[saxxysaxman]

Hey everyone! i just got my new alto sax solo called Scaramouche by Milhaud. I just started taking it out and learned the music. There are movements I, II, and III and for OMEA solo and ensomble this is a class A solo. To play this for contest you have to play either movements just I or II and III. This is my first class A piece and im just coming to ask for any tips or any ways to play this easier? any imput would be much appriciated because i really want to learn this solo its just giving me a little run around if you will. Thanks!

 

[SimonJazzSax]

slowly with a metronome! This piece needs to be precise technically. It is easy to make it sound very sloppy. movement III is the toughest and movement II is the easiest (technically speaking). So I would do II and III as to not have to learn a ton of technical passages. Movement I is the most famous and is probably the catchiest. If you are really up for a challenge then do I and III or I, II and III!!!!

Either way you go though you really have to be diligent and practice it slowly with a metronome. Also just focus on one phrase at a time. No need to learn the whole movement in 3 days. 8 bars or so can be enough to fill a practice session or 2!

Once you have it slowly with the metronome I would start to speed it up 4 or so clicks at a time until you have reached about 20 BPM above your performance speed. This will enable you to be more relaxed when you perform it in public and also make it sound less frantic and in the pocket.

Don't forget that while you practice you should also mark phrases, dynamics and articulations! If you put that in while you are practicing it slowly with the metronome then it will naturally come with you as you speed it up! Good luck!


****Notice how many times I said slowly with the metronome DON'T FORGET!

 

[Dr G]

Find a recording of the piece and listen to it while reading your score.

 

[saxxysaxman]

yea i started with the last page to movement III and am working my way backwards, For OMEA S & E you only can do I by it's self or movement II along with III. Thanks for the input! There arnt quite that much articulations as far as staccatos or accents but the movement is littered with slurs i pretty much cut the time in half to get the notes under my hands but the first page of movement III is pretty tricky because of the 32nd notes even though they are slurred.

 

[baribulldog82]

Get on youtube, itunes etc. and find at least 5 "professional" saxophone players who recorded this piece. (Greg Bananzak, Arno Bornkamp, etc.) Listen to the way that these professional saxophone players phrased and articulated the piece. Looking up information about the composer might be very helpful in your attempts as well. Milhaud was a great writer for our horn and helped to re-define our voice during his time!

Here is a thread on this very site dealing with Milhaud. http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?19517-Milhaud-Scaramouche

Good Luck with your performance!!

 

[DMZSX90R]

If I'm not mistaken, Scaramouche was originally written for two pianos! Sugawa is quite a classical artist. I've used this as a model for me and my students. Quite exceptional! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkDVU_aiG0Q

So much information at your disposal today. Check out as much as you can about the piece. Compare and contrast different performances to this Sugawa and take what you like and make it yours!

Good luck! This is a pinnacle piece in our repertoire.

 

[jzer21]

It's off topic, but I remember a good discussion on the history of Scaramouche a few years back:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?19517-Milhaud-Scaramouche