 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Augustine
Date: 2018-09-22 06:15
Just retired and thinking of learning to play an instrument.
I have no knowledge of music.
A complete beginner.
I have access to a Normandy 4 Clarinet and Howarth S20 Oboe.
Are these instruments suitable for a beginner?
If not please suggest brands and models.
There are no teachers in our remote area.
Any instrument would be self taught.
Any advice on which instrument to choose to play would be helpful.
Any advice about tutorial books would be appreciated as well.
For that matter any advice would be helpful.
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Author: marcia
Date: 2018-09-22 20:19
If you decide on clarinet, there is an excellent selection of on line lessons from Michelle Anderson, called Clarinet Mentors.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2018-09-22 20:38
Hi Augustine,
Welcome to the Clarinet BB. The Normandy 4 clarinet should be fine for your purposes but you would need to be sure that it is in proper playing condition. As you can imagine, determining an instrument's condition can not be done on-line; the clarinet would need to be inspected by a repair technician or a knowledgeable player.
What you need to do is find a teacher for your first few lessons to make sure your instrument is fine and that you get off to a good start. The first few lessons are critical since you need to learn to assemble the instrument, attach the reed, hold the clarinet, form a good embouchure, etc.
Trying to do all these things with no experience would be like learning to drive a car with no knowledge of what is the proper procedure. Sure, look at some on-line lessons to get the idea of what is to come but you need "hands-on" guidance to get you started correctly.
Good luck. You are about to begin a wonderful adventure.
HRL
PS You mention being in a remote area but somehow you need to make personal 1 on 1 contact with a teacher or clarinet player to get you started.
Post Edited (2018-09-23 01:25)
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2018-09-22 22:36
You asked about clarinet vs oboe. Have you given any thought about what sorts of music you'd like to play eventually and/or in what groups?
Everything I've ever heard about the two instruments is that the oboe is far tougher to learn, more expensive to buy and maintain, and its reeds are a hassle.
But if you'd like to play in an amateur orchestra, the oboe would be a better choice as they are more in demand, as clarinetists are far more plentiful - I hesitate to say 'a dime a dozen'. (An orchestra typically has just 2 oboes and 2 clarinets.)
For amateur wind bands, clarinet would be a better choice as band music assumes a large cadre of clarinets.
If you're just going to play with piano or guitar now and again, the oboe - a non-transposing instrument in C - would be better as you could play a broad range of music written for violin, guitar and the like without having to worry about transposition. (The Bb clarinet sounds a Bb when you play a written C)
A Google search on: online oboe instruction returns multiple hits; perhaps look at some of them. Ditto online clarinet instruction
If it's impossible to find a local teacher to get you started, go with clarinet.
Good luck
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2018-09-23 05:56
Second vote for Michelle. She has done something very special for the clarinet world. Getting new and even advanced players to play better. I've known her for a few years now and she is very dedicated.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2018-09-24 01:40
The Howarth S20 Oboe is a very decent instrument to learn on (an beyond) but I second the comments about reed complexity.
Oboe reeds are much more expensive than clarinet reeds and very easily damaged. They are also very difficult to adjust to playing order.
On the plus side I would say that the oboe fingering is considerably easier than clarinet, however that is not a major deciding factor.
If you really are stuck with having no help at hand to get you started, then clarinet would be the better bet.
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Author: Augustine
Date: 2018-09-25 01:53
Thank you for the reply. I have found Michelle Anderson, she's fantastic.
I joined her group. I can get a sound out of a clarinet now. I had a few problems with the reeds.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2018-09-25 06:30
Clarinet IMO is easier to start, but as an adult, it isn't as big a factor. Whatever instrument you go with, have someone give it a blow to see that all the notes work well. If so, you can save money on buying something (though new student model clarinets seem to be really cheap since I retired from Band teaching in 1996). I just bought a new student model Selmer clarinet to practice on for $150 Canadian plus tax (so, $175). These used to be like, 4-$500.
I started clarinet private lessons in 1964 and used a thick book called "Foundation to Clarinet Playing". Still have it--it takes you from step one to some fairly advanced stuff.
But pretty much any of the standard Band methods work fine, especially for an adult--I think I've taught with most of them. "Band Today" maybe was one of the more popular ones. I also recall "Sessions in Sound". They all cover
all the basics, with little differences here and there.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
Post Edited (2018-09-25 06:32)
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The Clarinet Pages
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