Klarinet Archive - Posting 000286.txt from 1997/03

From: "Mrs. Starr Schaftel Wayne, Dr. John Wayne" <starrs@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Starr/ Sax Teaching from Dave Hite
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 1997 13:43:46 -0500

Thanks!!

-Starr

David C. Blumberg wrote:
>
> To all,
> David Hite sent me this to forward to the list:
>
> If you want a reference to some good teaching materials, and some
> references to teaching objectives, call Southern Music Company at:
>
> 1-800-284-5443
>
> and ask them for a free copy of the Saxophone Study Guide.
>
> I have edited several study books that are very popular in the "studios"
> now -- Melodious And Progressive Studies, Books one and Two: Foundation
> Studies (scales, chords and intervals) and duet books -- Forty
> Progressive Melodies and Four Sonatas by AMR Barret.
>
> You can also request these by Email at:
>
> smcinfo@-----.com
>
> The web site:
>
> http://www.southernmusic.com
>
> will offer the opportunity to purchase directly from the publisher if your
> local music store doesn't have these items in stock.
>
> The secret to getting the low notes, not always considered, is that the
> mouthpiece must be faced very accurately, especially around the tip area.
> Many mouthpieces which are finished by machines are very poorly made and
> will defy every effort to achieve good response in the low register. When
> this happens, one will also find the upper register -- especially high E
> and F -- will be rather flat in pitch. Yes, you can "bite harder" and make
> it play in tune, but on a "good" mouthpiece you don't have to do this.
> And the low C, B and Bb start without hesitation. Joe Alard taught
> "flexibility" but many of his students had their own personal way of using
> that flexibility.
>
> You might want to try our Premiere line of mouthpieces for clarinet and
> saxophone (alto and tenor) at your local music store. They will help you a
> lot. Remember, the best doublers on Broadway are basically clarinetists
> who double on the sax and flute. Saxophonists who "double on the
> clarinet" have a great deal of trouble and go to bizarre extremes sometimes
> to trying to solve their problems. Flutists who decided to "go commercial"
> have to work very hard to get into the "meat of it" with clarinet and then
> sax.
>
> Clarinetists first playing the sax usually play "up in the tessitura" of
> pitch at first. Some will complain, "Why do they make saxophones so
> sharp?" -- I have to pull the mouthpiece "way out" to get down to pitch.
> If this is so, you are a "rank" beginner. But, you'll be surprised to
> find out what you can "learn" about the saxophone when you start "teaching
> it".
>
> Best wishes. David Hite david@-----.com
>
> David C. Blumberg
> Principal Clarinet Riverside Symphonia
> reedman@-----.com