ARM - June Technique Challenge

I often find that when summer hits for most of us (ESPECIALLY those of you still in school) that practicing and motivation can come to a grinding halt and the instrument is forgotten to collect dust in our practice rooms. What we take for granted, though, is that with little music being "forced" on us to learn during the summer months it is the PERFECT time to work those fundamentals to the bone and refresh your sound and fingers for the year to come! To this end, I have devised another "Technique Challenge" that is perfect for flutists of all levels and that can be edited to your own personal needs.

The ARM June Technique Challenge.

For this challenge you will need three books; Posthumous Preludes & Exercises - Carl Joachim Andersen, Daily Exercises for the Flute - Andre Maquarre, and Seven Daily Exercises for Flute - Mathieu Andre Reichert. All of these books can be purchased from Little Piper publishers here: https://www.little-piper.com

Summer makes it difficult to find time and motivation to do "work", so this challenge is one big explanation of how I plan to use these books daily in order to make it easy for you to edit and pick and choose what's best for you around vacations, etc.

Best of luck and Happy Practicing!
*For a pdf version email me at lepagebrandon@gmail.com

ARM technique Challenge - June 2017

Books: Andersen Posthumous Preludes & Exercises (pub. Little Piper)

           Maquarre Daily Exercises for the Flute (pub. Little Piper)

           Reichert Seven Daily Exercises for Flute (pub. Little Piper)

Week 1 - June 5th through June 11th

Week 2 - June 12th through June 18th

Week 3  - June 19th through June 25th

Week 4 - June 26 - 30 (short week)

Challenge:

Each Day begin with a simple tone warm up (such as harmonics) then move to the Andersen book. The Andersen I have selected is set up with groups of warm ups and technical exercises each beginning with a section of whole notes. Do one set each day to begin (more for tone and finger wake up then speed etc). You do not get a day off from this section.

Move on the the Maquarre and do the first daily scale exercise and chromatic exercise every day ALWAYS going up to high D. You do not get a day off of this section.

Speeds and Articulations week 1 example:

M - 104 slur/tongue, Tu - 112 tongue one slur three/slur three tongue one, W - 112 slur two tongue two/tongue two slur two, Th - 112 Tongue one slur two tongue one/tongue one slur two, F - 112 all tongue, S - 112 all slur, Su - 120 slur/tongue.

Each day you will now have two Major and two Minor scales to focus on. You will play the scales in six’s (sextuplets) for two octaves slurring once then again tongued. It takes three turns of the scale to get the root note back on the downbeat. Always take up to high D (adjust speed as needed)

Week 1 example:

M - C/a/F/d 80, Tu - Bb/g/Eb/c 80, W - Ab/f/Db/bb 80, Th - Gb/eb/B/g# - 80, F - E/c#/A/f# 80, S - D/b/G/e 80, Su - Day off from this section.

Going back to the Maquarre do all the exercises numbered 1 - 7 that correspond to the keys you are on that day. This means for day one you will do all of numbers 1-7 for C Major, a minor, F Major, and d minor. Sunday is a day off from this portion of the challenge.

Week 1 Articulations - as written first time and all tongued on repeat.

Ex Week 1 Tempos (adjust as needed):

1 - 80, 2 - 60, 3 - 60, 4 - 104 (eighth note), 5 - 80, 6 - 60, 7 - 100 (eighth note)

Finishing up with the challenge each day do one Reichertexercise a day (7 in total). You do not get a day off from Reichert. The goal by the end of the challenge is to be at the tempos notated in the Little Piper edition.

Week 1 - Articulations as written.

Ex Week 1 Tempos: 1 - 60, 2 - 100, 3 - 112 (eighth note), 4 - 100, 5 - 112 (eighth note), 6 - 116, 7 - 112 (eighth note)