 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: N. Gerard
Date: 2001-08-27 21:04
I just started taking clarinet lessons from a neighbor who is also teaching me to play saxophone, her major instrument which she plays professionally. I recently found out that she taught herself to play clarinet rather than having studied it under a teacher. I would like to know if I should find myself another clarinet teacher and just take saxophone from her. (I pay her for both sets of lessons.) I'm concerned that I may develop improper playing habits that only a clarinet teacher could observe and be able to correct. I also feel that a clarinet major would know the various clarinet method books and literature available to use and could recommend the best one for me, as well as change the sequence of lessons in these books if needed. Maybe I'm just worrying too much; I'm not sure. I enjoy both sets of lessons but want to develop proper habits on the clarinet from the very beginning.
Thanks.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kim
Date: 2001-08-27 21:52
I took lessons from a doubler once. Bad idea. He asked me what I wanted to learn instead of teaching me the basics. When I switched over to the clarinet teacher, my lessons were far more productive and I enjoyed far more than when I was with the sax/clarinet teacher.
Good luck,
Kim
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Al
Date: 2001-08-27 23:39
Yes.
If I were you, I'd study with a bona fide clarinetist. If your teacher taught herself clarinet after being a saxophonist,and is now teaching you the clarinet, you'll be taking lessons from someone who hasn't gone through the "process" of learning the instrument properly. Doesn't mean she's a bad teacher.
Al
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2001-08-28 17:52
This is my opinion.
I've probably learned as much from players of other instruments as I have from clarinet-only teachers. Yes, percussionists as well :]
Without knowing your teacher, it would really be an impossible call to make. It all depends on you, N. Whatever you want to accomplish and what you can work out with your teacher to get you there, you have to have a goal and a plan to reach it. If you don't, you're wasting your time and your money. School band, community band, orchestra, wind ensemble, jazz group, whatever it is you have in mind your teacher should be able to give you the studies that will help you become proficient in that area. YOU have to work your plan. However, it's possible your teacher may be able to give you only the fundamentals. That's okay. You can use that - when you're grounded in good basic technique - to take any path you wish . There are some things you just have to know; embouchure, fingering, breath control, scales and such. After that you may want to seek what another teacher has to offer or just hobnob with other musicians and pick up what you like, what will benefit you in your own playing.
- ron b -
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: K
Date: 2001-08-28 18:36
You don't say whether you're just starting out on clarinet, or have been playing for awhile. If you're just starting out, the sax/clarinet doubler teacher may be just fine. Keep in mind that most school age kids learn the fundamentals from an instrumental teacher who may very well be an expert on some other instrument. For example, my 4th grade teacher played flute, my 5th and 6th grade teacher played tuba professionally, and my junior high teacher/band director played trombone professionally. I only started studying privately with a professional clarinet player (he was a professor at the local university) when I was in high school. When I started with private lessons, my teacher first had me change what mouthpiece I was using and worked on embouchure for a few months, but did not negate the 5 years of lessons I had with fine musicians, but not necessarily clarinet experts. If you feel you're improving with your teacher, and the price and location are right, don't worry yet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ted Donaldson
Date: 2001-08-28 21:38
opps. My teacher is a sax major, but she is quitting teaching to sell tupperware. Go figure. Oh well, guess i gotta find a new teacer. Know of any good ones in the central florida area?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sylvain
Date: 2001-08-28 22:22
It is a very simple matter to me.
You want the best teacher for the money you are paying.
If you can find a "true" clarinet teacher in teh same range of price.
Try him/here out, you will soon realize weather or not there are major discrepancies between your current teacher teaching techniques and this other teacher.
Do a few search on this board on embouchure, tonguing, etc... and see if the advices are consistent with what you teacher says.
There is nothing wrong with sax player teaching the clarinet. Many pros can play many instrument, some to a professional level in all of them.
-S
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
