Klarinet Archive - Posting 000560.txt from 1997/02

From: Lisa Gartrell Yeo <ux403@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: male & female players
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 14:30:12 -0500

>If you mean the list, there is no reference between desire of net-writing
>and clarinet;
>if you mean in the music scene, i think it's because a lot of women fail to
>improve
>diafragm breathing. I know, it's sad but quite true. Women prefer the"
>respirazione di petto", as we say in italy, and it's no good for sound
>quality (and general intonation).
>Mamma mia, how terrible I spoke.
>
>

Paulo,

I've never heard that women don't breathe as well as men, and that is the
reason there are more male clarinet players!! Sorry, but I think women
are just as capable of proper abdominal breathing as men. Actually, I've
heard
that women tend to breathe abdominally more naturally than men, who tend to
be chest breathers. I've noticed this with my husband, who breathes much
more quickly and with shallower breaths than I do. For every breath I
take, he takes two!
I think if there are more men clarinetists than women (and I'm not
convinced that's true), breathing is NOT the issue.

Lisa Gartrell Yeo