Practicing Weissenborn Study #1
Performance and practice suggestions for Julius Weissenborn's Bassoon Studies, Opus 8, Study #1
Comments
Practicing Weissenborn Study #1 (2014, BDP #109). The public domain music for Opus 8/2 – 50 Advanced Studies is available here: Music from IMSLP | Alternate PDF
The original transcript is available here.
Videos
Captions are unavailable. The complete transcript follows.
Chapters
Transcript
00:18Introduction
Welcome, this is Terry Ewell and I am happy to present these videos to you on practicing the Julius Weissenborn Bassoon Studies, Opus 8, for advanced students.
00:33Public Domain Edition
These videos will use the public domain copy of the Fifty Bassoon Studies:
00:40Universal Bassoon Edition
The scholarly edition of the studies is printed by Universal Bassoon Edition (No. 18122). Let's get started!
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00:54Full Tone
Weissenborn writes that this study needs to be played with a full tone. I interpret that to mean that you should play with a loud dynamic—forte. Always practice with your best tone, a beautiful sound.
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01:11Practice with Drones
You should also play the study in tune. The best way to do that is to use drones, that is, continuous sounding notes. You can download free drones from my website:
01:29C and G Drones
Practice the study with a C (Do) or G (Sol) drone. Use your ear to tune your playing! Example: Drones
Open full-size figure
Open full-size figure
02:10Rhythm Practice
Even fingers are required in this study as well. The best way to master fingering is with rhythms. Try using many different rhythms. Example: Rhythms
Open full-size figure
Open full-size figure
Open full-size figure
Open full-size figure
03:11Reflection
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (NKJV, Genesis 2:15) Adam and Eve were given a garden to take care of or tend. Each of us is also given tasks to do. Consider your garden to be this bassoon study. Work hard to remove the weeds and create something beautiful. Enjoy your work and the fruit and flowers that you are producing!
Credits
- author Terry B. Ewell
- composer Julius Weissenborn