 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sinbad007
Date: 2009-08-09 03:23
I am a successful entrepreneur approaching the age of 64 and retirement. I have a wonderful family, two great grandchildren to keep me busy and also looking forward to spend more time on my island cottage that I built, as well as tinker with my old wooden boat to keep it afloat. A few years I also took up oil painting ago and I take so much pleasure being a student again!
I have always loved and appreciated music, but unfortunately due to very poor and difficult beginnings, I never had a single music lesson or the possibility to own an instrument. Later school took over, more school, graduate & post degrees, kids, mortgages, business ventures and a very busy professional life.
Now in suddenly in my sixties, have this burning desire to learn & play music…
I have been always fascinated with the clarinet – it is such an incredibly beautiful sound! My favorites are mostly swing & jazz pieces (played by Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman) but some classical pieces have also stirred my soul (Bizet - Carmen, Tchaikovsky - Symphony #6, Brahms, Mozart, Vivaldi, Schumann, etc, etc.)
I am considering purchasing a Buffet R-13 and searching for a teacher to start to take private lessons. I would be very grateful if you could share your initial stages learning the clarinet or offer any advice, pitfall to avoid, etc. that you would consider valuable to an absolute and complete beginner. Any DVDs, CDs, or books that you found valuable on your journey would be also appreciated…
I have no delusions & expectations – I just want to learn to play and perhaps one day be privileged to able to recreate a piece that someone created long ago…
Thanks for your attention and even if you think it is crazy to start this at my age, I am hoping to hear from you!
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2009-08-09 03:56
I don't know where exactly in Canada you are located, but you sound like the perfect candidate for a New Horizons Band.
Check out this linK:
http://www.newhorizonsmusic.org/
It's a wonderful organization, and if you can find a local New Horizons group to join, you will meet other like-minded folk, have opportunities for lessons, and opportunities for playing with others almost immediately.
Best wishes! You are NOT alone.
Susan
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2009-08-09 04:33
"Now in suddenly in my sixties, have this burning desire to learn & play music…"
Go for it! ![[up]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley24.gif)
It might be best to find a teacher and ask what clarinet, mouthpiece, reed would be best before you buy a clarinet. An R13 is quite a good instrument, but the mouthpiece/reed combination is very personal and takes time. It would be best to find someone that can meet with (maybe in a music store) and help you choose equipment.
The main reason I say this is because of the mouthpiece/reed combination. Some of them are just made better than others- even within the same brand and model. If you have never played before, you won't know what to look for in a good mouthpiece, but a good teacher can easily spot a factory lemon.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2009-08-09 13:15
Good Clarinet choice, though there are other good brands out there. A professional clarinet which is "set up" (means doesn't leak, and spring tensions are evened out, etc. by a repair technician) will often be easier to play than a student instrument which are to me inferior in many ways.
Get guidance for the mouthpiece as skygardener said. I currently have a student your age who also is into boating - photographer instead of painting. He's working hard to become good enough to play in community groups and is having a blast doing it.
For an instruction book that you can enjoy you might want to try the Galper Clarinet Method (Books 1 and 2) which are published by Waterloo Music Canada.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2009-08-09 13:39
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> A professional clarinet which is "set up" (means doesn't
> leak, and spring tensions are evened out, etc. by a repair
> technician) will often be easier to play than a student
> instrument which are to me inferior in many ways.
Hmm. I must wonder why we'd give inferior instruments into the hands of novices who can't tell whether its their own or their instrument's fault if something doesn't work how it is supposed to.
In my somewhat limited experience, a student instrument must be given the same amount of care re mechanical setup as a pro's instrument. Corners can be cut in the choice of materials used, the refinement process (Do I need undercut holes? Do I need silver-plated keywork? Do I need an LH Eb lever?), but not in ergonomics and playability.
--
Ben
Post Edited (2009-08-09 23:56)
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Author: lrooff
Date: 2009-08-09 23:50
Why do we start novice clarinetists out with lower quality instruments? I can think of several reasons. The most obvious is cost. Someone who is just starting and isn't certain that he or she will stick with it will find it hard to justify spending several thousand dollars on an instrument. This is especially true when mom and dad are having to shell out for a child who not only may not stick with it, but doesn't always have the ability to take care of the instrument or the experience to know about caring for expensive toys. And, similarly, many people have the desire to play but don't have much of a budget. That's why I was delighted to find my B-12 on eBay for less than $100 in near-new condition. I didn't have any spare cash at that time but needed a newer horn.
Another reason is, quite simply, that the novice isn't going to get any better sound from an R13 than from a plastic Vito. Unless and until someone reaches the point that they can get a better sound from it, there is little reason to invest five or six times as much as for a student instrument.
Frankly, there also isn't as much difference between mid-price and high-end instruments as we'd like to think. Look at the ongoing thread here about R13 vs. Ridenour instruments. Turns out that the cheaper of the two is considered by many to be the better instrument. And the difference between intermediate and student-level brand name instruments is really incremental.
I went through a similar issue when I started playing golf. People on a golf forum to which I post were carrying on about how much better pro-quality clubs were, etc., and I made the point that the only difference it would make for a beginner like me is that I'd be able to hit the ball a bit further out of bounds. I didn't need high-end stuff at that point, and it wouldn't have made any difference. Same goes for students on clarinet. They need a horn that will play easily and in tune; not one designed for a professional.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2009-08-10 00:14
Tone hole inserts often leak. They are more often found in the lower end horns. Also the attention to detail as to tone hole quality (deform
ities) are more overlooked in the lower models.
Then there's the wood quality.....
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: weberfan
Date: 2009-08-10 02:10
Sinbad007,
Do yourself a favor: Find a good teacher first, then discuss the gear. Skygardener and others who suggested that you seriously consider what mouthpiece/reed combination to start with are absolutely right. If you want one of the best clarinets made, I won't stop you from buying one. But you might be better off getting a plastic Yamaha, Vito, or Buffet B12. Canadian cold wont hurt it, but could create problems for a new R13.
Search this Web site for suggestions. You're welcome to spend $3,000 on a new clarinet, since you're starting late. But I'd urge you to get a good mouthpiece and reed combination with a less expensive model and learn how to play it first. By the time you're ready for an R13, you're bound to enjoy it more.
Good luck.
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2009-08-10 02:28
My addition to the above: Don't try too hard once you start! I've seen new ones pinch the reed, strain to blow air into the instrument, press the keys so hard they'd yell if they had a voice.
A well-set up clarinet will respond fairly easily. This is where a personal teacher would help you a lot. But even in your practice at home, try to relax your jaw so you're not pinching. Then with a good embouchure you should be able to make quite a few notes without too much trouble at all. That, my friend, is exciting!
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-08-10 12:33
I'm an amateur, so don't rely on me for expertise, but FWIW: Many of us who use this forum have turned into equipment junkies over the years. Scan through the forum a bit and you'll see us blathering on and on and on about which reeds and key pads we prefer, whether or not to buy a custom-made barrel, how to adjust certain keys for best intonation, which mouthpieces we use, how many ligatures we've got stashed away, even what kind of cork grease to buy. I'm convinced that the clarinet has a special appeal for those of us with tendencies to obsess over the details.
Please do yourself a favor and restrain those impulses, if you've got them, until you've played for at least a couple of years. Okay, okay, a year. Six months. Er....
The reason for my suggestion (unworkable though it may seem to those of us already severely addicted to reed cane...) is a practical one: You'll learn more and faster if you don't get distracted by too many variables at the beginning. A good teacher can help you sort out what equipment you really need to begin with. Right now, you'll make fastest progress by concentrating the energy on the basics of how to play the instrument. There's plenty to do, and keeping the instrument and its gear consistent right now will help you learn to do it. Don't let us drag you off on our ceaseless quest for the ultimate thumb rest.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Old Geezer
Date: 2009-08-10 15:16
For an old guy beginning, wanting, to learn to play the clarinet; Dr. Downing has the prescription. Check out the web site. "Playing the Clarinet is Easy" will be of great help to you, also the little booklet on reeds. As a very old guy I started to learn the clarinet all over and these got me going on the right track.
http://www.drdowningmusic.com
After a bit, Larry Guy's "Embouchure Building for Clarinetists" would be the thing for you, (it was for me).
Clarinet Redux
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