 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Danielle
Date: 2001-04-13 21:03
hey everyone, i'm a 13 year old clarinetist, and i've been playing since i was 9. i absolutely LOVE it, and want to be a concert clarinetist/woodwind-ist (ya know what i mean) when i'm older. anyway, I'd like some suggestions from anyone who's been there on audition techniques (i've got a few coming up, including a very important one for a prep program at the manhattan
school of music), and any good level 5 or 6 (for anyone in NY, that's the NYSSMA level i'm talking about) solos that are really impressive. i'm working on mozart's clarinet quintet right now, as well as a couple of other pieces. also, this summer i want to try a few different instruments, and it's my goal to be able to play the flute, alto and tenor saxes, and the french horn/trumpet by the time i get out of high school. i'm starting on the flute, but does anyone know if there are
any instruments that i really should know how to play in order to get into a good music school? i also play the guitar, and sing a little bit, although i'm not a very talented singer, and am an ok actress and songwriter. if i get into the manhattan school of music program, i will take composing/conducting lessons. i have a buffet clarinet that my grandfather gave to me as a bat mitzvah present. i'm not sure what kind it is, but it's about 60 years old, and it's a great clarinet. i usually use vandoran 2 1/2 reeds, but i also like rico royal 3's. email me at sunrising667@aol.com for any suggestions, answers, encouragement, etc. i don't know anyone (besides my teacher) who is a professional clarinetist, and have only a couple friends who are into their instruments the way i am, and it would be nice to talk!
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Author: LIZZIE
Date: 2001-04-13 22:49
hey i am not a professional but have the same intrests as you i am 13
play clarinet and base clarinet i song and i can write music i have been playing since 10 and i play on a V*12 size 4 reed e-mail me and we can talk about clarinet stuff ok?,
lizzie
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-04-14 01:24
If you can handle the Mozart quintet, you should consider learning the Mozart Concerto. It's the most important piece for clarinet, bar none. It's a lot harder than it looks, you have to have very clean technique or else it will sound very bad. It's a Level 6 NYSSMA. You also might look at the Weber Concerto No. 1; it's not as big a jump from the Quintet and it's an excellent audition piece. The Weber Concertino is a lot of fun to play but a little harder (I think- they're pretty close in difficulty). The Concerto's a five and the Concertino's a six. If you want a showy piece, look at most anything in the 16 Grand Solos Book from Southern Music.
I'm 15 and I play clarinet constantly, along with violin and a little classical singing. I'm probably not the person to tell you this (sounding a little hypocritical here) but if you want to be a great clarinetist, maybe you should focus a little more. How much do you practice clarinet every day?
I know what it's like to have few friends intensely interested in music. No one else understands why I go home and practice for two hours a night; they think I'm crazy.
Good luck at your audition.
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Author: Sarah
Date: 2001-04-14 17:13
Hi.
I would also suggest the Weber concertino as I find it great fun to play. Another one i enjoy is the Krommer concerto (particularly the 1st and 2nd movements) but that is a little more difficult.
Good luck to you is all i can really say.
Sarah
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-04-14 17:21
If you're looking to get into a music school, (and want lots of scholarship offers:)), you'll want to pick up the oboe or bassoon. These are the hardest woodwind instruments to play, but if you can play them right (with private instruction), you'll practically GUARANTEE yourself a place in whatever college you want (provided you've got the grades to go along with that). I hope that helps!
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Author: Corey
Date: 2001-04-15 03:11
i would like to get a used basson to learn on.I am 14 and would like to get in a good music school myself.I don't like the oboe it's too high piched for me
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Author: jenna
Date: 2001-04-15 13:24
it might be in your best interest to get involved with outside organizations if you're not already. keep up with high school concert, marching, jazz.. whatever you're offered.. but if you find a good community group, you learn a lot. i joined a military band about a year ago, and i can honestly say my skills have vastly improved, and it really helped get me more focused and more enthusiastic about playing. you meet a variety of people of different skill levels, that play every instrument under the sun.. this is also a good way to learn other instruments. oftentimes, the people you meet in these bands are more than willing to lend you an extra instrument or give you a little guidance when working with a new instrument or concept.
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Author: Cathy
Date: 2001-04-16 00:01
I would suggest that if you want to pursue a music degree, you will have an advantage if you know your way around a piano in addition to your principal instrument. -Cathy
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Author: joseph o'kelly
Date: 2001-04-16 22:50
While I am not a pro. yet but rather a junior in high-school I think I can give some advice. My goal is to become a soloist on the clarinet and also realize the advantages a woodwind speacalist will have out of college. I play all the winds minus the bassoon and know from experience that if you want to be a succesful musician stick to one instrument or family.
I find it wonderful and refreshing to find another soul with the passion and enthusiasm that I did and still do. I thought it would be an advantage to dabble in brass. It would be if I set out to be a music teacher but it almost permantly ruined my chops. I can not say that one cannot play both the brass and woodwinds well but I know that if you have your goals set high one must be better than great.
My advice is practice hard on your Bb clarinet and make this your bread and butter. Then try the other members of the clarinet family. Learning the sax from this point should be no problem. (You then have a popular doubling combo for jazz)
Taking it a step further take up the flute (lessons are recomended) Then try your hand at the oboe (the most challenging to learn.) But always, ALWAYS remember the clarinet is your main instrument.
Doing this will alow you to keep strong on your clarinet so you will someday get that orchestra job but in the meantime have the doubling or tripling instruments at your disposal. You will never be asked to double on the clarinet and trumpet.
Best of luck to you on your musical endeavors.
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Author: joseph o'kelly
Date: 2001-04-16 23:18
I forgat to mention on equipment. Buffets are great clarinets and your clarinet is most likely alot nicer that the one I had at your age. a 60 year old Bohem is quite an early example and although the older specimens were made nicer they are usually very worn out at this point. I would recomend saving up and buy a Buffet R-13 Festival (much more stable than the standard R-13) There are many nice mouthpieces out there. Try Vandoren's line. Try an inverted ligature and keep using Vandoran reeds. When you feel that you need a higher strangth than move up. The strength of reed you use is not a judgment of how good of player you are.
At some point you will have to also purchase an A clarinet. make sure you buy a good one that is free blowing. Always make sure you try out a variety of instruments before you comit to one. All R-13s will play different from one another.
The Weber concertos and Concertino along with the Motzart works are masterworks that you will at somepoint be required to know. Remember to work through them slowly and make them perfect because every judge knows these peices. There are many, many peices in the clarinet repitoire out there that I love to play. When you get to a stable enough level I would recomend just listening to clarinet recordings and buy what peices you like. Some really cool pieces are out there by Copland and the Stravinsky three pieces (for unacompanied clarinet) are really neat. You might even dabble in inprov. and composing.
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