Fischer S. - Scales And Scale Studies - Alto

SKU: CF.BF131

ISBN 9781491153765. UPC: 680160911264. 9 x 12 inches.

Inspired by Clarence Cameron White’s book The Violinist’s Daily Dozen, The Violinist’s Daily Sixteen is a collection of daily exercises compiled by Roland Vamos. Intended for student and professional violinists, the collection provides the performer with a variety of exercises for daily warm-ups. Mr. Vamos also focuses on developing dexterity and flexibility in the fingers and joints, the first and fourth fingers in particular. Each of the sixteen exercises is notated for each of the four strings, and Vamos recommends that the exercises be practiced as warm-ups, choosing a different string for each day of practice.Also included with the Daily Sixteen is a comprehensive set of studies for developing fluency with scales and arpeggios. Mr. Vamos’ unique methodology is to begin with major scales and arpeggios, followed by minor scales and arpeggios, all of which are notated in two, three and four octaves. Alternate fingers are provided, as well as a variety of slurred and mixed bowings using the three parts of the bow whenever feasible. It is a remarkably systematic approach to performing scales and arpeggios on the violin and will surely benefit students and professionals alike.
ForewordThis short hand-setting set of exercises was inspired by a book entitled The Violinist’s Daily Dozen, conceived by Clarence Cameron White, a prominent African-American violinist, composer and arranger who enjoyed the bulk of his career in the first half of the twentieth century.I have practiced this set of exercises since I was twelve years old. It has served me as a superb warm-up and hand setting tool. Over the years, I have found that there are some aspects of this warm-up routine that were not given sufficient attention or not addressed at all. Consequently, I have expanded the Daily Dozen to create a new work entitled The Violinist’s Daily Sixteen.I have also paid particular attention in this work as to how these exercises are to be practiced. In exercises one and two, I have indicated some notes to be played before the actual written exercises. This is to ensure that the fourth finger will be over the string in a position ready to strike even though it is not being used. Before playing exercises three, four, nine, ten, eleven and twelve, I have indicated silent fingers to be placed on the notes they would be playing if they were being used.I have replaced Mr. White’s grace notes with notes of specific value and have slowed down the exercises so that the first joint (the joint nearest the string) of each finger can move with flexibility and strength. At no time should the first joint buckle.In Mr. White’s version, the last exercise gave the first finger some very valuable backward extensions. In this exercise (number 14 in this book), I caution the student not to move the hand along with the first finger. The hand should remain in position while the first finger independently moves back and forth.It became obvious to me that if the first finger were given the opportunity to develop the dexterity that Mr. White’s twelfth exercise emphasizes, the fourth finger could benefit from an exercise that gives it a forward extension. Consequently, I added another exercise to create a Baker’s Dozen (thirteen).Several years later, I felt that the second and third fingers should also have an exercise to further develop their dexterity…hence exercise fourteen was added to create a “Vamos Dozen.”Because the first finger did not have sufficient practice in the development of the first joint in the original version, I have added two exercises to precede White’s fifth exercise. After re-working and re-numbering these exercises, I have come up with a total of sixteen exercises. It is my suggestion that these be practiced as a warm-up, choosing a different string each day.—Roland VamosEvanston, Illinois 2017 PrefaceScales are a means of teaching a person the fingerboard on his or her instrument. The fingers move across the strings and are required to make shifts, all in highly organized patterns. Scales and arpeggios are the foundation upon which our repertoire is built. Many scale books have been written; each one being organized in its own specific way. The Flesch Scale System has been a standard for many decades. It is very comprehensive and systematic. From the point of view of establishing similar patterns, it has one drawback: it is organized by starting with a major key, followed by its relative minor, going through the circle of fifths. I believe that it is more profitable to do only major scales with their arpeggios first, going up chromatically, and then follow them in a similar way with the minor scales. In using this approach, the similarities in fingerings between the various scales are more apparent. It is also profitable to have alternate fingerings whenever possible. My approach to scales and arpeggios includes a variety of slurred and mixed bowings using the three parts of the bow whenever feasible. These bowings are not all-inclusive. Whenever a particularly awkward bowing pattern is encountered in the repertoire, it can be practiced as an additional bowing variation in the scales and arpeggios.    I have chosen to introduce the three and four octave scales by teaching two octave scales across the strings in one position going up chromatically through seven positions; starting on the first, second, third, and finally fourth fingers in major and melodic minor.—Roland VamosEvanston, Illinois 2017.

SKU: CF.O88X

ISBN 9781491153406. UPC: 680160910908. 9 X 12 inches.

These studies are a staple of the advanced trumpet method repertoire. Each etude is an exploration of a wide variety of registers, articulations and tonalities. While going through these 36 etudes the trumpeter will develop an even sound in all registers while tackling the musical and melodic challenges that lie within.
IntroductionTips on Musical PracticeStarting a new study can be overwhelming. Using Etude No. 1, here’s an example of how to approach working on these etudes with both musicality and technique in mind.Bousquet’s first study can be broken down into three large musical sections:Section 1: from the beginning to the downbeat of m. 26.Section 2: from the upbeat of 2 in m. 26 to the downbeat of m. 51.Section 3: from the downbeat of m. 51 to the end.Each one of those sections can be broken down into two smaller sections:Section 1a: from the beginning to the downbeat of m. 16.Section 1b: from the downbeat of m. 16 to the downbeat of m. 26.Section 2a: from the upbeat of 2 in m. 26 to the end of m. 35.Section 2b: from m. 36 to the downbeat of m. 51.Section 3a: from the downbeat of m. 51 to the downbeat of m. 59.Section 3b: from the downbeat of m. 59 to the end.To get started playing, choose a slow tempo that allows you to play Section 1 all the way through without stopping. If that is problematic, just play through 1a.Remember to focus on the music. Section 1a is light, moving in four-measure phrases to the ninth measure, where it cadences in G. From there, retain the lightness through the arpeggiation that concludes with the trill that brings an arrival point at Section 1b. Here the style changes completely, alternating two measures of fluid, connected sixteenth notes with two measures of scalar staccato sixteenths before finally cadencing on the downbeat of m. 26.Section 2 begins with a melodic line of eighth notes, punctuated by sixteenths in the third full measure before returning to the original line for only a measure before driving forward with a flourish to finish Section 2a. Section 2b starts back in C with four-measure phrases in which the line moves up for two measures, then down for two measures, ending in G. The last seven measures of Section 2 stay light as they work their way back to C.Section 3 is very exciting, starting with a fiery cornet solo-like passage in 3a. 3b brings the piece to a dramatic conclusion outlining C major for the first four measures before arpeggiating C major and G dominant for two measures, finally finishing with the C-major scale.The next step is to isolate any of the parts that proved troublesome. Examples could include missed notes or figuring out where to breathe. Once you have practiced the troublesome sections in isolation, play the section all the way through without stopping again. Even if there are still problems, you are now practicing in a way that is preparing you to perform musically.The next day, play through Section 1 again, at a tempo that allows you to do this without stopping. Now go on to Section 2, and follow the same three steps:Play all the way through, at a tempo that allows you to do so without stopping,Isolate and practice the troublesome passages, thenPlay all the way through, at a tempo that allows you to do so without stopping.Now play from the beginning to the end of Section 2.The next day, play Section 1. Now play Section 2. Then play Section 3 and apply the same three steps outlined above.Now play the whole study. At this point you have spent time on each section, making musical decisions and correcting mistakes. Increase the tempo as you gain confidence and control of the material. As you work towards performing the entire study as a piece of music, record yourself playing the entire study as a performance each day. Review the recordings to reveal what still needs work. Be honest with yourself! When you are happy with the recording of your performance, it’s time to move on to the next study.About the Goldman PrefaceThese studies will be an excellent practice, especially for the lower register of the Cornet, which is somewhat neglected in other instruction books. It is recommended that the pupil should practice one of this series of Studies now and then to repose his lips, and acquire facility in difficult fingering.— Edwin Franko GoldmanIn his original preface, Edwin Franko Goldman is absolutely correct that these studies are excellent practice and will help with the dexterity demanded of today’s player. Although the low register is certainly explored throughout the book, it does not appear to be the focus of these studies. There are many books available now that concentrate on the low register. The suggested fingerings have been removed. Using alternate fingerings was more common to cornet players to aid in the fluidity of a passage. This practice is not nearly as common today, especially with trumpet players, as the difference in timbre caused by the alternate fingerings is disruptive to the musical line. Published for cornet, as it was the solo instrument of choice in the 1920s, these etudes are just as useful to today’s trumpet player. When playing these studies on trumpet, the performer should strive for a fluid line while maintaining a full and clear sound. Because of the musicianship and technique demanded, this book remains as useful today as it has ever been.— Joey TartellAbout Narcisse Bousquet and the 36 EtudesNarcisse Bousquet (c. 1800–1869) was French by birth, active as a composer, editor and arranger in both France and England in the early nineteenth century. Bousquet was respected as an accomplished performer of the French flageolet, a high-pitched woodwind instrument much like a recorder, although later outfitted with the Boehm key system like the modern flute. Although obsolete in modern times, the instrument once enjoyed great popularity with a variety of composers and performers, both amateur and professional. Purcell and Handel composed for the instrument, and Berlioz was purportedly an accomplished amateur performer of the flageolet. The Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, likewise, was a proficient performer of the instrument and composed a number of pieces for it.Little is known today of Bousquet’s life. He composed a large variety of music, including works specifically for the flageolet, which were widely appreciated in their day. The 36 Etudes for flageolet are undoubtedly the most well known of his works. Published in 1851, the Etudes explore a variety of techniques, such as scales, arpeggios, ornamentation, breath control and expressive playing, and their technically demanding writing confirms Bousquet’s prowess as a flageolet performer. However, the date of the arrangement of the etudes for cornet and their arranger remain speculative. Edwin Franko Goldman is credited as the arranger of the 1890 publication by Carl Fischer, although Goldman would have been only twelve years old at the time; his work on these pieces surely came at a later time. Bousquet himself may have arranged these pieces for cornet at the request of an accomplished cornet player at some point after their publication.