The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clayton Dunaway
Date: 2002-09-08 00:49
Dear Musicians
I just got finished with my music lesson and my teacher just informed me that I needed to tongue on the reed, But in Middle School my band teacher told me to tongue on the roof of my mouth. I need to know if i'm doing anything wrong. If you could help, I would be very pleased.
Clayton
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-09-08 01:01
Well, I'm assuming you're playing clarinet. ;^)
You do need to tongue on the reed. When you play the flute, you can tongue on the roof of your mouth.
I'm not as sure about the brass instruments, though.
Maybe your band director is a flutist or a brass player...
Katrina
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-09-08 01:56
"Maybe your band director is a flutist or a brass player... "
Maybe your band teacher skipped Woodwinds 101 in college...GBK
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Author: John
Date: 2002-09-08 02:08
I managed to get all the way through high school by tonguing on the roof of my mouth. I was good at it, I guess. When I got to college, my teacher corrected that. It was hard going at first, but worth the effort because of the cleaner tongue sound and accuracy of articulation. Fix the problem now and listen to your private teacher.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-09-08 02:24
You have been taught by someone who shouldn't teach the clarinet. This sort of mis-information given to students really annoys me. I am constantly asked to teach people instruments I don't play and I refuse. I can maintain my integrity that way.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-09-09 00:19
Hey Pinner - would you teach me the bassoon?
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-09-09 01:16
Well, GBK, I _was_ being generous... ;^)
I usually give the benefit of the doubt to the band directors _I_ hear about in my clarinet studio... ;^)
In fact, the music store where I teach has told us, on occasion, that we teachers _are_not_permitted_ to contradict a student's band teacher...(AS IF!!!!!)
Of course, if it's something REALLY major, like this one...I WILL and DO correct it...
Katrina
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-09-09 03:14
Kat et al...Incompetent music teachers do an inordinate amount of harm to not only individual students, but the entire teaching profession.
There is absolutely no excuse for an instrumental teacher not knowing the basics of beginning instruction.
The teacher should immediately be sent a copy of Westphal's <i>Guide To Teaching Woodwinds</i>, for obviously the copy they should have purchased in college must be misplaced, or more likely never opened.
Better yet, have the parent and principal deliver it to him...GBK
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-09-09 15:38
I "studied" violin while in elementary school. The teacher seemed to live under the delusion that all students instinctively knew how to play the instrument -- only a lack of practice kept them from sounding like Jascha Heifetz. And if they didn't succeed, his primary motivational and correctional technique was to berate them. He concentrated on ensemble playing, as he apparently believed parents would be more impressed by a large orchestra in which little Johnny is a player rather than little Kohnny's playing something recognizable all by himself. After almost two years of this frustrating nonsense, I still truly was not even sure how to hold a violin.
If you are sick of reading my suggestions to get a copy of the David Pino book, please raise your hand. Don't get me wrong -- I do not think it's perfect, but it is far and away the best US$9.95 any student Clarinetist could spend. For a fraction of the cost of a good mouthpiece, it can be a great supplement to a good teacher or an even better refuge from a bad one.
Regards,
John
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Author: James
Date: 2002-09-11 17:23
I quote a very famous member of the cso (not a clarinetist). There is a reason why band directors are where they are"
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Author: Just me
Date: 2002-09-14 01:38
Man is that teacher stupid. You always tongue the reed. As a teacher we spend more time breaking these bad habits then we do teaching. Just ME
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