Klarinet Archive - Posting 000049.txt from 2000/02

From: "Mark Charette" <charette@-----.org>
Subj: [kl] Re: Why?
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2000 21:47:40 -0500

Why? Because my wife told me to either sell my oldest son's plastic Vito or
play it. I had played electric bass "professionally" (I got paid to do it,
nightly gigs and a bit of studio work) over the years (along with always
having a day job), but let my fingers lapse. I had never learned to read
music. I could read chords/changes & pick up rhythms fast, along with
knowing most of the runs a bass guitarist needs to know - without knowing a
thing about scales, inversions, arpeggios, etc. When I was 36 I decided that
since the kids were learning piano I should, too, so I started taking
lessons. Learned to read music & enjoyed playing mightily. However, with 4
other people in the house playing piano and my schedule pretty hectic I had
a hard time fitting my practice needs in with the family's. So, with a
"spare" Vito, I decided at age 42 to give it a try - I had never played a
woodwind before. The music is significantly easier to read than piano
music - but not easier to play! Just different. I now play a Selmer 10G (I
"inherited" that from my oldest son, too - I get the cast-offs :^) The
clarinet is infinitely easier for me to carry around than piano <grin> and I
can sneak in an extra 10 minutes of practice in the middle of the night if I
feel like it - without waking up the family. Try that on a grand piano! I
have a teacher that I get along with very well, and I'll tell you, when he
says that I've done a piece well I beam like any 10 year old that gets
praise for a job well done.

I'm 3 years into now, and enjoying myself. I wish I could progress faster,
but I don't put as much time in practicing as could.

Mark Charette@-----.org
Webmaster, http://www.sneezy.org

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