Weissenborn Study #29
Weissenborn Opus 8/2, Study #29 for advanced bassoon students. Playing on the wind, changing the mood in music, and the second discussion on tuning.
Comments
Weissenborn Opus 8/2, Study #29 for advanced bassoon students. Playing "on the wind," changing the mood in music, and the second discussion on tuning. By Terry B. Ewell, Bassoon Digital Professor. BDP #137.
The original transcript is available here.
Videos
Captions are unavailable. The complete transcript follows.
Chapters
Transcript
0:19Allegro con fuoco and Rapid Tonguing
Welcome, this is Terry Ewell. Today you have the opportunity to "play with fire." Allegro con fuoco literally means "fast with fire." The sizzle of the flames should come from the speed of your performance and the clarity of your rapid tonguing.
0:42Single Tonguing and Multiple Tonguing
None of the Fifty Advanced Studies require very rapid tonguing. For this reason I do not recommend that my students use multiple tonguing techniques such as double tonguing. Instead they should master a fast single tongue at speeds up four sixteenth notes in a beat at metronome marking 132. If, however, you wish to learn more about multiple tonguing techniques I have some videos for you! See Bassoon Digital Professor (BDP) 18-20, http://www.2reed.net/bdp/#Double_Tonguing
1:22Section
and also view my discussion of Beethoven's 4th Symphony in BDP 78-79. http://www.2reed.net/bdp/#Orchestral
1:31Playing on the Wind
Don't allow your tonguing to interfere with your phrasing. Play the notes "on the wind." For example, in measure 1 drive or push the notes to the downbeat of measure 2. You can test your phrasing in two ways.
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1:44Testing Phrasing
play the passage first slurred.
2:02Section
And then play the passage on a single note.
2:12Section
Now play the notes as written with the same phrasing.
2:24Section
For further information on "Playing on the wind" see BDP 56. http://www.2reed.net/bdp/#Phrasing
2:33Breathing in Line 3
The two quick breaths in line 3 allow for the rest of the phrase to be completed.
2:39Changing the Mood after the Fermata
There is a dramatic mood change in line 4 after the fermata. What are the ways in which you can achieve this? Let me play for you the first four notes in the opening and then the first two notes in this new section.
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Open full-size figure
3:07Section
In addition to the dynamic differences what were the other things I did to signal to the listener the change in mood? Listen to it again. Example
3:27Breath, Articulation, Sound Color, and Gesture
Here are some of the things I was doing: Different breaths, quicker in the beginning, slower in the 2nd section. Different articulation. I used a faster release of the tongue in the beginning. Different sound color. I sought a darker sound in the middle section. Different gestures as I start playing.
3:55Developing Multiple Expressions
Just take a single note and practice playing it in different styles. How many different expressions can you give to it? Developing multiple expressions will be important as you progress through the Weissenborn studies. We will discuss this more in a later study or two. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ # REFLECTION
4:18Reflection: Second Discussion on Tuning
This is the second part of our discussion on tuning notes on the bassoon. I am providing some material from Chapter one of my monograph "Wind Performer's Guide to Increasing Endurance."
4:31Air Pressure and Double-Reed Intonation
Have you ever heard a bagpipe start up or end? This illustrates the tendencies of a double reed. With more air (the bagpipe starting) the pitch rises. With less air (the bagpipe stopping) the pitch lowers. Here are two examples.
5:11Section
That was really something. I think I achieved some of those sounds when I first started playing the bassoon!
5:23The Lungs and Dynamics
The pitch on all double reed instruments works in much the same way. In general, with double reed instruments the more you blow the sharper the pitch becomes. So, component 1 is not suitable for adjusting intonation because we use the lungs to adjust dynamics. You should verify for yourself how component 1 varies the pitch. If you have not viewed or understood the rudiments I present in the beginning bassoon lessons, you need to do so.
5:50Articulation Experiments and Bassoon Rudiments
I suggest you look at the "articulation experiments" I present in the "Third Bassoon Lesson, part 1," BDP 33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv20zy2O8Mo http://www.2reed.net/bdp/#starting_bassoon
6:05Section
These are advanced studies, so I assume that you know the rudiments I introduced in the first ten lessons. Learn them now if you don't know them already! You can also study these further in my article "Teaching the Beginning Bassoonist."
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6:18Components for Intonation Adjustment
Components 2 (throat) and 4 (front of the tongue) are also not appropriate for pitch adjustments. The throat area I reserve for vibrato and the front of the tongue I use for articulation.
6:44Back of the Tongue and Embouchure
The two components I primarily use to adjust intonation are numbers 3 and 5, the back of the tongue with vowels and the embouchure (lips and jaw). My first choice is to adjust the tongue position, but if needed I also adjust the embouchure.
6:56Vowel Changes and Voicing
The tongue is remarkably quick and facile. Our skills with language provide ample evidence of this. Tuning is often best accomplished with vowel changes, or "voicings" in the mouth. These vowel changes are made with component 3, the back of the tongue.
7:22Raising and Lowering Pitch with Vowels
These are my adjustments for intonation. First adjust the vowel. If the note is flat use an "ee" vowel. The "ee" or "i" vowels which are found in English words such as "seek" and "peak," or "pitch" and "itch" provide higher intonation on the instrument.
7:38Section
If the note is sharp use the "ah" vowel. The "ah" or "oh" vowels, which are found in Englishwords such as in "ha" and "Tom," or "oh" and "boat," provide lower intonation on the instrument.
7:58Section
Please understand that my vowel representations are approximate. You will need to experiment with your tongue placement when you practice.
8:12Vowel Adjustments on Bb3
Let me illustrate the use of vowels on Bb3, one of the most unstable notes on the instrument. I will change the vowels in my mouth without altering my embouchure.
8:41Section
As you can hear, the vowels can significantly alter the pitch.
Credits
- author Terry B. Ewell
- composer Julius Weissenborn