Klarinet Archive - Posting 000623.txt from 1995/05

From: Gary Bisaga <gary@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: Church gigs
Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 11:22:19 -0400

>I find church performances most difficult. One has to sit there while the
>reed gets progressively dryer. No opportunity to keep it performing properly.
>Then you are expected to to make a delicate entrance with hundreds of friends
>and relative watching. I'm so surprised the horn speaks at all that I lose my
>composure.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels this kind of
difficulty. Add to that the unfortunate praise of all the people who
don't actually play themselves, or only played some in high school:
"You should hear Gary play clarinet at the 9:15 mass! He improvises
everything and sounds wonderful." "Oh well, we'll have to come to the
9:15 next week then!" And I got a funny look the first time I went up
for communion, the rector handed me the wafer, and I had a reed in my
hand. :)

About wierd keys, I don't have that much problem reading remote keys
(is that better?) but admit that I'm not yet proficient in improvising
in remote keys. I've found that playing from written music I don't
get as complete a feeling for key relationships as I need when
improvising. I.e. when I'm improvising and I know I want to go a
fourth or minor sixth up, but don't immediately know which note that
is when playing in the key of, say, F#. I'm currently working on B
and F# minor.

On the positive side, it seems to be just (!) a matter of practice, as
I am now completely at ease in A and E, something I'd not have thought
possible before. (I have to admit that when I don't have at least
2#'s now I have *more* difficulty! I also have to admit that, playing
from music originally written for guitar and piano, I'm not getting
much practice in the keys with flats in them.)

Gary