Kopprasch #18 is the first of the several “large-interval” Kopprasch etudes, where jumps of about an octave (or more) are common and there is a pedal point, or repeated note, that gives the illusion of two voices from a single-line instrument.
Music:
Key Points:
- I mentioned the pedal point earlier – knowing how the repeated note relates to the other melodic notes will make accuracy much easier. There are really only 3 main scales and arpeggios in this entire exercise, so if you can easily identify and hear them, things will fall into place much easier.
- The rhythm is fairly straightforward, just be aware of the few eight notes and make sure that they last twice as long as the sixteenths.
- The dynamics are equally predictable – just be aware of when it is forte and when it’s piano. There isn’t much in the way of nuance here.
- The articulation is equally uniform – all tongued – and be aware of the sempre staccato at the beginning!
Technical Tips:
- If you are having trouble with the bigger jumps, practice them as slurs before attempting them tongued. Remember, despite the staccato marking the air is only interrupted by the tongue, the blow is not stopped.
- Know your scales and arpeggios – if you can’t identify the arpeggio of a bar within 3-5 seconds, you simply don’t know them!
- Use a metronome, set at a slow tempo, once you know the intervals and arpeggios. Work on making the articulation clean and crisp on both the upward and downward jumps. Only then, start speeding up the tempo.
