Klarinet Archive - Posting 000752.txt from 2000/11

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Feedback please. Article: Breathing/Relaxation
Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2000 18:01:51 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "andy laszlo" <andylaszlo2@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Feedback please. Article: Breathing/Relaxation

> The article identified the problem as muscular tension.
> I got a pianist friend who is very aware of this so I guess it can affect
> any musician and not just clarinetists. For a long time I had a big
problem
> with this. When I started playing I taught myself initially. Could not
> understand why the more I practiced the less my instrument sounded like
what
> a clarinet is "supposed" to sound like. This went on for about a year and
I
> gave up for a while. Now I play sometimes with a pianist. His girlfriend
> does not play anything but she noticed something about my playing. When I
am
> playing from a score my playing sounds up-tight. Other times I just muck
> about and doodle with the tune without "trying" to play anything in
> particular. She says this sounds better. The point is this: When I am
> messing about I got a closer interaction with the instrument. Exploring
what
> me and the instrument are capable off, not worried about what something is
> "supposed" to sound like. When I am following a score it is a battle
against
> slow fingers and a fat tongue to play what it says. What I want is to have
> the same feeling when playing from a score as I have when I am just
"mucking
> about". I try and keep in mind to play with the instrument and not fight
> againt it.
>

Your fingers are no slower and your tongue no fatter with the score than
without the score. It's just that you get uptight playing from a score at
this point in time. That can create tension throughout your body leading
the the misperception that the tongue and fingers are fat or slow. Most
people's tongues and fingers have plenty of speed to burn if they could only
learn to relax.

Dee Hays

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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