ram” extended technique.
- Clarinetist Denise Gainey shares somes memories of Kalman Opperman.
- Jessica Valiente shares a chapter from her dissertation on charanga flute music.
- Oboist Jennet Ingle submits her report from the International Double Reed Society conference. (Stay tuned for my own report.)
Tonguing and language sounds
Be wary of pedagogical approaches to woodwind articulation that depend on analogies to speech sounds. The most common, at least in the English-speaking world, is the idea that tonguing is like saying “too” or “doo.” And certainly there are significant mechanical similarities, especially with “too.” “Doo” doesn’t work as well because it is a voiced consonant, … Read more
Woodwind instrument “care kits” are bad news
Congratulations on your new student-level flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or saxophone! Your music store’s friendly sales associate is probably insisting that you purchase a “care kit” as well. I recommend that you do not buy it, because it is, at best, a waste of your money, and, at worst, a hazard to the instrument’s wellbeing.
Stuff bad music teachers say
Have the courage, conscience, and dedication to pursue deeper, broader, and more accurate knowledge of the concepts you are teaching.
Favorite blog posts, May 2016
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, May 2016 edition.
Please stop telling your clarinet students to tighten their embouchures
Good clarinet playing requires a high voicing. That’s why your clarinet section is flat and tubby-sounding.
Things you need to cover in woodwind methods class
If you are teaching a woodwind methods course, you might be interested in my book.A few years back I posted a rant about non-mission-critical information in woodwind methods textbooks. This is a course primarily for instrumental music majors, who will go on to become school band or orchestra directors, and who need a crash course … Read more
The role of tone exercises
Tone exercises are useful, sort of. Read last month’s post about tone for a reminder why tone exercises are only part of the process. Here is what tone exercises do: Excellent tone exercises demand solid fundamental tone-production technique, providing a chance to habituate useful muscular actions. Trevor Wye’s “Flexibility I” flute exercise is a perfect example. (I suggest you buy the whole Trevor … Read more
Favorite blog posts, April 2016
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, April 2016 edition.
Achieving an ideal tone
How do you develop a tone that is characteristic, personal, and beautiful?