 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MoonPatrol
Date: 2026-10-07 01:53
What are some guidelines for playing with an experienced principal? I do know that conductors address the first chair with any directions. My stand partner occasionally comments on my articulation. I just do my best to comply but my process is to get the notes right first. Style Markings are also mentioned as I often don't notice them or know what they mean. ( I'm in research) I don't think there is enough conversation about what is proper behavior. And I am totally on- board with requests from my Principal. There are a lot of unknowns that need to be known with also being in group. I can't stand percussion warming up on snare at fortissimo! On another note I get offended by poor copies of music and have to fix that just for a better ride. And I mean note stems, and general notations I have to blacken in with ink.
Post Edited (2026-10-07 01:57)
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-10-07 03:37
I suppose I/we could give pointers about seeking to match your intonation to the principal and letting them take the lead, plus a dozen more things, but since every situation is different have you considered asking your principal what their priorities are for you?
Good communication will show you respect them and allow you the opportunity to let them know some of your shortcomings as a hobbyist. Between stroking their ego and setting expectations as to your skill level you may find it goes a long way.
You point out other issues which are interesting to me in the sense that some are more under your control than others.
Loud sounds from behind: get some foam earplugs; that you can somewhat control.
Bad copies of music; again, a black fine tip marker may help. Perhaps the internet has PDFs in better condition of some of the stuff you're playing.
Doing your best to comply: this is the one you cut yourself slack on. You're doing your best; you can't be all things to all people.
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-10-07 15:10
In my school orchestra, when I was 11/12/13 years old, ALL our music was handwritten by an old German man called "Mr Schwabe" (I seem to recall he was "Len Schwabe", but it was 46 years ago....). His handwritten scrawl prepared us for ANYTHING that would come in the following years.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2026-10-07 21:04
MoonPatrol wrote:
> What are some guidelines for playing with an experienced
> principal? I do know that conductors address the first chair
> with any directions.
Are you playing 2nd clarinet or are you doubling the principal as an assistant?
Karl
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2026-10-08 06:19
this is one of the reasons i play bass and alto clarinet vs Bb. it makes me the principle so i avoid all the petty nonsense. but at least i do play a buffet.
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-10-09 02:15
Some suggestions- learn the 1st clarinet solos (of course, this is so you can play them if the Principal is hit by a bus) and then play them very fast and loud during the warm up, and whenever the conductor is rehearsing the strings.... Also, if you fart while playing, always blame it on the flute section. If the Principal player is counting bars in that spot that didn't work out yesterday, turn to them and loudly whisper "one..... Seven..... eight..... threee..... eleven...."
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Author: rmk54
Date: 2026-10-09 03:10
...and don't forget to play chromatic scales up to high C (or higher!) as loud as you possibly can, especially after the oboe gives the A.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2026-10-09 05:33
A friend of mine only owned a Bb clarinet. He took it to his first rehearsal with an orchestra, a local community group. He didn't realize the significance of "Clarinet in A." He said other musicians kept turning around and looking at him. The principal eventually clued him in.
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-10-09 10:36
That reminds me, I got flown down to play in a provincial orchestra in Dunedin. The kid who turned up for 2nd clarinet had borrowed an A clarinet, but it really DID NOT play in tune.... eventually I worked out that he had accidentally borrowed the top joint in A and the lower joint in Bb (from an "old school" matched pair.... the serial numbers were 1 apart on each joint). Because i was being very polite and diplomatic as I'd been asked to be friendly etc to the newbie..... it took us half the rehearsal to work out what was going wrong.
(oddly enough, I had a pair of Yamaha Customs in the 80s/90s that you could swap the joints over and still play... this did one day cause me to go crazy with stress about 30min before a concert, for about 1min until I worked out what I'd done - so it hasn't just happened to the "newbie kid" on a borrowed horn)
Post Edited (2026-10-09 15:55)
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