Junior Low Clarinet: Audition Solo 1B, Moderato
- Dolce (sweetly). Avoid any harsh or aggressive articulation tendencies to play in this style.
- Make a subtle dynamic difference with the “hairpins” (crescendo & decrescendo) in
measures 3 and 4.
- Subtle difference helps the “dolce” character of the piece stay consistent.
- Con Spirito in measure 9! Bring this character to light with subtle nuances such as clear lifts in measures 9-10/13-14, keeping steady time with any triplets/sixteenth note figures, and continuing to avoid harsh/aggressive articulations.
- Measures 17-19/19-20 hold a “Call & Response” figure. Show this, con spirito, by convincingly playing the written dynamics.
- In measures 9-10, 13-14, and the first two measures of the A./B. call-back lines,
avoid breathing on every other eighth rest.
- Sounds pretty comical and makes you work harder!
- For all large leaps in this excerpt, avoid biting or over-tightening your embouchure. Relaxed embouchure and a low tongue position help high notes sound clearer and respond immediately on any low clarinet.
Clinic Low Clarinet Audition Solo 2B, Allegretto grazioso
- Allegro “Grazioso”. To play in this style, avoid any sudden, harsh, or aggressive articulations.
- A Gb proceeds an F in measure 3; The first note in the piece is an “anacrusis” to
the first actual full measure of the piece. Play the Gb to F using your chromatic Gb/F# fingering (Thumb + Bottom two side keys).
- Chromatic fingerings strengthen your technique and eliminate messy “finger flipping/flopping”.
- Clearly lift off any eighth note, followed by any eighth rest in the following etude,
to further your grazioso style
- Lift off the F in measure 6
- Lift off the E in measure 7
- Lift off the Bb in measure 8
- So on and so forth
- Utilize the chromatic Gb/F# fingering in measure 11 (as the F moves chromatically to and from a Gb.
- Note the key change in measure 17!
- Utilize the chromatic Gb in measures 22 & 24
- Like the chromatic rule for Gb/F#, utilize the chromatic Cb/B-natural fingering, (Thumb, 1-2-3/1-hook key), to eliminate messy “finger flipping/flopping”, in measure 24
- Note the change to the original key in measure 34!
Senior Low Clarinet Audition Solo 3C, Andante con amore
- Andantecon amore. Avoid any harsh/aggressive articulations to further this character.
- Steal small increments of time on any note with a tenuto over it, but give the time
back with the rest of the notes within a given figure.
- Example: Steal a little time on the G in measure 3, but give it back to the rest of the notes before beat two occurs.
- Don’t over exaggerate any “hairpin” dynamics (paired crescendo/decrescendos) more than you think the style of con motowould call for.
- Don’t play the turn, in measure 8, too quickly or aggressively.
- Again, think con amore with a little tenuto on the turn’s G, but then made up with the rest of the notes before the downbeat of measure 9.
- Allegro “Agitato”! Note the 6/8 time change.
- New character = new style of playing. Aggressive/strong articulations now fit in this agitato
- However, agitato= Keep consistent time through the triplet figures.
- Again, energico =rushed. Allow the rests in measures 18-21 help the listener feel the intended syncopations and overall syncopated nature of the line.
- The hairpin dynamics, in measure 24-25, can be more dramatic and bold in the new style.
- However, do not make them ugly or sound "out of character”.
- Allow the rests their full time in measures 30-32.
- Don’t breathe on every one. It/You will sound funny.
Download these performance notes [pdf].