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Doubling on Clarinet

Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-05-12 21:43

Steve wrote (in another thread)

-- "Being a former clarinetist, ....." --

Susan, sorry to change the subject, but I play the clarinet and only became interested in the oboe about 6 months ago.

I'm aware from what I've done so far that if I made the effort, I could make rapid progress. But the problem is that I love the clarinet as well.

Do you still play the clarinet? Is there any reason why I shouldn't put equal effort into both? From my limited experience, I have no problem adapting to the very different embouchures and fingerings. The only problem I have is the position and angle of the fingers on the keys, though that's solved after a few minutes of practice.

I guess, what I'm seeking is reassurance that both instruments can be learnt to a rather amateur standard, well at least good enough for community orchestras.

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Steve --

If you've got the time to do both, I don't think there's any real reason why you shouldn't.

I did continue to play the clarinet for the first year after I started oboe. The only place it fouled me up was in confusing the F/F# and high D fingerings for the two instruments. I do fantasize about being able to double proficiently at some point in the future.

But I, personally, really wanted to become primarily an oboist, so at the point where my oboe playing began to rival my clarinet playing in proficiency, I made the switch. For the past 18 months, I have not so much as put a clarinet in my mouth. My oboe playing has benefitted significantly from this undivided attention.

I have no doubt but what most of my clarinet chops would come rushing back within an hour or two of taking it up again. I played it for a long, long time, and it is still the standard by which I experience woodwind playing -- something is either "like" the clarinet, or it's not.

But the oboe is a separate instrument -- it's not just a clarinet without a mouthpiece. It has its own repertoire and traditions, and has its own challenges. And to me, it is infinitely more pleasant an instrument.

Besides, whether in band or orchestra, the oboe routinely gets all sorts of cool solos that clarinetists can only dream about! And if you can play it half-well, you get all sorts of strokes for doing it. Clarinets are, for better or worse, part of the musical wallpaper of our culture. But there is a mystique about the oboe that just captivates the contemporary listener -- and I love it when that happens!

Good luck to you.

Susan

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