Klarinet Archive - Posting 000095.txt from 1999/09

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] 52 year old 'beginner' needs help - please!
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 01:44:15 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.com>
Date: Saturday, September 04, 1999 10:25 PM
Subject: [kl] 52 year old 'beginner' needs help - please!

>I began playing clarinet two years ago at age 50, and am studying with
>Wes Foster, principal clarinet of the Vancouver Symphony. Wes is great
>and has helped me tremendously, but now that I'm on the Net, I'd like
>more ideas. My two main problems at this stage are finger and tongue
>speed. First, the fingers - they don't want to move very fast,
>especially the RH pinkie and the finger next to it, and the LH pinkie.
>I suspect I may have a bit of arthritis to add to the problem.

This does take time to develop. You have only been playing two years. Look
at school kids that have been playing for two years (i.e. 6th graders).
Most of them are still pretty slow and don't have the coordination developed
yet.

> Does anyone have any suggestions to limber up all my fingers - perhaps
>exercises to develop the strength of my fingers ( a physiotherapist once
>told me my fingers are a bit weak).

1. Place your hand on the table with the fingers curved. The heel of the
hand and the finger tips should be on the table. Lift each finger one at a
time and put it back on the table.

2. Press the finger tips of one hand against the fingertips of the other.
Alternately press and flex the fingers.

> At this stage, I can do 16th note
>passages only very slowly and usually only if the notes are pretty much
>stepwise. My fingers also seem reluctant to do certain note (finger)
>combos quickly - like lifting off several fingers together especially if
>either pinkie is involved. Any help out there?

Patience. This is normal. Remember the 6th graders. They might not even
be doing 16th notes yet. Warm up every session with some slow scales and
arpeggios. It takes many hours of slow practice to learn to play fast and
accurately.

>Also, my fingering and tongueing speed are sometimes uncoordinated - I
>can often slur a passage accurately, but may not be able to tongue and
>move fingers at the same speed

Again, have more patience with yourself. This is perfectly normal. Slow
practice is the key to developing that synchronization. In Daniel Bonade's
clarinet compendium, there is a good exercise for developing better
synchronization. It is done very slowly and takes many, many days of
practice.

1. Start with with your fingers on the first note.
2. Start with your tongue on the reed.
3. Begin blowing. The note should not yet speak as you still have your
tongue on the reed. You will feel the back pressure of the air.
4. While blowing, pull your tongue quickly off the reed. The note now
speaks and you have tongued it correctly.
5. Immediately return the tongue to the reed so that the note stops (i.e.
like staccato).
6. AFTER the tongue returns to the reed, immediately move the fingers to
the position for the next note.
7. Repeat these steps (4 through 6) for the exercise.

This exercise can be gradually increased in speed. But you must be patient.
It takes a long time for someone to get the synchronization down. Even long
time players have to work at this.

> - for example the 3rd movement of the
>Mozart Clarinet Concerto - full bar 7 - I can play this if I slur the
>whole thing, but my finger and tongue speed don't match if I tongue it
>all at the same tempo. Ideas? Wes has taught me to move fingers before
>I tongue, but I guess I'd have to practice this very slowly at first and
>finally speed up.
>

Actually, tackling Mozart's Concerto after only two years is *very*
ambitious. This is really more appropriate for a fourth or fifth year
student. Right now, have fun with it and go ahead and work on but don't let
yourself get discouraged.

>Any useful ideas that might make sense to a 52 year old whose limbs,
>fingers and brain don't move as fast as they used to? A youthful
>clarinet playing friend of mine says her teacher insisted on her
>learning all the scales, etc. before age 19 (?) because after that it
>would be too late. Hope that teacher was wrong!!

I think that teacher was wrong. Many people have learned to play
instruments (including scales) after that age. And here is another thought.
At 19, she probably had already been playing for 9 years. In my opinion she
darn well should have known her scales by then!

The key to mastery of the clarinet or any instrument lies in mastering the
fundamentals. Every practice session should start with warmups on one or
more scales and associated arpeggios. So pick up a good scale book. This
kind of practice can get quite boring but it is vital. Besides you can
always reward yourself with time on some music that is fun and easy.

Basically adult beginners expect to be able to learn an instrument quickly
since they are usually experienced in learning things in generally.
However, in learning an instrument, we are using not only mental skills but
laying down new physical patterns. This takes much longer than most adults
realize. So even though they are making great progress (and it sounds like
you are doing quite well), they erroneously think they should be
progressing even faster. Thus they get frustrated and impatient.

Listen to a typical 6th or 7th grade band sometime. They will not be as far
along as you are.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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