 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2003-02-05 14:07
I'm kind of new to teaching privately ... dont know if ive already posted any background info - but, i have been teaching my neice for 2 1/2 years very successfully. It has been rewarding and enjoyable for us both.
I always wanted to be a private clarinet teacher and started college as a music major but never completed it. I stopped playing music for about 12 years and returned to it about 6 years ago. my dream for teaching came alive again when my neice was old enough to learn. I enjoyed it so much, i wanted to teach others and i finally have got some 'real' students ...
heres my question ... once you have taught the basics - how to play notes, basic rhythms and they start moving out of the beginner stage into the intermediate stage - what are some things to look for (listen for) in order to improve their playing? once they have the basics down - what is the next step?
im not really sure how to ask my question - but what im picturing is this ... my student plays his assigned etude - he plays all the right notes, and all the right rhythms - but still it could sound more polished. what are some things i could point out for him to work on .. dynamics, articulation ?
okay - so maybe im not qualified to teach this level yet .. but thats why im asking so that i learn ..so i can start preparing myself for it
any teaching advice? How do others get started? Is it just a matter of gaining experience?
I really really want to do this ..more as a music mentor than anything else. I, myself am at an advanced level, take lessons, play in a wind symphony and clarinet choir - so i have some playing experience behind me .. just not a lot of teaching experience.
JL
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-02-05 19:22
Teach them Concepts, Janlynn, then teach them to Interpret
And there are millions of concepts so, listen, listen, listen and then listen some more. Every piece of music, without exception, the 'good' and the 'bad' - all of it has something to 'say'.
A lot of playing music, beyond the beginning fundamental stages of course, is interpretation; either the conductor's interpretation or the (soloist)/performer's interpretation. Sure, the composer had certain basic things in mind during the creative phase of the work, maybe even some pretty firm ideas about it, but nothing in the arts is 'set in stone', so to speak. Even sculptors are constantly re-inventing ways of conveying their ideas. The arts express living ideas.
When we study music, the notes and patterns of a piece, whether it be aurally or via written score, we have an overall picture of the composer's intent. The concept. Now it's up to the musicians to make the most of it. They (your students, in this discussion) need to feel something of what the originator had in mind and, to the best of their ability, convey that to their audience; invariably they'll add a little to it, put their own 'spin' on it. You can help with the mechanics of playing the instrument. The conductors and the soloists, the really good ones, determine the delivery. Music is a language and there are many ways of getting the concept across. As soon as they, your students, gain some fluency and understand to some degree the concept, teach them to interpret.
And, most of all, Have Fun))
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-02-05 20:54
I spent a hell of a lot of time (way back when I was an "intermediate" level clarinet student) playing duets with my teacher - loads of them. These were good and it helped me with not only my ensemble playing (i.e. fitting in) but intonation and listening ... Also, if you want a book that has loads of intermediate level duets you really can't go past Lazarus (there's 3 books, perhaps the first in the set might be the best?)
just a suggestion
diz, Sydney
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Author: Hank
Date: 2003-02-05 23:19
Diz,
You are correct about the duets. I always was so taken by my teacher's tone, technique, and musicality (although I did not know at the time that's what it was called).
Also, saving the duets till the later part of the lesson always made there something to look forward to in the scheme of things.
HRL
PS Two books with lots of stuff are the Selected Duets (Vol. I & II) by Voxman.
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Author: Signe
Date: 2003-02-06 05:49
Have you worked with her on breath support and embouchure? For interpretation of phrases, I have students blow a phrase on one note, while they're thinking the written notes. This is to get a beautiful core of sound to work with. They can put dynamics to this tone. Then add the notes, being sure to keep the support continuous through the phrase. This is also true for staccato passages. Use only the tongue to stop and start the notes. The air is always moving steadily, and forward. Also, make sure that the last note of a phrase is finished. It's common for beginners to chop the ends of phrases.
Also, start working with a tuner, and blowing long tones on octaves. As she progresses, she'll be playing with a more open embouchure on the high notes. I like to have them produce a good tone on low G, and then keep that embouchure intact through high C. The notes just pop out.
Then, take the tuner and have her lower the pitches of the notes with her embouchure. Have her try to maintain a decent long tone on a note below the pitch. This develops flexibility in the embouchure.
Teaching music is the greatest (if not the most lucrative) job in the world. I got to be good at it by trial and error. I learn the most from the ones who are the hardest to teach. Hope you have as much fun as I'm having, but don't move to Pt. Townsend, as I need all the clients I can get. Signe
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2003-02-06 12:17
Thank You for the replies - they are all helpful. appreciate it!
JL
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