Klarinet Archive - Posting 000233.txt from 1997/08

From: James Pyne <jpyne@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: How young? No,No,,No
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 22:45:27 -0400

>On Wed, 6 Aug 1997, Charles wrote:
>
>> No matter what the physical size, a seven yar old is too youmg to start on
>> the clarinet. A couple of good years on a keyboard would be muc more
>> beneficial. There are too many difficult and discouraging possibilities on
>> the clarinet for a seven year old to endure and become needlessly
>> discouraged........Cjarlie
>
>As I stated in my initial response, it depends on the 7-year old
>in question. I don't believe in subscribing to ironclad or
>limited thinking on a subject such as this. Saying "no matter what",
>followed by a highly prescriptive statement concerning a preferable
>alternative, suggests that the writer has some authoritative basis,
>either in scientific knowledge or extensive experience. If this is
>the case, I imagine the list would be interested in knowing the
>factual evidence which supports the point of view.
>
>Neil

I'm in agreement with Neil, it totally depends on the child. We started
our 6yr old daughter on Eb. She had already studied piano for two years and
could read music quite well. After a year of Eb, she had to stop for = 6
months when her two front teeth fell out, and couldn't wait to start up
again. She is now 8 and by my standards, is doing quite well.

I also think the set-up is critical for Eb. She uses my R-13 Eb and a
mouthpiece similar to the one I use in symphony orchestra work, with
slightly softer reeds. She gets a HUGE, but controlled sound for a kid! We
intend to move her up to our C clarinet within a year (after she grows a
bit).

As someone else mentioned, attention span is an issue too. Don't wait till
your child is 7 to start piano, start at 3 or 4, by the time they are 6 or
7 they will have the attention span necessary to pursue another instrument.
Our daughter started piano at 4 and currently takes a weekly 45 minute
piano lesson, so attention span was not a concern when she started
clarinet.

Another factor is the parents. Starting at such a young age requires the
parent to work (practice) with the child daily, especially in the
beginning. Obviously in our house, having both parents as clarinetist is a
help!

Well, that's my .02, nothing scientific...... Write to me in 10 years and
we'll see how she's progressed!

Kyle Pyne

   
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