 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-10-01 22:25
I started Clarinet after trying the Trombone for 2 months and being really bad at it. My uncle played the Clarinet at an All State level and since he was my "idol" at that time, and since I liked the girl who was 1st Clarinet, I started playing it.
Sure was a lot easier than the Trombone was for me! (I'd sit there playing the flute parts by ear as I didn't enjoy playing the harmony parts).
To this day I still prefer hearing a Brass Ensemble than a Woodwind Quintet
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2005-10-01 22:44
My high school girl friend who became my wife (for thirty years so far) played clarinet. When I started playing the sax three years ago, after a 27 year hiatus, I went through a lot of pain finding the right instruments, mouthpieces, reeds, etc. So to entice my wife to start up again, I bought her a very nice instrument.
To figure out what to buy her I started reading this forum. I enjoyed learning about the clarinet so much and I have gotten some really good deals on clarinets that I wanted to learn how to play one. So a couple of months ago I did just that. And I got my daughter, who played clarinet in high school, and my son, the music major clarinets too.
One of the inspirational songs that makes me want to play the clarinet is "Stranger on the Shore."
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-10-01 22:47
Long, long ago, as I recall??, because of recommendations from friends etc, based upon both thicker lips [?bad for brass mps??] and availability of inexpensive [$25] clarinets, they decided my fate. Never looked back, except to make some funny noises on French Horn and ?wasted? 10 years fighting the oboe [it won]. Enjoyed expanding to bass and alto cls, English Horn, would still like to explore the Bassets [some more] and the contras. Like in Sept. Song, the days grow short! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2005-10-01 23:39
Why? Because of that cheap offer on ebay some six weeks ago. Suits me fine, surfin' instead of going to sleep or watching TV just like everyone else. ;-)
--
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-10-01 23:42
When I was 11 a schoolfriend of mine's dad had a clarinet (1950s B&H Edgware in immaculate condition, though it was unstamped except for 'Made in England' and the serial number on the back) which he let me try when I visited his house, and borrow sometimes.
I started playing alto sax after ditching the bassoon at 12, and after seeing my sax teacher's instruments all on the one stand I thought clarinet shuld be involved at some point. Then seeing a big band on telly where the sax players doubled on clarinet gave me more reason to persue clarinet as well.
I wanted to play oboe back then but they were (and still are) too expensive, but when I visited my relatives in Texas in 1986 I bought a B&H 2-20 clarinet for $7.75 in a junk sale, along with a Buescher alto sax (without a front F) for $40 and an Italian made alto for $50 both of which I traded in for a plastic B&H Regent oboe when I returned, which would have cost £300.
I bought a mouthpiece kit, set of pads, sheet cork and liquid shellac from a music shop in Tyler (TX) and repadded this clarinet fairly successfully (the Ab/Eb pad was too big, probably the set was meant for a Series 10S but I managed to squeeze it into the cup). It played pretty well, and I practiced going across the breaks while still in Texas, then took it home as hand luggage.
I started working as a woodwind repairer in mid 1987 while still at school, and joined a big band a bit later (around September 1987) on 2nd alto which had some clarinet doubling, which made it all worthwhile.
Then when I started college in 1988 they had a new tutor that was a clarinet specialist, I was having sax lessons but decided to take clarinet lessons as well, but had to pay for these seperately as I was only allowed instrumental lessons on one instrument (sax in my case) as part of the course.
The clarinet teacher put me in for the Associated Board grade 4 clarinet within the academic year and I got distinction! Then I changed to the foundation music course the following year (1989) to do more serious study, main instrumental study this time was clarinet and I wasn't allowed to study sax (or any other woodwind instrument!), so I did double-bass instead. I went onto AB grade 6 and got merit this time, then in the last year (1990) I went in for grade 8 and got distinction.
But as I had turned 19 by the following academic year (Sept. 1991) the tuition fees went stratospheric, and as I couldn't afford the fees I had applied for a tuition grant and enrolled on the course to do my performing diploma on clarinet which I was very serious about after getting a distinction in the final grade - then a month into the course it transpired I couldn't get funding from the local education authority, and was then fined for being on the course. So that kick in the teeth made me give up interest, and eventually I started working as an instrument repairer again in 1994 after doing not much at all in the interim, even dropping out of playing in bands.
But I got back into playing regularly back in 1995, mostly due the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII/VE day celebrations and have been a permanent fixture on bari sax in most of the big bands in and around Sussex, and alto or tenor sax in other symphonic wind bands, but clarinet playing for me was little and far between. But I did plenty of repair work on clarinets, so I could still try out all the various makes that came my way.
And for my own benefit and hopefully the benefit of others I've rejoined my town's concert band (for the 3rd time) on solo/1st clarinet. I prefer the serious music - Holst, Vaughan-Williams and military band arrangements of Orpheus in the Underworld etc. to the usual show tunes and other stuff they do. Now I'm trying to pick up where I left off - it's getting there, and I amaze myself at how much I have remembered in terms of shortcuts, various trills, tremolos, lip glisses etc.
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Author: Contra
Date: 2005-10-01 23:52
The beginner's band in sixth grade only allowed six saxophones. Clarinet was a cheaper alternative and I wanted the more difficult instrument.
Flash forward eight years later where I now march saxophone.
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Author: Iacuras
Date: 2005-10-01 23:53
I knew I wanted to start band when the Middle School Band came and played for my elementary school when I was in the 4th Grade (I'm now a Junior in High School). I signed up for my schools twice-a-week after school beggining band. I was originally going to play trumpet because my aunt is a proffesional trumpet player. However, I had to miss the last half-hour of band every wendsday to go to Hebrew School, so the director said I should try the clarinet because it was easier to get started on than trumpet. I have never looked back. I love playing the clarinet.
Oh yeah, I payed $2.89 when i filled up yesterday. (read the old post GBK linked.)
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."
Post Edited (2005-10-01 23:57)
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Author: dummer musiker
Date: 2005-10-02 00:16
I started playing clarinet because I thought it had a cool case.
Lame, I know.
"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats."
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2005-10-02 00:44
My answer's here
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=191396&t=191286
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Author: Aussiegirl
Date: 2005-10-02 00:49
When i started secondary school (age 12) they held a meeting for all the new year 7s who wanted to learn an instrument....i was somewhere in the middle of the line when they asked everybody what they wanted to learn and since nearly everybody else said flute, which was my first choice, i picked one randomly off the top of my head, thinking that i could play sax after clarinet. Clarinet is still my primary instrument, and even when we finished year 12 there was a bazillion flutes in my year level....and only me on clarinet. Ive also picked up saxes (mainly bari) and bass clarinet along the way Am i glad i didnt pick flute!
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Author: mkybrain
Date: 2005-10-02 01:22
wanted to play sax, thats how our school worked, clarinet led to saxophone, tombone led to tuba, etc....stayed with clarinet though, and am very happy that i did, gah almost went to percussion
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2005-10-02 01:33
Because I started out on Tuba and I was rather bored. When a derogatory comment was made about 'Tuba-ish lines' in an audition yesterday regarding the bassoonist, I was glad I changed even though I was told I'd never 'make it' on clarinet. That is yet to be proven, but 10 years later I'm 5 weeks away from having a B.Mus majoring in clarinet. That's gotta stand for something.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2005-10-02 01:59
I started the clarinet because my older brother decided to quit. I got his clarinet. This was good on two counts: I started a 50 year (so far) learning curve on the clarinet, and also because my brother's idea of playing in band was to see who could get to the end of the song first. We are all better off, you see.
johng
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Author: Asheeka
Date: 2005-10-02 02:43
I went to one of my brother's concerts, (he plays violin) and i heard a clarinet and vilin duet. I loved the sound of the clarinet and found all the keys amazing. I decided i wanted to play in 4th grade, and about 3 months after i started, i wanted to switch to flute... but my teacher said that i shouldn't. I thank my teacher soooooooo much for discouraging me to play flute, and making me continue on clarinet, because i absolutely love it... and i'm pretty good for my age (11 years old, grade 6)
~Asheeka~
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-10-02 02:47
ya have to remember that there are new people hitting this board daily so an old thread is just that.
Tremendous database here though, so any new member who hasn't tried pretty much any question about the clarinet, there's a whole world of knowlege there.
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2005-10-02 04:07
I wanted to play the violin, but my neighbor was selling a clarinet for $25, so that's what my parents bought me.
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-10-02 05:25
i was in love with Tanya Mills
her dad played the saxophone, so i found out everything i possibly could about the saxophone, however wasn't allowed to play it until i had "mastered the clarinet first" (have always suspected that the fact that the clarinet is much much cheaper than the sax was a major issue here- i never actually played the sax until after i bought one myself with money i'd earned delivering newspapers).
while i like playing saxophone, the clarinet has remained my favoured instrument.... and Tanya Mills was, last time i heard of her, unhappily single.
donald
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-10-02 08:05
My parents received (they didn't have any money to buy) some records and a patiphone (I think maybe it's called record player in English?) when I was born. One of them was Peter And The Wolf and it came with a book with pictures, words and some short samples of sheet music. They probably played it for me since I was born, but I only remember it from when I was about 5 when I imediately fell in love with the sound of the cat's clarinet.
I told my parents I want to play clarinet, and they didn't know what a clarinet was. I painted a picture of a clarinet (as best as I could) and they kind of understood.
When I was about 6 years old I finally went with my parents to a conservatoriun and I told the old ladies there I want to play clarinet. They said only kids 10 years old or more can play clarinet, and I could play only piano, violin or cello. I cried and said I only want to play clarinet.
We then tried another conservatoriun and the teacher there said that only if I show talent she would accept me. She gave me rhythm tests, she sang a rhythm and I had to repeat her. She sang the rhythms with Ta Ta Ta, but since the clarinet was the cat for me, I sang the rhythms with Miao Miao Miao
My rhythm was fine so she said she accepts me, but the problem was my hands were much too small to play the clarinet. She said she heard some teachers in Holland start kids on Eb clarinet and we can try that. It took some time, but when I was about 6 and a half my grandparents came back from the USA with a Vito Eb clarinet for me (there weren't any cheap Eb clarinets in my country).
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-10-02 09:53
clarnibass- what a fabulous story, thanks for sharing that with us!
donald
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Author: rogerb40uk
Date: 2005-10-02 11:56
After seeing "The Benny Goodman Story"at age 17ish and buying de Peyer's Mozarts' CC as my first LP, I bought a clarinet from my Summer holiday earnings.
Struggled for a year, without a teacher, and then bent it and gave up. But never lost my love of the sound. Mr Acker Bilk helped keep it going!
About 15-18 yrs ago I heard Eddie Daniels interviewed & playing on UK radio. His wonderful sound rekindled my interest but it was some years before I tracked-down his CDs.
Now retired, I am about to start learning again
Best regards
Roger
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Author: Van
Date: 2005-10-02 12:06
When I was about 10, my mother, who was a good pianist, insisted that I start piano lessons. I tried it for about three months and really hated it. Piano practice always seemed to give me a headache. I announced to Mom one day that I had had enough of piano and wanted to quit. She said OK but you MUST try another instrument (what a good mom!). At a loss, I decided to work my way alphabetically through the World Book encyclopedia. Well, "accordian" struck me as too quirky and "bassoon" too exclusively classical and then came clarinet, an instrument with which I could cover the musical waterfront from jazz to pop to classical. I started lessons and kept it up for a year, played in the HS band, picked my horn up again about 15 years ago and now cannot live without it. Thanks to all parents who somehow persuade or cajole their kids to get into playing an instrument.
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Author: bryris
Date: 2005-10-02 14:18
My grandfather called be up and told me (I as 11 at the time) that he saw a clarinet in the MacDill AFB store for $65 and asked me if I'd have any interest in it. I don't remember what I said, but it as probably something along the lines of yes.
Then, on my birthday in 1993, I received a birthday gift....I already knew what it was....and was quite excited. I goofed around with it for a bit, and joined my middle school band in 7th grade. I played in both wind ensemble and marching bands every year through graduation, then I played on my own for about a year and or two, then dropped it to persue guitar. I played guitar for about 2 years, and recently picked up the clarinet again to continue.
Not too exciting, just something that thought I'd try and it went from there.
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2005-10-02 15:07
Like several others on this board, I originally wanted to play saxophone. At my elementrary school, you started in the band in 5th grade (age 10). But there was an assembly at the end of 4th grade so we could become familiar with the instruments. I was fascinated at how shiny the sax was and how complex it all looked. Unlike most others here though, my parents were fully up front about it. Sax is expensive, they said, so try clarinet first and if you like it we'll think about sax.
Well I liked the clarinet and forgot completely about sax until 11 years later...
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: joannew
Date: 2005-10-02 15:20
Of all the band instruments on offer at the start of grade 7, the clarinet probably most reminded me of the recorder I played as a kid.
A conservative choice perhaps, but a good one: 20 years later it's still a huge part of my life.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-10-02 15:54
i wanted to play flute. but i was only 10 when i entered 6th grade.
and i discovered that all the flute players in the band were girls.
which is not a good thing when you're a 10 year old boy.
so i switched to clarinet, as my mother played clarinet.
a few years later, i of course realizied what a stupid move that was, having grown enough to apprecite the fairer sex.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Llewsrac
Date: 2005-10-02 18:07
Started playing Clarinet fourth grade, inspired by my first instructor, Kathryn Siphers, infact Miss Siphers and Capt. James C. Harper gave my life and career more direction than any other instructors. Switched to Tuba 10th grade, double major in college, Tuba/Clarinet.
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Author: Steve B.
Date: 2005-10-02 18:49
I started playing clarinet because we had spare one in the house.
In 1977 my dad who was a Broadway doubler and studio musician upgraded his '60's R13 with a new one. I was just entering the 7'th grade music program at our school so I ended up with his well used '60s Buffet.
(Pretty nice horn for a beginner) He also gave me a Portnoy BP02.
Steve
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Author: ClariBone
Date: 2005-10-03 01:45
I wanted to play trombone, but the clarinet was cheaper, however I didn't factor in the 1000 or so reeds I've used since then lol Anyway, here I am a high school senior who will major in music ed. with an emphasis in both clarinet and trombone !!
Clayton
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Author: mtague
Date: 2005-10-04 00:23
We were forced to play this thing called a tonette in 3rd grade, which I actually liked (playing music was more fun than math and other assignments). In 4th grade they moved us up to the recorder, which I also enjoyed (and was also required). In 5th grade we got to choose Band as a regular class with a music teacher (rather than being taught by our usual teacher), and we had to list 3 instruments of choice. I did violin, clarinet, flute. I got clarinet and it made sense to me, since it seemed like a natural progression from the other two instruments. Also, I just like the sound of the lower notes. :P I just continued on with it in high school. Seemed like a good way to spend the free class. My college didn't have a band, but now that I'm done with that, I'm taking private lessons until I'm good enough to join a local orchestra.
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Author: Tim2
Date: 2005-10-04 01:42
I guess I'm just a simple guy. I started on clarinet in the fifth grade because I loved singing and needed to play music. We didn't have a piano then and I remember even then the love I had for music and the need to play music. It was wonderful, the start to a fullfilment of my life. Music was part of of me from the time I was singing in second grade.
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Author: ClarinetGirl312
Date: 2005-10-05 01:13
I had wanted to play violin in the 4th grade, but my mom said no because I already played piano (and later, found out my much older half-sister had played one too many renditions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on her violin). So she flippantly said I could join band the following year...Flash foward to me holding her to that "promise" of hers. So I decided to play flute, but according to my band director, I had the "wrong-shaped lips" and that I should play clarinet because it's easier to learn. And determined to hold my mom to her promise, I went along with it hoping to switch to flute later on.
Have proven that I can play flute just fine, but stick to my clarinet as my favorite. :-)
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Author: ClarinetGirl312
Date: 2005-10-05 01:17
I had wanted to play violin in the 4th grade, but my mom said no because I already played piano (and later, found out my much older half-sister had played one too many renditions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on her violin). So she flippantly said I could join band the following year...Flash foward to me holding her to that "promise" of hers. So I decided to play flute, but according to my band director, I had the "wrong-shaped lips" and that I should play clarinet because it's easier to learn. And determined to hold my mom to her promise, I went along with it hoping to switch to flute later on.
Have proven that I can play flute just fine, but determined that clarinet is really for me. Proud to say my mother enjoys listening to the clarinet, unlike my poor sister's fate. Maybe it's because my favortie beginner song was not Twinkle, Twinkle, but a much happier song - When the Saints Go Marching In...Apparently, marching around the house playing that over and over with my nextdoor neighbor leaves a much more amusing memory then that of a violin and Twinkle.
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