It is that time of year when the Texas Etudes have been announced and we all begin the process of teaching, practicing and learning these 3 Etudes. I am always excited to start the process! To see how much students have learned via fundamentals and music over the year and begin this next journey of transformation!!!
Happy Practicing & Enjoying these Etudes this year!
~ Jennifer
This year they are:
Here are some starting ideas on Preparing & Practicing these Etudes. Also listening and will soon have some more teaching videos up too!
Prepare with:
Scales & Arpeggios: E Major, b minor, B Major & G# minor, “pedal note“ and octaves interval practice.
Key: E Major Meter: 2/4
Tempo & Mood: Quarter = 88-100
Vivacissimo, scintillate = very lively and scintillating, sparkling… Locker, sprühend, äuberst geschwind = relaxed, bubbling over, very quick…
Enjoy the laughter, jovial energy and contrast of articulation and legato.
It is a lively, quick and quirky Caprice in mostly hushed tones until the brilliant Forte ending!
Form: 3 part form put together with motivic musical ideas.
Practice Ideas:
Create a light, resonant, ringing, effervescent, articulation. Not too short, and start with ha ha practice, then add your light tongue.
Get to know the patterns, pedals, sequences - feel and sound of each individual phrase.
Practice like motivic ideas and lots of chunking
Gradually build up speed on whole etude and also practice chunking at faster tempi too. Use Metronome!
Listening to it- Amy Porter's recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-arHuBo_g
Prepare with:
Scales & Arpeggios: Eb major, c minor, Bb Major. Moyse Triplets for flexibility or Interval Intimacy in these Keys.
Key: Eb major. Meter: 3/4
Tempo & Mood: Quarter = 54-63 Flowing, Lyrical, Cantabile, Singing…
Adagio = at Ease con sentimento = with sentiment, feeling, emotional expression…~Sing this Story in Sound~
Form: A B A = A m.1-8 B m.9-17 A1 pick up 18 - end
Practice Ideas:
Subdivide into 16ths and 8ths - for rhythm & phrasing!
2. Isolate the larger intervals to make them liquid, smooth and singing.
3. Intonation, play with drone and use your tuner. Listening and looking. Also record yourself often! Beautiful InTune Sounds…
4. 3 V’s or ~ or even 4 V’s as this is such a Vocal Lyrical Etude :-)
Vibrato - sing, and use your vibrato to create beautiful cantabile lines, with expression and direction for your musical phrases.
Vowels - Opens the sound. Releases tension and creates space in oral cavity. Influences the embouchure in a positive way. Creates colors, sculpts and shapes thenotes and phrases. Ah to Oh ~ Ah to oo ~ oo Ah Oh ~ Oh Ah oo… etc. ~ A Ah E I Oh U oo ~
Volume - or Dynamics, having a wide range of dynamics you play with volume control :-) Also, Turning the dynamics into emotions, feelings, imagery, textures… meaningful for the music and for you personally to connect and express more of the music.
5. Rubato and timing. Finding your sense of pulse and then the ebb and flow of this beautiful and lyrical etude.
6. Breathing & Breath Control - create a singers ease of breath and practice yoga breath and breathing bag and winding to know how you are using your breath, air column and airstream.
Listening to it: Laurel Zucker https://youtu.be/nTWD1oWuEGM
Prepare with:
Scales & Arpeggios & 3rds: Bb Major, g minor, d minor & chromatic
Key: G Minor Meter: 3/8
Tempo & Mood: Dotted Quarter= 66-84 PRESTO = suddenly as if by magic! Rapid, quickly, immediately! Create Dancing feeling !
Form: G minor 2 parts and 3rd part in G Major
Practice Ideas:
⭐️Chunking &…
Legato: all slurred, connected, flowing Ahhh, consistent air and beautiful tone. Breathing Bag is good for seeing how you are using your air. Also, winding on the hand for more awareness of air & light continuous articulation.
HA HA’s: W/O Tongue, air is 1st tongue muscle!
Winding & Breathing Tube: Both of these will allow you to feel HOW you are using your air. Is your air flowing freely and fast enough as you doubled tongue?
Double Tonguing: Listen for the 2nd syllable of TK or DG. Are they both a beautiful even sound? Make sure you have a beautiful legato articulated TK or DG sound before you go faster.
Dotted Rhythms: Practice long short and the opposite short long.
Rhythm & Pulse: Use your ear and your metronome. Really listen! The even-ness comes from your slow legato practice. To have good technique, the fingers and tongue must DANCE TOGETHER, you need the most even fingers and even double tongue and consistent, supported flowing AIR!!!
Endurance & Ease: This etude is our longest one. Begin your practice by building up your endurance and ability to double tongue with EASE & BEAUTY. It takes time to build up playing this through. It will happen if you are diligent and consistent with your best practice habits. Most important at the start is the quality of your sound and your legato and then your double tongue.
Listening to it: Harry Winstanley https://youtu.be/JDCTfYa3rsc & his teaching video of this etude too.