- Flutist Katherine Emeneth gives some advice to students preparing to rehearse with a collaborative pianist.
- Saxophone maker Steve Goodson discusses some of the developments related to his saxophones over two decades. Whether or not you have interest in Goodson’s instruments particularly, it’s an interesting look at saxophone manufacture and innovation. Long read.
- Bassoonist Christin Schillinger shares some insights on practicing and time management.
- On Powell’s Teach Flute blog, Morgann Davis discusses some pros and cons of the split-E mechanism.
- Bassoonist Betsy Sturdevant muses on playing in spaces with varying acoustical properties.
- Timothy Owen lists the three things you need to know to play the saxophone.
- Bassoonist Trent Jacobs explains some useful electronic effects for amplified bassoon playing.
- Clarinet Cache catalogs some useful online bass clarinet resources.
- Bassoonist Kristopher King recommends keeping an audition journal. (Warning: site has auto-playing music.)
Saxophone hand position
There are a number of advantages to careful hand positioning, and on a well-designed instrument it’s also really easy: just put the tips of the three middle fingers of each hand on the corresponding key touchpieces.
Internet forum field guide: the all-too-frequently asked questions
Welcome to the third installment of the Internet Forum Field Guide, a look at the wildlife that inhabits woodwind-related online message boards and forums. (Be sure to check out the first and second episodes as well.) Today we look at common questions that are asked on the message boards. The diverse and varied answers as … Read more
Basic tuplet math
A young music student with some basic competencies might be comfortable with these kinds of rhythms: But these are a little trickier to pull off well: Divisions of the pulse into twos and threes is simple enough conceptually, but in most cases we really learn those kinds of rhythms better by ear—we just learn what … Read more
Favorite blog posts, August 2014
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, August 2014 edition.
10 ideas for more focused practicing
It can be difficult to keep practice sessions focused and productive. Distractions, burnout, boredom, and bad habits get in the way of progress. Try some or all of these, see what works well for you, and make the most of your practice time.
ClarinetFest 2014 presentation: The 21st-century woodwind doubler
I gave a presentation at the International Clarinet Association conference (“ClarinetFest”) last week on woodwind doubling, with a particular focus on the rising expectations on woodwind doublers to play more instruments at a higher level (including “world” and even electronic woodwinds). Here is the blurb from the program: The typical working woodwind doubler in the … Read more
Report: International Clarinet Association “ClarinetFest” 2014
I got to attend this year’s International Clarinet Association conference (“ClarinetFest”) on the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge. The conference started on a sad note, as a car accident claimed the lives of two clarinetists on their way to represent Baylor University, and injured two others. In their memory, many of the conference … Read more
Favorite blog posts, July 2014
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, July 2014 edition.
Woodwind doubling and the “main” instrument
I identify very much as a woodwind player: as far as I’m concerned, if it’s a woodwind, it’s part of what I do. But when I introduce myself to someone that way, I am frequently asked, “But which one is your main instrument?”