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 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?
Author: Travis 
Date:   2008-12-17 17:27

"You may want to consider taking up tennis rather than clarinet.

Learning a new instrument as an adult is most likely the hardest thing to do. Unless you played as a kid, it is a very frustrating thing and I never encourage adult beginning students.....I actually discourage them and tell them to do other things with their time.

You may want to take piano or a music appreciation class rather than pay money for continual frustration."

As a 37-year-old who has been taking lessons for roughly 6 months I find this statement ridiculous. Learning the clarinet as an adult is indeed difficult and takes a lot of practice and patience but if it is what you want to do then do it and don't let anyone talk you out of it. Adult students just need to be realistic about their own expectations. I have had to reschedule or cancel many lessons because of having to work late and there have been many nights were I haven't practiced for as long as I would have liked...or at all - but I do not let this get me down much and I just keep going.

Regarding the issues going over the break, as others of said, all students are likely to have difficulty with this. I thought it would be impossible for me to ever go from A or Bb to B smoothly but after a lot of practice I am much more optimistic. In fact, anything regarding playing the clarinet that I at first found difficult to impossible has gotten much less difficult with practice. I would think that your teacher would give you some exercises that would work specifically on going over the break...if not ask him for some. If you think there might be something functionally wrong with your clarinet then ask your teacher to play it to check. Usually if my Bb is hesitant to speak I remind myself to give enough breath support and that helps a lot.

I think it is important that you trust your teacher and believe that he is leading you down the path that is best for you - if this is not the case then maybe he isn't a good match for you.

I hope you don't get too discouraged. I think all clarinetists, regardless of level, go through a lot of frustrations. Just keep at it and believe that things will get better with regular practice.

Good luck!!
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 Topics Author  Date
 Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-17 11:13 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-17 11:37 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Nessie1 2008-12-17 12:22 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
skygardener 2008-12-17 12:29 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-17 12:43 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-17 13:02 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
kdk 2008-12-17 13:15 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-17 15:03 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
kdk 2008-12-17 16:15 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Dileep Gangolli 2008-12-17 15:09 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Bob Phillips 2008-12-17 15:44 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Roys_toys 2008-12-19 19:37 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Margaret 2008-12-17 15:51 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
smoreno 2008-12-17 15:58 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
stevensfo 2008-12-17 17:04 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
JJAlbrecht 2008-12-17 20:23 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
stevensfo 2008-12-17 17:12 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Travis 2008-12-17 17:27 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
CarlT 2008-12-17 17:27 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Nasubi77 2008-12-17 17:57 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
ww.player 2008-12-17 20:34 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
kdk 2008-12-18 01:24 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
weberfan 2008-12-18 02:31 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-18 07:11 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
kdk 2008-12-18 11:55 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
DavidBlumberg 2008-12-17 21:18 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-18 07:28 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-18 07:35 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Nessie1 2008-12-18 08:01 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-18 08:04 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-18 08:26 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-18 08:55 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
janlynn 2008-12-18 11:25 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
skygardener 2008-12-18 12:02 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Tony Pay 2008-12-18 16:43 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-18 12:23 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-18 12:23 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-18 12:46 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Katrina 2008-12-18 14:01 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-18 16:51 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Tony Pay 2008-12-18 19:35 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-18 20:04 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Tony Pay 2008-12-18 20:15 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-18 20:40 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Tony Pay 2008-12-18 21:22 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
skygardener 2008-12-18 21:50 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noverbuf 2008-12-19 07:34 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
NorbertTheParrot 2008-12-19 07:54 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Noqu 2008-12-19 15:43 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
EEBaum 2008-12-19 17:43 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Rusty 2008-12-19 21:23 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Tony Pay 2008-12-19 23:41 
 Re: Is this an acceptable teaching method?  
Lelia Loban 2008-12-20 12:49 


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