Practice Journal 1
I miss practicing like this! Can't wait to get into the UoP Conservatory. My audition is in 3 weeks and I am going to make it for sure. I am working for the scholarship money. I can't afford to be in private school debt after music school.
As a Music Therapist, I wonder how reliable flute is going to be as far as providing income. I know I can teach... I have a feeling that I am going to have to give up a lot of Flute time to accomplish my goals in the health field. Learning Guitar and Piano would be more beneficial to me...
Well, anyway, I'll worry about that some other time. I love practicing flute and I am so glad my body agrees with me today.
First Hour: Tone and intonation
Long tones: Long tones went well today. I am working on strengthening my low register without using more air.
Remembering to drop my jaw helps as well as stretching my emboucher to blow at a steeper angle into the tone hole. I bring my chin forward, but try not to cause joint strain by supporting it with my facial muscles. I'm careful to avoid tension, just like stretching any other muscle. Imagining that my aperture is in a diamond shape helps to focus my sound.
Tomorrow I should try to remember to open my mouth cavity more vertically and try to add better resonance techniques. I should also be more aware of my air column in my body. Today I was very award of my arm and shoulder muscles and how they are connected to both my wrists and jaw. It's so true when people say that everything is connected.
Registers: I would like to put more thought into dividing the registers of the flute into categories so I can better note their tendencies...
First Octave
Low: B3-C# Trouble keeping hole covered on the D key when moving around. Tension in hands.
Mid-Low: D-F# Stable
Mid: G-A# Stable, favorite notes on the flute.
Mid-High: B-C(#) Explosive, sharp.
Second Octave
D-F# Stable
G-A Sometimes falls into low register
A# Stable
B-C(#) Explosive, too thin and/or loud
Third Octave
D-D# Stable
E-G# Unstable
A-B Stable
C-D Very resistant and sharp
Note Bending: Remember to do some note bends with tuner tomorrow. Up/Down 5 and 10 cents.
Drone: Try doing long tones while listening to a drone with head phones. Might also be good for fine-tuning intervals.
Facial Expressions: I think it might be an interesting idea to practice playing using different facial expressions. I think that facial expressions have an effect on moods. I think emotions exist on a spectrum, so smiling will make you happier, and frowning will make you more sad. Using different facial muscles also has an effect on the tone of flute. If all these things are true, then practicing while using different facial expressions will be aid in emotional execution of flute music.
The Psychologist Paul Ekman's study on emotions lead to his discovery of seven universal facial expressions of emotion: fear, anger, surprise, contempt, disgust, happiness, and sadness. So I should practice while expressing those basic emotions. I noticed that my muscles were very weak while trying to play while expressing contempt. This might prove useful in multiple ways.
Scales:
Practiced the key of C today. Tomorrow G Major. Must remember to record my scales tomorrow.
Practiced slowly from memory while mentally reciting solfege. Hoping the exercise is not a waste of time and that it will help with fixed-do ear training.
Major... sounds good, I think. Should record. Still have to work on that transition from high B to C but the fingering is getting more comfortable. Solid when I am going slow enough to mentally recite solfege. Clumsy at faster speeds most of the time.
No major hurdles in minor hyuck hyuck. Did natural, harmonic, and melodic. Should definitely practice the heck out of harmonic for auditions. Want to play a 3-octave scale.
Symmetric Scales... I love these.
Octotonic starting with a whole step is fun... Octotonic starting with half step took some practice... I started to notice a 1-2-3 in minor scale pattern while I was playing that one... Whole tone scale starting on C. Doing the solfege slowed me down on all of these because I am not sure which syllables to use when faced with enharmonic options... so I just try to make them rhyme as much as possible. I like it because I feel like my intonation is more precise.
Should start adding varying articulations. What a chore that will be. lol
Arpeggios:
Did Major (pattern: 1-3-5-1, 3-5-1-3 etc), Maj 7(pattern 1-3-5-7, 3-5-7-1, etc.), Minor, Min7, Dim, Half Dim, Dom7, Aug, Fully Dim...
These are tough, but can't wait til they get more fluent especially with the solfege. I should maybe SING before I start! That's a good idea.
Should start doing these in varying rhythms... I'll do some different ones tomorrow and write them down.
I want to analyse what kind of intervals I'm leaping between as I do these... I'll spend a little bit of time doing that tomorrow.
Improv:
Played in C major. Tried to keep my key signature as much as possible. Didn't want to go all over the place and forget how to get back to home key this time. Went into D Dorian. Added a C# but it wasn't that hot. Definitely was very strong in C major. It's interesting that when sticking to one key, you can basically do whatever you want and still sound fine. When adding accidentals, it's important to be careful where you go next or else you might sound nasty. =<
Daily Exercise Book:
Started reading... Practiced 5 note scale patterns at 120. crash and burn at 3rd octave E major. Tomorrow I will figure out what tempo it is that I can easily play that pattern and go through the whole exercise at that tempo.
I forgot to write down what was hard in minor, but I remember it involving Eb to F in the third octave so it will be easy to find. Probably Eb minor.
Doing full octave scale exercise, modes Eb minor were the most difficult. Will have to figure out that key so I can do that exercise without messing up. Need to label what kind of scales i'm playing so I can finally have this one memorized. Played the fermata game here for difficult scales here... Fermata game is where you sit on the note you would play right before you get uncomfortable, get your bearings straight and then move forward in tempo. It cleaned up my nasty b melodic minor scale. Let me see if it's still ok tomorrow.
Arpeggios... need to do harmonic analysis on this one. Played 6-tuplets at 40 once and then played them twice as fast the second time. Some patterns were impossible to play at 80 right away. Must practice those individually. Hopefully this builds my speed faster than just clicking up the metronome.
I'm going to remember to mark my difficult patterns tomorrow and dedicate a day to those.
I'm going to get started on Mozart Concerto in G and my Andersen Etude now... Will try to implement effective recording.
Hmmmmm.... Hopefully tomorrow I find rereading this entry useful.
As a Music Therapist, I wonder how reliable flute is going to be as far as providing income. I know I can teach... I have a feeling that I am going to have to give up a lot of Flute time to accomplish my goals in the health field. Learning Guitar and Piano would be more beneficial to me...
Well, anyway, I'll worry about that some other time. I love practicing flute and I am so glad my body agrees with me today.
First Hour: Tone and intonation
Long tones: Long tones went well today. I am working on strengthening my low register without using more air.
Remembering to drop my jaw helps as well as stretching my emboucher to blow at a steeper angle into the tone hole. I bring my chin forward, but try not to cause joint strain by supporting it with my facial muscles. I'm careful to avoid tension, just like stretching any other muscle. Imagining that my aperture is in a diamond shape helps to focus my sound.
Tomorrow I should try to remember to open my mouth cavity more vertically and try to add better resonance techniques. I should also be more aware of my air column in my body. Today I was very award of my arm and shoulder muscles and how they are connected to both my wrists and jaw. It's so true when people say that everything is connected.
Registers: I would like to put more thought into dividing the registers of the flute into categories so I can better note their tendencies...
First Octave
Low: B3-C# Trouble keeping hole covered on the D key when moving around. Tension in hands.
Mid-Low: D-F# Stable
Mid: G-A# Stable, favorite notes on the flute.
Mid-High: B-C(#) Explosive, sharp.
Second Octave
D-F# Stable
G-A Sometimes falls into low register
A# Stable
B-C(#) Explosive, too thin and/or loud
Third Octave
D-D# Stable
E-G# Unstable
A-B Stable
C-D Very resistant and sharp
Note Bending: Remember to do some note bends with tuner tomorrow. Up/Down 5 and 10 cents.
Drone: Try doing long tones while listening to a drone with head phones. Might also be good for fine-tuning intervals.
Facial Expressions: I think it might be an interesting idea to practice playing using different facial expressions. I think that facial expressions have an effect on moods. I think emotions exist on a spectrum, so smiling will make you happier, and frowning will make you more sad. Using different facial muscles also has an effect on the tone of flute. If all these things are true, then practicing while using different facial expressions will be aid in emotional execution of flute music.
The Psychologist Paul Ekman's study on emotions lead to his discovery of seven universal facial expressions of emotion: fear, anger, surprise, contempt, disgust, happiness, and sadness. So I should practice while expressing those basic emotions. I noticed that my muscles were very weak while trying to play while expressing contempt. This might prove useful in multiple ways.
Scales:
Practiced the key of C today. Tomorrow G Major. Must remember to record my scales tomorrow.
Practiced slowly from memory while mentally reciting solfege. Hoping the exercise is not a waste of time and that it will help with fixed-do ear training.
Major... sounds good, I think. Should record. Still have to work on that transition from high B to C but the fingering is getting more comfortable. Solid when I am going slow enough to mentally recite solfege. Clumsy at faster speeds most of the time.
No major hurdles in minor hyuck hyuck. Did natural, harmonic, and melodic. Should definitely practice the heck out of harmonic for auditions. Want to play a 3-octave scale.
Symmetric Scales... I love these.
Octotonic starting with a whole step is fun... Octotonic starting with half step took some practice... I started to notice a 1-2-3 in minor scale pattern while I was playing that one... Whole tone scale starting on C. Doing the solfege slowed me down on all of these because I am not sure which syllables to use when faced with enharmonic options... so I just try to make them rhyme as much as possible. I like it because I feel like my intonation is more precise.
Should start adding varying articulations. What a chore that will be. lol
Arpeggios:
Did Major (pattern: 1-3-5-1, 3-5-1-3 etc), Maj 7(pattern 1-3-5-7, 3-5-7-1, etc.), Minor, Min7, Dim, Half Dim, Dom7, Aug, Fully Dim...
These are tough, but can't wait til they get more fluent especially with the solfege. I should maybe SING before I start! That's a good idea.
Should start doing these in varying rhythms... I'll do some different ones tomorrow and write them down.
I want to analyse what kind of intervals I'm leaping between as I do these... I'll spend a little bit of time doing that tomorrow.
Improv:
Played in C major. Tried to keep my key signature as much as possible. Didn't want to go all over the place and forget how to get back to home key this time. Went into D Dorian. Added a C# but it wasn't that hot. Definitely was very strong in C major. It's interesting that when sticking to one key, you can basically do whatever you want and still sound fine. When adding accidentals, it's important to be careful where you go next or else you might sound nasty. =<
Daily Exercise Book:
Started reading... Practiced 5 note scale patterns at 120. crash and burn at 3rd octave E major. Tomorrow I will figure out what tempo it is that I can easily play that pattern and go through the whole exercise at that tempo.
I forgot to write down what was hard in minor, but I remember it involving Eb to F in the third octave so it will be easy to find. Probably Eb minor.
Doing full octave scale exercise, modes Eb minor were the most difficult. Will have to figure out that key so I can do that exercise without messing up. Need to label what kind of scales i'm playing so I can finally have this one memorized. Played the fermata game here for difficult scales here... Fermata game is where you sit on the note you would play right before you get uncomfortable, get your bearings straight and then move forward in tempo. It cleaned up my nasty b melodic minor scale. Let me see if it's still ok tomorrow.
Arpeggios... need to do harmonic analysis on this one. Played 6-tuplets at 40 once and then played them twice as fast the second time. Some patterns were impossible to play at 80 right away. Must practice those individually. Hopefully this builds my speed faster than just clicking up the metronome.
I'm going to remember to mark my difficult patterns tomorrow and dedicate a day to those.
I'm going to get started on Mozart Concerto in G and my Andersen Etude now... Will try to implement effective recording.
Hmmmmm.... Hopefully tomorrow I find rereading this entry useful.