 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2003-06-23 15:35
It seems that every interview I read with a guitarist has the line "Well, I learn a lot from listening to horn players." What can the clarinetist learn from the stringed instrument player? (they obviously do not have to take pauses to breathe). Are there any techniques and methods that string players use that can benefit the woodwind player?
Thanks!
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Author: SaRaH18
Date: 2003-06-23 15:49
I have been in the state orchestra for three years. I don't think there are any string techniques us wind players can use as far as I know.
The more general techniques we usually get are from the conductor. He usually gives us some really helpful techniques us wind players should know. Basically, he instructs us how to play the music written.
Sarah
1st chair clarinetist
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Author: Burt
Date: 2003-06-23 17:01
A technique I was taught resembles how a (fretless) string player (and also a singer) slides up to a note. We do this by s-l-o-w-l-y raising fingers. It's useful in solo work.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-23 17:45
WJK asks, " What can the clarinetist learn from the stringed instrument player? "
Plenty... and then some, in my opinion, WJK. Mainly, if we're able to take our eyes off ourselves long enough to give our wholehearted attention to learning something from other musicians, we'll gather worlds of information about -- *MUSICIANSHIP*.
...and, it works both ways. As the guitarist so wisely pointed out, there's a lot more to making music than pickin' and breath control 
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: allencole
Date: 2003-06-24 06:23
Hear, hear, Ron.
I'm not sure that the kind of strings that were being inquired about were orchestral. To properly reverse the phrase, I would say that we're talking about pop/rock/country guitar players. There is much that we can learn from them, although much is more philosophical than technical.
It is interesting to compare the ways in which schooled and unschooled musicians learn, the different worlds we come from, and what our respective abilities and expectations are.
I have a page devoted to this on my website, which sums up much of what I think we should learn from unschooled musicians. I point in particular to country guitar players because of the huge number of virtuosi in that field. Apologies to Mark if I am wrong to post its URL:
http://allencole.tripod.com/guitarpl.htm
Allen Cole
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-24 06:58
I was not referring to only orchestral musicians when I wrote: "give our wholehearted attention to learning something from other musicians..." I was practically raised on country guitar sounds. I wanted to take up the fiddle but... well, that's boring story. While we sometimes hear guitarists with orchestral outfits, it's not the 'norm'.
I appreciate your comments re: unschooled musicians and plan to visit your site tomorrow. I've met 'unschooled' musicians who are technically astounding. Right now my attention span is very low so, for the moment, I'm looking forward to reading your comparisons.
I can't speak for Mark, but I think he's usually cool with site links as long as you're not selling something or blatantly promoting yourself
- rn b -
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-06-24 12:50
String technique has an awful lot to offer in learning. One thing is the use of legato and phrasing.
Listen to records of Heifitz and more recent violin solists. For example the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Anne-Sophie Mutter. Or the Sibelius she did on DG with Previn conducting.
There are alot of things in Violin technique and playing that clarinet players should try to emulate. For example matching the colours of all of the notes of the scale (not going with the tonal charachteristic on normally would with other winds).
Learning how to match your sound in unisons with a string section can do alot for developing the idea of how far you can take your tone so to speak.
Matching the sound in orchestra with the violas and celli is one of my favorite parts of working in an orchestra!! A more string like sonority is what the best clarinetists search for.
David Dow
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Author: John Morton
Date: 2003-06-24 15:01
wjk mentions guitarists learning from horn players and vice versa - surely this refers to jazz. What the guitarist learns is the horn players' phrasing and melodic improvisation. What the horn player learns is the guitarist's rhythm and harmonic sense (though the modern jazz guitarist is not really part of a rhythm section). Harmonic variations on the as-written changes are a marvelous tool for adding interest and variety to a solo, and the wind player can learn much from a master of chord substitutions.
Offhand it's more difficult to see how bowed instrument players would influence horn players. Nevertheless each instrument has its particular strengths, and any player of another type of instrument might want to emulate the fluid legato that is possible in the violin family.
John
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-24 16:10
Just read Allen's thoughts on schooled/unschooled players. Well worth anyone's time to read. I put it in my Favorites file, if you don't mind, Allen. I like it not only because it mirrors much of my own experience/findings, and is so well written, it also makes a whole lotta sense.
I wish some of my teachers (h.s. music major) had had Allen's outlook on things those many years ago.
From my years playing (tenor sax and cl.) with guitar pickers and singers, nothing in the way of keys or key changes shocks me anymore. Once you get beyond "fretting" about keys and playing musical tag becomes fun... let the good times roll.
- rn b -
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-06-25 03:15
As they say. Practice scales and arpeggios!!!!
David Dow
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Author: ned
Date: 2003-06-25 06:41
If you play jazz, then listen to Django Reinhardt - the French Gypsy - couldn't read a note, didn't even know keys apparently and had only two or three useable fingers on his left hand to find chords - but despite all this had an UNBELIEVABLE technique.
He is still the despair of modern guitarists, he recorded widely and I sort of regard him as a clarinet player but with strings instead of keys.
JK
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-25 20:57
I must confess; I have at least as many, if not more Django recordings than clarinet-specific recordings.
- r b -
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