 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2002-01-02 22:43
Does anybody here ever feel burnt out with clarinet? How do you deal with it, especially if there are deadlines or auditions coming up?
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Author: Irwin
Date: 2002-01-02 22:50
Yes, tonight. I sat down to practice and my heart wasn't in it. Things I've been preparing for my Sunday lesson and did well with yesterday just weren't flowing today. So, I simply packed away my horn and will pick it up again tomorrow. If I'm feeling like not playing, I've learned there's no point pushing it. Trying to practice when your heart isn't into it isn't likely to yield much improvement (if any), so even with a deadline looming, my attitude is "what's the point?". Instead of practicing tonight, I did the next best thing: pour a nice glass of cabernet and enjoy!
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-01-03 00:41
I've been that way before. I listen to music when that happens, where I'm reminded that I don't have to be the one making the music to appreciate it.
If I don't feel like apprecating music, then it was time for a break anyway.
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Author: Kirk
Date: 2002-01-03 01:09
I agree with David and Irwin. If my heart wasn't in it or I was tired and didn't want to bother, I didn't practice that time even if I needed to take a few days off. When you come back to it, you will be more prepared for it and will play better than if you just went thru the motions and had a lousy session and got disgusted. We all need to take a little time off for ourselves now and then no matter what the situation. Like the candy commercial says, "everyone needs a five minute vacation"
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2002-01-03 04:40
Good idea to take a break now and then. Even if you're a dedicated woodshedder.
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Author: C@p
Date: 2002-01-03 11:21
The ideas of the others probably apply to any line of work or play. Sometimes one just needs to temporarily get away and unless there is a compelling reason to plow through, anyway, a break will probably mean a welcome and increased new vigor and productivity upon return to what has to be done.
C@p
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Author: Kristen D.
Date: 2002-01-03 14:35
On days when I am at odds with my clarinet I try to just at least run through
my warm up pattern. This way it is "mindless" practice. The main reason is
that if you actually takes DAYS off, the embouchure muscles get too much of
a break. After days off it usually takes me a few days to get back into the
swing of things.
When I am frustrated in the practice room and imagine myself throwing my
clarinet across the room, I usally take all of the frustration out by kicking the
music stand down! Yea! Although the folks practing on either side of me
sometimes get a little startled... 
Kristen Denny
GTA: Clarinet, UNL
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Author: clarinet713
Date: 2002-01-03 15:25
When I get frustrated with my clarinet (more specifically, REEDS-which is usually what makes me frustrated) I break some old reeds off of the wall that I have had since like 10th grade. I have found it to be very theraputic! I have wanted to try burning them too, but am a little afraid of setting off the fire alarm in the music building. I don't think the college would be too happy with me then!
I think it's beneficial to take a break every once and awhile, I know I definitely needed one after this past semester-I had some kind of performance every weekend since the last week in October! I admit it was fun, but I did need a break. I did get it, because of my lack of wisdom teeth! I don't like to take really long breaks, because it seems like you lose some things-maybe that's just in my head, but thats how it seems to me, esp. with my tonguing (sp?) But I think taking a break, and listening to your favorite clarinet player play something awesome (there is this recording of Charles Neidich (sp?) doing the Weber Quintet that I really love and always inspires me) Or, even better, go to a clarinet recital or something like that. Hope you are refreshed soon!!!!
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2002-01-03 16:02
Burnout, writers block, programmers block, Wichita Lineman's Flu, everybody gets it.
Playing at least your auto-pilot items every day will keep things going while you wait for inspiration, adrenaline, carbs, whatever. Doesn't matter what those pieces are: scales, etudes, long tones, running through your favorite concerto. Pablo Casals used to start each day with Bach on the piano. Do it.
My playing requires a certain maintenance level of practicing which I am desperately awful at keeping up, so I end up in a binge/bust cycle. This might work for a weekend warrier but not for a pro. In any case, when there are no gigs, I pull out the Baermann scale book, set the metronome, and start on page 1. I have done it so long there is little thought that goes into the process on a day-to-day basis. How much I get done depends on a lot of things, and I stop to work on issues as they occur. On a good day 45 minutes can make a big dent in the book. On bad days I may not get more than 5 pages, but I know there will be bad days and try not to obsess about how awfull things go when this happens. After you put in enough time, you will recall "all the heat of bygone noons" (Gilbert) - the immense days and the desparate ones, and just take it in stride.
Paul Schaller used to tell me that I had to practice every day, even when "you couldn't play a C major scale if they hang you." I am barely sharp enough now to realize that he was a better teacher than I was a student, but this is still good advice.
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Author: Danielle
Date: 2002-01-04 02:32
For the past week or so, I've been burnt out--concert season aftermath, I guess, although I have a fresh wave of concerts coming up in a couple of weeks. When I'm playing, and I just start squeaking and my mouth hurts, I take out my Rubank book and play through the exercises-nothing in particular, just whatever comes up when i open it. It kind of realigns my mind back into the whole "clarinet thing."
Danielle
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Author: C@p
Date: 2002-01-04 05:28
When practicing after this thead was started, last night I noticed that if I felt like I was getting nowhere with scales and formal exercises and after a decent effort to push on, I started to just pay whatever came to my instrument and just changed gears to playing for enjoyment as opposed to improvement.
Tonight I got back to the exercises and felt better about the experience.
C@p
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2002-01-04 05:47
There are some good ideas here, thanks. I don't know if playing Baermann would work for ME... I think he's partly to blame for the burnout! That pesky man!
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Author: Laura
Date: 2002-01-07 22:31
I have never had this problem...I actually feel strange if I don't practice, and I usually regret being forced to put down my clarinet because I have been playing for three hours and cannot physically do anything more....but then maybe I am just wierd.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-01-09 03:28
Oh, I ready your Yeoman quote and chuckled - so appropriate in a funny sort of innapropriate way.
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