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Flying Fingers

Author: nesrala
Date: 2007-06-29 18:11

Hello -- I've enjoyed reading through the posts / questions and answers on this board and am hoping to get some ideas on the following . . .

At a recent performance for a community band that I'm involved with, the gig was recorded . . . band geek that I am, I've watched it several times and have been increasingly horrified at the splayed/dancing/waiving in mid-air fingers that I'm seeing when I watch myself play. Not to mention that I bounce around way more in my seat than I'd ever realized playing (German band, lots of polkas, waltzes, marches, etc. -- although schunkling/swaying to the waltzes can be encouraged in our group during performances). The bouncing I can mentally and phsically make an easy effort to contain -- our director, a fabulous clarinetest, looks at me with a rather bemused expression and mentioned that he's watched me play the piano the same way, i.e., not "still", so he figured it was just the way I play music . . . period. In the overall scheme of things, i.e., when the camera's drawn to full-band view, it's not terribly eye-catching/distracting, but I have to admit that I'm annoyed with the extra movement and honing in (anything to avoid reliving the honking squeak in a nice quiet section that I know was me and is now forever immortalized).

I've only played for about 4 years now (adult player), about 3 months of self teaching so as not to totally embarass myself on a "first lesson", then about 3 years of private lessons -- prior to the clarinet I had years of advanced piano (with a teacher that once made me balance silver dollars on the backs of my hands during a lesson on a Mozart sonata) and about 10 years of oboe (no recollection of finger movement on that one, other than the the horn is obviously smaller/more narrow and the occasional muscle-memory of a fingering battling with current muscle memory of clarinet fingering . . .)

I've noticed that during practice on exercises, I'm much closer to the keys and more mindful . . . maybe because they're no where near as fun to play! I'm not currently studying with anyone (work schedule and band/gig weekend schedule are creating conflicts).

I guess the questions are: (1) after 4 years, have my bad habits just sunk in, (2) how much movement is too much movement -- including the obvious of your fingers are too far away from the instrument to cleanly get back in time for another note, and (3) any methods / tricks to getting my fingers to "heel"??? I think a teacher once mentioned some kind of coat-hanger trick but I can't imagine the setup on that one . . .

Any thoughts/assistance would be greatfully accepted. Thank you!

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