Klarinet Archive - Posting 000168.txt from 2001/11

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: clarinetist's block
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 13:32:16 -0500

On Sun, 4 Nov 2001 10:59:34 EST, HatNYC62@-----.com said:

> There has been some good advice on this subject and some crap as well,
> but let me add a few things based on my own experience.

What David writes is always wise.

But in case what he writes doesn't speak to your particular case,
perhaps I might be able to provide another sort of incentive. (People
have suggested related things in previous posts, of course.)

The truth about me is that when I was young, I really didn't want to
practise, even the half-hour a day that I was supposed to, at the
beginning.

My parents said, though: if you don't practise, we'll *sell* it. And I
didn't want that.

But, why?

Well, because I enjoyed *playing* it, even if I didn't enjoy practising.

What I remember of my early days of playing the clarinet was the joy of
reading through wind quintets with friends on Sunday afternoons; of
bashing through the cl/pf repertoire after school with my schoolpal (we
got as far as the Ireland Sonata eventually); and playing in local
orchestras, Gilbert and Sullivan, and so on....

In the end, I practised only in order to be able to *play* better. And
that wasn't demanded by anything other than that the music just didn't
sound good enough, to me and other people, if I didn't.

I still don't practise very much unless I have to play something. You
might be the same.

If you are, the answer is to organise yourself some more interesting
stuff to do. (Actually, looking back, IMO that's the best reason of all
to practise.) Surely you can do that.

I do have to say, by the way, that you're living quite dangerously if
you practise just in order to practise. Because what makes someone a
good player in a group is that they *understand* what they're doing.

Just being able on the instrument doesn't cut it, whatever is said here
from time to time. And the only way to understand is to *do* it, and to
*keep on doing it*.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
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