Very interesting, Hans. I'm finding as I get older in my practicing (I just turned 22) I find that the number of mistakes and clams I make are definately going down in number. I mean just one year ago I probably couldn't make it through a page of Mozart without a clam and now I find the clams I am making now are getting much less in number. Hopefully soon, the more I practice it will go to none at all, and in fact in some etudes and pieces I practice there are beggining to appear no clams at all, and I feel that I am to a stage where I concentrate more on style, and clarity of tone and melody than technical aspects, because technique after all is just woodshedding with a metronome, just about anyone can do it.
I think what is missing from most players is (a) the ability to be fluid enough with your ability that you can be able to sightread anything and (b) the ability to take a chance and stop whenever you make a clam, to figure out why you did it, and to rehash it. For instance, whenever I make an unsmooth slur, I have to always go back and play it about ten times before I move on, I must practice things that I do not do well enough... and perhaps some do not know what they do not do well enough to know what to practice. I've heard so many players in practice rooms that do not know how to fluidly practice. They just "run through" and don't stop to fix things or tune things or figure out what the melodic line should be. Oh well, these are my own musings... feel free to poke around through them :P -William In a message dated 6/5/2003 1:09:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Subj: AW: [Hornlist] re: Buying tips for french horn > Date: 6/5/2003 1:09:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time > From: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> > To: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> > Sent from the Internet > > > > That´s the usual mistake: "hunting for a great sound" - a big mistake. > > I will give you a margin regarding sound, a margin, we professionals try > to meet: > > The sound must be CLEAN, free of additional air noise, sport &bbrrts. > > And beautiful, carrying even in the softest dynamic but all over the > range, colourful to match the requested expression, to match with the > words perhaps, to match with the other instruments busy the same time. > > And, yes, sometimes the sound must be powerful, but just sometimes. > > Loud farting (sorry, but this is the only description coming to mind at > the moment) is plenty around, to many horn farters. > > We heard seven of them in yesterdays student audition for low horn, > which was over when all seven had played the first page of Mozart No.3. > And during today´s main audition for low horn, when we heard 14 more or > less farters but two, strange enough coming from the same orchestra, > both low horns, a young lady &a young man, same age 27. > > But both played nicely but did not pass after the next two round when > they played excerpts from Goetterdaemmerung, Rheingold, Heldenleben, > Mahler 3, Fidelio, Don Carlos, Beethoven no.9. There was the "hour of > truth" &both showed their defects which were in inconsistent tone when > doing a crescendo or losing the sound colour when ascending to written > g2 or a2. So it was an unsuccessful audition. I had a long phone > conversation with Peter Damm this afternoon and he also had no nice > comments about the many auditions regarding his successor. His chair is > still vacant since he left Dresden State Orchestra after his last > performance of Capriccio" (very difficult &delicate R.Strauss opera of > 2 hours without intermission, including two long &beautiful horn soli. > > We both came to the summary, that the MISSING SELF CRITIC of many > candidates, the ignorance for WHICH POSITION in WHICH ORCHESTRA they did > apply, STOLE hours from our life. > > I accuse incompetent teacher, far off the affairs since long or never > experienced the demand of a first class orchestra, causing this > unbearable situation. Many students even know the excerpts, but just the > little excerpt. If asked to continue a few bars in the original part, > they fail, because "they had had no chance to practise that passage", > but we ask just a few measures more which never exceed Kopprasch vo.l1 > technique. > > It is a shame, if the audition committee must listen to more clams than > correct notes. But we are so well educated, that we let the candidates > (even chanceless) play the first page of the concerto to reduce the > shock being interrupted after the first three clams, as it was when I > auditioned. Three clams, go !## > > And, students appear at the students "advance" audition (we have > introduced that mode, to give absolutely "nobodies" fresh from school or > still in school a chance to qualify themselves for the real audition the > next day. The last audition for deputy first horn demonstrated, that we > were right. The best candidate from the student audition made it through > round three &won the job. > > But, students walk in (it was without a screen yesterday), just saying > "hallo" (instead of "Good Morning !" or similar) &leave with "Ciao !" - > Incredible ignorance. > > Just a real picture ! You should know that when thinking about becoming > a PRO. > ======================================================================== > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Im > Auftrag von [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Gesendet: Donnerstag, 5. Juni 2003 18:58 > An: The Horn List > Betreff: RE: [Hornlist] re: Buying tips for french horn > > If your daughter is taking private lessons I strongly recommend that she > and her teacher get to the local store where your duaghter can PLAY a > variety of horns. I don't care what name is on the bell, I just want to > know if the daughter can play with a great sound, easily! THAT's the > horn she should get. > > Donna Moran <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >My daughter is in high school and has used school rentals...we are at > the point of > >buying a french horn (it is an investment!). So we need to know what > to look for... > >the H&H Music store in Houston sales person doesn't have any knowledge > of the instrument. Can you tell me the difference in a Conn 8D, 9D, > 10D, 11D...they are > >all priced at $3199. Also is there a benefit to silver vs. brass vs. > rose color metal? > > > >Also, is there other brands to consider? > > > >Your comments or advise would be great. > > > >Thank, Donna Moran > >_______________________________________________ > >post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >set your options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/dkmolendyk%40cs.com > > > _______________________________________________ > post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > set your options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans.pizka%40t-online.de > > > _______________________________________________ > post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > set your options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/valkhorn%40aol.com > _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
