 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-11-03 12:30
im making a new post regarding learning how to play faster....
im wondering if this is something i do on my own or can a teacher give me a boost with it?
i mean - a non-clarinet teacher. which leads me to my other question about teaching....
i just got a teacher who is a brass player. i am more advanced than what he normally teaches. according to him my level is advanced but i dont agree...
anyway... he is a retired teacher of 36 years and now teaches all woodwind instruments. i had my first lesson/meeting last saturday. he is very laid back and is kind of leaving it up to me what i want him to teach me.
i have suggested several times that he could help me with my musical expression but he continues to ask "how can i help you?" i know what i want him to help me with, but i dont know what to tell him HOW to go about it.
QUESTION: what can a non-clarinet teacher teach me, and how would he go about it? is this speed thing i have an issue with something he could help me with?
i would really like to continue with him since i havent had lessons for some time and right now it is not possible for me to travel or afford a real clarinet teacher.
thanks, jan
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2005-11-03 13:14
Have you brought in a piece of music or an excerpt that requires a lot of intellectual thought and asked him about it? Cause if not, he might need something to work with, not being a clarinetist and all. Asking an empty request like "teach me to play musically" is kind of hard with out something to apply it to, you know? Plus, if he's leaving it up to you, he probably means he's wanting you to bring him things you're working on, or are having trouble with because he's not that familiar with "advanced clarinet' rep as he sees it.
It's an excellent idea to want to work with a brass player, i.m.o. It can give you a different outlook on things, especially since you won't be hung up on clarinet "issues".
But like I said, if you leave it up to him to 'start the car', even though he's telling you to 'drive the car', you both will be butting heads, and never get anywhere. Take the plunge and bring him something.
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Author: Ron Jr.
Date: 2005-11-03 13:34
Jan,
If he plays the trumpet you two can easily play duets together. You take the top line, he takes the lower line and then switch. If he's advanced (he is a teacher after all) then you can see how he plays the line you just played and compare it to how you played it. You can have him play a line in three different ways, by emphasizing different aspects fo the phrase. Then try to recreate his interpretations/exagerations.
Some teachers can explain with great detail what you should do to achieve a certain goal. Others are best imitated. So perhaps his strength is his ability to play along with you and show you different ways of milking a phrase.
Luckily he's a wind player, and the most difficult thing to figure out for wind players is where to place the breath mark. It's placement can radically alter the meaning of a phrase.
Jan, although he is not a clarinetist and he may not be able to describe the nuances of clarinet playing, the bottom line here is that you have the opportunity to play with a good wind player, take advantage, play, and learn.
Good luck,
Ron Jr.
Post Edited (2006-03-06 17:18)
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2005-11-03 14:06
thanks both of you. i really love the idea of playing duets. first of all, theyre fun ... and it would be some sight reading for me too. and .. ive never played duets with a trumpet before. his primary instruments are bariton and trombone, but he plays trumpet too.
since i have only met him once so far (he goes to the students home too) i havent really had the opportunity to bring him anything.
what he had me do was play a piece from wind symphony. i chose toccata marziale since it is the hardest piece i have. i thought he would stop me and tell me to phrase better, or more dynamics or better articulation etc ... but he never stopped me. i played the whole thing and then he asked what level i thought i was at. i replied - approaching advanced and he said i was advanced. but still -i was sure there were places we could pick apart and make more polished. how do i express that to him? especially now that i have chosen a page from the rose studies. i want to do more than just play the notes and rhythms. i want to make it REALLY beautiul - with his guidance.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2005-11-03 14:21
In addition to providing the material and a "vision" for the way you see a piece, try playing a phrase in what might be considered the opposite (if you're getting louder going up, play the second time getting softer...or if the first rendering is legatto, play really short the next time around) and then ask which he likes better and why. Also have those questions and answers ready for yourself.
I always went out of my way to hear lectures/master-classes by great musicians of other instruments - you learn a lot that way.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: mtague
Date: 2005-11-03 17:25
Hi,
I agree that playing duets can be fun. Since your teacher also plays the bass clef stuff, try getting some pieces for that too, as well as clarinet/trumpet duets (i think clarinet/clarinet duets work too... not sure, just know that I sometimes played the trumpets part on my clarinet in high school).
My teacher is a bassoon player and we play bassoon/clarinet duets, and clarinet/clarinet duets. She'll show me something with her clarinet and I'll repeat it and then we'll play the duet together. I'm only at a beginner level, so our focus is different than yours, but I do like hearing her interpretation of a piece in contrast to mine. We work from there with whatever it seems like I need to work on (i.e. she'll notice I'm weak on 16ths, or need to play more dynamics, etc.).
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-11-03 17:29
The brass guy can still teach you MUSIC, even if you have to ask around on some technical matters. You can practice whatever with or without a teacher, but any experienced musician can be helpful to you.
And I would second the post that says to prepare something for him, rather than waiting for him to tell you everything to do.
Allen Cole
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