Klarinet Archive - Posting 000169.txt from 2002/04

From: "fred.sheim" <fred.sheim@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] OT Some hints for piano; was memorization
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 00:17:20 -0500

Thanks to all who replied to my post. Actually, I find EITHER hand simple
(I learned bass clef by entering piano music into the computer). What
kills me is when I try BOTH hands together. Not that its impossible, but
both hands together require MUCH concentration, sometimes starting with a
single measure over and over to get things going.

And the tag line at the end of this email won my joke of the week award :
D I needed a good laugh today too! Thank you.

Fred

At 09:15 PM 4/3/02, you wrote:
>Fred Sheim wrote:
>
> Is it normal for piano players to memorize their music? Or is it because I
>am such a rank beginner at the piano?
>
>Patricia:
>
>I began with the piano, at age six, before taking up the clarinet, later, at
>nine. I only memorized music for recitals, not as a matter of daily study.
>I think you are simply not used to reading both staffs together.
>
>My suggestion - get ready - you may not like it, but it will work, I
>promise! - concentrate primarily on the bass clef for now. Obviously you
>already read treble clef well. Work on bringing your bass clef reading up
>to where it needs to be.
>With the music you are working on, concentrate primarily on learning the
>left hand. (I have the sneaking suspicion you are a rightey! I am a
>southpaw, so that may have also made bass clef a bit less difficult for me
>as well!) When you have learned the left hand parts to the pieces you have
>assigned yourself for a particular period of time to the level that you are
>playing them fluidly, then - and ONLY then - add the right hand.
>
>Unfortunately, a good deal of piano music for beginners has the melody in
>the right hand, and in the treble clef, so that people do not develop a good
>deal of fluency in the left hand. You can overcome this particular problem
>by rewriting your melodies in bass clef and learning them with your left
>hand! I strongly suggest this. Another neat thing to do might be to take
>some bass clarinet parts, say for orchestra or band, and play THOSE with the
>left hand. You could even take an orchestral or band score and read all the
>bass clef parts, playing them with the left hand. Played along with
>listening to recordings, that would also be a good way to figure out the
>transpositions for various transposing instruments (there are a few that
>transpose an octave or a fifth - and of course there is the Eb contra-alto
>clarinet!!)
>
>HTH~!
>
>Good luck, Fred
>
>Patricia A. Smith
>pattiesmith@-----.net
>"I am so insecure that I went on jury duty and was sent home because I
>kept finding myself guilty." - Dan Leeson
>
>
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