Hans, all very good points, but to play the Mozart was not my suggestion, it was my teacher's. I am in no hurry. He knows that I have no ambitions to audition or to actually play this as a soloist, and after he heard me playing some pieces from the back of the Horner book, he said this is what I should try next. The reason, I believe, is just what you mention - fingerings.
I am a very patient student. I imagine most people in my position and with my background are either very patient or completely impatient, and I'm glad to be the former and not the latter. Last night I played this piece with the metronome at 48 to the quarter-note, which is very slow, I know, but my method is simple - play it slowly, and when I can play it slowly but very well, play it a little faster. The importance of practicing the fundamentals cannot be overemphasized - I have been making good progress on the horn not because I have been trying to do anything fancy, but because I have spent months practicing the same few pages from the beginning and middle of the Horner book, working on making a consistently good sound, having flexibility in my embouchure, always practicing pieces that go up and down so as not to get my embouchure "stuck" in a particular register, never neglecting to practice long, loud low notes, and practicing long tones in the middle register with varying dynamics. All this work has been like money deposited in the bank, and when I turn to the more difficult pieces in the book, I can play almost every one at sight or with very little work. My musical background helps, of course. Putting time in on the basics - there is no substitute, and on this I am in complete agreement with you. And, I want to add, using your mouthpiece has helped. My endurance and flexibility improved when I started using it. I have no plans to practice the second movement at this time, just the first. It is a good exercise for me and nothing more - except wonderful music, of course. -S- > -----Original Message----- > From: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > du] On Behalf Of Hans.Pizka > Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2006 12:01 AM > To: 'The Horn List' > Subject: RE: [Hornlist] Fingerings in the key of B and A > > Hello Steve, wouldn´t it be better to ask your teacher to > assign you to another piece than Mozarts D-major concerto or > many other short pieces first ??? The D-major concerto is not > that easy as many teachers might think. Explore the short > pieces by Eichborn or other songs first to stabilize the > playing technique you have acquired allready. As you are very > self critical, you know what I am talking about, right. > You want the challenge. But the challenge can destroy or > disappoint also. Well, D-major is easier on the F-Horn - some > wisdom known to you allready. But this concerto - or better > said these two concert movements put together known as "our" > first Mozart concerto - must be played in the proper tempo, > which is not fast, but anyway - and the "eagle searches for > he right letter method, as on the typewriter" > (you understand what I am saying with this), this method will > not work. And special as you are very, very critical with > intonation & overtones. The fingering must work without > thinking, say spontaneously, before starting with any D-major > piece containing reasonably fast sixteenth sequences. Ask > your teacher for some alternatives first & profit a lot. Many > teachers are missing a real teaching plan, but could get it > by visiting my page about the study in Vienna. > www.pizka.de/Vienna.html > > Good luck for your challenge anyway. > > Hans > ============================================================ > ================================== > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Steve Freides > Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 7:46 PM > To: 'The Horn List' > Subject: [Hornlist] Fingerings in the key of B and A > > > > Just curious to know, if you can divorce yourself for a > moment from the "I'm used to it so that's just the way I do > it," if any of you find my approach especially right- or > wrong-minded and why, and thanks for your opinions in > advance. Part of the reason I'm asking is because I've been > assigned the first Mozart horn concerto by my teacher, and > there are similar issues with the written pitch E (concert > A) for me - I often find, in the key of concert D, I like > this note better as 12 than as 0. > > -S- > > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans%40pizka. > de > > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/steve%40fridays > computer.com > _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
