Junior Low Clarinet:  Audition Solo 1E, Allegro

• Practice the entire excerpt under tempo.
• All dynamics indicate the character of the passage as they do the intensity/loudness of the passage.
• Mark, research/understand, and execute all written terminology.
• Accidentals carry through the entire measure.
• When leaving a slur grouping that is followed by another slur grouping or rest, add a staccato dot under the last note to leave enough separation between the slur groups.
• Do not distort your embouchure when playing accents on notes.
• Decrescendos should be executed with your air stream, not embouchure manipulation.
• The “mf” dynamic carries a stately feel here, so stylize all articulation and dynamic markings accordingly.
• Use the chromatic A#-B hook fingering instead of finger-flopping in measures 13-14.
• Keep the chromatic key action in the right hand in measure 17. Left hand chromatic finger key-work could become slow, sloppy, and detract from the character of the piece.  The same applies for measure 20.
• Emphasize the syncopation in measure 22 by emphasizing the accent on the C# more than the other surrounding notes. This also applies in measure 25.
• Use the two lowest top-joint side keys and thumb F at the same time, to produce the chromatic fingering for F#, to navigate the chromatic F#-E#-F# in measure 26. Start with the aforementioned chromatic F#, release the lowest two top-joint side keys to play E# (F-natural), and then press the two lowest top-joint side keys again to produce the note F#.
• Use the chromatic F#-F-natural, mentioned in the last comment, and the chromatic B-Bflat “hook” fingering (also mentioned above in the A#-B comment) while playing down the chromatic scale in measure 29.

Clinic Low Clarinet:  Audition Solo 2C, Adagietto / Allegro con brio

• Practice the entire excerpt under tempo.
• All dynamics indicate the character of the passage as they do the intensity/loudness of the passage.
• Slurred note groupings may or may not indicate musical phrases. As an example, the first two slurred note-groupings equal a 4-bar phrase.
• Accidentals carry through the entire measure.
• Mark, research/understand, and execute all written terminology.
• Do not distort your embouchure when playing accents on notes.
• Decrescendos should be executed with your air stream and not biting.
• Practice the E-C jump in measure 5 by playing and sustaining the C to feel where your voicing and embouchure pressure need to be. Then play E and move to C to feel the change in air stream. Relax your embouchure and keep the airstream supported.
• Voicing is like whistling or generating faster and slower air speeds by manipulating your tongue position upwards and downwards.
• Keep each 8^th note detached and separated from each other 8^th note through the Con Brio Playing longer 8^th notes detracts from the agile character of the piece.
• When leaving a slur grouping that is followed by another slur grouping or rest, add a staccato dot under the last note to leave enough separation between the slur groups. The first instance of this is in measure 15.
• Use the chromatic F# fingering in measure 32 instead of finger-flopping.
• The grace notes in m. 37 should be played as close to the metric front edge of the first beat as possible without rushing the first beat.

 

Senior Low Clarinet: Audition Solo 3E, Andante cantabile / Allegro giocoso

• Practice the entire excerpt under tempo.
• All dynamics indicate the character of the passage as they do the intensity/loudness of the passage.
• Slurred note groupings also may or may not indicate musical phrases.
• Mark, research/understand, and execute all written terminology.
• Accidentals carry through the entire measure.
• When leaving a slur grouping, that is followed by another slur grouping or rest, add a staccato dot under the last note to leave enough separation between the slur groups.
• Do not distort your embouchure when playing accents on notes.
• Decrescendos should be executed with your air stream and not embouchure manipulation.
• Break up the sextuplet rhythm, in measures 3 & 6, into two sets of triplet 16^th-note patterns that occur in one unit of time. The first set of three 16^th note triplets occur on the downbeat while the last three occur on the upbeat. Practice this rhythm by playing an open G and playing three open Gs on the downbeat and three open Gs on the “and” of the same beat:
  • 1-2-3(one)/4-5-6(and) | 1-2-3(two)/4-5-6(and) | 1-2-3(three)/4-5-6(and) | 1-2-3(four)/4-5-6(and)
• Perform the legato markings on the beginnings of tied-note figures in measures 4, 5, & 7 by holding the marked note a hair longer without detracting from the metric time allotted for that rhythm.
• Don’t hold the dotted 16^th-32^nd note rhythm too long. Practice by playing two 8^th note Ds per beat and then placing the E metrically just before the second D in the pattern.
• The length of the 8^th note stays the same between duple and triple meter; this is indicated in the top corner of the triple meter measure (measure 20). Don’t rush the triple meter because the time changes. Instead of two 8^th notes per beat, there are now simply three 8^th notes per beat. Adjust your foot-tapping accordingly.
• Practice measure 43 by playing the triplet figures under tempo and then adding the grace note to the figure once the normal figure is clean.

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Download these performance notes [pdf].