 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Netty
Date: 1999-06-16 16:55
Hi, I'm really depressed right now because it's been a year since I've been a good clarinet player. I was so active in high school and I was in all-state and played with a professional orchestra. Now, I've had a year of college and I sound like $h!t. I feel terrible, my tone is bad and I my breath support just isn't there. What can I do? Can I possibly go back to the time when I could play for hours and had a great tone quality?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-06-16 17:22
Yes you can. Put together a daily practice schedule. Start with SIMPLE pieces (like Yankee Doodle or something) in the low and middle range of the clarinet with a slightly softer reed than you used to play. At first, go for about 1/2 hour per day. Perhaps even break this into two 15 minute sessions. GRADUALLY work up to longer times and more difficult music. Just like an athlete you have to recondition yourself.
There are many of us on this board who resumed playing after much longer lapses than this. When I graduated from high school, it was over 20 years before I played again. It comes back.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ted
Date: 1999-06-16 17:30
Perhaps the reason is that your embouchure isn't as "developed" as when you played daily. Maybe another person on theis board can recommend some exercises to get your embouchure back in shape. If not, daily practice will build it up too. Also, maybe your instrument is in need of some adjustments. A technician can make sure the pads are seating properly and adjust or replace where needed.
I quit playing for 12 years after high school. I also recall the first month or so of my reintroduction being frustrating considering tone and endurance. But even that aspect of my playing eventually got much better than when I was in high school.
But there were also immediate rewards. I was surprised, for example, that I still remembered all the major scales and chromatic scale from memory.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia
Date: 1999-06-16 18:18
I quit after high school, started again after ten or fifteen years (don't quite remember when) and then quit again almost immediately because of the same kinds of problems you describe. It took me until I was in my mid-40s to start again. This time I was more patient. Yes, everything did come back. It took awhile. Hang in there.
One thing that helped me on my second comeback attempt was to set small, easily-achievable intermediate goals, on the way to the big goal of getting my former skills back (such as they were--I'm no genius, I hasten to add, just an enthusiastic amateur). That way I could measure some progress in a positive way, instead of paying attention only to my defects and getting terminally frustrated. My first goal was simply to practice a minimum of fifteen minutes per day for a minimum of five days the first week, to start getting my lip back without doing damage, then raise the time to half an hour a day for five days per week over the following month. A secondary goal, which I still observe, was to spend about ten minutes out of every half hour on scales and exercises, but the rest on "real music." This was an easy, unthreatening schedule that I could achieve even family obligations got too complicated for me to practice on weekends. My first goals had to do with putting in the time and effort, not sounding like Jack Brymer, which would have been unrealistic. Once I got through that first month, however, I did hear a big improvement in breath control, tone quality and everything else, enough to encourage me to stick to a schedule and keep working. It's been fun, and I like being an amateur with no performance pressure.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Johan Thole
Date: 1999-06-16 21:02
Netty wrote:
-------------------------------
I feel terrible, my tone is bad and I my breath support just isn't there.
----
Singing is a very good way (at least for me) to train your breath support. When I started playing clarinet again my teacher instructed me to sing whenever it was possible.
I agree with the other posters, it will come back and you will be surprised how fast you are able to pick up again.
Good luck,
Johan Thole
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: paul
Date: 1999-06-16 21:12
Been there, done that. I was a terrible player in high school on a piece of plastic that was a sorry excuse for a student grade clarinet. I decided to take on a hobby 20 plus years later, but to do it up right. I found a very good master professional tutor and did lessons for a few years. Progress was slow, especially on a premium pro grade (read unforgiving, giving absolutely no quarter) clarinet. My performance as a clarinetist is still at the adult novice stage, but I can now readily see the progress I've made through the years of an hour a day practice. Chip away at it. Gradually build it back up. You just might surprise yourself with being "an overnight success" sooner than you think.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Connie K
Date: 1999-06-16 22:53
Ditto the singing exercises--I also was initially discouraged when I tried to pick up my horn after a twenty-plus-year hiatus. Singing, and tonguing exercises, along with the radio when I'm driving has really helped. Elsewhere on these pages (under Study?) is an excellent article by Stan Geidel called "Musical Hygiene" which I found extremely helpful because of my time constraints--you might want to check it out. (Someone else may be able to direct you more completely.) In particular, his description of "blowing without playing" helped a lot with my breath control. It's been almost a year, and I still don't think I'm back where I was, but I'm willing to admit that I wasn't as good as I think I was!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-06-17 01:28
Connie K wrote:
-------------------------------
Singing, and tonguing exercises, along with the radio when I'm driving has really helped. Elsewhere on these pages (under Study?) is an excellent article by Stan Geidel called "Musical Hygiene" which I found extremely helpful because of my time constraints--you might want to check it out.
----
Stan's section is the Online Clarinet resource, www.sneezy.org/OCR . Stan unfortunately hasn't been able to update his pages as frequently as he'd like.
I know the feeling ...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 1999-06-17 15:26
I recall stopping cl-sax playing for some 5 years during WW II, while helping develop av gas and syn rubber in the boonies of OK and TX, reclaimed horns for dance band use and had to Relearn reading and fingering. It worked and has been a great hobby and "relaxer" ever since. Stay with us!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: mike
Date: 1999-06-18 04:04
i reallly hope you stick with it....i have had som much enjoyment with my horn....something that helpped me build my mouth (embrouchment) muscles up was switching (doubling) on the oboe.....talk about tone....itll all come back as the prev peeps have said.....good luck.....
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jerry Kirkpatrick
Date: 1999-06-24 13:42
It was interesting to read this thread, especially the comments by those of you who haven't played in 5, 10, or 20 years. I just started playing again (for one week) after a 34-year hiatus, since high school. Of course I have no lip or embouchure muscles, but I was surprised at how much I do remember. I've been trying to practice in 15-minute stretches, twice a day. I'm very flat in the upper register, however--A above the staff and above, with no prayer of hitting anything above E. I've been concentrating on the chalumeau, trying to get the fingers and brain to work together again.
One thing I've concluded since my interest in the clarinet has resumed: I sure wish the internet existed when I was in high school!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 1999-06-24 14:07
Jerry Kirkpatrick wrote:
-------------------------------
... I'm very flat in the upper register, however--A above the staff and above, with no prayer of hitting anything above E...
-------------------------------
Don't worry, it will come back with time.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
