Klarinet Archive - Posting 000923.txt from 1997/08

From: "Andrew Scholberg" <ascholbe@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Fake Recorders?! (was: How young is too young?)
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 17:33:13 -0400

Scott is right. I never picked up a recorder until I was already well
grounded as a clarinet player. My initial reaction to the recorder was that
it's easy. But it has its own difficulties. The cross fingerings are
murder. You also need to learn to double and triple tongue.

I offer this challenge to any clarinet player who thinks the recorder is
easy. Obtain a copy of Vivaldi's concerto in C major, p. 78, and learn it.
If you have natural ability, you might be able to master it in 1,000 hours
of concentrated practice (an hour a day for three years), but it might take
longer. Do yourself a favor and learn it on a good alto; practicing that
much on a soprano will drive you and others in your household to drink. I
would like to see a 10 year moratorium on the production of soprano
recorders.

Andy Scholberg
ascholbe@-----.com

----------
> From: Scott D. Morrow <SDM@-----.edu>
> To: klarinet@-----.us
> Subject: Fake Recorders?! (was: How young is too young?)
> Date: Thursday, August 21, 1997 3:14 PM
>
> Fred wrote:
>
> > All in all, I'd recommend another instrument such as piano for
> >one so young. Either that of, if you want a wind instrument, Recorder.
> >However, my experience in teaching little ones recorder has been that
> >after a year of it, they are really ready to go on to a "real"
instrument
> >which makes more sound and which they can see with their siblings who
are
> >in school band.
>
>
> The recorder IS a real instrument! Perhaps if we didn't treat
them
> like toys, kids wouldn't "lose interest" in them! You can't expect to
have
> "mastered" the recorder after one year of lessons any more than you'd
> expect to master the clarinet after one year! If the student is getting
> bored with recorder, the student can move on to more complicated pieces.
>
> I apologise if I'm just being picky!
>
> -Scott
>
>
> Scott D. Morrow
> Department of Biochemistry
> School of Hygiene and Public Health
> Johns Hopkins University
> (410) 955-3631
>
> SDM@-----.edu
>
>