Another thing that has been popping up quite a bit this week in lessons, yesterday and today, (maybe I am just focused in on the same issues in all of my lessons, or maybe these REALLY are common problems for this age-middle school beginners) has been HOW and WHERE to begin practicing something.
I tell my kiddos this: Don't look at the big picture... yet. When looking at something for the first time (or even the first few times!) it can seem a daunting task. Especially for beginners!
Notes, Rythms, Dynamics, Breath marks, Articulations, Key Signatures, Time Signatures.... AH! There is a lot of information to be digested even in only a few bars of an Essential Elements tune.
The best way to get at this stuff is to break it down.
1. Notes- take a look at the key signature, and then go through the tune (if it is a short "band book" tune) note by note playing each note as if you were practicing a scale. Rhythm is not important right now, we are just doing this to prepare our fingers and air support for what is to come.
If you are a more advanced student working on a longer piece of music, I would say "chunk" it out, phrase by phrase and practice this way.
2. Rhythm- now it is time to either clap, tap, or count using a number system through your excerpt. This time, we aren't paying any attention to notes, you don't even need your oboe for this part.
3. Articulation- go through the excerpt and mark where you need to tongue with a "T". This can be especially helpful if you are working on slurs for the first time; for example- slur two tongue two. Make sure to keep your air going strong for this!
An optional #4 for more advanced players working on complex music can include adding in dynamics and other expressive nuances.
I like my students to know that once these basic areas are isolated and worked on individually, they are easily "quilted" together one at a time, creating the bigger picture.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Interval Practice
In my private lessons this week, several students are having similar challenges with large intervals, involving intonation and air support.
A few thoughts...
Student #1 was working on an etude which involved slurring octave C's and octave D-flats. The student was having some difficulty directing her air toward the low C, so we tried a few things. The first thing we tried was simply taking the slur out of the picture and articulating both notes, then we isolated the low C on its on and just practiced some simple attacks with prepared air support behind them.
The final thing we tried (also the most effective) was to turn the octave slur into an arpeggio so that she could really FEEL the space of the octave- it is a pretty big space to cover. We simply added in a G and E-natural and practiced arpeggiating downward several time, after this, blowing across the octave slur became much easier.
Student #2 was working on an etude which involved punching out some high C's, D's and even E-naturals (she is an 8th grader- go girl!). The problem was that she was overblowing quite a bit to ensure that the notes would speak and the result was some very sharp oboe playing. My suggestion to her was to practice playing octaves (wow, this seems like the word of the day huh?) coming at the high notes from beneath and really playing to the bottom of her sound with steady air as she "reached" for the higher notes. All of this is done best with a TUNER, I keep the tuner either right in my lap or directly on the music stand for all of my oboe students. While I don't want them to become so absolutely obsessed with it that they turn off their ears, it is still an important tool to begin training their ear to hear what is what.
Happy practicing your intervals and octaves!
A few thoughts...
Student #1 was working on an etude which involved slurring octave C's and octave D-flats. The student was having some difficulty directing her air toward the low C, so we tried a few things. The first thing we tried was simply taking the slur out of the picture and articulating both notes, then we isolated the low C on its on and just practiced some simple attacks with prepared air support behind them.
The final thing we tried (also the most effective) was to turn the octave slur into an arpeggio so that she could really FEEL the space of the octave- it is a pretty big space to cover. We simply added in a G and E-natural and practiced arpeggiating downward several time, after this, blowing across the octave slur became much easier.
Student #2 was working on an etude which involved punching out some high C's, D's and even E-naturals (she is an 8th grader- go girl!). The problem was that she was overblowing quite a bit to ensure that the notes would speak and the result was some very sharp oboe playing. My suggestion to her was to practice playing octaves (wow, this seems like the word of the day huh?) coming at the high notes from beneath and really playing to the bottom of her sound with steady air as she "reached" for the higher notes. All of this is done best with a TUNER, I keep the tuner either right in my lap or directly on the music stand for all of my oboe students. While I don't want them to become so absolutely obsessed with it that they turn off their ears, it is still an important tool to begin training their ear to hear what is what.
Happy practicing your intervals and octaves!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Selecting oboe reeds
Choosing oboe reeds can be quite a tricky task! Nowadays, there are many options for young players both locally in your hometown music store and now... ta da! Reed shopping online.
When I was a middle and high school oboist, there just weren't too many choices:
1. Buy whatever looked good at the local music store
2. Beg a teacher to make you a handmade reed
I have some helpful tips on what to look for when you are embarking on the search to find the most suitable reed possible whether it be for the beginning 6th grade oboist or the adult amateur musician.
If it is possible, HANDMADE reeds are the first choice.
Handmade reeds (not just hand-finished- yes there is a difference) are going to entail many important things. Firstly, the person that is making and selling them has probably been to college, and perhaps also grad school for OBOE. Sounds unbelievable, I know.
Collegiate level oboe courses teach the skills necessary to make oboe reeds completely from scratch starting with the main ingredient:
Arundo Donax= TUBE CANE!
Believe it or not, these pieces of "Bamboo" are the source of your oboe reeds, one way or another. Professional reed makers go through a number of steps in processing cane in this raw form, separating "good" cane from "bad".
The cane then goes through a number of processes (If you want a step-by-step analysis, feel free to email me or check out my website: www.caitlinpawl.com for info on private oboe and reedmaking lessons if you are in the greater Las Vegas area!)
It finally comes out looking like this:
At which point we can wrap it onto a staple:
My favorites are the Chudnow Sierra (2nd and 3rd from the Left).
And we end up with something like this:
An oboe reed "blank". Notice, that it is still essentially "bark" on the surface, it has not been scraped with a knife yet.
Another type of reed making is what most of you are probably accustomed to is the machine made, mass produced oboe reed. These reeds are composed of profiled cane that which is prepared by a machine rather than mostly by hand, and machine wrapped, often with little to NO hand finishing whatsoever.
These reeds have become popular due to the fact that they are quickly made, get an easy response for most young players- that is; they do not have much resistance at all. Lastly, they are CHEAP, many costing $10 or less.
Doesn't sound all bad, huh? TRUST ME though.... it is.
Oboe cane spent the better part of its life as a living, growing, plant. It is sensitive to temperature, moisture, and weather.
When it is basically "shucked" through a profiling machine, taking off a great amount of cane at one time, it is a huge shock to the reed.
Handmade reeds are made over the course of many processes and scraped, dried, and re-scraped over a period of usually 3-5 days allowing the cane to "settle" into the idea of being an oboe reed.
It may not seems like it, but this makes a BIG difference in the outcome of the reed's response, tone quality, and longevity.
You have all heard the phrase "You gotta spend money to make money" Right?
Well.....
Its true.
Look for something like this:
If you can find a reed in a store that has the SPINE (thicker line of continuous cane down the middle of the reed) intact, with a strong, defined tip, that is a great starting point for a reed.
Some possibilities are:
Marlin Lesher Reeds (Machine made but hand finished) often neon pink\purple or neon green\blue
Stuart Dunkel Artist Reeds (Machine made but hand finished) orange in color
If you are in the market for professionally made, handmade oboe reeds, go to:
For a list of various reedmakers and their websites with selling information as well as helpful reviews.
As always, if you have questions about the information posted here, or want to learn more, drop me a line! :)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Oboe TIP of the day...
Playing the oboe is A LOT like singing...
I know, I know... everyone likes to think of their instrument as being closest to the human voice, but in so many ways playing the oboe really IS singing.
That being said, just as singers do, we can experiment with Vowel Sounds.
Just like witches, there are good ones and bad ones for us to play around with.
Good
Soft A (Ahhh or Awww) You know, what we say at the Dr.'s with the popsicle stick.
O (Ohh) and also Oooo
These sounds open up the inside of our mouths, creating more resonance and a fuller, rounder sound
Bad
Hard A (Ehhh)
Hard E (Eeee)
These sounds spread our mouth horizontally, closing down the area in which resonance is created
Turn on the tuner, and experiment on a B-Flat with each sound to find one that you like best out of the GOOD examples.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Oboe Tip of The Day
My TIP of the Day!
High Schoolers:
When preparing a piece for solo and ensemble, college auditions, or honor band auditions, decipher what key it is in, for example D major. Next, fix your tuner to produce a D.
You can do this by holding down the calibration button (on a Korg) for a second until it produces the tone, then press it up until you get to D.
Play your etude, or piece through with the tonic pitch, D playing the entire time, try to stay within the pitch guidelines of the key signature, this will really open your ears!
Middle Schoolers:
Peg-A-Pitch!
Turn your tuner on, and try to land a trusty B-flat head on (you'll know this has happened when you hit the middle of the tuner and the light is only GREEN (again on a Korg tuner).
Don't be discouraged if this takes some work! That is the point of the exercise, realizing exactly how you need to adjust your air support and embouchure support in order to play in tune.
If you are sharp, first check the opening of your reed... if it is too closed, gently open it by squeezing it gently apart toward the bottom of the reed by the string.
If you are flat, push more air from your diaphragm, really SUPPORT!
Try for 3 B-flats in a row at A=440.
High Schoolers:
When preparing a piece for solo and ensemble, college auditions, or honor band auditions, decipher what key it is in, for example D major. Next, fix your tuner to produce a D.
You can do this by holding down the calibration button (on a Korg) for a second until it produces the tone, then press it up until you get to D.
Play your etude, or piece through with the tonic pitch, D playing the entire time, try to stay within the pitch guidelines of the key signature, this will really open your ears!
Middle Schoolers:
Peg-A-Pitch!
Turn your tuner on, and try to land a trusty B-flat head on (you'll know this has happened when you hit the middle of the tuner and the light is only GREEN (again on a Korg tuner).
Don't be discouraged if this takes some work! That is the point of the exercise, realizing exactly how you need to adjust your air support and embouchure support in order to play in tune.
If you are sharp, first check the opening of your reed... if it is too closed, gently open it by squeezing it gently apart toward the bottom of the reed by the string.
If you are flat, push more air from your diaphragm, really SUPPORT!
Try for 3 B-flats in a row at A=440.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Oboe-To-Go
In order to reach a broader range of students (is that even possible, given the fact that I technically have a couple hundred oboe students?)
I should say, in order to cater to a broader range of student needs, I have decided to start something new. What could be better than a private instructor willing to travel to your home, or meet your child after school- at their school for lessons on a weekly basis- without additional FEES.
My job with the school district takes me all over the four corners of the Vegas Valley as it is, so I figure- Why not throw a few more stops in along my merry way?
I have to get things all set up and ready, but I'm thinking something like special Oboe-To-Go packages including things like a free reed for a months worth (4) lessons when purchased as a package on the first of each month. Contests for students, entering them to win a free mini reedmaking lesson and studio masterclasses... all sounds like fun!
The most attractive thing about all of this... Vegas is a difficult city to navigate, especially for parents, and even more so for working parents, limiting the accessibility of private music lessons for some families.
Don't worry, you order and I'll be there!
I should say, in order to cater to a broader range of student needs, I have decided to start something new. What could be better than a private instructor willing to travel to your home, or meet your child after school- at their school for lessons on a weekly basis- without additional FEES.
My job with the school district takes me all over the four corners of the Vegas Valley as it is, so I figure- Why not throw a few more stops in along my merry way?
I have to get things all set up and ready, but I'm thinking something like special Oboe-To-Go packages including things like a free reed for a months worth (4) lessons when purchased as a package on the first of each month. Contests for students, entering them to win a free mini reedmaking lesson and studio masterclasses... all sounds like fun!
The most attractive thing about all of this... Vegas is a difficult city to navigate, especially for parents, and even more so for working parents, limiting the accessibility of private music lessons for some families.
Don't worry, you order and I'll be there!
2010... year of the OBOE!
After a pause during the holiday season... I'm back.
Tons going on, and tons HAS gone on since my last post.
On December 5, I judged the CCSD High School Honor Band auditions, which was among other things, an eye opening experience. It really gave me an idea of the capabilities of some of the studies in the district, but more importantly it showed me that my services are desperately needed here... which really got me going with all kinds of ideas on ways to help.
The strangest thing about all of this is that no one is asking for help. I get requests from the same schools, on a rotating basis... I even have two regulars that I go to on an almost weekly basis. The majority of these are middle schools, I have only been in contact with a small hand full of high school directors.
One of the most consistent issues on the December 5 Honor Band audition:
These deficiencies all center around basics:
Embouchure formation
Tonguing
Breath Support
Reed Selection
Instruments in need of service ( I came across my first absolutely-will-not-play-a-single-note oboe this week at a middle school )
I feel as though many directors themselves shy away from the oboe, because of its many "complications" and "specific needs"... perhaps not even putting students on the instrument because of their own insecurities. I have had countless directors admit this to me, which I can understand, but cannot be sympathetic. To these directors I say... forge ahead and face these oboistic challenges head on!
Or let me do it!!!
I think what will clarify a lot of oboe related topics, and provide some consistency within the district would be for me to give a presentation at some gathering of all of these teachers... I am practically BEGGING them to let me give a presentation on how to start an oboe student, how to choose GOOD reeds for your students, and how to taking care of instruments and reeds, saving you time and $$$.
At one middle school this week, a director asked me if his beginning oboes would be able to develop a good sound over time, and if would start to come along soon after my visit.
I explained to him that it would come quite quickly if they would not be allowed to play on reeds cracked down the middle, because this problem was causing them to play nearly a half step FLAT.
Of course it is my job to solve these types of problems for students and directors, however, if I would be allowed to make a presentation with some of the documents I have written made available to directors... it would help everyone SO much!
Tons going on, and tons HAS gone on since my last post.
On December 5, I judged the CCSD High School Honor Band auditions, which was among other things, an eye opening experience. It really gave me an idea of the capabilities of some of the studies in the district, but more importantly it showed me that my services are desperately needed here... which really got me going with all kinds of ideas on ways to help.
The strangest thing about all of this is that no one is asking for help. I get requests from the same schools, on a rotating basis... I even have two regulars that I go to on an almost weekly basis. The majority of these are middle schools, I have only been in contact with a small hand full of high school directors.
One of the most consistent issues on the December 5 Honor Band audition:
- Students not knowing Fingerings past high C
- Students not knowing Scales, or not being conscious of Key Signatures
- Sight Reading, Sight Reading, Sight Reading!!!! ( I chose the opening of Mvt.2 from Brahms Symphony No.2 for it's simple, yet varied rhythms including a triplet and the challenge of a grace note )
- Most students had problems with Intonation, the majority being Flat in pitch
These deficiencies all center around basics:
Embouchure formation
Tonguing
Breath Support
Reed Selection
Instruments in need of service ( I came across my first absolutely-will-not-play-a-single-note oboe this week at a middle school )
I feel as though many directors themselves shy away from the oboe, because of its many "complications" and "specific needs"... perhaps not even putting students on the instrument because of their own insecurities. I have had countless directors admit this to me, which I can understand, but cannot be sympathetic. To these directors I say... forge ahead and face these oboistic challenges head on!
Or let me do it!!!
I think what will clarify a lot of oboe related topics, and provide some consistency within the district would be for me to give a presentation at some gathering of all of these teachers... I am practically BEGGING them to let me give a presentation on how to start an oboe student, how to choose GOOD reeds for your students, and how to taking care of instruments and reeds, saving you time and $$$.
At one middle school this week, a director asked me if his beginning oboes would be able to develop a good sound over time, and if would start to come along soon after my visit.
I explained to him that it would come quite quickly if they would not be allowed to play on reeds cracked down the middle, because this problem was causing them to play nearly a half step FLAT.
Of course it is my job to solve these types of problems for students and directors, however, if I would be allowed to make a presentation with some of the documents I have written made available to directors... it would help everyone SO much!
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