Klarinet Archive - Posting 000695.txt from 2002/10

From: "Gene Nibbelin" <gnibbelin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Selecting a clarinet
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2002 12:18:31 -0500

Kelly -

Very good advice!!!!

Regards,

Gene N.

-----Original Message-----
From: CBA [mailto:clarinet10001@-----.com]
Subject: RE: [kl] Selecting a clarinet

Rebecca,

I would take a whoe different approach to your instrument buying
venture than everyone else is saying. You are still in high
school (not a senior, if I remember). If (and ONLY if your Vito
clarinet is in good shape and is playable) I would suggest
this...

1. Get a qualified teacher to spend time with you every week on
technique and...

2. After a month of so, have your teacher assist you in finding
a new mouthpiece that suits your playing a direction, if
necessary.

I would wait at least 6 months with a new mouthpiece that you
like before looking for an instrument. If your mouthpiece that
you are using now is working well for you, at least spend 3
months with your teacher before looking for an instrument.

After the 3 months with the teacher (or 6 months with the
teacher and your new mouthpiece) look for a new instrument.

Intonation and instrument functionality changes with different
mouthpieces, so make sure the mouthpiece is the one you want to
play on before choosing an instrument. Also, studying with
someone regularly for 3-6 months will prepare you to find the
instrument that you will be truly happy with. I wouldn't choose
a new instrument right now without having a private teacher,
just to go to camp, as the instrument that you have may be
working fine. A qualified teacher could help you with the
decision personally.

The money spent on the teacher would probably help you advance
much more than a new instrument. A good teacher would be much
more beneficial for the money than a new instrument (again, if
the Vito instrument is still in playable shape.) A new
instrument would be a better buy if you waited, in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents...

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - New York City
--- Gene Nibbelin <gnibbelin@-----.com> wrote:
> Rebecca -
>
> If you are planning on continuing with your clarinet studies
> through
> college, at least as a minor, and plan to continue playing
> after college
> perhaps as an avocation, I suggest that you take a serious
> look at the
> Leblanc Concerto (with silver plated keys).
> If you are really serious about your clarinet studies, the
> extra investment
> in a fine professional instrument at this time will prove to
> be a wise move.
>
> My teacher plays a Buffet R13 and when we play duets it seems
> that the
> Buffet has more intonation problems than my Leblanc. I don't
> mean to say
> that my horn has no intonation problems, but that they are not
> troublesome.
> Also, I have been surprised and sometimes amused by the
> various "Buffet
> problems" that I see discussed here on the list. Granted that
> there area
> probably more R13s out there than Leblancs, but you seldom see
> any such
> problems with the Leblancs.
>
> I know that I have not had any of these problems. No stuffy
> throat tones,
> no intonation problems on "middle B, C, C#, no searching for
> barrels to
> correct these problems. Also, my teacher and I have
> discovered several
> handy alternate fingerings that are much better in tune and
> with better
> timbre on the Leblanc than on his Buffet.
>
> All this is just my opinion based on my experience with my
> Leblancs (Bb & A)
> purchased about 4 years ago after trying both Buffets and
> Selmers.
>
> Good luck in your search,
>
> Gene N.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rebecca Brennan [mailto:rjbrennan1221@-----.com]
> Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 6:19 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Selecting a clarinet
>
> The main reason I want a new clarinet now is to raise my score
> at the
> all-state auditions. The auditions are January 4th, so I'm
> wanting to get a
> new instrument as soon as possible. I'm going to make a
> decision after
> November 11. That is the end of marching band. A store
> recommended I buy a
> LeBlanc because I play on a vito and that would not be too big
> of a jump on
> intonation because of this system they use. I plan to look
> into it.
>
> I want to do the woodwind brasswind try three clarinets and
> keep one deal,
> but I don't know what to try.
>
> I just think that now is a good time to get one because my
> birthday and
> christmas are coming up and I have money right now to chip in
> and get a very
> good clarinet.
>
> -Rebecca
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: b5w@-----.net (William Wright)
> >Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> >To: klarinet@-----.org
> >Subject: Re: [kl] Selecting a clarinet
> >Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 09:27:11 -0800 (PST)
> >
> > <><> Rebecca Brennan wrote:
> >I've been looking at a beautiful Selmer clarinet at a music
> store. It
> >has unstained wood and gold keys. They let me play it and I
> think it was
> >very easy for me to play. I had better intonation on my old
> plastic vito
> >though.
> >
> >
> >
> >Rebecca, your post catches my attention because I have just
> recently
> >become very disturbed by my intonation on one particular note
> (throat
> >Bb) of my semi-professional clarinet.
> >
> >I don't know what to blame it on, nor do I understand why I
> didn't
> >perceive it as a problem earlier. The only solid fact I
> have is that
> >my *inexpensive* *plastic* *student* horn does not appear
> (right now) to
> >have the problem, and the difference is so severe that I have
> --- with
> >some sadness --- put my wood horn aside for the moment.
> >
> >The usual advice when someone asks "Which clarinet should I
> buy?" is:
> >
> >"Try different instruments yourself and _listen_.
> >
> >"Since you are part of the total 'acoustic system', what
> works for you
> >won't work for some other people, just as the mouthpiece or
> reed that
> >works for you won't work for some other people.
> >
> >"Give it a month or two, visit the store several times and
> play the same
> >instrument more than just once or twice. Buy from someone
> who will
> >allow exchanges if you hear something that you don't like
> after the
> >first few days of intensive playing at home. That's how you
> should
> >decide."
> >
> >As I said above, I'm happiest right now on my $400 ($350?)
> plastic
> >student horn, even though I don't understand why. Perhaps
> you'll be
> >happier if you use the money for something else, such as
> music camp or a
> >prom dress.
> >
> >I find it especially alarming to hear you say that you are
> considering
> >an instrument whose intonation you don't enjoy (at the
> moment). Each
> >instrument is different, of course, and perhaps after a few
> weeks you
> >will adjust to the handsome wood instrument. But 'looking
> good' is not
> >what music is about. Looking good is icing on the musical
> cake, not
> >the driving force.
> >
> >Cheers,
> > Bill
> >
> >
>
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