EEi Assignments allows Mr. Sinicrope to guide students better in their home practice.
Features include:
Online Assignments to help students prepare for class
Recording Assignments for teacher feedback
All-Music Studio for students to record any music
Self-Assessments to help student further improve their musical knowledge and playing ability
Practice Records to help students and teachers plan home practice while keeping parents informed of practice goals and progress
With EEi Assignments, Mr. Sinicrope can provide more guidance for students in their home practice and empower them to become better students and musicians.
The EEi Music Studio makes learning to play more effective and more fun… in class or at home!
Features Include:
Professional Soloists demonstrating each exercise in the book
Multiple Accompaniment Styles for each exercise, performed by professional musicians
Recording Feature to share music with teachers, friends, and relatives
Tempo Control for more effective learning and practice
EEi Practice Tools including built-in metronome, tuner, and fingering charts
Easy-to-use Interface to make playing, recording, and sharing simple and fun
REED PLACEMENT
When placing the reed on your mouthpiece, a good position is when the reed just barely covers the black mouthpiece - or maybe you can see a little sliver of the black mouthpiece over the top of the reed. You just don't want the reed too high.
REED NUMBERS
Reeds are numbered from 1.5 to 5, using every half-number (1.5, 2, 2.5, etc.). The higher the number is, the harder the reed will be. As beginners in elementary school, students start on #2 reeds and should try playing on #2.5 as soon as possible (6th grade). The idea is to play on the hardest reed the student can appropriately handle.
BUY A BOX OF REEDS THIS WEEKEND
Clarinet and Sax players should always have about five reeds in rotation. If you buy a box of 10 now, you’ll be all set for the year. Use a sharp pencil or a marker to identify which reed you will use for each day (mark your “Day 1” reed, your “Day 2” reed, and so on). Get into a 5-day rotation, using “Reed 1” for “Day 1”, “Reed 2” for “Day 2”, etc.
CARE OF REEDS
Reeds must be stored carefully in a case that allows them to dry and doesn't expose them to excessive heat or cold. Basically, just make sure they can dry and that they don't break. Weather changes - particularly in spring and fall - can cause the reeds to warp. Your reed is warped if you look at the tip of it and it looks wavy. Throw it away; it's difficult to play on and doesn't sound very good. That’s why you should have at least five reeds!!
Reeds should also be thrown out if they are chipped or cracked at all. Yes, they often can still be played on, but it’ll be more difficult, and it won't sound very good. That’s why you should have at least five reeds!!
Reeds must be "broken in". Don’t play on a new reed for more than 10-15 minutes a day. If a reed looks very wet and streaky (as though you could almost see through the tip), it is waterlogged and needs to be put away. After a couple of weeks, it will be broken in enough to play on for an entire rehearsal or practice session. A reed shouldn't be overworked -- switch them off and don't play on the same reed two days in a row. Oh, and one more thing: You should always have at least five reeds!!