 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: bcl1dso
Date: 2006-10-11 02:48
I understand that piano is incredibly important for any serious musician. However I have been playing for 7 years now and have come to fork in the road. I am a Sophmore in High School and plan to audition for places like Curtis and Colburn etc. (for clarinet)when the time comes. My question is, would me quitting piano be a major factor in the judges decision whether or not to accept me into one of those Schools even though I would be majoring in Clarinet. The only reason I feel as if enough is enough with piano is that I am so incredibly busy with practicing clarinet that to have to sit down and practice another instrument everyday just sometimes feel like it pushes me over the edge. However if quitting piano meant that it would majorly decrease my chances winning a audition I would continue.
Your thoughts.....?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2006-10-11 03:21
My toughts ... as much as well all hated piano: those of us that stuck with it are eternally grateful (here's me making sweeping statements for the whole musical community!!).
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-10-11 05:53
I am a terrible pianist....
i really wish I could play it better, it's something that I'm going to make my kids do one day.. whether they want to or not!
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: stevensfo
Date: 2006-10-11 06:10
I agree that a good knowledge of piano is always very useful, but I don't think that you should 'have' to play it well.
Being able to find your way around the keyboard, reading both staves, and understanding how harmony works really are important skills and I'd feel lost if I couldn't do it, but nobody expects a clarinetist to sit down and belt out Chopin's waltzes in their spare time.
Spare time... what's that?
Steve
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-10-11 10:50
If you're looking to get into a conservatory then you'll have to play piano, but 7 years of lessons should be just fine. At CIM the basic requirement was at the level of Two-part Inventions.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: myrnabs
Date: 2006-10-11 13:14
You will need to be able to play some scales, and sight read a piece. They will also give you two or three songs to learn, which you will have to play for them. I believe it's called a proficiency piano test. You have time to do this, for example, before you graduate from college. So you can take your piano classes there. I think they are mandatory, depends on which University you are planning to attend.
However, you will also need to pass a proficiency English test. Not to mention that your SAT scores need to be at a certain level. So all in all, you just need to resfresh your memory, and fingers.
Best of Luck!!
Myrna
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-10-11 13:23
To get to the top level as a player, you need to know not just your part, but also everything else that's going on. Players of single-line instruments, such as clarinet, are at particular risk.
Playing piano trains you to hear more than one thing at a time, and it gives you a way to play and understand the clarinet part in context. Charles Neidich plays piano almost as well as he plays clarinet. Each time I've been to one of his master classs, he's gone to the piano and given near magical demonstrations of how the music fits together.
For a practical example, see my posting on the solos in the third movement of the Beethoven 8th, http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=26741&t=26741.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Meri
Date: 2006-10-11 23:47
Some universities and conservatories require you to play piano to a certain standard. In at least a couple of Canadian universities, that requirement is Grade 6 Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. Grade 6 RCM in piano is also required for the Performer's ARCT in any orchestral instrument, Grade 8 piano for the Teacher's ARCT.
The ability to play the piano reasonably well means a lot more potential students, should you ever end up teaching lessons, as piano lessons have significantly more demand in many areas. Don't forget work as an accompanist either. I know several violin students who also study piano at an advanced level--and I also have a clarinet student (Grade 8) working on her Performer's ARCT in piano.
I in fact encourage my clarinet students past the Grade 4 RCM level who are not already studying piano and are thinking of studying music after high school to take lessons on the instrument. A proficient pianist also has the option of doing Keyboard Harmony for their Harmony requirements.
I think it's better to complete piano proficiency requirements before entering a music program beyond the high school level.
Meri
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-10-12 02:51
^^^
I agree with the above post... my lack of piano is why I struggle so much with theory such as partwriting. Nonetheless (sp?), here I am...
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Markus Wenninger
Date: 2006-10-12 10:57
The only reason to go on with the p is that conservatories require it, if not all then many do. It doesn´t make You a better musician, and the spell of tradition puts this metaphysical millstone around every other player´s neck. Especially academies and every other institution where music is taught rermains locked into the tonal episode, and I´m afraid You´d have to delve into pre-classical music (but there You´ll still meet a clavichord etc) or brave Yourself for posttonality and the contemporary to avoid the piano. That to know Your way round the piano helps a lot with theory - yes, true, though this depends largely on the methods in composition and performance which are applied. In 9,5 out of 10 compositions of posttonal music You can smell whether the composer plonked it away on the keyboard or knew the cl. So, my opinion is more or less in the same direction as the others, - it´ll be hard to avoid, the p, and perhaps You can find a place where they´re not so very much prey to the locked-in-syndrom of tonality.
I wish You the best of luck,
Markus
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
