Klarinet Archive - Posting 000047.txt from 2001/11

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Leaving the reed on.
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 15:23:30 -0500

On Thu, 01 Nov 2001 14:58:03 EST, StillLoveNewYork@-----.com said:

> I was told by my former teacher who is also a professional
> clarinetist, to do the following:
>
> 1) Instead of wetting the reed in my mouth, put it into a small glass
> of water as I'm putting my clarinet together. 2) Store the mouthpiece
> with the reed still on it. Obviously, I would have to take the reed
> off every time I get my clarinet out in order to put the reed into the
> aforementioned glass of water.
>
> Leaving the reed on the mouthpiece has always seemed a strange piece
> of advice, but novice that I am, I wasn't sure I ought to question a
> professional.

Oh, gosh!

Look, what I wrote wasn't *advice*. I just wanted to say, it might be
worth trying, because it has seemed to work for me recently. (I might
change my mind after a bit, of course.)

But the point is, what do you find when *you* try it?

If your teacher told you that what he/she said was always what you
*should* do, then in my opinion he/she didn't teach you very well.
(He/she probably didn't actually say that, if you think back.)

Look, the most important job of a clarinet teacher is to teach their
student how to *think* about playing the clarinet; and the fundamental
principle of how to think about doing anything is: if it doesn't work,
try something else, to see if that works. And if *that* doesn't work,
try something else...and so on.

Of course, you can, and should, ask for suggestions, perhaps from your
teacher if he/she is available, about the somethings else; and follow
their suggestions about the somethings else, including the idea that you
may have to try the somethings else for some time in order to evaluate
them.

But -- Professional Schmofessional!

In the end, it's up to you.

And consider: if, in the end, you want to say that you can't hope to
judge by yourself whether or not it works, then you wouldn't have been
any good anyway.

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

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