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 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?
Author: RKing 
Date:   2020-09-19 21:56

I don't know where you live, but the All-State competition during my high school days was very hard. The winners were usually students who started in grade school and took lessons (and practiced hard) all the way through.

You didn't take lessons in middle school, then signed up for lessons and expected this teacher to whip you into shape to make All-State in a few months? That was a lofty goal, but might have been a bit unrealistic. How did you learn to play? Did you have a teacher at the beginning to help you develop your initial embouchure and tone? I feel like I missed the beginning of this story.

At best, the teacher is a guide and an honest critic. But the teacher doesn't play the horn and the teacher probably doesn't monitor your practices, so the bulk of the work is always up to you.

I suggest you go back to the basics as others have suggested. Long tones, scales, and etudes played slowly are still the best way to improve your embouchure and tone quality. I know this sounds boring, but these exercises should give you a better chance of becoming a good musician.

You could also try a few different mouthpiece and reed combinations. Our faces and mouths do change a little as we grow older. I played a Vandoren 5RV through school, but fell in love with a Kaspar (then Fobes) Cicero later on. Then early last year, I discovered how good a Vandoren M15 sounded and it is what I am using now.

I still play slow scales with a tuner every day to make sure my tuning and tone quality are okay. Then I'll speed them up to warm up my fingers before I look at the pieces I am working on.

I am sorry you didn't make All-State, but most of us didn't and it's not the end of the world. I still enjoyed a nice career as a pro musician before I finally went back to grad school to switch careers. Now I hope to play again for fun and gas money at dinner theatres and such when the COVID pandemic ends.

Cheers,

Ron
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 Topics Author  Date
 Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-19 03:14 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
kdk 2020-09-19 04:59 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Paul Aviles 2020-09-19 05:35 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-19 06:05 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Matt74 2020-09-19 06:38 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Matt74 2020-09-19 06:54 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Ken Lagace 2020-09-19 17:19 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Ed 2020-09-19 18:18 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Slowoldman 2020-09-19 21:46 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
brycon 2020-09-19 21:39 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
RKing 2020-09-19 21:56 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Ed 2020-09-19 22:53 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
kdk 2020-09-19 23:25 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
brycon 2020-09-19 23:56 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
nellsonic 2020-09-20 05:11 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Ken Lagace 2020-09-20 05:45 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-20 06:15 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
donald 2020-09-20 09:19 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-20 10:53 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Fuzzy 2020-09-20 10:11 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Tony F 2020-09-20 10:18 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-20 10:51 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
nellsonic 2020-09-20 12:43 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Ken Lagace 2020-09-20 15:11 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-20 15:24 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
kdk 2020-09-20 17:23 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-20 17:48 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
rmk54 2020-09-20 18:04 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
kdk 2020-09-20 18:10 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-20 19:09 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
EbClarinet 2020-09-21 04:18 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Jeroen 2020-09-28 13:43 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
bradfordlloyd 2020-09-28 16:33 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Deranged Winner 2020-09-28 17:47 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
rmk54 2020-09-28 17:43 
 Re: Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?  new
Mark Charette 2020-09-28 18:56 


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