VARIATIONS ON A SHAKER MELODY

Aaron Copland

CLARINET

  • Rehearsal #10-13: All clarinets slur all sixteenth-notes

ALTO CLARINET

  • 2 measures before Rehearsal #7: The written D on beat 2 should be a written Bb
  • Rehearsal #10-13: Slur all sixteenth-notes

BASS CLARINET

  • Rehearsal #12-13: Slur all sixteenth-notes

BASSOON

  • Rehearsal #4: Part is scored very high and doubled in several other voices; tacet the first five measures if the bassoon section is weak

SAXOPHONE

  • Alto Saxophone 1, Rehearsal #3-5: Be cautious to avoid overpowering the oboe solo
  • Alto Saxophones, Rehearsal #10-13: Slur all sixteenth-notes
  • Tenor Saxophone, Rehearsal #12-13: Slur all sixteenth-notes

TRUMPET

  • Measures 1-10: Play relaxed on opening trumpet solo, taking care to tune the open intervals of the P4 and P5

HORN

  • Rehearsal #3-9: To avoid problems with fast mute changes, split parts among the horn section by copying lines and passing them to other players; this will allow all passages to be played easily and without extraneous noise

TROMBONE

  • Watch intonation on 5th position notes; consider alternate positions for smoothness of line
  • Beginning at 2 measures after Rehearsal #9: There is a natural tendency to sound behind; stay on top of the beat with the trumpets
  • Rehearsal #15-17: Avoid too much fff on the whole notes; trombones are in unison and in octaves with the tubas and timpani; stagger breathing if possible

TUBA

  • Rehearsal #6-9: Play very smooth legato
  • Rehearsal #13-15: One player only; if the band has a very large clarinet section, a second tuba may be added
  • Rehearsal #15-17: Use more players on the bottom octave to add depth to tutti fff