 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-15 14:29
Hi folks, I'm new to this BB and this is my first posting. About a year ago I decided to learn to play the Clarinet without any kind of formal music background. I decided on the Bb Clarinet because I found it challenging and it is a very good looking instrument. I rented one for a few months and then decided to buy a Buffet E-11 student instrument. I'm learning to read music at the same time that I'm figuring how to play. I have experimented with a few mouthpieces and settled on a Vandoren B-45 and have just bought a Rovner L-5 ligature that is very easy to play and gives me a good sound. I have read a few books on the history of the clarinet. Found a few little gems in them. I'm seventy years old so I don't have any real dreams of becoming another Benny Goodman but I do find it satisfying every time I learn a new note. I'm open to suggestions, tips, ideas (hopefully all good) from those of you who would like to help.
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Author: chipper
Date: 2005-02-15 17:55
I found an instructor who's philosophy is to teach music first, then teach one how to operate the instrument, the technique, if you will. He teaches songs only as a way to explain technique and style. He then lets the student explore the instrument and find his own style. I've found it to be expedient to learn the technique from someone who knows then use that technique to actually play songs. Then when I'm rudementarilly proficent at basic playing, to taylor the song to my own style. Admitedly sometimes with disasterous result, but sometimes with beautiful success. Play on.
C
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-02-15 18:10
You've found a great place for information, friendly advice, and comparative musical experience(s), Sea. Please let me be one of many who welcome you to the BBoard 
You'll find a great bunch of helpful folks around here. Many people in *our* age bracket have found also that a few private lessons are extremely helpful to get started off right. Someone who can observe you, listen to you and offer suggestions directly tailored to your situation will be invaluable for your progress in the months ahead.
I would also urge you to get in touch with other musicians in your local area. Especially for the self-learner who cannot, for whatever reason, take a lesson or two, one-to-one get togethers with other players are far better than any electronic encounters ever will be. The sooner, the better.
Above all... Have Fun
- ron b -
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Author: lidasman
Date: 2005-02-15 19:49
I taught myself from the Rubank books and The Complete Clarinet [Wise Publications]. I was over sixty when I started. I have gone the route of playing with concert bands but found that I often didn't like the kind of music they were playing and had to spend a lot of time learning to play them. I had moderate success as third clarinet player and the bands seemed sorry to lose me. However I am having a lot of fun playing out of fake books and entering chords and playing along with Band In A Box. I would just sooner play "Satin Doll" for instant, than a tone poem. And I am trying to learn to play by ear. As you said, you can't expect to reach great heights taking the clarinet up that late in life, but you sure can have fun with the instrument and learn to have a much greater appreciation for music. If you are ambitious to play in a concert band by all means go along when you are ready. I'll bet the conductor will let you sit by the third clarinets and try to follow along. I have found that musicians are very helpful and accepting. When I started I just played the sections of the music that I was able to play and treated the parts that I couldn't play as rest bars. I think if I had to do it over again though, I would take a few lessons. Getting the right hand down at the right time when going over the break is very important in my opinion and bad habits should not be ingrained early on.
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2005-02-15 20:10
Welcome aboard the Board! My student is in his 80's. He was not able to get much out of his clarinet when we first started. After two years he is getting much more volume and not afraid of scaring the neighbors. He uses plastic reeds. He would rather play by ear than study books so he listens to CDs, most any kind, western, Hawaiian, you name it, he will try it. I taught him basic fingerings, and most of all patience. I think he has come a long way. You could call me his support person. I'm glad that he did not give up, but kept trying even harder.
I made a few tapes for him to listen to and copy, with my voice on them, telling him what I was doing. He said that helped him too. Scales, up and down, and so forth.
So, what I am saying is, keep on tootin', and which ever way is easier for you to learn, that's what you should do.
Good luck!
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-02-15 21:10
Oh, I thought this was a clarinet that would teach itself to play...Wouldn't that be the same one (the A clarinet mentioned before) that stops you from biting, plays in tune, and doesn't squeak?
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2005-02-15 21:31
Sea,
Welcome aboard and don't be afraid to ask questions on this BB. There are a lot of good, experienced people here who would be glad to answer your questions.
May I suggest that you click on the following link. It appears to be a very good source of beginner's information that I believe would be very helpful to you.
http://www.midwestclinic.com/clinicianmaterials/2001/west.pdf
Good luck to you and please keep us informed as to how you are doing.
Dan
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Author: claclaws
Date: 2005-02-16 11:52
Welcome and best wishes from Korea.
The link Dan put above is very helpful indeed. I'm actually working on it. I can't say I understand everything, but hope some day I will.
Enjoy your clarinet and this bboard.
Lucy Lee Jang
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-16 12:57
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to the many responses to my posting. They are all full of good "stuff" and very helpful. As time goes by I will be asking questions. I think that my main question is the quality of the sound that I'm getting. The sound is much better now than what I was getting six months ago but still I'm not happy with it. For one thing I find myself blowing harder than what I think I should to get a clear note. I have a Vandoren B-45 mouthpiece and a Rovner L-5 ligature and using a Vandoren #2 reed. Of all the combinations that I have tried this one is the one that I'm most happy with. Still I notice that the amount of air pressure that I have to apply to the instrument is greater than what logic tells me. I have a Bufett E-11 clarinet. Not the best by all means but good enough for what I'm doing at the moment. So the big subject of the day is: Air Flow. I feel that I should lower the pressure of the air flow and still make the instrument sound good. At the moment I feel that I'm making too much of a loud sound. (noise?) If I back off on the air flow (presure) then the instrument just stops playing. I saw a documentary with Woody Allen on tour. At one point in the show he is trying a new clarinet and he made a comment about blowing very hard and not getting the right wound. That stuck in my mind. What's the asnwer besides a more expensive clarinet? Or have I answered my own question?
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Author: Snowy
Date: 2005-02-17 02:04
Echo everyone elses' welcomes, Sea Galan.
I am coincidentakly the same age as you. Started learing at 20. Did one exam in my late 30's and another at 68.
Then changed teacher.
Have learned more in 2 years from current teacher than in previous 50.
So I think the moral is GO LOOK for a good teacher pronto. He/she will get onto any bad habits in their infancy and your progress will be just that much faster. At age 70 I think the speed of improvement is quite important.
Good luck !
Snowy
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-17 13:45
Thank you Snowy. I'm still trying to figure out this BB and how to post answers in it. I'm getting so much information that it is almost overwhelming but still very welcomed. I'm getting together with friends that are acomplished musicians. I'm going to play for them and let them tell me if I'm on the right track or what. In fact they are the ones that are responsible for me starting to play the clarinet. I went to their home one night and they both gave me an impromptu jazz concert. I was so fascinated with the instrument and its sweet sound that I knew that I had to try it out for myself. I taught myself to play the keyboards using the "easy=play" books. I'm terrible at it but I sure do have a lot of fun playing many of the Frank Sinatra tunes. With the clarinet I decided that I should also learn how to read "real" music. It's quite a challenge but I'm learning to read music. There are so many notes!!! Never the less I'm having fun doing it and at the same time I'm keep the old brain bussy. Thanks again. Carlos
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Author: John Stackpole
Date: 2005-02-17 14:08
Well there may be "so many notes" - but is 88 all THAT many? And we only have to worry ourselves over roughly 1/3 of them. Piece of cake!
But the big advantage of a clarinet, is that you only have to play them one note at a time (unlike keyboard!).
The problem (from another late bloomer) is that "they" sometimes either stick those notes awfully close together in time, or awfully far apart in space (fingering). Or both at once.
But that's the challenge!
JDS
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-17 14:24
John thank you for the info. When figuring out notes like I'm doing 88 seems like a freightening number. That, I guess was the bad news. The good news is that I will be concerned with about 1/3 of them. I find that very encouraging. Please tell me more. I used to work for NBC studios in Burbank and worked in the Tonight Show for many years before retiring. I was always amazed when watching the band rehearse. Doc drove those poor musicians to a point of exhaustion but it did payed off. He had a wonderful tight band with a great sound. It seemed to me that the trumpet players were the most hard working of all. Saxes were the most relaxed with the bones right in the middle. I also noticed the different attitudes of the musicians when playing different tunes. There ones that they had a lot of fun with and looked relaxed and then there were some others that were just hard work. In either case they were super. Carlos
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2005-02-17 15:58
Sea Galan said:
"For one thing I find myself blowing harder than what I think I should to get a clear note. I have a Vandoren B-45 mouthpiece and a Rovner L-5 ligature and using a Vandoren #2 reed."
Sea, the B45 has been discussed numerous times and I believe it is generally agreed upon that it is more a resistant mouthpiece which requires greater effort to play. I used to play a B45 and found it very tiring very quickly. For me, it simply took too much effort to play so I stopped using it.
Even though yours produces a tone that you like, I suggest that you look for a more beginners mouthpiece. There are several which are much easier to produce a full sound. Among them are the Fobes Debut, the Hite Premier and the Pyne Polycrystal. The sound will be different but I believe they will be a lot easier for you to play.
Why not give one of the above mouthpieces a try?
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-17 21:02
Ron B. Thank you for your good ideas. In fact just reading some of the postings have given me a shot in the arm. For some reason my sound is getting better and sweeter. I have two members suggest that the B-45 mouthpiece might be too hard to play for me as a beginner. After playing for a few minutes my mouth starts to hurt and I have to stop. Sometimes I can go for a long time without any muscle fatigue nd then some other days I can barely play at all. I hope that with time my playing muscles get stronger and then I might be able to play for longer periods. Carlos
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-17 21:08
Carol I had no idea that there was any one older than me, playing clarinet or not. I tried the plastic reeds. I think the Fiber-cell ones. They play good but I found myself getting lazy and leaving the reed on the clarinet and not cleaning the instrument after each session. True that it was very handy to pcik up the clarinet when ever I wanted and it was ready to play. I'm back to the regular reeds and cleaning them with water at the end of practice. I also rinse the mouthpiece and dry it.
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Author: Sea Galan
Date: 2005-02-17 21:20
Good idea Dan. Although I have to say that it is getting easier to play and I'm not finding that much resistance as I did earlier. Someone sent me a message, I think in this same BB, and suggested that I move the ligature a little further back and then try playing. I did it and after a few position changes I have finally found the "sweet spot" for the combination of the B-45, L-5 and #2 reed. I'm not finding that much air resistance. I might have been chocking the reed too much. Hopefully it will stay the same when it's time to change to a new reed. By the way I'm also soaking the reeds in water for a while. I don't know if that will make them perform better. Carlos
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The Clarinet Pages
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