Klarinet Archive - Posting 000356.txt from 1997/05

From: "David B. Niethamer" <niethamer@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Materials to use with beginners
Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 11:49:50 -0400

on 5/9/97 12:26 AM, AnneVacca@-----.com wrote:

>Well I have been following this thread and although there have been many
>suggestions of materials all of the ones that I was familiar with were far
>too advanced for beginners. Based on my own teaching experience with
>beginners these kids usually are not even over the break yet. If they are
>over the break, they may have just started with that level. Many kids are
>able to play from low f to throat Bb easily. The rhythms that the kids will
>know will be quarter, half, whole, eight notes. The will have most likely
>been introduced to dotted quarter- eight notes and maybe 16th notes.

Anne Vacca rightly pointed out that many of my suggestions are too
advanced for kids with one year under their belt. When I see kids this
age (and I do - I enjoy teaching beginners and near beginners if they're
enthusiastic about learning the clarinet), it's always in a private
lesson situation, not a school group situation. Let me elaborate further.

I mentioned Tune-A-Day, v. 1, where there are good lessons on learning
the high register. I personally think we wait too long to introduce the
clarion register. After a few lessons, I have kids play down from
3-finger c, adding fingers one at a time to begin to get the RH position
as much as they're able. Usually they can get Bb, A, and G - the pinky
keys are a bit harder to reach at first. After they can get those 3 RH
notes, I have them play low A and add the register key to see if they can
produce a 4th space E. If so, I have them do the same from Bb, going to
top line F. In my experience, these are the easiest notes to start with.
All this is by rote, in a few minutes at the beginning of a lesson. This
way they can't get stuck in that "low register" embouchure which makes
the high register so difficult when it comes along in lesson 15, second
semester of the year.

Tune-A-Day v.2 reinforces the high register notes, and adds new rhythmic
patterns - cut time, 6/8, triplets, 16th notes, all with a nice mix of
familiar and not-so-familiar tunes, as well as scales and pattern
studies. These two books can take a year to a year and a half. I use the
Rubank Selected Duets (v.1) along with TAD v.2.

*Then* comes "60 Rambles", after that, Melodious and Progressive, and
start to add in other duets and solos as appropriate.

Hope this is clearer than the original post.

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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