The Clarinet BBoard

Re: My First Student

Author: Claireinet  Date:   2009-06-13 01:24 I would imagine as a pianist /flautist that she will develop finger technique pretty easily. Perhaps if she only plays on a closed hole flute she might need a little bit of time to adjust to the open holes of a clarinet. If you really want to go over the more… how do I word it…factual(?) information right away (such as instrument brands, mouthpieces, reed strengths etc..) I would try putting it in some sort of typed handout since it is true she probably will want to get into actually playing and not just hearing about brands. If she needs help buying her own instrument and whatnot then yes, do help her , but since for the time being she has functioning equipment in her hands I think most of that she can take home and look over instead of using lesson time. Otherwise, I would put it off for a bit. I would probably start out something like this (be prepared to spend more or less time on various parts or explain them in various ways since students are all different): 1.Go through all the parts of the clarinet but leave them in the case 2. Assemble only the reed/mp/barrel -- explain how they are put together - have her try putting the reed on by herself a few times 3. Explain basic air support and embouchure - demonstrate playing a non-articulated tone on your mp/barrel and have her try to imitate - correcting her as necessary until she can produce a supported/stable tone 4. Explain concept of articulation (since she plays flute she will already understand the concept just not how to produce it on the clarinet) - Demonstrate a few articulated notes (at no particular set tempo- the point is to learn the technique) and have her mimic - when the technique is down try having her parrot various short rhythms after you (I also like to add in some "rests" to make sure they understand that the air should keep going when the tongue is down even though there is no sound 5. Assemble the rest of the instrument while reviewing the part names and how to properly fit them together so as not to cause damage 6. Try playing non articulated and articulated open G’s and from there move on with learning to cover the holes (without leaks) and learning notes/working out of her lesson book 7. Make sure to cover disassembly and storage (Swab!!! Don’t keep the reed on the mp!!!! Etc…) you may also want to save some time so that she can assemble/disassemble again under your watchful eyes to make sure she is confident on the correct procedures and that when she practices without you she will remember how to do it. Keep the lesson a 2 sided street (don’t just talk, talk, talk) and towards the end always make sure that whatever has been covered has been adequately covered and give opportunity for unanswered questions. Pooh… my posts are always way too long. Anyway, that’s basically how *I* would start out - it may seem a little slow but I find getting the basics down right from the get go saves students much heartache later. Besides, it’s easier to learn correctly the first time than to try and correct a poor habit. I suppose if I were to boil my post down it would be roughly equivalent to “cut 1-4”. Besides that --KISS (keep it simple stupid) and have fun. Since its informal and she is your first student I’m betting she understands it’s a learning experience for you too. Have fun!

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Re: My First Student

Author: mrn  Date:   2009-06-13 02:14 tictactux wrote: <<I wonder who's the authority to define the "major works"...>> Me, of course. (I see your point...although I still think there are some pieces--like the Mozart Concerto--the importance of which to the repertoire is hard to dispute. I think it's worth knowing what some of those pieces are and becoming familiar with them--even if just through listening.) Post Edited (2009-06-13 02:53)

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