 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: D
Date: 2006-08-22 20:04
I know this must have been discussed to death a million times but I have been unable to dig up anything with the search function.
Here is the question:
I consider it important to be able to play both while sitting and while standing, because you never know where you might have to play. Certainly when I used to play the flute I was probably 50/50 for concerts and rehersals, always standing for lessons and exams, and frequently sprawled on the stairs to practice. With the clarinet I find it very hard to play standing up, and therefore I could do with some advice.
How do I learn to play standing up? I can manage about two or three minutes on a good day before I get dizzy and have to sit down. Once down I never get dizzy.
Can anyone point me in the direction of existing discussion or does anyone have any handy hints? I have searched under sit, sitting, stand, seated etc but seem to get the same few threads everytime. Mostly regarding bass clarinet stands, audition position, chair placements and pad replacement!
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-08-22 20:14
This may sound a very silly question, but.....
You say that if you play the clarinet for a couple of minutes standing, you get dizzy. What happens if you stand doing nothing at all for a couple of minutes? It's not unusual for people to feel faint under those conditions. You may need to move around a bit - sway in time to the music or whatever - to stop yourself feeling faint.
Flute players tend to wave their instruments around more than clarinet players do - maybe this is why you didn't have this problem when you played the flute.
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Having said all that, I don't see there's any real problem if you can only play sitting down. Cellists and pianists always sit. Alan Hacker is one of England's leading clarinet players and he always sits - being confined to a wheelchair he has little option.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: D
Date: 2006-08-22 20:29
I'm fine standing without playing. I haven't tried walking and moving around while playing, maybe that is something to work on. It's so silly, because I spend hours standing at work and I'm fine.
Since I've been playing clarinet I haven't lived in one place long enough to find a decent teacher (9 and a half months is the longest I've managed but I'm ruining that by moving next week!) but hopefully next year will be a longer run and I can find a teacher prepared to take on an adult, and a temporary one at that. I think it is past time that I got some of these things properly sorted out.
The really silly thing is that I used to play alto sax standing up and not faint! Don't know if I can still do that, it's living at my parents house.
I might have to declare myself over the hill.
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-08-22 20:42
D,
It may be something that you should discuss with your doctor.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2006-08-22 23:24
Try to find where your limit is so you can ask a doc. Can you stand and play long tones for a few minutes? Can you stand and play without reading music (from memory)? Can you stand and just take long breaths (breathe deeply without a clarinet?) Figure out what your threshold is. Might help figure out what might be the problem.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-08-23 05:28
I have something called NeuroCardiogenicSyncope (yes syncope!). It is basically that sometimes I can faint if I stand too long in one place, especially after doing sports or playing or something like that. Most of the times even if I stand in one place after sport or playing I wouldn't faint and everything would be normal. A few times I will start seeing black and will know so I just sit or lie down to not faint. Sometimes I can faint (or more likely start seeing black and be able to stop it) without any sports or playing, just when I get up from sitting for example. I had something called Tilt test done and they found it. You are tied to a bed and they change the poisition like you are standing. You stand there for 30 minutes, if after 15-20 minutes nothing happen they inject you something. They injected me but a few seconds after they injected it (according to the doctor it didn't have enough time to affect) I fainted.
Lengthy post, but maybe it will be worth it to check this?
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2006-08-23 11:08
I agree with Seafaris, make sure your knees are not locked!
Then as a general rule, practice pieces for which you'll be sitting sitting, and work for which you'll be standing standing.
(Not that Clarnibass might be wrong!)
Good luck
James Tobin
Gnothi Seauton
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