 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-08-31 03:53
I grew up in the computer age (ok, I'm old). In December 1965, my father took me to work where one of the technicians had programmed a computer that usually ran vibration tests to play Jingle Bells. To give you some perspective, that computer was the size of a large office. In those days, even programming that little jingle was a feat worthy of Hercules. Today, we can listen to entire symphonies anywhere in the world and at different periods of time on an MP3 player. We can converse with other musicians around the world. I've been working with computers for more than 50 years. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I play the clarinet every night, usually using a metronome on my Android pad (though I do own an old clunk metronome. Or I play along with SmartMusic (on my pad or my computer).
I'm just curious to learn if there are any musical Luddites out there who have not been influenced by computers or who have opposed new technologies your clarinet playing.
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Author: donald
Date: 2016-08-31 12:24
I'm not allergic to computers, and use a zoom recorder and my computer to record and edit recordings for my students- but one thing i HATE is playing from an ipad. In March I played with some USA clarinet players ("Spatial Forces") who used an ipad, with a footpedal to turn pages. Yes, there are many reasons why this is a GOOD idea, but I'll never do it. Sorry, I don't want to look at a screen while I'm making music, and I hated them stomping their feet out of time every so often to turn pages, just not my scene daddyoh
dn
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-08-31 17:03
I'm not at all a technophobe, but I second Donald's aversion to performing from electronic screens. It seems to me they add a number of risks to the performing process. Too much can go wrong when you depend on computers in real time. I've taught long enough to know what can happen to an entire lesson plan because the computer won't link to the projector, or a corrupted file won't load.
I do practice from a laptop/tablet that fits on my music stand as an alternative to printing out parts that I download from IMSLP and similar sites. Screens that are really large enough for total comfort are expensive, but for practice I can put up with either a slightly smaller print size or some additional scrolling.
Another piece of technology that I have avoided incorporating into my teaching, since you mentioned it, is SmartMusic. I know a number of teachers who have their students use it heavily. My personal opinion is that, however much fun it may be to have the accompaniment when you play, it's a huge distraction when you're practicing, especially for a student whose practice skills may be tenuous. The point of practice isn't to learn to fit your part to the accompaniment, it's to learn your part. The fitting together happens at rehearsals with another live human being with all the interaction rehearsing involves. Too much time and, more important, attention, is spent by students misusing SmartMusic (often simply trying to keep up) to make it a good practice tool during the actual learning process.
Karl
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Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-08-31 18:57
I was using SmartMusic (my subscription ends on September 26) for quite some time. I used it to the play along; however, I mostly used it to hear how a particular piece of sounds.
I agree wholeheartedly with you. I found it easier and more interesting to listen to actual clarinetists play a particular concerto or sonata to hear the nuances in their playing. When my subscription ends, I don't plan on renewing it. Now that I'm further along in my studies, I can pretty much figure out how a piece sounds by using a metronome.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-08-31 20:46
As far as music goes, I only use computers for looking up scores and parts on IMSLP and similar and also use Sibelius for rewriting parts and arrangements.
But computers bring out the worst in me when they decide to go on a go-slow or won't allow me to do something that's otherwise simple. Computers are probably the main things that push me over the edge (next to mobile phones and digital television paraphernalia) when they can't be reasoned with.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2016-09-01 00:53
I have a Peterson 520 strobe tuner. I do not have any experience with virtual strobes or tuner apps. Since portability is not an issue for me, the Peterson works fine.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2016-09-01 02:53
Threatening a computer with violence tends to make it act worse. It's better if you actually perform the violence.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-09-01 17:57
That was a genuine accident as I dropped my laptop the other day. Just had a replacement screen delivered and I fitted it so order has been restored.
I was sent a programme called 'Bagpipe Player' which is a computer based bagpipe instructor. Only I can't relate the two for it to be of any benefit.
Maybe that's for the best.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2016-09-01 17:59)
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2016-09-01 18:56
I think we are mainly talking about the inclusion of electronically created and manually (e.g. hit the switch) performed electronic "instrument" sounds like Mothership https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0K1kJOins4 and not something that is purely electronic like The Lonely Bull (subotnik) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLnPWzDSfNs.
I wonder if the issue is that electronic sounds lack legitimacy as virtuosity cannot be achieved when playing them. In Mothership, the sounds are largely percussive, so that loudness and timing of other perc can be used, but in many cases, real-time (live-performance) modulation of the sound nuance is not available or understood.
Also, the Theremin has some control but it is hard to contain and lacks others (e.g. a sharp attack), and it has become associated with 'other-worldliness'.
Yet, here we are well into the 21st century. Perhaps there are some good clarinet/electronic/chamber pieces out there, or that can be written.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2016-09-02 02:39
One of the pianists I work with has conducted and played dozens of musical theater shows (hundreds of performances) with his scores on the big iPad Pro. He uses the Forscore app along with a bluetooth pedal to turn the pages, and I must say it is an awesome setup and works beautifully.
While I see that he has the paper scores on backup in case something goes wrong, there hasn't been any failures (yet).
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Author: sax panther
Date: 2016-09-02 12:08
I use an android app called mobilesheets when I do function gigs - I'm usually sent the music as pdf files for those, so saves me having to print them out. Works brilliantly for me.
I also tend to use it if there's a particularly tricky piece in the wind band that I play in - I just snap a photo of the sheet music on my phone, then send it to my tablet to import into mobilesheets. Saves having to take a whole pad of music home.
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The Clarinet Pages
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