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Re: Starting to play again

Author: Green Henry
Date: 2018-11-03 04:18

Hi All

I'm a newbie both to the site and relatively to the instrument: like several others here, I have started to play since retiring (in spring 2016 in my case, aged 57), but unlike the others this is my first foray into playing any musical instrument. I liked my job, but realised I can live on my means and had a quite specific dream: to play classical music with other people. So far going well. I've passed the UK Grade 4 and will take Grade 5 soon; I'm confidently playing pieces from the next level now. More importantly I've joined two community bands and recently found someone to play duets with (what larks!). On the one hand, I'm having a ball - I cannot think of anything I have done that has so successfully met my objectives - and on the other hand it's incredibly frustrating. My question, for fun rather than something with an answer, is: I may be improving all the time but am not very good at playing and obviously never can be that good. Am I better placed than someone who played to a good standard once and will struggle ever to reach that standard again, but is a better player than I will ever be? (My answer: it's about how much fun you're having, but playing better means more fun. Sometimes just one note leaves me in raptures.)

Anyway, love the site, love playing my clarinet, best wishes to everyone struggling to get rid of that thudding sound at the start of a tongued note around the break. I sleep easily in the sure knowledge that if I ever do master that, there are plenty more frustrations waiting just around the corner.

H

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Starting to play again new

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2017-02-12 00:32