Klarinet Archive - Posting 000450.txt from 2004/10

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Anticipation
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 17:39:14 -0400

On 15 Oct, Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com> wrote:

> At 07:01 PM 10/15/2004 +0100, Tony Pay wrote:

> > In my view, we make what are actually quite trivial things much too
> > intimidating. The more you tell someone exactly how they should do
> > staccato, the more you limit the variety of what they can produce *in the
> > name of staccato*. And I'd say that *that* variety, plus an appreciation
> > of how it may be used, is the most important thing.
>
> It is a fascinating dichotomy. Does proper instruction really inhibit the
> variety a student can achieve? I would say no, proper instruction actually
> allows the student more options to sound they want to sound because they
> choose to, rather than *have* to, sound a certain way.
>
> To be clear, proper instruction is explaining how the system works. Not in
> being dogmatic and saying "you must do it my way". The latter isn't
> instruction, it is indoctrination.

Yes. Which is why it's worth while not saying things like, you must say tah,
you must say tat, you must put tip of tongue to tip of reed, you must push
the reed against the mouthpiece, you must begin notes with the tongue, you
must stop the air, you mustn't stop the air, etc etc.

All these things are done/not done by 'proper' players -- who are of course
interested primarily in the results.

As opposed to people who are condemned to ask what they 'should do'.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd tony.p@-----.org
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
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