Klarinet Archive - Posting 000111.txt from 1997/01

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.EDU>
Subj: Christmas Clarinet
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 11:56:47 -0500

The following message was sent to me on January 3rd (I think). I
returned from a 3-week trip to Germany yesterday and don't anticipate
having time to respond to this message any time soon. Would others of
you on the list be able to offer this remarkably eloquent man some
genuinely helpful and encouraging input regarding his story and his
questions?

Neil Leupold

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a 45 year old frustrated musician. My father was a professional jazz
pianist. He gave me my first piano lesson when I was ten, and my second
for my thirtieth birthday. (Having practiced for twenty years I had
completely mastered "Snug as a Bug in a Rug",and was ready to move on.) I
have fooled with piano for the last 15 years. I have twin sons who both
study music, one piano, the other guitar. They also have formed their
first band. Tim, the pianist also plays drums; far cooler in a rock and
roll band at age 15. The boys began with piano lessons at an early age,
left music at about age ten to pursue their professional basketball
careers. A couple of years ago they agreed with me that it was more likely
that they would play music than basketball when they were forty years old
and got back into the "swing" of things. At this juncture Tim and I took
piano lessons together (a most humbling experience for his father) and Matt
picked up the guitar (twins like to be different.) They are both studying
their instruments at school and are very talented. It seems that love of
music is hereditary, but talent skips a generation and that brings me to my
Christmas present - a B-flat clarinet.

I took clarinet lessons for about a year at age twelve. So we can assume I
have only retained the sqeaking ability so easily mastered with the
register change. My goal is to be able to jam with my sons. They like all
kinds of music and it is a great father-son activity. I have a couple of
questions as I embark on this journey. I found that C on my new clarinet
is B flat on my piano. I assume this is why it is called a B flat
clarinet. Does this mean that if I am playing a tune in C the piano will
be playing in B flat?
Do you have any suggestions for jazz or pop standards that would be a good
starting point for piano, guitar and clarinet? I have beginning books for
clarinet. Actually, I am surpised at the amount of fingering that I
remember. Some of the notes give more than one fingering. Is this an
option or should I learn both? Is there a good self instruction book that
you might suggest? (I travel frequently which makes lessons difficult.)
Would you recommend that I concentrate on scales and if so which ones
first? Please keep in mind that I will never be a professional and my goal
is to be able to play with the kids.

Thanks for listening to my long winded story and any input is greatly
appreciated.

Sincerely,
Peter