 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Meri
Date: 2000-07-05 01:01
Anyone else on this Board who is primarily a self-taught player, who taught themselves first and then got a private teacher?
Share your stories. Like, why did you decide to teach yourself? How you learned various aspects of playing? Influences?
Meri
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-07-05 01:17
Meri,
Your statement implies strongly that you are/were primarily self-taught. If so, you should start the discussion off with your story.
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Author: Bob Gardner
Date: 2000-07-05 01:47
Being retired and living next to nowhere, but loving where I am, I wanted to learn how to play the clarinet. So about a year ago i purchased a horn and a couple of books. i play the music that i know-show tunes, old ballets, some western pieces etc. I have a hard time counting so I have to work on this quite a bit. Since I'm the only one that plays in my family; I work at it a little bit at a time.
So here i am a year later with five clarinets and about 50 books of music and really enjoying it.
I have found this board to be of great help. They have answered a lot of the questions that keep coming up.
Some day when I'm old and gray maybe I will find a band to join or I'll start my own.
Have fun
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-05 02:04
I agree to Mark. You should talk about youself first.
This is my case: My father was a proffessinal bassoonist.
My musical sense was formed by him. I was not allowed to sing popular mlusic. Then I planned to start an instrument,flute. I could not find good teachers. How could I find 'good' one when I think Marcel Moyse is the standard teacher? Comparing with him, anybody is downright mediocre.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-05 02:05
I agree to Mark. You should talk about youself first.
This is my case: My father was a proffessinal bassoonist.
My musical sense was formed by him. I was not allowed to sing popular mlusic. Then I planned to start an instrument,flute. I could not find good teachers. How could I find 'good' one when I think Marcel Moyse is the standard teacher? Comparing with him, anybody is downright mediocre.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-05 02:05
I agree to Mark. You should talk about youself first.
This is my case: My father was a proffessinal bassoonist.
My musical sense was formed by him. I was not allowed to sing popular mlusic. Then I planned to start an instrument,flute. I could not find good teachers. How could I find 'good' one when I think Marcel Moyse is the standard teacher? Comparing with him, anybody is downright mediocre.
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Author: Doc
Date: 2000-07-05 02:30
Me...
I learned to play cause I love music number one... Number two, I love the sound of good jazz clarinet and number three, I blindly took on the roll of playing clarinet in my first musical, where I was in the pit. I'm 18 and still learning... I started on clarinet and switched to sax early on becoming very proficient in jazz and enough in classical to make it through three steps of music competitions of PMEA.
My story:
I started on clarinet in 3rd grade, and soon swtched to sax after playing clarinet for 3 years, and as most may know, these first years aren't very heavy, and most is devoted to new fingerings and making a good sound, so I was not technically advanced. in 6th grade I stated sax and phased out the clarinet in my musical life. I worked hard on sax cause of my passion for jazz and love of the instrument. In 10th grade the start of my high school life, I was one of the few choosen to be in the pit orchestra for our musical, "Anything Goes" thing was, the book was written for Alto sax, Clarinet, and Flute. My teacher knew from my playing I was a great sax player and automatically signed me for the book... when I saw the book I explained my situation of how I didn't make it far on clarinet, and never played flute. She wanted to take the book from me. I told her that if someone could double up with me on flute I'd play both sax and clar. After two days of haggling she let in on the deal. This was REALLY a crash course of clarinet for me! I can still remember a few of the awesome licks from that book that I still use for soloing on clar. Believe it or not, this was my intro to the left pinky, right pinky rules (no sliding). After successfuly playing the entire show (success meaning I had many compliments from judges and audience for solo/exposed parts), I started reading from books and copying Ellington's "reedists'" solos/parts. It wasn't till this year (Senior) that I had a REAL clarinet lesson with my usual sax teacher (who is really a clarinetist). He was surprised I never came to him about these things before, and was also surprised that I adjusted well to the clar even though I play sax so much.
to wrap it up:
Don't do this unless you really love to do things like this. There were some nights that I stayed up just practicing the same lick over and over again for half an hour 45 minutes. I enjoyed the stretch I made. How intuitive it felt to apply what I learned on sax to this new instrument. Now I'm really into dixie type stuff, just as some said here before- high, fast, and furious well hope to grow more musically and this time with a teacher!
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Author: Michael Kincaid
Date: 2000-07-05 03:12
Meri wrote:
Anyone else on this Board who is primarily a self-taught player, who taught themselves first and then got a private teacher?
-------------------------------------------------
I taught myself in Junior High (with some coaching in school from my Bassoonist band teacher,) then last year after 25 years of not playing I tried to pick up where I left off.
I took my first private lesson last week. I am a little
anxious about finding out how much I'm doing wrong, but I want to improve and hopefully I can accept the criticism with the right spirit. I have always held the clarinet at too much of an angle away from the body, so I'm working on that first. Michael
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Author: Sara
Date: 2000-07-05 03:53
I basically taught myself, in 8th, with a low brass, band director who was new to teaching, fresh out of college, to help the slightest bit. And that was almost 4 years ago, now I'll be starting in on my third year with a really good, but not so well known, private teacher, who is a tremendous help and he's cool too!
Sara
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Author: Jim
Date: 2000-07-05 05:01
My son had an unusual path to his study of the instrument. He started in 4th grade in public school with a clarinetist in a small class setting. For grades 5 & 6 his teacher was a flutist, and studied under a brass player for grades 7 and 8. (Though not clarinet players, both are excellent musicians and teachers and did wonders for him.) Worse yet, his high school band director is a string major, brass minor who professes to know nothing of reed instruments! I have supplemented his instruction over the years, but eventually, his study went beyond my ability, (my last lesson was 30 years ago.) Mostly through his own hard work, he has excelled. This past Feb. we were fortunate to get him lessons with one of the best clarinests in South Jersey, and already his playing has improved markedly. He enters junior year in Sept, plays in Marching Band, Concert band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra for musicals, and a community band (as well as school choir and church choir.) He plans to major in music in college in 2 years, and I think he'll make it! Is this the best way to go? Probably not, but his desire and willingness to work at it helped make up for more formal training early on.
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Author: Nick Conner
Date: 2000-07-05 05:40
I've never had a private lesson, and I've been told that I'm still at a level where I could get into a college as a music major. Mind you, in about a month I'm going to start lessons, but I've been playing for 5 years without a lesson, and am the lead clarine/tenor sax (although mainly clarinet)and ONLY soprano sax player in my school (which doesn't say much). I learned all the things I have through personal research (thank you, Clarinet Pages) and trial and error. One bad thing though, I've already had to make two significant changes to my embouchure, both causing a temporary drop in quality of playing. The good thing about a private teacher is that things like that won't happen. I think if you work enough, you can succeed without private lessons, but they sure help to keep you steered in the right direction.
Nick Conner
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Author: Jonathan Block
Date: 2000-07-05 17:14
I'm in the process of teaching myself, after wanting to play a horn for years. I don't think I would have attempted it myself if I didn't have an extensive musical background. I took a couple of years of piano lessons when I was 10 or so. I took some theory classes in high school and many in college. Since then I've been playing bass and keyboards on a professional, tho part-time, basis.
I just bought the horn, a beginner book, and went at it. I'm sure I'm doing things techically wrong, but whatever. The only thing that concerns me is effective fingering and breathing, which this site has helped with.
I'm mostly amazed that 99% of the books for clarinet have a classical or school band focus. I used one beginner book to help me get going and to learn where the notes were, but I'm mainly interested in playing jazz, so I've just been playing by ear and fake book for now.
I really prefer the lower end of the clarinet, so I may have to save up for a bass clarinet.
regards,
jonathan
(http://synthblock.tripod.com/)
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Author: Meri
Date: 2000-07-05 21:25
Seems like there are quite a few other primarily self-taught players on this board.
It's now my turn to share my self-taught clarinet story. I started clarinet in grade 7, when I was 12, through the school program. Grade 7 was really bad, missed a lot of music classes that year thanks to all kinds of school functions, and the music teacher wouldn't let beginners in the band. Following year, changed schools, to a place with a much better music program and a clarinet-playing music teacher. (only one in school I had) She noticed at the beginning of the year that I was quite behind the other students (and I hated the fact that the other kids were laughing at me), but thanks to her helping me with learning the instrument, I was well ahead of the class by the end of the year.
My real self-teaching, however, began when I was in grade 9 and starting high school. It started when I asked one of the music teachers there at the beginning of grade 9 about the band, since my grade 9 class was not starting until the second semester. She lets me choose the instrument that felt 'best' to me, soon after, setting the instrument up, and playing a Arban-Klose-Concone study, no. 2. She was quite impressed with my tone and reading ability and later, in her doctorate thesis which I was a part of said that that was "something she would not expect from a new grade 9 student". The grade 9 course started; turns out she got really lucky with a high-quality group--did some pieces that normally only senior players do. Took my instrument home that summer (and the following summers as well), along with a few pieces and study books (mostly the Hite Melodious & Progressive Studies, which I consider one of the best clarinet study books) in my school's collection. I also had bought my first clarinet recording (the Mozart Concerto)and borrowed several others from the public libraries and was first acquainted with Pino's book, which I copied the fingering reference from. Grade 10, the other music teacher at the school returned from sabbatical.The fact that the grades 10-OAC (grade 13) was a combined class meant that I got to know a good number of the senior music students, of which I was particularly good friends with a flautist and saxophonist, both two years older than me. That was also the year I got into doing clarinet duets and trios; with two other clarinetists, the Lucio Agstoni Trio Quebecois, of which I was later told (in OAC) normally only senior players do.We performed it five times,after 2 months of lunch hour rehearsals, with excellent reactions.Grade 11, I earned the privilege of playing on one of the school's three wood instruments (a Noblet), as well as getting talked into being a part of the all-city Wind Symphony, which I soon found my eventual long-term clarinet consultant, who took an interest in me perhaps in spite of being the principal third clarinet, but that may have also happened because during certain breaks I would be working on a study out of self-interest and one time was heard. I remember being asked how long I had been playing and whether I have had private lessons. I still remember the look on his face--he was definitely surprised at how someone could play so well without lessons. We talk about changing my mouthpiece, using a harder reed, and the possibility of taking lessons with him, since he recognized that I could [have] become a professional. Middle of grade 11, I made a request to my parents about taking private clarinet lessons or at least an assessment, which turned out to be that I was playing at about grade 7 level. Mom agreed (but only after my music teachers talked to her) but dad said no, even after increasing the forces on my side; he said that if I wanted lessons I would have to pay for them myself, because he thought there was no way he would be able to afford it (or so he thought--if he gave up smoking and alcohol). I tried to make a deal, to have a lesson only every other week, but he wanted every three weeks. But given the inflexibility and hours of many student jobs, and my musical commitments, there was no way that was possible, since it meant that I would not only ruin myself musically, but academically. Even during that summer, when I was working from 8 am to 2 pm, at $10 per hour, 5 days a week, both of them would not let me take lessons. Dad even told me he didn't even want me playing an instrument period. Grade 12, my music teacher gives me some of the audition requirements from several Ontario universities to show to my parents. Still no. I finally asked my parents in the summer of my grade 12 year if they would let me take lessons if I worked for my teacher for something other than money. They agreed to that, especially my dad. But it was too little, too late, and with university coming up, I couldn't continue with the lessons, given that I was also doing the all-city Orchestra in 12 and OAC. In the second year of it, six players competed for four spots, I was chosen second. Given the pieces, (like Bolero and Second Hungarian Rhapsody), there were only two clarinetists left after January. My OAC midterm playing exam was amazing though--I did the Normand Lockwood Revery and Dance and a study which I later found out was a grade 9 clarinet exam piece.(I also bought several other clarinet recordings and pieces with significant clarinet parts)
My current teacher was also amazed at how well someone could play being a primarly self-taught player. I also think I learned a lot fom the way I taught myself: asking questions (mostly to my clarinet consultant), looking for my own solutions, listening to recordings and going to clarinet concerts, having two wonderful music teachers (neither who were clarinetists), who taught me to really listen and be aware of what I was doing with my instrument, teaching the younger students (one who was really wonderful, but also one that was a total horror story), even doing occasional clarinet sessions even after graduating.
Yes, I know this is a long story. But I think it demonstrates what can happen when one decides to really take charge of one's learning.I think I'll try to get into music therapy again once I graduate from here and take a couple years off, since there's no way my dad is going to let me quit university.(since I get a tuition waiver since he works at the university I attend)
Meri
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2000-07-06 06:02
Johnathan, it's going to be hard for a beginning clarinet book to have a jazz orientation--and although I disagree with the saying that you have to learn classical before you can play jazz, the truth is that you have to learn a certain amount of technique before you can play jazz effectively.
You are doing the right thing for your jazz search. Play with records and learn solos. That's how Bennie, Artie, Pete, Eddie, etc. did it.
I have to comment here that we are really stretching the definition of self-taught. Even a student who takes private lessons is actually teaching himself/herself under the instructors' supervision.
I am a bit shocked to see the glaring lack of credit given to band directors who are not clarinet players. Most of the 'self-taught' stories here started in school band programs. Granted, it's not the same as private lessons, but who taught most of us music in general?
My own story is online for my students at
http://allencole.tripod.com/mystart.htm
I've found that while my story is similar to many folks here, I was mentored my whole life. My mother played piano and the stereo nonstop from my infancy on. Much of my early theory knowledge came from listening to her play the organ in church.
Most of my development in early high school came from the imitation of Benny Goodman records. I'd say that puts him on my list of teachers. I had a middle school band director who played clarinet, and I constantly pumped him for information--some of which he probably dreaded giving to an eighth grade band student. (I rewarded him by refraining from playing the altissimo A, B and C in his class) That certainly entitles him to some credit, but what about all the things I learned from my two trumpet-playing band directors?
The point is that while most of us can claim a good helping of the 'self-taught' status, we need to credit as mentors a lot of folks who did NOT receive an hourly fee from our parents.
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Author: Jonathan Block
Date: 2000-07-06 13:20
Allen,
Thanks for your comments, they are helpful.
Meri,
I'm continually amazed at the amount of folks who stick with music despite their parent's obstacles. As a parent myself, I can't imagine not doing anything I can to help them out with music.
regards,
jonathan
(http://synthblock.tripod.com)
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The Clarinet Pages
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