The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Speculator Sam
Date: 2018-08-30 03:14
Quick question. How advanced should a clarinetist take there classical studies before choosing another genre if they'd like? What I mean is, from what I understand many college musicians choose between classical or jazz studies... as intermediate player who doesn't have the guidance of a band or clarinet teacher I'm wondering how advanced should I get into classical music before focusing on another genre of music if so desired?
The only lead I could provide is that my Mother told me when she was in band class, a lot of college hopefuls, including herself, would learn a movement of a Weber concerto. The Rose 32 were also a staple at some point. I take it there's a certain amount of Technic and basics/fundamentals that you must learn before developing a musical specialty.
I hope I'm not being verbose or talking in circles here. I'd like to one day be able to study and practice other genres, which I do noodle with radio songs and video game tunes if I like them that much, but I do mostly focus on things like the Rubank Intermediate and Concert & Contest collection for now. I've been playing for one year now, every bit of advice helps.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2018-08-30 06:59
There's no rule. Do you like to play classical music? There's no reason to leave it in order to experiment with other genres. If you're just playing the classical music because you're "spozed to" then there's no real reason to play it at all.
Play whatever music you like. Many (most?) "college musicians" play a variety of genres and styles. Many jazz and "pop" musicians have never seriously studied "classical" music - many of the old Dixieland and blues players in hostory never studied "classical" repertoire or even learned to read music.
I think you're doing this, from everything you've posted here, for your own pleasure. So play the music that gives you pleasure.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-08-30 08:18
That's absolutely the best advice.
Benny Goodman had attributed some of his success to his classical training but you have to ask yourself just how much that was given that he was playing professionally with Ben Pollack at the age of thirteen.
As a classical music lover I was curious enough about the discipline of improvisation to ask a friend of mine (who learned his craft at Berklee alongside Brandford Marsalis) for some help. He said that besides knowing the "head" to hundreds of charts, you need to understand how to create a melodic line over a given chord progression. He gave me bass line and told me to write a melody over it. I was to come back with this melodic line and he'd evaluate it; tell me what was good; tell be what could be improved; and then give me the next chord progression to work on. After twenty-seven years he's still waiting to see my first submission.......but I'm ok with that.
Then there is my nephew. He began guitar lessons about the age of ten. I was appalled that his instructor gave him some chords and started him doing some rock tunes right off the bat. I could not understand how any teacher could have someone working on tunes before even knowing the basic scales. Within a year my nephew was playing pay gigs and it was not long after his professional and monetary life surpassed mine exponentially (no hard feelings).
As Karl said, do what you love.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2018-09-15 03:12
To bridge the gap between classical and jazz, practice scales. Major, all forms of minor, diminished, modal, etc. -- In all keys. For basic Blues practice the "Blues" scale (ie. in C Major- up & down-- C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb-C-Bb-G-F#-F-Eb-C.)
Find a group that plays jazz/dixie/pop music. Write out solos and ad lib from there. Get to a point where you can jump in with a solo with nothing written.
It's not easy. I learned some of that while teaching H.S. Jazz Band. Had no "formal" training. Lots of fun, though. As a professor of mine at the U. of Regina once said "I'm not a Jazz player, I play AT Jaz".
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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