Klarinet Archive - Posting 001257.txt from 1997/09

From: Dirk Kussin <dirk@-----.de>
Subj: Re: Choosing a clarinet, etc.
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 18:29:20 -0400

Hello Nancy,

I'm 30 years old, and play the clarinet since February of this year. I
never played an instrument before (only a litte bit the recorder in
school, but that doesn't count) and also was not able to read music.

Although I'm living in germany where the Oehler (german) system is
strongly preferred I play a Boehm B-flat clarinet. For me (personally)
it was clear to buy a new clarinet. But I'm sure that there are many
good second hand instruments. I bought a Buffet B-12 plastic clarinet;
plastic, since it is cheap on the one hand (and since it wasn't clear
whether I would be successful in playing), and since it is
uncomplicated on the other hand. The first horn I ever blowed was my
horn.

I wasn't satisfied with the mouthpiece which comes with the
clarinet. But this was not clear from the beginning, since my
embouchure is still a problem. Since last week I have another
mouthpiece, a Vandoren B45 Lyre (which is very open), and now many
things are working much better. (I do not argue that the Buffet
mouthpiece is bad, it just doesn't work for me.) I use Vandoren
traditional reeds 2 and 2,5 and V12 2,5. I find it a strong effort
and very uncomfortable to blow harder reeds. I also tested the B45 and
the B45 Dot mouthpiece and they also seem to work fine for me.

>From the beginning I had a teacher (who blows Oehler system btw). The
equipment I choosed myself (with the help of this list), but for
learning I find a teacher very important from the very beginning. So I
highly recommmend a teacher. Of course, he will also helpful to find
an equipment.

Personally, I find the first weeks I played not very amusing, since
the pieces I had to play are not very interesting. But after some
weeks you will be able to play some pieces you know, and then the
learning is more interesting. I started in February, I was not always
able to practise constantly (because I had to travel for my
profession, writing my PhD thesis etc). Now I am able to play pieces
like "over the rainbow" which makes a lot of fun.

For the future I plan to buy a better horn (Buffet RC or so). But I do
not regret having bought the B-12.

Nancy, I hope my email helps a little bit, and I hope that you will be
successful. Good luck

Dirk

--
Dirk Kussin dirk@-----.de
Fachbereich 17 Mathematik Raum D2.323
Universitdt-GH Paderborn Tel. (+49) (5251) 60-2636
D-33095 Paderborn --------- http://www-math.uni-paderborn.de/~dirk/