Lesson 9/24/03

Another great lesson. I started by bitching about the etude (to be played at “machine-gun” speed), so of course we ended up working on it quite a bit. I actually pretty much have the knack, but I just need to gain confidence.

I also played through Gavorette again, without the grace notes. In order to add the grace notes, I need to work on using the “side” C rather than the standard fingering. This will help because one section has a B grace note connected to C. Using the standard fingering would require some finger gymnastics. While playing the piece with the side C will also require some work, it will make the whole thing smoother in the end. (I’m not used to playing the side C, though, and I’m not sure I can remember the correct fingering without looking at the fingering chart.)

I need a new mouthpiece. Fred has asked the store to order some, but they are still waiting. My embouchure apparently looks really good (picture-perfect, Fred said), and a new mouthpiece could make a big difference. Of course, I’ll still have trouble from my old horn, but I’ll take it one step at a time.