 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aislinn
Date: 2002-05-13 12:26
Hi everyone!
My name is Aislinn and I am a Honours student at the Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane, Australia. I am writing a dissertation about the factors which contribute to young beginner students choosing or not choosing oboe as compared to other woodwind instruments such as clarinet. I had a few questions which I hope you can help me with.
1. a)What difficulties do young beginner clarinet students face?
2. How would you approach teaching a beginner student techniques such as breathing, embouchure, tonguing, dynamic control etc.?
3."There is a perception that sound production and gratification is achieved more quickly and easily on clarinet than oboe". Do you think this is the case and why?
4.a) Why did you choose to play clarinet?
b) Did you consider playing oboe? What factors influenced your decision?
5. Why do you think clarinet is more accessible to beginner students than oboe?
Finally, the last time I posted questions about the oboe, some of you mentioned that oboe is excluded from participating in marching band activities. As an Australian, I have no idea why this is the case. Could someone let me know why oboists are excluded from playing in marching bands?
Thank you for your time.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2002-05-14 00:19
Well, it is next to impossible to march with the oboe in ones mouth. The oboe is played on the very tip of the reed and does not sound very good if a lot of the reed is in the mouth.
The oboe player faces many hurdles: instrument misadjustment and leaks, unstable and terrible sounding reeds, difficult fingerings, poor instruments, humidity effects on the reeds, etc. Good Luck!
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-05-14 01:59
1) Young (10-11 years old) beginner students face overworked band directors. Many overworked band directors in this country do not have the time to teach each student with the care they deserve. (Nothing against the band directors...they just don't have enough time!)
That said, these beginners need to know: 1. Squeaks are ok...usually caused by lip movement, inadequate finger coverage, or overblowing to the next partial. Of course, I don't tell them that about the partials and all...I just tell them it's a note they don't know yet... 2. Hand position. 3. Breathing...most are too tense. 4. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!!!!
2) I approach all my beginners first and foremost as INDIVIDUALS. Not every one of them will have the same issues. For breathing, I usually have them lie on the floor and breathe with their "tummies." Also, if they breathe with a high-pitched "AAAHHH" or "EEEEEHHH" sound, I tell them to inhale with an "OOOOOOOOHHHHH" sound. That automatically relaxes them and gives them better inhalation.
Embouchure really depends on the kid. The biggest problem I see is that their lower lip tends to "pout" out instead of "rolling" slightly inwards. I also try to get them to use their upper lip at an early age, having them actively press downward while playing.
3) I'm not sure about the oboe comment, because I've never had and oboe lesson. I've only messed around on friends' oboes.
4) a) I chose the clarinet because I had an awful 5th grade band director who didn't teach us "girls" how to play the drums very well. I was frustrated and gave up drums for clarinet. I had "tried" clarinet out before choosing drums, and had chosen drums because the clarinet "tickled" my lip. Funny that I had no problems with that a year later when I actually started clarinet. I told the band director I wanted to play either flute or clarinet, but he said there were too many flutists....so it was the clarinet for me.
b)I considered playing oboe before choosing drums. We were given the opportunity to try 3 instruments. As I said above, the clarinet tickled my lip, so I chose not to play that at first. I didn't even try the oboe although it was on my list of 3...and all because I overheard someone else trying the oboe...
I didn't wanna play it then cause it sounded like a duck...I guess I had never heard anyone play it well at that point.
5) I think clarinet is more accessible because more band directors can teach it better than they can teach oboe. Additionally, the double reed can scare people off. There is generally a lack of good double reed (private) teachers around here too...
Need anything else, just email...
Katrina
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Author: Ron
Date: 2002-05-14 02:53
I'm not an oboe player, but I play one on TV....
A real oboe player, who works at a local shop specializing in that instrument, told me that oboes are sensitive to temperature changes. He mentioned that a three-degree (presumably F) change in temperature was a problem for correct tuning.
It's hard to imagine such a temperature-sensitive instrument outside in a marching band. On the other hand, perhaps orchestral tuning standards can be tossed out the window in a marching band.
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-05-14 03:11
The finicky reeds, expense of even a plastic instrument, the difficulty of learning to play it, and the delicacy of the sound would all seem to keep the oboe (and bassoon) off of the marching field.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-05-14 17:12
Aislinn - I echo all of the above V G comments, I am really a clar and sax player of many years [age 10 to 83], who TRIED to become an oboist for our small symphony orch. There I was very happy to surrender the 1st oboe parts to upcoming students and others during a 10 years struggle with "the ill wind nobody blows good" and those dern reeds. To try to give a short answer to your ?s 1. fingering [creates squeeks], embouchure ["funny" sounds, flat, maybe no high notes] , cl care, assembly and dis--, knowing what may be wrong, having to read music also, etc. 2. I dont teach, just demonstrate to "receptive" clists. 3. Definitely yes, see 4 a b. 4a,b. In 1929, only a poor cl was available from our local repairman, oboe was never considered, doubt there were teachers in Lansing, Mi then. Inst cost would have been a factor as was [later, high school] advice that "the oboe is very difficult" and reeds are a tremendous problem. 5. The "above", cost, fragility [even with plastics now, not back then], REEDS, [even with "store-boughts now]. Marching, Embochure!! and volume-piercing quality sounds [from reeds] is supplied by saxes, and piccolo-high clars. Wow, long reply to ?easy? questions!!! Much Luck, Don
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2002-05-15 18:53
You can't play the oboe out on the marching field because first, the read would break if you tried to walk with it in your mouth! Playing marching clarinet, you atleast have a mouthpiece to hold on to when you walk. Oboeists can't walk with the reed in their mouths because of the up and down movement - they'd bite their unprotected reed right off. And second, any instrument made of wood should not be played outside because the temperature changes durning marching band season would crack the instrument since its so cold outside.
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-05-16 04:11
One problem not mentioned yet with the clarinet is the effect of the weight of the instrument on the thumb of a 9 or 10 year old. (Common starting ages here in the US.) There are solutions to this, neck straps, enhanced thumbrests etc. which have been often discussed here. When I began 40 years ago, if these things existed, the local music store and my teachers didn't know about them. I remember much pain, and holding the rest between the thumb and index finger which lasted only until I learned the "B" on the right hand. I played with pain from the thumb for a good year or two.
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-05-18 00:12
I play both clarinet and oboe. Most school district band directors don't promote oboe playing simply because the instrument cannot be played while marching, whether it is plastic or wood. If one begins on oboe it is no more difficult than the clarinet if the teacher understands the oboe. The fingerings are easier in many ways. The instrument is somewhat smaller, and there are not tone holes and rings to cover that give many young clarinetists with small fingers challenges. The clarinet in many ways is more difficult with the 12th register jump, rather than the oboe octave jump. The clarinet's low notes are easier to play than the oboe's lower notes. The oboe overall is a "touchier" instrument, requiring fine adjustments. In fact, oboes often are purchased with an adjusting screwdriver in the case! Student oboists cannot make their reeds, like virtually all professionals do. Clarinetists have reed challenges, as well, but most do not have to fashion their own reeds. Hope that answers some elementary questions for you! Regards, Sandra
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