by Kate Prestia Schaub
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 09:16:46 -0700
From: Kate Prestia Schaub <k8@K8TRILLS.COM>
Subject: Earplugs in general
Hello all!
I have found that using earplugs in both flute and piccolo practice allows me to hear what is happening inside my mouth as well. This helps with clearing up articulation, placement of the tongue during long phrases, opening and relaxing the embouchure, and projecting the tone.
The question of intonation can be solved by looking at a tuner, and then coming to trust yourself a bit more. We don't want to overblow, to make it sharp (now that we sound a bit softer). But this is a great opportunity to ptactice getting to know the shape of your embouchure, and go from the feel of the flutes vibration. When the flute is really vibrating under your fingers, you may not hear a change in tone through the earplugs, but when you take them out, you will immediately hear changes to your tone.
Now, for the piccolo topic. If you feel like it hurts your ears to play, work on tone refinement. Piccolo can be played fff in the high register without it damaging your ears if you do it right. We may save our ears with the earplugs, but we cant be giving out earplugs to the second violins sitting next to us in the orchestra . .right!! So, if I may humbly offer two exercises that I was given to assist in the process of developing a flexible sweet sound on the piccolo, hopefully it will assist those who wish to try it out!1. First, without earplugs, start in the middle D, hold for 8 counts. Start ppppp, crescendo 4 counts to the loudest you can play. Then decresc. for the last 4 counts, and at the moment where you feel you would loose your centered tone, as softly as humanly possible, slur up one note chromatically. Then, on this note, (D# now) you will breathe, and start as soft as you ended the last, and begin the 8 count process again, this time going up to E. Go all the way up to High High D. Then start on Middle D again, and go down to low B. The temop on this should be slower than quarter=40. Then take a nap, cause this one takes a lot of energy! The high notes are hardest for the ppppp dynamic, but if you persist until you feel that you can whisper that high C or D on the picc . . . you might be amazed.
2. Now, with earplugs, do the Maquarre Daily Exercise #1 as
loud as possible, slurred, from start to finish. Listen for clarity of
tone between the intervals, intonation, and placement of tongue. Again,
may I stress to play as loud as possible at a very slow tempo (perhaps even Sixteenth
note = 72). The stretching intervals here extend enbouchure flexibility,
and allows you to blow and play out.
Now, after these two exercises, try working on the excerpt or piece that you are preparing, and see if you notice a difference. Your dynamic range should be bigger, your tone should be more open, thus eliminating the shrill aspect to the picc, and it should project without damaging anyones ears!!!
I should say thank you to Tom Robertello for those exercises . . . =)
I'd be interested to see if this helps anyone!
Take care, and all best,
Kate Prestia-Schaub
