Klarinet Archive - Posting 000056.txt from 1998/09

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] re:Kinder Clari
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 17:40:08 -0400

Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 10:12:46 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subject: Re: [kl] Children and Clarinet Playing

On Wed, 2 Sep 1998, Jack Kissinger wrote:

> Matt Palasik wrote:
>
> > Eb are more dificult to play then a Bb. Just becase they are smaller
> > doesn't make them better for smaller people.
>
> I have to disagree here. Eb clarinets have the same fingering system,
> don't they.

I believe that what is being referred to is not that the Eb is any more
diffcult because of the fingering system, but because the smaller
instrument makes control of pitch, tone and response more critical. The
tolerances as to variability are greater on a larger instrument. The same
holds true, for example, in the piccolo as compared to the flute or even
the alto flute, the contrabassoon as compared to the bassoon, the English
horn as compared to the oboe, etc.

Any parallels to Suzuki violin are tenuous at best, because of the fact
that the breathing mechanism is required to produce a sound on a wind
instrument, and a certain degree of physical maturity is required in order
to control the inhalation and exhalation, the pressure and velocity of the
air. Suzuki-type instruction exists for the flute, but my observation is
that the jury is still out on this one. Some believe strongly in it, some
others question its effectiveness. Even so, the breath pressure required
to play the flute is very different than that required for the clarinet
and even more so the Eb clarinet.

> [.....] despite all I've said above, I think children are better served
> starting young on the piano for an instrument and/or a recorder for a
> wind instrument.

Here I am completely in agreement.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

==================================================================

My daughter started on the KinderClarinet when she was 5. The blowing
resistance is much, much, MUCH less that a regular Eb. This thing is very
easy for her to blow. The control is there! I was one of the first (serial
#7) people to get one. A great book to use with it (also comes with one by
Denman) is the Galper Clarinet Method (book 1). Luyben Music carries it
(Galper's web page has info). It is quite thorough in the below the break
studies, as that is critical for proper tone development.

David C. Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Blumberg.html
http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html
http://www.sneezy.org/OCR/reviews/reviews.html
http://laurasmidiheaven.simplenet.com/

David Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Blumberg.html

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