 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Me
Date: 2001-12-24 14:22
Hi! I am a 13 year old 8th grade clarinet player, but quite advanced and intent on becoming a professional. Both my clarinet teacher and band director have been urging me to obtain a professional model clarinet, as they believe that my current clarinet is way below my level. I own a Warner clarinet which I must admit is very troublesome due to its extremely soft keys, but I enjoy playing on it very much and think that it has amazing tone quality and is easy to play. I have tried playing on several professional models such as the buffet R-13 and yamaha and selmer professional models. I found that the intonation was better and the notes tended to break less often, but that the tone quality was definitely inferior (in my opinion). Is there something wrong with the way I'm playing? Is there anything out there better than the R-13 and its colleagues? How does the Warner compare with the professional models?
As I am currently stuck with the Warner for a while, I am constantly running into new leaks, dying pads, etc. This always ends up in the Warner going in to the shop again for another 80 bucks and a couple of weeks without practicing. This is, obviously, extremely disruptive, annoying, and my parents are definitely on the brink of ending my clarinet career due to the cost. So, I was wondering if there are any tricks I could use to help me identify the source of leaks and possibly fix them. This would be an immense help.
Also, the main problem I have in playing the clarinet is, as my teacher puts it, a ballooning sound produced by my intonation. I have no idea what my teacher is talking about and she does not know how to fix the problem but simply expects me to do so. Any suggestions?
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Author: ur
Date: 2001-12-24 17:09
little kids.....with such high hopes,,,,,how cute
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-12-24 17:26
It's great. Having a dream and holding on is what makes our lives interesting. I find those people with no dreams complete bores.
Like you're becoming, Chris.
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Author: Dan
Date: 2001-12-24 18:39
To the aspiring professional, please check your yahoo mailbox. I 've left a message for you there. Dan
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-12-24 19:56
I've never seen a Warner clarinet, but from your description of it, it's clearly an inexpensive, beginner's instrument, since only these have the soft key metal and the constant adjustment problems.
When you played the Buffet and Selmer instruments, it's not surprising that you had problems. Beginner instruments are designed to play reasonably well, no matter how you blow. Better instruments are not as accommodating. You have to "play them" rather than them playing by themselves. That is, you need the kind of control you get only after you've been playing for a year or two. Believe me, after you play a good instrument for a while, you'll find youself sounding a lot better, and you'll never want to go back.
The "Big 4" makers (Buffet, Selmer, Leblanc and Yamaha) make a number of professional models, but the Buffet R-13 and equivalent models are plenty good. Richard Stoltzman, for example, plays a (customized) R-13.
You have at least partly answered your first question with your second. I'll bet you're in love with the "ballooning" sound your clarinet makes. The more compact, energetic sound a better instrument makes doesn't sound as sweet up close, but sounds much better to your audience.
As an experiment, have your teacher play your instrument, with your mouthpiece and reed. What sounds like a soft, cushioned sound to you will probably sound flabby when someone else does it.
On how to deal with the "ballooning," I think what your teacher is complaining about is a lack of "center" in your sound. Click on the following link for an exercise the great teacher Keith Stein taught me many years ago:
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=245&t=234 .
Keep practicing and keep us posted on your progress.
Ken Shaw
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Author: D
Date: 2001-12-24 22:01
..........." little kids with high hopes "............go for it ME and don't let anyone/anything stop you......most especially the sarcastic remarks.
You've a GREAT atitude and wonderful aspirations
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-12-25 03:31
I was a "little kid with high hopes" once. I've gone very far since then, and if I didn't have those high hopes, I'd be pretty far off from where I am now. (I'm only a few years older than the author of this thread here, but I can already see a difference. Just ask any of my good friends.)
If you don't have high hopes, what DO you have?
I only have one word of advice: As long as money is not an issue at all, go for the gold and invest in a better horn. If you do have financial problems, however... invest in a good brand of reeds, a good mouthpeice, and a good ligature. Or two... or three...
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2001-12-25 05:39
If your Warner is taking very many $80 repairs, it might be cost effective to look for a good used Bundy or Vito, perhaps for $150 or so. These horns are often used in marching bands and are sort of "bullett proof." Another alternative for the short run might be to rent a Bundy or Vito, its a shame to keep throwing good money into a horn with soft metal keywork and the adjustment problems that come with that.
Perhaps you could work up a deal with Mom and Dad to buy you a new(er) instrument in exchange for giving up birthday and Christmas gifts for a few years. We gave our 18 year old an alto sax in lieu of Birthday and Christmas this year and he thinks he got a good deal. He's right!
Consider getting a summer job, here in NJ (and I suppose in much of the US) you need to be 14 to work, so you may be close to having that option.
Never lose your hopes and dreams!
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Author: Doug
Date: 2001-12-25 11:29
Here's another vote in favor of going for the professional model horn--Leblanc, Selmer, Buffet, whatever. It's really hard to focus on music-making when pieces keep falling off the horn, and I don't blame you for being frustrated about it. I replaced my high school clarinet (an old Noblet from the 50s) with a spanking new R-13, and it was a tremendous boost technically, emotionally, and spiritually.
You sound really bright, resourceful, intelligent, and aware--already at the point, proficiency- and attitude-wise, where a professional grade instrument makes sense. I'm impressed that you have such clear ideas about what sounds good to you, and I'd say the more time you can take to try other instruments, the better, because (as was suggested above) you need to accommmodate yourself to some extent to different instruments. (In other words, there's a learning curve involved here!)
One other thing--when I got my new clarinet, I had three identical brand-new same-make instruments to play on a trial basis. I was amazed at how different they were from each other--completely different sounds, different "personalities" if you will. Nevertheless, it took me (accustomed as I was to my old Noblet) several days to really be able to hear the differences with each. One R-13 was lackluster, really no better than my Noblet. One was so-so. And one was beautiful, and sounded better & better the more I played it ... and that's the one I kept!
Good luck, keep your ears open, follow your instincts, and I'm sure you'll be fine.
Best wishes
Doug
PS--there ARE plenty of good USED professional-level clarinets out there, and I recommend scrolling thru the "used clarinets" section of the Wichita Band Instruments website for a quick education on the types and variations of used clarinets available.
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2001-12-26 12:57
Politics aside. Your teacher should be able to guide you. Keep in mind that, by the time you start your professional career, should you ultimately chose to do this, you will have lots of teachers, some that you will like better than others. It is your money, so you should keep an open mind and be your own judge, but also listen to your teacher.
Your best bet will be to seek a regional outlet that has a lot of different instruments for you to play on. Don't know what your budget is. Keep that old instrument though - you may end up marching, and you should always have a spare. You may say that a very expensive instrument is the ultimate goal, but a lesser priced one will be acceptable now.
Woodwind/Brasswind in South Bend IN is one place - there are more on the east coast. The next ICA convention is out of the country - that is the best place to play on a all of the instruments available, from production to one-off hand made instruments: Buffet, Leblanc, Selmer, Wurlitzer (both companies), Rossi, Howarth, Yamaha, Stephen Fox, etc. (no offense to those makers not in this list.) The only way to know where you want to go is to experience all the options.
A lot of people purchase production instruments and have them immediately overhauled and, if desired, modified. Brannon Woodwinds in Evanston, IN is a place I have used, but there are other people who do similar things. Lots of people have their favorite own technician. Seek other peoples' advice on this, play their instruments if you can, and make your own decision. My last instrument had too many problems, so I spent a day in South Bend, then sent the new instrument out for an overhaul. The new instrument was head and shoulders above the old one. The overhauled new instrument was head and shoulders above where it had been new-in-the-box. Again, not all new instruments will need this level of tweaking when new.
There are a lot of issues possible with new instruments, playing impressions being only one. How prone is the instrument to cracking? How will the keywork hold up? What is the expected life span of the instrument? How will the instrument change with age (tone, intonation, response, etc.? Will the sound blend well with other players? These are all issues you will want to consider to whatever extent information is available.
You are still in the very early stage of your career, so there is no telling where it will lead. Some years ago, there were two friends in Ann Arbor, both fine young clarinetists. John Stubbins of U of M gave them both the same speach, saying they would both make fine musicians, but it was a hard life that they should take up only if they felt it absolutely necessary. One was John Wesley, wh last I heard was head of pediatric surgery at the Mayo Clinic. The other was Peter Hadcock of the Boston Symphony. Both of them made the perfect choice, for them. (FYI I am a computer network manger in the auto industry by day.)
Best regards,
Ralph
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Author: rmk
Date: 2001-12-26 18:39
FYI:
Peter Hadcock passed on some years ago.
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2001-12-27 12:51
All of us teachers should be so lucky to have a student like you! Keep dreaming and manifest it! ...let us all remember the new clarinet prodigy, 8 year old Julian Bliss! Young people are the future professional clarinet players. Remember that Gigliotti, Stein, Marcellus, Wright, etc were once young people with dreams!
Clarinets...remember that pro models have more "resistance" than student models. You will be able to play with no problems once you adjust your breath support and airstream in a new clarinet. Have your teacher help you. Buy a clarinet from a reputable dealer, and better yet, a fellow clarinetist. Try several...Selmer, Buffet, LeBlanc...all the pro models. Keep you old clarinet for awhile, play your new one for a couple of months, then try your old clarinet again and you will see the ballooning effect that was mentioned above. You will never play it again! Good luck! By the way, my son, who just turned 8 years old, has been playing the clarinet and has a phenomenal tone, a great tonal memory, and will be a fine player if he chooses to do so! I applaud you!
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