Klarinet Archive - Posting 000563.txt from 1998/01

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Beginner Beginner teacher questions
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 17:09:30 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: Lane G White <lanewhite@-----.com>
Date: Sunday, January 11, 1998 9:32 AM
Subject: Beginner Beginner teacher questions

>On Sat, 10 Jan 1998 18:37:38 -0700 Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
>writes:
>
>Three questions:
>
>- are there any other teaching suggestions as to instilling the correct
>right-hand position?
>

Yes. Always keep in mind that you can't MAKE the student do anything. If the
consequence of any technical problem (poor hand position, poor embouchure
formation, poor breathing habits, or poor anything else that you as an
observer can see) annoys the student enough, he/she will tend more to try
your solution the less autocratic and agressively insistent you are about
it. Be too insistent and many students' backs will go right up. Also, do
everything you can to make certain your diagnosis of the symptom is
accurate. If the mouthpiece later turns out to be causing sqeaks that you've
spent a month blaming on a hand or embouchure problem, lots of needless
frustration will have generated friction between you and the student that
can be very destructive.

Frequently, especially in the case of right hand coverage problems, muscular
tension develops that in itself can pull the hand or fingers out of
position. The tension aggravates the problem and you can get into a really
destructive circular process of trying to correct the reactions (symptoms)
and introducing further tension, when the basic problem is elsewhere (maybe
the hand is not strong or large enough yet to play those notes).

You haven't described the student, but you describe them as "quite
determined" to hold the clarinet incorrectly. One has "elected" to play only
left hand songs.This may simply be a matter of rhetorical color in your
post. You need to guard against a point of view on your part, especially
with young beginners, that sees this kind of thing necessarily as willful
non-compliance or at least uncooperativeness. If the hand and wrist are too
small or the muscles too weak to hold the clarinet correctly, the student
will use whatever position feels most in control. Trying too hard to fix a
hand position in this case can be an exercise in treating a persistent
symptom when the real problem is physical development and the real solution
is patient waiting. Exploring songs for awhile that only use the notes of
the left hand (or maybe down to Bb or A) may be the best thing you can do
for the student for a while. Choose the material for range (which lets out
most published "method books") and try to approach the right hand notes you
use by step-wise motion rather than by leaping down to G or F.

>- 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?

Be sure the mouthpiece is really causing or seriously contributing to the
problem. The quality control on the assembly lines that turn out entry
level student mouthpieces doesn't seem to be any better (or worse) than that
on the lines that turn out the mass-produced "professional" mouthpieces. I
have to try several VanDoren or Gigliotti mouthpieces, to name the ones I
have my advanced students buy, to find ones I like for them. Vito, Yamaha or
Selmer entry-level mouthpieces are, in my experience, likewise inconsistent
(despite factory hype). Some are fine, some are impossible. Most of the
beginning students I teach in school are renting their instruments, and I
can always get the rental store to exchange a bad mouthpiece for one of the
same kind that works acceptably. A vendor who wants to build a good
reputation may be willing to do the same even on a purchased instrument (the
instrument is, after all, under a warrantee, and most stores offer
additional guarantees that the customer will be satisfied with the
purchase). I'd try that before I'd require a different mouthpiece at
additional cost to the parents. They can always buy a better mouthpiece when
the student's progress really warrants it, and then a first quality factory
mouthpiece, like a VanDoren, seems more appropriate. They can certainly
elect to buy a Premier or a Debut, or even the VanDoren at the beginning, if
they're willing, but REQUIRING such a purchase doesn't make for good
relations with those parents who are entering the whole world of music
lessons gingerly with an eye on expense.

>
>- 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

I always recommended VanDoren 5RV's or V360's to students until the M13 came
out. Now I recommend M13's routinely.

Karl