Klarinet Archive - Posting 000559.txt from 1998/01

From: Ken Bryson <kbryson@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Beginner Beginner teacher questions
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 14:35:18 -0500

Gary,

In my limited experience with kids starting out (9-10 years old), I have
seen right hand problems as you described that seemed to be mostly the
result of the right hand not really being strong enough to support the
clarinet properly--the thumb sort of collapses, leaving the index finger
bumping the side keys. A neck strap may help if this is a good part of
the problem.

Nancy

Lane G White wrote:
>
> On Sat, 10 Jan 1998 18:37:38 -0700 Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
> writes:
>
> >After 3 months? Oh, about grade 2 or 3, I would guess. The "Hays
> >Principle" seems to apply here: beginners have little patience with
> >their own progress, even when significant. Man, you teachers not only
> >have to be musicians and educators, you have to be psychologists as
> >well. My hat's off to you.
>
> This thread has prompted me to get some opinions from the list. I have
> played fairly seriously for several years, and started teaching lessons
> this summer on clarinet and sax
>
> Most of my clientele are absolutely beginners. When I started out, I
> figured things would go fairly smoothly until we got into experimenting
> with the high register. What I have not been prepared for is the troubles
> with the right hand in the *lower register*. Two of my students are quite
> determined to hold their right hand at an angle which causes their right
> index finger's lower knuckle to crowd the Eb/Bb side key (sometimes
> opening it). This of course also causes them to tend to miss the tone
> holes to produce A & G.
>
> What I have done so far is:
> - show them the correct hand position and get them to practice it in the
> lesson.
>
> - mention to their parents during the usual post-lesson-how's-she-doing
> discussion that this is something they need to work on (after one of them
> just elected to make a career out of learning to appreciate all the songs
> that can be played with the left hand).
>
> - get them in front of a mirror and demonstrate hand position. Asked them
> to practice a simple pattern like C Bb A G F and back up in front of the
> mirror.
>
> I found with one student that this was the point at which we discovered
> her mouthpiece wasn't any good, either. She kept making particularly
> ear-piecing squeaks every time she got to G or F. I got her to try mine,
> and the problem went away, so Dad is now ordering a *real* mouthpiece for
> her.
>
> This is actually the 2nd student whose progress was completely stifled by
> the wretched mouthpiece that came with the horn (the other one couldn't
> even get a consistent tone until she got another mp).
>
> Three questions:
>
> - are there any other teaching suggestions as to instilling the correct
> right-hand position?
>
> - I don't suppose any of us would argue that most student mouthpieces are
> fairly impossible, but would I be going overboard if I more or less
> required future students to have one of a few "approved" mouthpieces?
> I've always resisted the idea of teachers telling students what to play,
> but in the context of teaching beginners who have no ideas of their own
> and who are just assuming that that piece of garden hose that came with
> their Vito is really a mouthpiece, I'm beginning to think I would save
> them a lot of grief.
>
> - What are some inexpensive, but decent basic mouthpieces? I've been
> telling them to get Vandoren B45s, and pointing them to
> Woodwind/Brasswind at about $50 plus shipping.
>
> Gary