TEXAS ALL-STATE ETUDES 2021 link to my All State Flute Page.
Karg-Elert, A Major, Op. 107 #10 and is
No. 16 in the M.K. Clardy Etude Book. Play all. Dotted 8th = 120-132
2. Boehm, Ab Minor, Op. 26 #16 and is
No. 27 in the M.K. Clardy Etude book. Beginning to m. 36. Quarter = 60-69
3. Andersen, Eb Minor, Op. 63 #14 and is
No. 31 in M.K. Clardy Etude Book - M. 17 to the end. Dotted Quarter = 50-62
So, I always thought they will never select this one, Andersen Etude Op. 63 #14 in Eb Minor! I still remember learning this as an Undergrad Freshman year🤣 Here are my 1st thoughts on learning this ETUDE in Eb Minor this year… And Ab minor, a beautiful Etude and lots of FLATS & Sharps in B major!!!! A Major is a fun favorite of mine too.
These are what they choose and it is our job to learn them!
Let’s Start With the Eb Minor #3:
It is an opportunity to really get to know this key, to master mordents, play a melody and accompany ourself on it and make music of it.
🧩Let's think of it like a puzzle that we get to know all the parts and then put it together.🧩
Here are some ideas on how you might practice and get to know this Etude... Be patient and let's learn this as Etudes were intended, to study something specific, learn and grown from the study of it…
🧩PUZZLE PARTS PRACTICE FOR Eb MINOR🧩 ~ MAKE A GAME OF IT!!!
Make up the rules, set the levels, and achieve those in your practice game.
Eb Minor #3 - Andersen
If you are not super familiar with Gb Major & Eb Minor, 1st get to know these keys BEFORE heading into the Etude. Even if you are I recommend playing the scales and arpeggios 1st. And, play the scales with mordents on each note. Don't mark all the B's in the Etude! Instead teach yourself the KEY and your brain will learn to play in this key!
Start by playing the Melody. The Melody are the accented notes. Hold them out (check in with your tuner) and hear the melodic line you will accompany yourself with the rest of the notes. Here is a short video to help with that. (There will be a duet for this by Dianna Link, that will have the melody in the 2nd flute part.)
Learn the mordents and note after them. Notice the patterns and how they are the same mordents for 2 beats in most every bar. (I would learn the mordents and not wait, as this also determines which Bb fingering you will be using)
Learn the 1st beat & 3rd beat patterns, written out turns. Practice them all slurred at first, then as articulated.
Learn the 3rd & 4th beat patterns, mostly arpeggios and 7th chords. All slurred at first, then as articulated.
Start chunking 7 notes together and 13 notes… etc.
Larger chunks of music and building up some speed with your metronome.
Learn 2-4 bars a week really well and go over what you have already learned. For Example: There are 27 bars to learn. We have about 14 weeks to November Region Orch. Auditions & 19 until Region Band Auditions. So learning 4 bars a week you can learn this in 8 weeks, or 2 bars a week, in 16 weeks. etc..
Ab Minor #2 - Boehm
If you are not super familiar with Ab minor (who is!!!??? 🤣 we all need to get to know this key) It is a BEAUTIFUL SOUNDING KEY. Then it moves into B Major. So, 1st get to know this KEY BEFORE heading into the Etude. Don't mark all the B’s & #’s in the Etude! Instead teach yourself the KEYs and your brain will learn to play in this key! See the PDF Warm Up’s I have written out for all 3 of these. PRACTICE THESE 1st. We have LOTS of time to learn this etude during class and 1st semester.
Ab Minor Warm ups
Practice like rhythms and musical gestures in Ab minor and Ab Major Sections ~ m. 1-4 & m. 29-35
Notice how the phrases are put together. Check Intontation & Rhythms via Metronome and Tuner.
Practice the triplets and 16ths ~ m. 1-4 & m. 29-35
Practice the “Eb bars” - sub divide ties & metronome on 8ths when not a triplet bar ~ m. 5-8
B major Warm ups
Practice the B major section, subdivided. Tongue the slurred notes at 1st until you know them well. M 9 - 24
Same practice as above! Like Musical gestures and rhythms, practice together… later flow them all together.
Use rhythm sentences to direct your phrasing. Shape and Sing all the phrases. Vibrato & Vowels
Practice the transitions of large intervals. Play melodic notes first. Then add the accomp. notes. ~ m. 25-28
Practice Concepts
Circle of Observation - Rhythm,Tone,Technique, Expression, Breath, Body. Select one at a time.
Little bits, Chunking, in tempo - Small chunks of music at a time with a specific rhythmic rest in between repetitions.
Subdivide for Rhythm and Phra-sing - & Vary Articulation Patterns & Tongue it - Slur it - try all these.
Fermata Technique - Stop on a note & isolate it. Fermata with Rhythm for a difficult passage.
Add a Note - 2 notes then 3 notes then 4, etc...with a rhythmic rest in between patterns. Mindfully!
Dot It - Change the rhythm to a dotted rhythm, Long Short then Short Long. Practice both ways and then the original.
Slur it & Tongue it - If it is slurred, practice it tongued. If it is tongued, practice it slurred.
Over Exaggerate ! - Do this slowly enjoy it! This creates Endurance & Energy - Clarity & Concentration.
A Major #1 - Karg- Elert
Again, get to know the KEYS of A Major & F# Minor & E Major 1st. Don't mark all the #’s in the Etude! Instead teach yourself the KEY and your brain will learn to play in this key! See the PDF Warm Up’s I have written out for all 3 of these. PRACTICE THESE 1st. We have LOTS of time to learn this etude during class and 1st semester.
A Major & F# minor Warm Ups
A C# E - M. 1 & 2 Highlight the I & V, A & E of this A Major Key. Practice these 2 bars.
M. 3-4 ~ A pedal… Yes, A Major! Practice 1st in groups of 2 slurred. Then practice as written. And, it goes to C# the 3rd of Arpeggio - A C# E :-)
Pick up to M. 5 - 7. C# start, through the top line A Major Fragment scale, to A C# E arp. to high A !!!
M. 8 - 9 highlights the relative minor key of A Major- F# minor F# A C#… 3 gestures that start with these notes.
M. 10 B to to B phrase. Via a chromatics to E# and F# minor scale fragment … also leads us to E - V of A … so clever.
Pick up to M. 12 on the E he lead us to. E G# B M. 12 & 13 (m. 13 ~B pedals) same practice, in 2’s then in 3”s…
M. 13 - double sharps. Leads us in next 2 bars back to A Major ( m. 14 & 15) practice bar 15 , 2 lines, more complex, with care, and in 2’s and 3’s.
M. 16 - D# diminished chord leads us to V (E) to I (A)… High A again with the G# octaves again.
M. 17-18, playing with A Major and F # minor.
M. 20 - 22, Lines leading us via B, C, C#, D chromaticism to G natural in m. 24
M. 24 - 26, playing with G Natural and how he is going to lead us back to E (V) and A (I) C# - E - G - A.
M. 27-28 lead us chromatically, via top line back to E!!!
M. 29-30 - M. 29 - E (V of A) m. 30 - B ( V or E)
M. 30-33 m. 30 - B ( V or E) m. 31 E ( V of A) m. 32 - highlights A C# E and YAY , back home to high A M. 33!!!
Practice Concepts
Circle of Observation - Rhythm,Tone,Technique, Expression, Breath, Body. Select one at a time.
Little bits, Chunking, in tempo - Small chunks of music at a time with a specific rhythmic rest in between repetitions.
Subdivide for Rhythm and Phra-sing - & Vary Articulation Patterns & Tongue it - Slur it - try all these.
Fermata Technique - Stop on a note & isolate it. Fermata with Rhythm for a difficult passage.
Add a Note - 2 notes then 3 notes then 4, etc...with a rhythmic rest in between patterns. Mindfully!
Dot It - Change the rhythm to a dotted rhythm, Long Short then Short Long. Practice both ways and then the original.
Slur it & Tongue it - If it is slurred, practice it tongued. If it is tongued, practice it slurred.
Over Exaggerate ! - Do this slowly enjoy it! This creates Endurance & Energy - Clarity & Concentration.
I hope you enjoy learning these Etudes!
Getting to know how it is composed, the composer, the phrasing, the keys, the harmony… and turning each one of these into your artistic interpretation is such an amazing, challenging, and beautiful thing to do!!
I will be posting videos of Practice Ideas and the Etudes, on my YouTube Channel, Jennifer Keeney, playlist: TX All State Flute Etudes 2021. and on my Website under - All State Flute.
~ Jennifer