[TPIN] Jacobs & Farkas & wind

[David Arndt]

I always find these to be interesting illustrations:

1. Warm up *breifly*.  Then play the first page of the Clarke setup drills
at normal volume - mf or louder, NOT pp - but otherwise as perscribed (each
line 4x in one breath, hold last note).

2. The next day, warm up a briefly, then play the first page of the Clarke
setup drills at pp.

Is one more difficult to execute *in one breath* than the other?  (Why?)

3. Sing a lyrical passage at full voice volume.

4. Sing the same passage very softly, with as good a 'tone' as you can
muster in your voice.

Did one seem to require more breath, control and overall "strength"?   

Playing or singing softly requires as much air support - and certainly more
control - than playing mf or louder (and like Ellis said, you'll never
"hurt" yourself practicing this way, unless you pinch).   

I've read that Claude Gordon had his students commence the Clarke Technical
Studies at normal volume, because "pp" is a *goal*, and actually requires
more developed technique.

This also underscores the point that 'strength' in playing is about breath
*control*, not just pure volume of air,lung capacity - and certainly not
force.  Clarke was indeed giving us exercises to develop strength.

A danger in this is that younger players can interpret this to mean that you
should play "small" or "pinched".  On the contrary, it needs to flow
freely...  And you have to have the ability to open up as necessary, of
course.  (Sir Isaac Newton at work here...)

Playing "pp" and "ff" are both extremes.  This is why I advocate doing the
bulk of practicing at a *relaxed* volume.

 - da 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ellis Workman [mailto:elw at workman-net.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 10:01 AM
To: Steve B
Cc: darndt at oriongate.net; 'Brian Frederiksen'; 'Ole J. Utnes';
tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
Subject: RE: [TPIN] Jacobs & Farkas & wind

Clarke also mentions playing the exercises softly.

You will never hurt yourself playing softly. Ever.
In playing softly you learn to control a small aperature. In playing softly
you focus on purity of tone. In playing softly you explore the threshold of
the minimum effort to produce a sound; so that when you do play with any
volume you use far less effort that you previously thought necessary.

And sometimes the music is actually marked to be played softly.