Klarinet Archive - Posting 000231.txt from 2003/10

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] [clarinet] reeds for beginners?
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2003 15:43:04 -0400

Even if they did have a mouthpiece with a close facing, most kids who =
are
beginning to play the clarinet, in my experience, still wouldn't have =
the
"chops" to play on a number 3. I think it's better to try a softer reed =
at
the beginning so they are not having trouble producing a sound. =
Initially,
the goal is simply to get some sound out of that instrument, squeaks and
squawks aside. Those occur in the beginning anyway with most kids, no
matter what the setup. The softer reed will produce a "brighter" sound,
(sorry Dan) but at least its sound and they can play a tune. I once had =
a
student that took an entire month to be able to produce a tone on the
instrument. She was younger than most beginners and would have been
mortified if she had been in a group of kids starting in school being =
unable
to get a tone out of her clarinet. It simply takes a little longer for =
some
kids to figure it all out and I don't want to discourage them by taking =
the
risk or using a reed that is too hard in the beginning. As long as it's
balanced well, a softer reed would be preferred for a beginner-that's me =
of
course, but I believe in setting them up for success as much as =
possible.

Christy=20
.
>=20
> No argument; but as a practical matter, I wonder if many beginning
> students --- in the sense of "Hey, Mom, can I learn to play clarinet?"
> --- arrive with a close mouthpiece on which a #3 or stiffer would play
> easily?
>=20

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