 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Philip DeVries
Date: 2013-01-21 15:37
I've been practicing in a small (8ft x 8ft) carpeted room, which is quite dead; i.e. little reverberation or echo. I can't use that space any longer, and my only option is the corner of large (18ft x 18ft) room with a hardwood floor and plaster walls which is *very* live. Naturally, I sound very different in it. I think it sounds better, but also that I can't hear things (flaws) that I could hear in the dead room.
What would be the best acoustic characteristics of a practice space?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-01-21 16:08
In my opinion a room should not echo, so it should have a carpet on the floor and a curtain on at least one wall (the bigger the room, the heavier the curtain).
--
Ben
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2013-01-21 17:31
Given a choice, I would rather have a dead room for practice. It challenges you to produce a better sound than if you are flattered by a live space. And, yes, many flaws are hidden by reverberation. But you have what you have -- just as students in small practice rooms must imagine what their sound will be like in a large hall and push past what it sounds like bouncing off a wall three feet away, you must listen through the reverberation for the details of technique and timbre that may be obscured by your new room.
If you can, try the center of the room.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2013-01-21 19:10
You can also try practicing outdoors.
If you can make a good sound in the corner of a field then you will sound good anywhere.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-01-21 19:28
I would agree that practicing in a dead room encourages you to work harder to produce a better tone. That way, when you give the same effort on the stage in a concert hall, your sound will be beautiful!
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2013-01-21 19:46
Larry Mentzer once said practice in a closet; he of course meant a very low reverberation time, which, incidently, can make a significant change in timbre.
richard smith
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2013-01-21 20:47
Yes, of course I agree about deadness to hear exactly what you're sounding like, working harder and all that, but if you don't have a chance to rehearse in a live surrounding (if that is what you'll be playing in) or you can't imagine or mentally recalibrate yourself to a live setting, (and if you are playing with others) you may be in for a surprise.
Also, if I play in an ultra-dead place, e.g. a closet, I may hear more coming back into my head via the mouthpiece and not the true tone emitted from the instrument, which I understand comes from the open tone holes as well as the bell. Sometime I play in a room corner with a table there as well to raise the floor to make a 'corner reflector' (or a recessed window alcove, etc) so I can hear what comes from my horn, not just from the mouthpiece.
Then there is recording. I've even tried a delay box so I wouldn't have to start and stop and replay.
Then sometimes I like to play in a live room to see how much I can fill it. Just in case I have to play with sax and brass.
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2013-01-22 05:42
Better too dead than too lively. Else you can be very bitterly disappointed rehearsing, or worse, auditioning in a new location.
Happened to me in an audition once - gulp - not a comfortable feeling.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-01-22 18:31
I used to hate my teachers studio..........dead, dead, dead.
Of course now I seek out the "Wenger Module" sound in order to clean up any sloppiness in technique. Once you embrace this analytic sound, you won't want to give it up.
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-01-22 19:25
When the house is crowded, I practice in a 10x10x8 closet with heavy carpet and surrounded by clothes. I hate that!
When I can "spread out," I practice in a larger space with high ceiling and sheetrock everywhere except the floor (carpet) . Much nicer.
When I play in other venues, I'm often in a space that sucks up all sound. In one, you can't even hear the other folks in the ensemble. The noise just disappears.
My teacher's studio is also dead; and I never seem to sound "like me" when there.
At home, I prefer to practice in my live space. Thanks for this discussion. I'd not thought much about having to adapt tot he venue.
Bob Phillips
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Author: marcia
Date: 2013-01-23 19:26
>At home, I prefer to practice in my live space. Thanks for this discussion. I'd >not thought much about having to adapt to the venue.
Hence the need for pre concert sound check. Sometimes a new venue can offer a surprise or two. 
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2013-01-24 16:29
Guess I'm the only strong dissenter.
I practice in the most live place I can, and I also encourage my students to do so, telling them to try to "fill up" every corner of the room. I've found that it gives them positive feedback and encouragement, and none of them have developed thin sounds because they're "relying" on the sound being bounced back.
Also, practicing in a dead room provides auditory feedback only from a distance very close to the instrument. Sounds that are very audible from the player's location, such as articulation sounds, are "amplified" for him or her, whereas they may be totally inaudible from a short distance away.
Of course, in performance, one must adapt to the acoustics of the venue.
B.
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Author: Philip DeVries
Date: 2013-01-24 20:35
Per the previous post, my family has generally thought I sound better than I think I do. I just presumed that they have no standards, but maybe I should accept the compliment instead.
Thanks for the responses.
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