Working on Clarinet Etudes (Stark)
（it was posted on NOTE on Jan 2024, and edited and translated into en）
The clarinet population across Japan is thought to be quite substantial, including those in wind bands and other club activities. However, what percentage of these players are currently taking or have previously taken private lessons? How about outside Japan?
For Those Who Have Never Taken Private Lessons ~Composers (mentioned in vol.1 also)
For those who have never taken private lessons
never received professional instruction, or those who are struggling to improve on their own. We will proceed with the hope that you will find a teacher near you to refine your skills.
To "step up," it's important to develop not only technical skills but also musical aspects.
I believe that the clarinet has much more potential. To unlock this potential, I recommend building a solid foundation.
80 graded studies for clarinet
Composers who are included in this book
No. 45 Andante by Robert Stark
Robert Stark (1847-1922)
Stark was born in Saxony, Germany. He was active in orchestras, and his method books have been played by many clarinetists. It seems he was also involved in composition activities.
No. 45 Andante
The key is the pinky! : A Major
In keys with three sharps, the movement of the pinky finger increases, raising the difficulty. It's better to take the C♯ in the first measure (and others like it) with the right hand. Especially when moving up and down the scale, take B with the left hand and C♯ with the right. However, the B in the seventh measure is within a descending arpeggio, and since the left pinky is used for G♯ just before it, take it with the left hand.
The latter half becomes more complex. For example, in the 16th measure, you should have used the first B with the right hand and the second with the left. As you need to change the fingering each time based on the movements before and after, this part is easy to make mistakes until you get used to it.
Here we can see the importance of basic scale practice. You can understand how crucial it is to be able to naturally perform the fingering changes for scales, third progressions, arpeggios, and so on.
Andante in 3/4 time
Phrase structure of 2 measures + 2 + 4
Combination of quarter notes and triplet patterns
Staccato within slurs should be played with soft tonguing
Measures 5-8: The first two measures slowly ascend, followed by two measures descending to the clarinet's lowest note E. Low notes should be played with more volume than you feel to achieve a good balance. The final note is an E an octave higher. Make sure to wrap it gently. However, be careful not to make it too short. There is no rest. Let's consider this as preparation for the next phrase.
In the latter half, pay attention to the parts with large interval jumps.
In measure 9, note that the first quarter note has changed to a chord (from "E" to "E-E-C").
From measure 15, the chords change and a new movement can be felt. To fully convey this change, play the notes carefully.
In the last line, try to slightly emphasize the ascending line of C,E,A.
As a practice method, try repeatedly practicing the patterns "E-G-A-E ", "D-F-A-D", and "C-A-A-E".
Also, compare and practice measures 1 and 9, aiming for the same phrasing. It's effective to practice in this order: E-- F-E-D-E → E(E-C-E) F-E-D-A-E → E (G-A-E) F-E-D-C-E
In Conclusion
I hope this has been of some help to you.
Please give it a try and let me hear your recording!
And even if you're not specializing in music, I recommend taking lessons.
Contact here for trial lessons
Any questions and counseling, book here