 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SanDRo
Date: 2008-12-18 18:54
Hello guys,
my Marigaux S200 just arrived. Thing is I've never played clarinet before and I want to learn by myself. So far I can't get a note out, but I won't give up easily. Can anyone give me some advices and perhaps a link to a nice guide for beginners/dummies :D First thing is to get a tone out. So far I'm just blowing, trying to tap holes and etc. but can't do anything - very pathetic )) Anyway also a side question - is it normal that one of the holes ( I think is the 7th from top to bottom ) has nothing on it - I mean no rubber, no valve or anything. And another thing is - why do some of the valves are without a cap? I guess those are really newbie questions, but I haven't played a woodwind instrument before - will it be so hard without a teacher?
post.tenebras.lux
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2008-12-18 19:01
Sorry to rain on your parade but if you really believe in "light after darkness" you'd find a teacher to help you get started.
Why torture yourself?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2008-12-18 19:29
A good first year book such as "Belwin Begginers Guide to Clarinet Playing" will show you where to put your fingers and how to get started.
After you have a rudiments, I would suggest Keith Stein's "The Art of Clarinet Playing" and Jack Brymer's "The Clarinet."
Of course, I echo the earlier sentiment in that you can easily start off with a bad habit (that you will learn about later) that will be MUCH harder to undue once you are used to doing it.
From one who has been down that path - it seems fun at first but the "cleaning-up" is not worth the initial kick out of the do-it-yourself project.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Sambo 933
Date: 2008-12-18 22:49
Maybe try to get your hands on "essential elements 2000". It's a great beginner's book. It'll show you the notes and has stuff that can get you used to playing the notes and it comes with a cd. If you don't get a teacher then I would suggest you look at some pics to see the exact way your fingers should be positioned.
Also go on you tube and listen to some clarinet players, it's a good idea to get an idea of what the instrument should sound like, of course not everyone putting themselves on you tube sounds good.....so stick with professional stuff like Mozart's clarinet concerto... I know of a great video of the first movement.
What has been posted above is true, learning on your own makes it likely that you will develop bad habits in your playing that will be hard to undue later. Also i would imagine it would be very hard to learn to form a good embouchure(that's the way you are supposed to position your mouth) without an instructor.
I would suggest at least a few lessons from a knowledgeable instructor to start off.
good luck
-Sambo-
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2008-12-18 23:15
Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and be sarcastic here.
Why look for help if you truly want to learn it by yourself?
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Author: SanDRo
Date: 2008-12-19 06:50
Well I'm not looking for help, just asking how you guys started playing. And by learning by myself I meant that no one else showing me how to play. Watching videos and reading books is also not learning by myself - someone else has written it/taped it but still it's nice to do it by yourself - it feels much better when you progress
post.tenebras.lux
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Author: NorbertTheParrot
Date: 2008-12-19 08:01
"just asking how you guys started playing"
Most of us, I guess, started playing by taking lessons.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-12-19 12:52
Like Norbert mentioned, group lessons in school, to begin with. Once I decided I was serious about it, I found a decent private instructor.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Bartmann
Date: 2008-12-19 16:49
Sandro,
While getting a clarinet tutor is traditionally the best way to learn the instrument, you can save yourself a lot of money by watching YouTube videos. There is much video material that you can get started and learn the basics.
I play two instruments and learned them very differently.
The clarinet was my first instrument and I learned by taking weekly lessons with a Julliard masters student.
My second instrument was the flute and I got mastered the basics: fingerings and solid tone production, by watching YouTube videos.
I think this process worked because I already had a strong foundation in another woodwind; music theory, rhythm, breath control, scales, arpeggios, and discipline had already been firmly built into my mind and body.
The other reason why this worked is because the flute is a simpler instrument: fewer sections, and fewer equipment variables. The flute has been around since the late Neanderthalic era, while the clarinet was developed during the late Napoleanic era.
So with the clarinet there are many equipment variables that have to be learned.
But still, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there. And since many videos cover similar principles in slightly different ways, you can cover the same material in a variety of ways. Each video will have a kernal of wisdom that you can take away.
So rather than spending your money with a tutor learning basic concepts such as fingerings, rhytinm, counting, and setup, you can work on the basics. And then after some time you can decide if you want/need to get a tutor.
In this respect you may actually be on the leading edge of music education. Learning basic info from the web, and then seeking a tutor later if you decide to become more serious.
Good luck.
Bartmann
Post Edited (2008-12-21 04:40)
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Author: Steve L
Date: 2008-12-19 17:31
The following site is worth a look. Free online lessons.
http://www.clarinet-now.com/
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The Clarinet Pages
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