 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2007-02-18 20:58
I have a problem with a number of my young students not being able to cover the tone holes properly, particularly on the lower joint. I keep having to remind them that their fingers are slipping off the hole and not covering it...and I need to hold their fingers down a lot. Does anyone have any sugestions? It sometimes happens on the top joint too.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-02-18 21:45
how young are these kids that their fingers can't cover the holes?
I am not against starting music young, but if you can't hold the instrument it might be too early.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-02-18 21:59
Hello Nick,
The average starting age here is 10-11 years where I live. In many cases the student's fingertips are too small to cover these holes as you describe.
A part of the problem is often the weight of the instrument. Even a plastic clarinet is considerably heavy for the end of such a child's thumb. One solution is a neckstrap to help bear the weight. Often young students develop a claw or fist around the lower joint solely to manage the weight...then the hand position has to be untrained, etc....The neckstrap helps solve this problem.
If their fingertips are still too small, then you need a training clarinet. An Eb clarinet will do, but I would hate to start a young person on one.
I own one teaching clarinet manufactured in Britain, and called the Lyons C clarinet. Here is the website: http://www.firstclarinet.com/
I disclaim: These guys don't pay me a dime!
I have found it to be very effective, albeit in C. Good opportunity for me to practice transposing!
Good luck!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-02-18 22:29
Hey Paul,
Do you have any students using one?
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: pewd
Date: 2007-02-19 00:53
nope, all of mine at present have fingers large enough - the youngest i have at the moment is 10, and hes rather large for his age
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: sherman
Date: 2007-02-19 01:24
The Lyons clarinet is a terrific teaching instrument, sounds great and is easily reparable by the parent. It is also housed in an indestructable case, looking somewhat like a small bazooka.
But, when I put the instrument together, and played, it is a beautifully sounding horn, easy to play and serves the UK music education system is more substantive ways than does the US system of band induction as soon as possible.
One can play almost any music in the key of C because the Lyons clarinet is not a transposing Bb clarinet.
For my brief time in observing the UK music education programs, I found them to be more accessible and more enjoyably musical for the participants than those programs within the US.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-02-19 03:57
I started clarinet a little before I was 7. Lucky for me I found a teacher that wasn't as traditional as some others and she offered to start on Eb clarinet. That worked great and I don't remember much of a problem covering the holes with the Eb.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-02-19 12:59
I believe I've seen a few instances where a smaller student was attempting [unsuccessfully] to "cover " the tone-hole by putting the fingr tip INTO the t-h rather than across it, the lower joint in partic.. The ref. to "claw" reminded me. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2007-02-19 14:45
The Eb clarinet solution is one that works, but at the cost of having instrumentation that might not agree with the level of music being played.
I have found that the best instrument to start a slim fingered youngster on is the Vito student line of instruments. For whatever reason, Leblanc has kept the tone hole diameter down on these instruments, and they are good for young players (and sloppy fingered saxophone players) to use at the start of their clarinet playing careers.
I do not recommend the plateau horns, since you pay a premium for them over the regular ones, and since the tone is "veiled" compared to a regular instrument. Only in cases where a finger joint is deformed or partially missing would I suggest a plateau horn.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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