 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-09-22 02:03
When learning how to play I always had a mirror in front of me, checking the finger positions and the basic formation of the mouth and the mouthpiece. I still use one!
Is this still practiced or is it old school? I had my old students from York College and Kent State using mirrors.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2011-09-24 04:52)
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2011-09-22 02:16
I've done it with all my students, especially beginners.
B.
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Author: luca1
Date: 2011-09-22 03:40
An absolute must for embouchure improvement .... for fingers however I would find it totally strange....
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Author: Tony M
Date: 2011-09-22 09:39
Ah but the pity for some of us older beginners is that I need my glasses off to read the sheet music and my glasses on to look across at the mirror. Is this reason why we're supposed to start young?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-09-22 10:02
Some people might be too distracted by their faces... for various reasons...
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-09-22 10:58
I use one when I teach, and tell my students to use a mirror in practice. I think it is very useful, and it is especially useful for hand posture with very beginners. It helps a lot when the student starts using the pinky keys.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2011-09-22 12:53
I keep one in my lesson bag and bring out "the dreaded mirror" when I want a student to watch what their mouth and chin are doing while they play. It is also helpful to me to see things I do that I did not know I was doing.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2011-09-23 03:29
I also use mirrors in teaching and encourage students to examine their embouchres at home this way. Like David, I also use my phone's camera but I use it to take side shots of them playing, front shots of their finger positions (for beginners) and I record audios of their playing.
When I take pictures, I am careful not to capture the entire face...to protect their privacy--not that I'd post their pictures on the Internet, mind you. (Off topic: I also only teach in rooms with windows or open doors--to protect myself. Parents are always welcome to sit in or walk in on lessons. I've not yet had a problem with a parent being distracting or disruptive.)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-09-23 09:43
I had a parent yesterday who was walking around my studio like it was a museum. It's a new student (4th lesson), and the dad, a non musician brought him this time. My studio has a 1/2 wall, and seats for parents with magazines, but the dad was walking around the teaching area checking everything out the entire lesson.
It's a really cool space that I teach in though, but not THAT interesting.......
I was glad that he was into the lesson, but uh....... space????
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2011-09-23 18:31
Well, David, if it's THAT interesting, maybe you should charge admission or at least post pictures of the amazing artifacts in your studio!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-09-24 03:11
At my teacher's suggestion (insistence, actually), I had a half-page mirror cut and its edges smoothed at a glass shop.
It can sit on my music stand along with the sheet music I'm working on.
The mirror allows me to check embouchure, face movement with tonguing, face movement voicing, cheeks getting "loose."
While it is a distracting to try to read and play and keep an eye on myself; it is an effective learning device.
I know a symphony violinist who practices, standing, if front of a full length mirror. She tells me that, by time she can play the tune, she's memorized, so she doesn't have to watch the music. She studies everything: fingering, bowing, posture, ...
Bob Phillips
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-09-24 04:58
I was taking some lessons from Eddie Palanker. He used the biggest mirror I've ever seen! I think this was around the mid '70's. Learned a lot, and this is why I still use one - Thanks Eddie! Folks he's a smart teacher.
As far as fingers go it can be directly related to tonguing and your fingers. For example when you screw up the articulation and you are looking in a mirror you will notice that your fingers are actually slower than the tongue. Most people believe the opposite - the tongue is too slow for the fingers. Finger height also can make the fingers go a lot faster, mainly if your fingers go up too high above the keys.
Mirrors can show this problem and help one get this technique under control and actually be able to articulate as one.
Perhaps Eddie may pop in with add wisdom.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2011-09-24 05:14)
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Author: clariniano
Date: 2011-09-24 17:36
My first private clarinet teacher used mirrors with his students, and I use them sometimes, mostly with beginners, mostly in embouchure correction and finger movement.
Meri
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