 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: lonewolf9363
Date: 2008-04-15 23:35
I'm a freshman at a small high school. I play the clarinet, but no matter how good people say I am I'm in desprate need of improvement. And it being a small school I don't exactly get the best teachings. I'm looking for any tips you can think of, and if you know of any interesting music it would be greatly appreciated....thanks
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-04-16 00:23
lonewolf9363 wrote:
> I'm looking for any tips you can think of,
Find the best private clarinet teacher in your area and begin lessons.
Money well spent ...GBK
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-04-16 01:36
Find a summer music festival and go to it.
Michigan has one, rather a good one at that. Actually more than one.....
Blue Lake is one, Interlochen another - I'm sure there are others nearby enough, but you have to look for them. You will not only get sparked, but see what the other kids are doing too and get great instruction.
and follow GBK's advice too
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: srvjimi
Date: 2008-04-16 02:46
A very handy book to pick up is "32 Etudes" by Carl Rose. It starts in easier key signatures, and progressively adds more accidentals, thus giving you a larger scope of playing ability. Practice all major scales, but in variations. Also practice speeding up your tounging... although this is nasty. If you're serious about your clarient (as I assume you are, by gettign an account here) I would definately start taking private lessons... WITH A CLARINETIST, NOT A SAXAPHONIST!! I wish you the very best of luck, and keep the music alive!
Alan
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2008-04-16 03:39
Sight read different instruments literature. Trumpet music is in the clarinet rand, and will give you a workout on tonguing. Flute music is good for working in the upper register. I have an awesome book of violin partitas and Bach cello works transcribed for clarinet. Now THAT is some tough stuff.
IMO, the best part of me playing clarinet is there is always room for improvement. No matter how much I practice (although not much lately) there is always another level and pieces of music I can't play.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: NorbertTheParrot
Date: 2008-04-16 07:10
Make a recording of yourself and really listen to what you're doing. You only need a very cheap microphone and speakers and some free software (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ is adequate).
The aim isn't to listen for tone quality, which is likely to be distorted by a cheap microphone. It's to listen for irregularities in timing and articulation. Do tongued notes start clearly? Are slurs smooth and continuous, or are there thumps or gaps in the sound? Do some notes stand out in a phrase when musical sense says they shouldn't? You'll hear all sorts of horrid things in a recording that you don't notice while playing. Work on those.
Of course a private teacher is much better, but much more expensive.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-04-16 07:15
...in addition to Norbert's suggestions, see if you can find a buddy in a similar situation. Needn't necessarily be a clarinetist, but someone with an open ear and playing skills. You could do the same as with the microphone, but you'll get a second opinion for free. And you can hone your listening and judgement skills as well, criticizing (constructively!) your partner.
Of course, there's no real replacement for a teacher.
--
Ben
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Author: D
Date: 2008-04-16 18:24
I second all the excellent advice above.
Also, don't get trapped into the idea that the only music around is in school. There are probably loads of groups out there who play at a level which would be appropriate for you to enter at the bottom and work hard. Sorry, don't know how old being a freshman makes you, but if you are an 'older' teenager then some adult learner groups might be appropriate.
Regarding lessons - I have an arrangement with a teacher who I see about every 6 to 8 weeks. Couldn't afford it otherwise, and we fit it in when he hasn't got a gig (performs for a living) so he is not keeping a slot free for me either. It works much better for me than weekly or fortnightly lessons could. I'm old enough and ugly enough to take in quite a bit of info in one lesson, and then keep applying it and previous lessons information over the next couple of months before we meet again. If your brain works in a similar way to mine then it is worth considering.
The other thing about lessons is cost. It is a gross generalisation to say that the more it costs the better the lesson. I'm sure there are rubbish teachers charging a fortune and great ones who earn next to nothing. But do keep in mind, that often you get what you pay for. My first flute teacher cost about £1.50 an hour. That would buy 150 penny sweets, or 6 cans of cola at the time. And the sweets probably would have helped my playing more than the teacher ever did!
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-04-17 00:19
>Find the best private clarinet teacher in your area and begin lessons.
>Money well spent ...GBK
I third, fourth...whatever that. A techer is invaluble to your development.
keep at it and good luck!
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Author: mrn
Date: 2008-04-17 14:30
srvjimi---
You mean the 32 etudes by Cyrille Rose, right?
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Author: mrn
Date: 2008-04-17 15:29
lonewolf--
I agree with everybody else. You really need a teacher. Here's what I would do, since it looks like you live near Lansing. Get on the phone or e-mail (or better yet--have a parent do it) and contact Else Ludewig-Verdehr. She's the principal clarinettist in the Lansing Symphony and also a professor at Michigan State. Being a professor (as well as a well respected performer), she'll know who the good teachers in your area are (some of whom may be students of hers). She might even be willing to take you on as her student--a lot of symphony players and university professors also teach private students, including high school students. Her website is http://www.music.msu.edu/faculty/faculty.php?id=73
Notwithstanding the fact that you really need a teacher's guidance for this sort of thing, it's really difficult for folks on the BBoard to give suggestions about what music to look at when we don't know at what level you are currently playing. I know you indicated that you are a freshman in high school, but that really doesn't tell us much about your level of playing. I've known high school freshmen who could play at college level or above as well as freshmen who had trouble playing just the regular school band music. If you'd like some suggestions of good pieces to play that might be appropriately challenging for your level, it would helpful if you could name some of the pieces you've already played.
Keep in mind, though, that any suggestions you may get here are being made without the benefit of having heard you play and, as such, are less reliable than the advice of a good teacher.
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Author: srvjimi
Date: 2008-04-18 03:25
Yes I meant that... I got messed up with the solo I'm doing for a local competition; Concertino by CARL Marie von Weber. Tis a very good book to study though... I also like the Stievenard Studies of scales. There's tons and tons of books out there for technique, LOL
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-04-18 08:36
Youtube is your friend. There are plenty of videos out there featuring the performance of the concertino. the internet will give you the edge in how to perform, but a good teacher will probably be needed.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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