 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Meri
Date: 2004-10-13 20:56
Many of us who teach probably use first-line E as the first note taught to a student. But, have any of you found that a few students (especially those you have to work on hand position for a while) who do far better with open G? This has occurred with two brand-new students, one a just-turned 9 year-old, and an 11-year-old.
Meri
"There is a difference between being flat and sounding in tune, and being in tune but sounding flat. The first I can live with; the second I cannot."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-13 21:10
I always teach open G as the first note.
They put their right thumb in the right place and hold the barrel for the left hand.
Then I have them play Elvis tunes 
(not really the tunes, but I do use open G to start a student)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: idahofats
Date: 2004-10-13 22:05
Just a thought: since you're teaching open G first, how about a G major scale as a next logical step, as a means of demystifying sharps (and flats) for the beginner. From there, at least in the chalumeau, it's only a one-finger learning curve to teach C major or F major, and the student has three scales under his/her belt before learning a fear of accidentals.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Iacuras
Date: 2004-10-13 23:52
I learned open G as my first note and have been doing great (now playing for over 7 years).
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2004-10-14 00:59
Funny ... wasn't the first note I learned as a new clarinetist ... I was thrown in the deep end and played f major one octave ... obviously designed to get used to lifting the fingers off the (appropriate) keys one by one. But, I had played recorder prior to that (shudder).
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: allencole
Date: 2004-10-14 04:56
I strongly favor getting the F major scale in a beginner ASAP. Partly because it's even more logical than a recorder, and partly because the right pinkie is immediately introduced to its 'home' key. Lots of different tunes can be cranked out with this many notes available--and there's still room for a leading tone at the bottom.
I recently started working with a very young kid, and found that the G scale better suited his small hands. But the B-natural and F-sharp make this less logical than the F scale, and cause us to review the scale more than I normally think is necessary or desirable.
I like open G as a first note. It eliminates the distraction of finger placement until the tone starts to take root.
Allen Cole
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-14 09:24
Here's the problem with teaching the Bb 1st (lower) as the 1st "B" that a young student plays:
They will think that it is the "regular" fingering and get confused about the B natural
Always, always, always teach the natural fingering first so that they can distinguish a sharp and a flat from the natural.
Assume that I'm wrong about this and try it for yourself - compare 2 or 4 students learning it 2 different ways and see the difference. Unless there's a major talent difference the student taught the B natural first will have an easier time with the B not getting mixed up with the Bb (which is fairly hard in the 1st place)
same for F
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: idahofats
Date: 2004-10-14 16:41
David:
I bow to the superior wisdom of someone who's out there in the trenches, although the thought of using sliver-key B natural occurred. And I agree that very young students can be easily confused. But I have had a Huey Lewis parody running through my head all morning after reading your post--Sings to his clarinet, with driving bass beat in background: "I need a new key/one that won't leave me nervous, wond'rin what to do/one that makes me feel like I do when I'm with you... Anyway, why not start with five sharps or flats, and put 'em in therapy early?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Iacuras
Date: 2004-10-15 03:30
David, you are absoultly right, I wish i had learned B before Bb. It didn't help that most of the first songs i played all had Bb in the key signature. It took around 6 months to get out of the bad habit.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Iacuras
Date: 2004-10-15 18:06
Another thing I wish my music teacher had done was emphasised both fingerings for C#, B, and C. I have recently begun learning a piece by Benny Goodman that goes from B to Eb, and have had to get past 7 years of only using one fingering to get it down.(took almost an hour)
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
