 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-10-30 00:14
I have a question for all the professional musicians on this site.
Do you ever have days when you feel like you are the worst musician in the world and you will never be any good?
I have those sometimes, and I was wondering if people still got them even if they were good enough to make a living from playing music.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-10-30 14:17
Everyone has certain problems with their playing. But with the really great players, those "problems" are less obvious to the listener and much more infrequent than with the rest of us. Nevertheless, no performer is really ever totally content with their own technique, reed or "whatever". For me, I constinually practice to not only maintain what I already have accomplished, but also to try to improve those techniques that other clarinetists seem to be better at. And, I am still looking for that "perfect" reed and mouthpiece.
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2003-10-30 15:49
Really good players are constantly looking for the "next" thing to fix or improve. Its certainly a frustrating demon but its also the thing that drives them toward excellence. The problem is this: You set goals; but when you finally get there your now stronger musical sense is aware of 5 billion other things that need work. The more you practice and the better you get the more you will realize there is not enough time in a life-time to play the way you want to. But who cares- its the journey that is fun and interesting.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-10-30 17:59
..........."when a great musician makes a mistake, it's funny, when a bad musician makes one, it's annoying."
Funny to whom, or annoying to whom --- the audience or the player?
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2003-10-30 21:57
Hi,
One thing that I continue to do is prepare reeds and check the instruments; the routine never varies. I am not playing as much as I did when I was a youngster - you know, bars, clubs, and gig - but I can't stop always having my #1 and 2 reeds and backups identified and in the appropriate reed holder location.
It's the same ritual before a comminity band rehaersal as for a pay gig. I guess I want to be sure that I can never blame a bad gig on reeds, equipment, mouthpieces. I carry about 3 extra barrels, several extra mouthpieces for just about any situation, and several ligatures.
I never worry about my musicianship and ability as I trained hard for many yaers. I just don't want to instrument to ever be the reason. I can't remember having many of the situations that Rachel describes actually happen to me (although I have had a couple of show sight-reading jobs that were really hard - tempo changes, tough keys, weird note patterns, sudden exposed solo parts that can really surprise you).
The success of the job is pretty well decided before it starts. I guess one of these days though I'll decide "I don't have it" and then I may quit. But I know a lot of guys much older than me still playing a bunch.
HRL
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-10-31 10:07
I had a shocker last Sunday on a gig, doubling alto (lead) and clarinet. The alto was playing like a dream and I couldn't get anywhere near the clarinet. Nobody seemed to notice fortunately but I wasn't happy so I have put in a bit of extra work during the week. There is a constant stream of preparation required when you play for a living and some pretty heavy self appraisal needed. I play alto and tenor saxes, Bb clarinet, bassoon and jazz piano. I need to keep on top of my schedule and prepare on each axe in advance. If I don't things start to get a bit hairy. I gave up professional theatre playing, except opera where I only play bassoon and occassional saxophone, because I got sick of the inherent mediocrity of it all. Pro players go through plenty of drama and a bundle of nerves the same as amateur players. I think because we do it more often we develop strategies to cope. An old Australian expression to describe it is "as cunning as a sh*thouse rat".
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-10-31 12:09
I seem to remember Harold Wright telling me in a lesson that every player has a gig or rehearsal where things don't go well. His advice was to work on the tough passages and use two concepts always...tone and tuning.
The metronome was invented to help us work out all the rythmic stuff, but it certainly isn't going to make anyone a musician. After about 15 years now of orchestral work and freelance playing, I can honestly say the day to day job is a fun and rewarding experieince if you have a good attitude.
Scale practice only works if you can make a scale sound like music... and uplifting experience. As to whether one can practice inspiration I leave that to others to debate. The real key is finding a beautiful sound and a technique that goes along with fine artistry. Secure technique means achieving a stable sound and knowing exactly what you are going to sound like long before the tone emerges from the clarinet.
Nobody wants to listen to an automaton, and the danger of being overprepared is sometimes spontanaeity is left in the dust! Also, be prepared to phrase and play music sometimes in a way you dislike it. For example, I have seen some conductors prepare and perform music which is totally unmusical in my opinion, however, in order to keep the job I always play it the way the conductor wants.
David Dow
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Author: fmadison
Date: 2003-10-31 15:58
Hi,
When starting out as a beginner it was who can play the highest note or tongue the fastest etc....
In college it was less about that and learning how to play together with other musicians.
Nowadays it is about doing things that you may not like to do but doing it anyways. That is what I think a professional is about you may not like the music or the conductor etc.... but you do your best anyway and get it done.
Learning to do things you don't like as if you love to do it is half the battle.
Don't get me wrong the things you may not like to do are things that you sometimes must do. It is all in the attitude you take to getting the job done.
It is good to be competitive but with yourself and not other musicians always try to improve yourself because it is a never ending journey.
So don't get too caught up in " will I be any good?" focus on improving yourself and doing what you love first and make good music. If you are also lucky enough to get paid for it then you are truly fortunate.
Good Luck
-Frank
It's the wood that makes it good!
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Author: allencole
Date: 2003-10-31 20:15
Amen, Frank. I have played in some awful-sounding groups with some terrific musicians--mostly because of players who would not heed your advice. So often, our job is to make a silk purse from a sow's ear, and the loss of that mindset can get to the point of causing the exact opposite to happen.
As far as bad days go, it's the difference between riding a real bronco vs. the electric one. When you ride the real one, you know that it doesn't come with a speed control. You have to hold onto that rope or risk being trampled. You just try to take care of yourself and your skills so that you'll be ready.
Allen Cole
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-11-02 00:11
"Someone who knows", you got it. I couldn't agree more.
Although I'm just at the end of 1st year, I noticed that I hadn't taken 'leaps and bounds' with my actual clarinet playing this year. However, I am amazed that I could actually identify this.
The fact is, my aural, rhythmic, intonation and emsemble skills just to name a few, have vastly improved this year. And as a consequence, I feel like a musician now, not just a clarinetist. My playing HAS improved, but in very subtle ways, and now, I am more able to identify problems and correct them, in any of the above factors.
So you may be having a bad playing day, but I think that if you're a good musician, you won't have any bad musician days!
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-11-02 21:59
I agree with David on the concept of making scales sound musical. I am sure some of my students think I am mad when I insist on shaping scales as phrases. For example crescendo diminuend when going up and down, breathing if necessary in logical places such as after the key note and emphasising the first note of each group. These are simple concepts that actually assist the process when playing difficult technical passages during a perfomance and they also give technical practice some meaning. This off the original thread a bit but David has raised something interesting.
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Author: KENOLD
Date: 2003-11-02 23:39
Franks "Learning" statement is applicable to anyone in any proffesion or matriculation.
The best way to advance is to take to the pro-offered task "...as if you love to do it..."
Frank - with your consent I've borrowed it for part of my signature.
Ken
Learn to perform even the things you don't like, as if you love to do them.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-11-03 02:53
"Learn to do things you don't like as if you love to do them.
(-Frank, paraphrased from thread: Question for Professionals 2003-10-31)"
Or at least make them sound that way. Reminds me of the old adage "Jazz is the art of making the difficult look easy", rock and roll of course "is the art of making the easy look difficult". Howls from the gallery, relax its just a joke.
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