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Oh boy.

Author: sanya
Date: 2007-05-24 04:52

Wow. Hi. I have been gone from this board for 8 months.

I have not played my clarinet for 8 months.

I started university this past fall and tried to get into a music class, but it didn't work with my schedule. And then I got overwhelmed by all of the work/play of university and I didn't play. Now I'm going to go rent it again, this weekend. I am going to audition for a class in September.

I know I will have lost a lot in terms of tone. That's okay because I'm willing to put in the hours now. None of my circumstances allowed me to play while I lived on-campus last year, but everything is different now and everything is going right for me and I feel like it's calling to me, hahaha. So although I am massively disappointed with how much I have backtracked, I'm willing to start again.

My question is, do you think I will need a different strength of reed? I'm planning on picking up some of those good old things at the store, too.

I'm so excited.

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Re: Oh boy.

Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-05-24 12:01

Funny how things work out. I stopped playing completely at Uni for a while.

Start back with half a strength less.

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Re: Oh boy.

Author: beantown_Bb
Date: 2007-05-24 19:07

Also: As summer homework, you could look for a volunteer community band in your home area.

That could help you get some pure playing hours back into your chops and help you build back up breath support, etc. I think you'll undoubtedly want a reed that is 1/2 to one number below what you were playing in your prime. (Start with 1/2 first. Even if you still want to go a full strength lower after getting started, you'll still have these ones to move back up to a little later.)

As for regaining your finger coordination and technique, you'll still have to work those out on your own...

Believe me, I've been in that boat, too. My hiatus was MUCH longer than one academic year, though!

Good luck

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Re: Oh boy.

Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-05-25 11:14

After high school, because of stage fright, I "quit forever" for nine years! When I came back, I did start with a reed half a strength lower than I'd been using, but within just a couple of weeks, I went back to the store and bought my former usuals. In fact, I think that first box of reeds I bought after I un-quit is still lying around here somewhere, going to waste with only one reed used. Hence my cheapskate suggestion that you see whether your music store keeps open boxes of reeds to sell one at a time. Buy one in the 1/2 size lower and see how things go. Your lip may come back pretty quickly, and then you won't like that reed any more.

Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.

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