Klarinet Archive - Posting 000195.txt from 2005/07

From: "Margaret Thornhill" <clarinetstudio@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Equal Felicity
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 18:51:06 -0400

Dear Joe,

How you divide up your practicing time depends to some extent on how much
time you have, what kind of playing you do, and how expert you already are
at playing the clarinet.

Unless your instruments are extremely unmatched, I would see your list as 1.
regularly practicing a soprano clarinet (whether B-flat, A or C) and 2.
practicing an E-flat (sopranino, not alto?).

It is not at all necessary to play all three soprano instruments every day
or even every week. Many people would go months on end without using their C
clarinet if they have one. If you are still acquiring technique as a
clarinetist, you should be practicing on any one of these instruments daily.

You could rotate their use on a weekly basis unless you are using any one of
them for a specific performing activity, and set aside maybe a third of your
daily practicing time for the E-flat clarinet, depending on what you are
trying to accomplish with the instrument. Since it uses a different
embouchure and is more taxing to play,(figuratively speaking, the orange in
the box of apples) I would practice the E-flat clarinet at either the
beginning or end of your practice time.

Good luck achieving "equal felicity"(a very nice turn of phrase)

Margaret Thornhill
Artist/Teacher of Clarinet
Los Angeles
http://www.margaretthornhill.com

Joe wrote:
>
> What would your advice be in dividing practice time among the various
> instruments in the choir? I'd like to achieve equal felicity on the Bb, A,
> C
> and Eb horns.
>
> Would you divide up the day's practice time among them, or divide up the
> week? I'd think initially spending a week exclusively with one, and then
> dividing up the day would be best, but I'd like input on this. :-)
>
> Yeah, I'm searching for a good teacher, but here in Appalachia they are
> certainly not plentiful. The one I was told about turned out to be a real
> fake, and so I'm trying to make contact with a clarinetist in Knoxville
> Symphony, but being summer...
>
> Best wishes,
> --Joe
>
> ***********************************
>

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