Hello flutists!
Thanks for a great rehearsal on Monday! I wish we had longer to rehearse each piece, but I thought in general it went very well!
If anyone wants more help, you can record a section of a piece and send it to me and I’ll do my best to listen to it and provide some feedback. (be sure to record with a metronome clicking)
*** PRO TIP: For the pieces that have 3 pages – please arrange your music so there are NO PAGE TURNS while you need to be playing – you can tape the 3rd page (then fold it in) *** Also, write a note on the 1st page that says to open all 3 pages 🙂
In general, it would be great if our pieces had more accuracy – especially learning the correct notes. Practice slowly, and mark reminders in your music diligently.
- Check to make sure you are playing in the correct key signature – circle ALL Key Signature CHANGES. Remember that accidentals last the entire measure (unless changed). Add b / # reminders to the ends of measures to help keep track during the difficult sections.
- Don’t forget to tongue and slur accurately. Make sure you practice difficult sections SLOWLY to insure all the pieces are in place (notes / rhythm / articulation / dynamics / intonation). Then gradually increase the tempo, if necessary.
- Keep the notes well-articulated and shorter, so we don’t sound so mushy. And remember to spend time on those exposed melodic parts.
THANKS for your attention to all the details! (and don’t get me started on DyNaMiCs 😊 ) See the end of this page for more practice tips.
*** For those that need it, I have 2 new different copies of Flute 3 (We Need a Little Christmas) as well as the score. Please let me know if you need a copy. (they were emailed to FO flutists earlier this week.)
We’ll sound amazingly awesome by our 3rd performance 😊 – so be sure to encourage your family and friends to come listen to us at the Botanical Gardens. It’s a beautiful and fun venue!
I look forward to seeing you between 12:25 and 12:30 pm on Sunday!
LOW FLUTES:
If you would like to play alto and/or bass for Winter or Spring – please let me know this week! I would like to take volunteers first, before making part assignments.
ROTATION SCHEDULE:
Due to personnel changes, I need to make some changes to the remaining rotation schedule of Flute Orchestra flutists rotating into Philharmonia and Youth for a concert cycle.
Please check for your email for updated rotation schedule.
Lastly, don’t forget to check this FO ensemble webpage for the latest updates this week. Thanks for all your enthusiasm and hard work!
Caroling Tour music (confirmed), please arrange music in this order, with no page turns (if possible):
- Jingle Bell Rock (conducted by MSP) – this piece has quite a few tricky moments – and exposed “soli” sections. Please be prepared!
- We Need a Little Christmas (conducted by MSP) PRACTICE extra (check your key signatures!) 🙂
- Louke – #4 #2, and #9 (set #1) and
- Louke – #3 and #5 (set #2) (conducted by MSP) (you can remove the Louke tunes we are not playing)
- Let it Snow (conducted by MSP). FC exits the stage.
- FO/Phil/Youth only – Chacojqui (Latin Nutcracker medley) (conducted by SS)
- FO/Youth/Phil only – Cartoon Symphony (conducted by SS) – Youth/Phil flutes – if you did not get a part assignment, choose the same part as you were assigned for Handel’s Messiah (though we are not playing that piece)
- FC returns, everyone arranges themselves by part for God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – (conducted by SS) PRACTICE extra 🙂 This piece is tough!
- Santa Symphony medley (conducted by SS) Be sure to play all the melody parts and famous “quotes” of pieces loudly
- Sleigh Ride (conducted by SS)
Pieces #1, 2, 5, and 10 need the most work from everyone. THANKS!
Best wishes,
~Sandy
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Practice Idea:
Consider “Sandwich” practice…. Perhaps a PB & J sandwich? 😊 …. The layers of bread would be a complete performance run-through of the piece – and the peanut butter and jelly (or whatever sandwich fillings are your favorite) are the sections that need to be ‘woodshed’ or more intensely practiced. So for each piece:
- BREAD: performance run-through – count out all the rests (though extended measures of rest could be trimmed to just one measure). No do-overs/stops. Use a metronome. (this run-through could be under tempo, if needed)
- Mark the areas where you were unsure or fumbled your way through.
- Using a tuner and a metronome as practice tools, Woodshed 2- 3 of these problem areas (Peanut butter, Jelly, and ???? 😊); some techniques include:
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- Practicing slowly and gradually increasing the tempo – in small sections (2-4 measures)
- Writing in the counting, then clapping and counting out loud the rhythm
- Changing articulations (all slurred / all tongued /etc.)
- Changing the rhythm (long-short (dotted eighth/sixteenth) … and short-long (16th/dotted 8th)) to help untangle fingers in a 16th note sequence (run)
- Practicing in 1 beat (plus the next downbeat) chunks
- Practicing “Backwards” …. Count 4 (and the following count 1); then Count 3 and 4 (plus next downbeat-the following count 1); then Count 2, 3 and 4; then Count 1, 2, 3 and 4.
- “Bop” it
- Play slowly and make sure you can play each note in tune, with a beautiful tone.
- Don’t forget about accuracy of articulations (accents / staccatos, etc.) as well as DyNaMiCs. There should be contrasts!
4. End your practice of each piece with another piece of BREAD: a performance run-through. Again, with no-stops/do-overs, conveying the mood of the piece. Notice the areas that you woodshedded … did they improve?
5. When you practice the next day – just practice the tough spots in each piece. Continue alternating “sandwich practice” and “tough spots” until our rehearsal on Nov. 27th.
6. Take your music to your private teachers and get their advice on any of the difficult sections, and to confirm you are playing correct rhythms.