RebeccaDowns

tpetplyr

One way I've found extremely helpful in increasing the speed of technical passages is to "snap" the line. I find that it's great for parts where I have enough technique but can't wrap my head around the intervals, or the fingerings or something.

Play it once as dotted-16th -- 32nd all the way through. Slowly work your tempo up there. Then repeat as 32nd -- dotted-16th. This will allow you to go 'slowly' but get used to moving quickly between the notes.

Also, slur-two-tongue-two is a common way of playing this. In general, in the Haydn, most of the articulation is up to the performer's (or their tecaher's) determination, just ensure that similar lines are consistent throughout the piece.

Stuart

RebeccaDowns

Thanks Stuart! My teacher had me playing it dotted, I don't know why I can't seem to do it tounged, if I slur I can play all the notes at the tempo but not tounged! I played the piece for my recital last April and slurred all the semiquavers then but I had a different teacher at the time (he left to become a vicar). I did have it pencilled in to play two slurred, two tounged, my new teacher erased this and said it all needs to be tounged at this level. But I don't see why when you hear so many professionals slurring it! I hope my examiner isn't a brass player!

camelbrass

I assume you mean the figures in bar 51, 55 etc. I slur two and tongue two but it's a very difficult situation if your teacher insists on all the notes being articulated.

In support of this I am referring to David Hickman's edition that shows the first two notes in these groups with dotted slurs, suggesting that these are often performed this way. In much the same way as bowings come from a string player being very familiar with the work rather than actually being prescribed in the score. He notes that composers commonly left aticulations out of the original scores so that the performers themselves could achieve what they desired from the piece musically.

However, if your teacher thinks that, musically, articulating them all is the way to go then best get back to the Arbans and that metronome. I also like working on things Stuart's way...break up the rythm pattern, good idea.

Regards,



Trevor

trumpetnick

Don't slow it down, get the tempo up . If you play it wth an orchestra the first violins may not be quite happy about double tongue those semi-quavers..well, that's what I do.

rowuk

Rebecca,
the last movement of the Haydn is a technical challenge. Your teacher wants the passage tongued for some reason. We can only guess why as there is no historical or musical requirement to do so.

In any case, you need to play those passages softly at about HALF of the normal speed several times DAILY with a metronome for about 2 to 3 weeks. Do not be tempted to play faster and do NOT try to build speed during that time! After those 2 weeks, you will 1) have the passages memorized and 2) stored in your brain with perfectly even finger motion. Your brain stores patterns of movement independent of speed. If you train the patterns slowly and evenly, your brain will let you play back those correct patterns at MUCH higher speeds. If you train fast, your brain stores uneven garbage which will severely hinder your progress. Those bad habits will haunt you for many years.

The key to fast and impressive is slow and perfect practice. The key to destruction is impatience! The choice is YOURS!

tutin_trumpeta

I, too, am doing my Grade 8 in summer and playing the Haydn but I'm doing Movts 1 and 2 and my teacher advised me to play the semis 2 slurred 2 tongued so I don't suppose - from the examiners POV - that it really matters how you play them as long as they're played well. Good Luck with your exam.

Bloomin Untidy Musician

Hi Rebecca,
I had that exact same problem when i first started playing the Haydn. My advice to you is three things

1 Don't just play the passage over and over again. All you will succeed in doing is increasing tension and mouthpiece pressure. Try and diagnose the problem, and work out exercises to combat it.
2 You must have a comfortable single tongue speed of around, semiquavers at 120 crotchet speed.
3 And a relaxed open single tongue in the high register.This is critical. Your single tongue should be able to work at the same speed across the entire Haydn's register.

Firstly can you play the passage up to speed down the octave? If you can't you need to start putting in some disciplined practise to achieve the required single tongue speed. A great piece of advice i got from someone on this forum, is to practise playing semiquavers for around one CONTINUOUS minute each day (not in one breath of course) at around 60 crotchets per minute. It is very important that you do this relaxed, with an open airway, clean tongue, and on a comfortable note. When you can do this with ease, increase the metronome speed, and change the register, or articulation. It is boring, but i have had excellent results with this method.

Also practise playing loops of 3 crotchets of semiquavers with a rest at the end starting around 100bpm moving moving upwards.
Once you have reached your fastest speed, just practise one or two beats of semiquavers (followed by a rest) looped at a faster speed. You must try to push the tongue whilst keeping an open airway. Also try using different styles of articulation.

Articulation in the high register is one of the many big challenges in trumpet playing. If your articulation is not relaxed, clean, and sounding beautiful in the bottom and middle register, you will always have problems in the high register. I have found pp staccato scales helpful for practising this. It decreases mpc (for me at least), and doesn't blow my lip out in 5 mins. I think one of the biggest dangers here is arching your tongue too high! For me at least it restricts the back of the throat and slows the tongue down. Hopefully the TRUMPET ORACLE, ROWUK will give you some pearls of wisdom upon this subject as well.

Do you use a metronome for practising? If you don't, buy one! You can't measure progress without one, and wonderful music like the Haydn loses energy and brilliance without a strong sense of pulse

Make sure you have a good recording! Someone like Maurice Andre, Wynton Marsalis are good ones to have. Listen carefully to that beautiful sound and articulation and try to copy it!

Remember "the Haydn" is a Concerto written for professionals/virtuosos. If you want to get close to playing it as well as your other pieces, you must put in the hard and sometimes boring practice that this piece DEMANDS! If you crack it, the rewards both technically and more importantly musically will be hugely fulfilling. It's a great piece, and one of the most popular pieces of music for trumpet for good reason.

Enjoy and good luck with your grade 8!

trumpetnick

There is lot of wisdom in Rowuk's suggestions! This is valid wether you choose to single or double tongue. The double tonguing will facilitate you in a higher speed, but don't try to get there too fast as Robin suggested. With double tonguing you can get really fast, but the other problem is wether your accompanist/orchestra can play as fast as you?
So:

1. If you decide to go for a moderate speed, choose single tonguing. with the time and inteligent practice you can get in a fairly good tempo.
2. Double tonguing if you really want to get fast and sound like a virtuoso, without haveing to slur some of the notes. Make sure that your accompanist is comfortable with the aimed speed.

Bloomin Untidy Musician

Sorry Rebecca,
Ignore what i said about practising the passage continuously. Rowuk is right on this one. Although i still think it would be a good idea to support your practice with other tongue exercises.

Good luck