 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClarinetQween
Date: 1999-06-19 23:57
I have a Buffet Festival and i was curious if oiling the wood (Using the necessary precautions of course!!) really helps keep the condition of the clarinet in good shape? I was curious if it did more harm than help thats all. Thank you in advance for helping me!!
-ClarinetQween:)
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-06-21 19:11
I own a 1994 vintage Bb Soprano Festival clarinet. It's my only musical instrument. As expensive as it was, that's all I will ever get and that's all I will ever need. I've been told by the kind folks of this BBS that oiling the wood isn't necessary for a Festival until it's at least 10 years old. The folks got the word of wisdom from Mr Kloc, the US representative for Buffet. I very lightly oiled the wood once every few months or so for about 2 years, until I got word that it wasn't necessary. It probably won't harm the wood, but why do it if it isn't necessary?
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Author: ClarinetQween
Date: 1999-06-22 02:45
It is mental I guess
-ClarinetQween:)
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-06-22 22:12
The almost subconscious need to oil the clarinet was in me, too. Something to do with the natural need for bonding to create a lasting relationship...
All kidding aside, I'm keeping an eye on my clarinet to see how it fares for a while. If the wood develops any deeper wrinkles or surface crevices (note that I didn't say "cracks", that's a big Mr. Bill Oh-no! problem), I'll consider oiling the wood again. But let me describe to you something that I personally believe will actually help a novice player like me to get the most out of this premium pro-grade clarinet.
My goal for now is to slowly hack through the deep underbrush of Baermann III to learn the scales and intervals of scales and more scales and more fingerings of scales (redundant but necessary) to gain pure expertise in playing the clarinet. I've already improved a lot with only a couple of dozen pages studied and practiced, even as slow as I'm playing them. I'm spending up to 5 minutes per octave shift pair of notes each. That's right, only two notes at a time. Back and forth, up and down, getting the notes to speak properly from clarion to altissimo and from altissimo to clarion. Embouchure drills, fingering drills, air support, intonation, anything but tounging the reed (because tonguing the reed is a bad technique crutch in this particular set of drills). I work it until it's smooth and seamless, then take on the next two notes. Slow, slurred, and very smooth. Believe me, if I can get this down smoothly (and finally up to full speed) for the Buffet Festival, I bet you my copy of Baermann III that I'll nail it on any other horn you can put in front of me.
Like one of our more experienced clarinetists said a few times before on this BBS, "Baermann III is medicinal, but absolutely necessary". I wholeheartedly agree with this apprasial. Boy, is it ever medicinal. Wow!
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Author: STuart
Date: 1999-06-23 23:55
I have to say Baerman was a big waste of money and mental energy for me. I wish I had learned these same exercises my ear, not by sight or by memory.
I abandoned Baerman a while ago and now do similar exercises that explore different tonalities and simulatneously develope my musicianship and my techinique. I want to stop separating the ideas completely in my head. I really have never gained from them.
Baermann also has you playing the scales in the same way. I let myself play around a little more with things and it increase my awareness and sense of spontaneity. I'm much happier now.
I'm starting to lose my intrest in metronomes as well. To work on my time, I play with records and try grooving with various styles and approachs to rhythm. I mean, seriously, do you learn English by reading the dictionary a-z or do you just go ahead and speak it, pulling the dictionary out only as back up?
I played Baermann with some intenisty for a while and gained some facility, but looking back, I could have made up the same stuff and learned it with my ears, not out of a book. Good luck, listen to your heart and to Eric Dolphy.
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