Klarinet Archive - Posting 000330.txt from 2000/02

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] daily playing
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 02:38:27 -0500

On Sat, 05 Feb 2000 17:35:48 GMT, I said:

> On Sat, 5 Feb 2000 09:24:36 -0800 (PST), leupold_1@-----.com said:
>
> > --- Nicholas Yip <nyip@-----.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > I assume most of us have problems playing the clarinet. However
> > > probably not as severe as mine. My problem here is that I have a
> > > difficulty playing even. Now, everytime I practice everyday and I
> > > practice slow, however there is always an inconsistency. I would
> > > play even sometimes. This has been my problem for several years,
> > > and is very frustrating to my teacher and some performers too. I
> > > watch and listen to other people play perfectly, and it is more
> > > frustrating to me. Please that there is something wrong with me,
> > > or is there really a perfect clarinetist?
>
> [snip of wise advice]
>
> > Best of luck, and don't hesitate to ask more questions!
>
> Can I just ask a question of Nicholas?
>
> Will you give us some examples of what you mean by, "not playing even"?
>
> Tony

And Shouryu Nohe later wrote in a similar vein (a little edited):

> I'm afraid I would need more clarification on your problem here -
> 'playing uneven' or 'inconsistently' can be interpreted a million
> different ways:
>
> Various notes pop out - your volume and voicing is uneven.
>
> Your playing in particular registers suffers compared to other
> registers - your playing range is uneven (I suffer from this).
>
> Your rhythmic timing is inconsistent.
>
> Your tone quality or articulation is inconsistent.
>
> If you could please be a little more specific, it would be easier to
> address the issue, and offer possible remedies.

But you then wrote, in part:

> I have tried taking the whole 10 bars...

Of what?

> ...and slowing it down with the metronome, but that failed to work.

*How* did it 'fail to work'? How did you know it failed to work?

> All I ended up doing was kicking and screaming at myself for days.

What do you mean by this? (Surely you don't mean us to take it
literally?)

> However, I then began to swallow the phrase in slowly bar by bar. I
> started at a slower tempo, and increased everytime I was comfortable.

Comfortable in what way?

> This only helped a little.

How did it help a little?

> What I fear the most, and this has happened, is that the next day I
> will have to start from the beginning again, because I will forget it
> all, or I am not focused enough.

What do you mean by "not focused enough"? How do you know when you're
focused enough?

> I am the type of person, that wants to meet the expectations NOW, not
> later.

Join the club. But wanting that just doesn't work.

> (Amazing since I am a music teacher!(^_^))

You're in the wrong job, then, unless you get yourself sorted out.

If you're actually interested in getting yourself sorted out, I'd like
you to be even more specific -- for example, tell us about a particular
few bars in a particular piece -- or better, just *one bar* in a
particular piece, with details of exactly what happens.

Well?

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org