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Re: Beginning Clarinetist

Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-04-08 07:14

Most of the questions you have will be answered by a teacher, and quite specifically, especially with respect to reeds, mouthpieces, and methods.

Rubank has a couple of great books that have a lot of nice duets for flute and clarinet that are on the easier side.

A valuable ability to pick up from the beginning (something I teach with adult students right away) is the ability to transpose on sight from concert pitch. This opens up worlds of possibilities as clarinets have both the range and the temperament to play duets with all woodwinds, violin, and viola. If you can read the duests they have for like instruments (for viola you also need to be able to read alto clef) then you make yourself far more adaptable for playing in groups....the real fun of playing an instrument.

I strongly recommend a lesson every week. I give a price break for my students who book me for an hour rather than a half-hour lesson. I have a beginning recorder student (adult) who played the system by asking for an hour lesson every two weeks (once bitten twice shy, I guess). She's pretty conscientious but she's not motivated to practice for a lesson every week (a nice way of saying she'll generally slack off the first week) and she has a lot of time to develop bad habits between lessons.

Learning the clarinet is fraught with perils caused by bad habits, far more so than recorder. It is very important that these habits be eliminated early unless you really want to inflict a lot of pain and suffering down the road on yourself and your future teacher.

I certainly agree that finding a graduate student is more important than an undergrad, particularly in Boston. Grad students have a lot more time since undergrads live their lives in the practice room. Grad students are generally encouraged to teach.....at least where I went to school undergrads were emphatically urged NOT to.

The clarinet is an incredible instrument....when you get the fingering system down you'll be able to transfer to other woodwinds easily (the bassoon and the alto and bass recorders use the same fingerings in the bottom register, the rest of the woodwinds and the tenor and soprano recorders use the same fingering as the top register). It adapts to any group and is a joy to play alone. You can also take comfort in the fact that wherever you go I've found it is easier to find a good clarinet teacher than any other instrument save piano.

Have fun and happy clarinetting!

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Beginning Clarinetist new

Alex M.

2006-03-28 20:00