Klarinet Archive - Posting 000466.txt from 2004/11

From: X-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] Clarinet and Flute Doubling
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 14:23:31 -0500

I want to thank all those that have commented so far, both on list and off,
as this has all been very helpful. Please continue to make any additional
comments either on list or off.

Needless to say, I am not in a hurry to purchase a flute, and realize there
is much to learn before even deciding to do this. Cost of course is one
factor, although a big one.

A couple of people have suggested considering a used flute and I think this
is a great idea. I would think that a good used flute, or any instrument for
that matter, can be a better investment than buying new. As with all things,
condition is everything and I would also want to hold back enough money to
have it professionally set up. I know of a couple of websites that sell
flutes and offer this service. J.L. Smith and Flute World.

I agree with Adam Michlin that ones does not need to necessarily take up a
second instrument just to improve one or two things like focusing the air
and breath support. I have a couple of very good books that address these
areas. Books like Larry Guy's titled "Embouchure Building for Clarinetist".
There is one section where he suggests working with a straw to help
understand the concept of a focused air stream. I also have the book by
Robert Schmidt titled "A Clarinetist Notebook Vol. IV: Toward a More Perfect
Tone" where many of these same concepts are discussed including the use of
vowels and inside mouth formation and tongue placement. I am working on all
these and do feel they have been helpful.

My clarinet teacher pulled the barrel off of his clarinet and said to look
at the bore and how small the bore is. He said that we have to focus the air
so that it fits into this small, round opening. That one must always keep
this in mind when blowing. It sounds like Joe Allard had a similar concept
since they all studied with Bonade, so this concept is certainly not new.
Ernest Ferron also talks a little bit about this in his book "The Clarinet
Revealed". He says that the air stream actually needs to be smaller than the
bore of the clarinet and discusses the "boundary layer" effect on sound
production, claiming that the air stream is not actually physically
vibrating off the wall of the clarinet bore, but off the boundary layer. He
cites an example in aerospace where dust on an airplanes wings will remain
on there even during flight and will still be there when the plane lands. He
also refers to this boundary layer inside a clarinet as a "bio" layer made
up of organic material that is microscopic in size.

I guess the thing is I thought I was doing all this, but realize that it is
hard to gauge ones degree of accomplishment without some outside source.
That is why, without a teacher or private instructor, one can only take
information out of a book so far. I do not recommend being self taught from
books if at all possible as this can lead to a one-sidedness or lack of
objectivity, but that one should be as read on the subject as possible in
order to understand and apply these concepts when working with a private
instructor. The problem may occur however, that the private instructor will
themselves not be familiar with this knowledge.

I also believe that being able to play more than one instrument can add to
your pleasure and satisfaction as a musician, as long as it is taking you
where you want to go. I am definitely wanting to learn a second instrument.
My wife wants me to learn sax, but she is motivated from the fact that she
just likes to listen to sax having heard Dave Coz and Kenny G. Who hasn't?
But I am also concerned that learning sax will impact my clarinet playing in
a negative way, and I don't want to take away from that at all as clarinet
is my first love. I think that is the biggest reason why my teacher
recommend flute as a better way to go. If I was starting all over again and
was back in high school, I am not certain I would make that same decision
because sax is such a commercially viable instrument and the ability to make
a living playing sax is far greater than clarinet or flute.

Tom Henson

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