by Patricia George
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 22:44:10 +0000
From: Patricia George <georgeflute@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Ideas for practicing these excerpts
You are so lucky that your professor is encouraging you to learn some of the best literature that spotlights the flute. I am sorry that you find this music boring; so, hopefully I (and the flute list) can give you some ideas to help you find this music exciting.
About the Prokofiev CLASSICAL SYMPHONY: The secret to playing this well is to have practised your fundamentals. Solve the problems elsewhere and then learning these excerpts will be much easier. Now how to learn the fundamentals that are needed here---i.e. getting to the D4 with some kind of ease. (Have you ever thought about playing Andersen Op33, all 8va?)
Start with your T & G: Practice No. 1 on up---F3 to C4, F# to C#, G to D, Ab to Eb.
Then practice all of No. 4, slurred, chunked by 8s with a rest in between each group of 8 notes, 8va. Play each set up to Eb4.
Play all arpeggios (major, minor, diminished) to C4, C#4, D4, Eb4. Besides playing from low to high to low, do the opposite high, low, high.
Practice the first 30 measures of T & G No. 10 and 11 8va.
Practice T & G No. 12 and 13 8 va starting on the last 6 lines
Use your metronome to get good tempi on the above.
Now once you have done your homework, return to the Prokofiev and use the chunking technic playing each rhythmic section in performance tempo with a silence in between each chunk. For example with the chunk in Excerpt 3 from Movement 4---the last measure that you mentioned...chunk the f#, then two notes, then two notes and finally two notes. Chunk by other groupings such as by three notes etc. Chunk the passages backwards also.
Have you tried the D4 fingering: Thumb Bb, f# and d# keys? If this works on your flute, this will make everything easier.
My great breakthrought when I was learning this piece was to put the metronome on 100 and started practicing. When I had three good takes, I increased the metronome one tick. However, I TURNED the metronome around/over so I wouldn't know where I was number wise. I had set aside 90 minutes to do this and at 45 minutes I thought, I must be going pretty fast and was surprised to learn that I was at 168 rather than 152! If I had know where I was on the metronome, I would have tensed up rather than climbing up the metonome notches with relaxation and ease.
Try to play lightly---the symphony is "Classical"---which means--don't play so loud and heavy. Keep the air stream moving....don't let the air change speed as you move your fingers.
The fingerings mentioned in the Baxtresser book don't work so well on my flute. Michel Debost has written about the same thing. (Check out his book---The Simple Flute) Some tricks work better on one flute than they do on others.
You will have to experiment to find what works best for you. I pretty much use real/regular fingerings---but one of my first teachers was Frances Blaisdell and she was stickler for using "the" fingerings when you could so I learned the fundamentals well before I learned the Prokofiev. Of course fingerings in the third octave are really all compromises anyway.
Stravinsky: Variation. This is one that chunking works well for. Play each chunk (triplets or whatever) in performance tempo with a silence in between. As you progress, get rid of the silence. Play lightly. Think about a lovely ballerina---on her toes-----she isn't a couch potato! Think about playing the notes in an uplifting manner---like playing volley ball rather than basket ball. On the triplets, play the 2nd note CLOSER to the first note---slightly faster than accuracy. This will lighten your fingers and give you more time to execute the passage. The metronome is always a must here. I like my Dr. Beat---with the Swiss lady who counts out loud. This helps my students achieve their goals more quickly. Finger on the air....keep the air stream moving.
Ravel: I think the challenge here is the solo rather than the passage afterwards. The passage afterwards is something that is easily learned by chunking forward and backwards and playing in as many rhythms that you can muster. The solo is the "meat." You might want to go to the library and check out the wonderful novella of Daphnis and Chloe. It tells a beautiful simple story of their discovery of love and loving. Reading this may give you some ideas to help you be more expressive. Go through the solo--only playing the first beat of each measure (counting each measure in 4). Then play only the first 2 beats. Then only play beat 4, then beats 3 and 4. Look for similarities of structure. This will help you find the "love" notes and key notes. Remember the rule that short/quick notes lead to long notes. Record yourself....ask questions about your vibrato speed, use of dynamics, accuracy of counting/pulse, pacing etc. Video yourself playing these excerpts.
I hope you have enough time to take a breath, relax, listen to the pieces, dance to the music, etc. before your audition. Now is the time to get a fresh approach to this wonderful music. If you can play your excerpts for other musicians for comments....this is a winning idea.
Go to the library and check out DVDs of a concert performance of the Prokofiev. You should be able to find DVDs of the Stravinsky and Ravel in the dance area. Once you have seen the ballets in total, you will have a better impression of what you are trying to achieve. If you are in a place where you can talk to dancers, do ask them about dancing/realizing these roles.
Keep us posted on your audition outcome.
Best, Patricia George
