 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Musicgirl2223
Date: 2015-02-27 03:09
As I'm starting to teach private lessons as a college performance/music ed double major, I am realizing it would be helpful to know what the minimum a student should be aiming for a specific grade levels. For example, what should a student know by the time they reach the end of 5th grade, end of 6th grade, and so on...or if you prefer, by the amount of years they have been playing. Personally, I have struggled with self confidence in the past and private lessons have helped me get through that, so I would like to be able to pass on that confidence to young players. I feel that knowing what I should be teaching at different levels would be helpful to me as a teacher, so if anyone has any suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated.
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Author: Musicgirl2223
Date: 2015-02-27 03:32
Also if you have any specific material for any level (including for me ), that would be great as well. Unfortunately, I was a little late getting into the land of private lessons as a high schooler, as there were no private instructors within 45 minutes of where I live and I had no way to get that far, and subsequently have not as much repertoire as I would like.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-27 05:28
What turned out to be a long answer, or maybe non-answer follows. I hope you'll find it useful, even though I haven't really provided what you asked for.
Especially as a private teacher, you should think in terms of taking a student from where he or she *is* with the goal of helping him get better. Every child learns differently - some faster, some slower. Some are very talented, some not so much and many have particular strengths and specific weaknesses that place them, in many ways, at different levels all at once.
Younger students in 5th or 6th grade, if they're talented and conscientious, can do more than those who are only talented or only conscientious. To keep things positive you have to find a student's strength and allow her to use it. To keep things productive, you have to both help her build on those strengths and identify the weaknesses in her playing and find ways to help improve them. That combination is different for every child and may even change as he matures emotionally (affectively), cognitively and physically. There's no blueprint that will work well for every child and, when teachers try to fit all of their students into one set of expectations, either the teacher or the student, often both, feel frustrated. The children who don't meet the standard are more often than not led whether explicitly or implicitly to drop out of music altogether, which as teachers should never be our goal. I can't tell you how many of my students' parents tell me how amazed they are at what their kids can do "because I tried when I was his age but had no talent."
You *can* envision a sequence of developmental stages that you want your students to achieve as they mature, and that will eventually come from your own experience. Clearly a student won't articulate really cleanly, for example, until his sound production is secure and controlled. She won't be able to play technical note-y passages cleanly in keys with a fistful of sharps or flats before she can play such passages in keys closer to C major. Speed has to be developed gradually in all areas. Ability to learn and execute long pieces (e.g. Rose etudes or concerto/sonata movements) depends on having developed a certain ability to sustain concentration, something that develops in different children/adolescents at different rates.
As a beginning teacher working one-on-one with your students, you have a tremendous opportunity to use your most perceptive and analytic abilities to figure out what skills each students needs to build and what skills he already has available to build on. My advice would be to let the band and orchestra directors, because of the nature of their work, apply group expectations to guide their programs. You can best benefit your students by guiding them through a process of improvement at their own best speed, whatever that speed turns out to be.
Karl
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-02-27 05:40
"...what the minimum a student should be aiming for a specific grade levels."
Here's you State's specifications:
http://www.k12.wa.us/Arts/Standards/pubdocs/MusicStandards.PDF
"have any specific material for any level "
Here's Florida's list of solo materials for pre-college students to audition with. Many States rank these solos similarly, even if, for example, my NY State has 6 levels, not Florida's 7. These 7 levels do not correspond to Washington's elementary school levels above, but you can get an idea of the complexity of solos at each level. Focus on the clarinet material, not that of other instruments.
http://flmusiced.org/fba/dnn/Portals/0/MusicLists/2013SoloEnsembleMasterList_updated01-2015.pdf
When you say materials, were you [also] asking about study books, as the above focuses on material for recital? Study books followed by students help get you to various recital levels, as you're probably all too aware, although much is learned of course in trying to master compositions like these as well.
I hope that serves as a starter to answering your questions.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-27 05:57
WhitePlainsDave wrote:
> I thought this link especially good on what study books to use
> at what levels.
>
> http://swanlakevillage.com/jdhite/study/clarinet-p.htm
Keep in mind, though, that the levels Hite outlines only constitute a sequence - he doesn't attach them to age or length of study. In fact he says in the description of Level 1 that, "Individual progress will, of course, vary greatly, and some students may find it appropriate to work in materials from different levels simultaneously."
Sequence is important but still variable from one teacher to another. It only needs to be logical. Hite's is probably as good as any (I haven't read through all of them nor looked at every book, but David Hite was a knowledgeable player and teacher). Benchmarks relating to age or length of study by contrast are, IMHO, potentially destructive and never universally applicable.
Karl
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-27 06:14
WhitePlainsDave wrote:
> "...what the minimum a student should be aiming for a specific
> grade levels."
>
> Here's you State's specifications:
>
> http://www.k12.wa.us/Arts/Standards/pubdocs/MusicStandards.PDF
>
Keep in mind this is a general framework for arts education, meant to be applicable across the arts, not only music. Most of these state frameworks historically were developed in response to No Child Left Behind's requirement that schools implement "Standards-based" curricula. Skills in each art at each level are generally described very broadly. I haven't read this one all the way through, but I have read the one that was in force in Pennsylvania when I retired 7 years ago. It was useless in defining any specific skills, especially those for instrumental music, and, in PA's case, even in describing specific sequential cognitive standards. It (in PA) only laid out what areas those standards needed to cover. (Do I have a fairly jaundiced view of the PA standards?)
There is also a set of National Standards for Arts Education developed by a "Consortium of National Arts Education Associations," including MENC (now called NAfME), which, along with the appropriate state standards, I'm certain is part of of every university music ed curriculum in the U.S. and probably already familiar to Musicgirl2223.
Karl
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2015-02-27 06:22
I agree with kdk - people learn at very different rates, so it's probably best just to come up a basic progression of skills that isn't laid out year-by-year. People master different aspects of playing at different rates, too, so you have to be open to shaping the lessons around the player's learning speed, strengths, and weaknesses. Tone and musicality have always been my strengths but technical stuff gives me a little more trouble; likewise, I've heard many students at my level who have miraculous technical abilities but no sense of tone.
When I go to my lessons, my private teacher doesn't have a lesson plan, she just guides me through bettering whatever aspects of my playing need improvement.
If you'd like me to, I could post an outline of my own musical progression so far for reference (I've been playing for a little over 4.5 years), but my progression may or may not represent the average progression of students in general.
Post Edited (2015-02-27 06:40)
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-02-27 10:14
As I teacher with several decades of experience I second everything Karl has said wholeheartedly. I'd read his first post very attentively, both now and at various points as you approach and begin your teaching career. Very well said and very good advice.
Don't be overwhelmed by what you don't know (and I'm not implying that you are). Be excited by the process of learning. Your students will teach you much more than you will ever teach them. The day I'm done learning is the day I'm done teaching.
Quality band method books such as "Standard of Excellence" and "Accent on Achievement" are a good bet for keeping young students engaged and on track. They should certainly not be the only thing you use, but they are great to get started with, and I still use them regularly in my own teaching.
I'll try to chime back in with other specific suggestions later, but how you teach and what you prioritize are even more important than choosing the right materials. Once you are clear on your 'how' and 'why', finding the 'what' becomes much less mysterious.
I'd also most highly recommend getting and and closely studying Tom Ridenour's "The Educator's Guide to the Clarinet". I really wish I'd had a book like this when I was starting out as a teacher.
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2015-02-27 17:58
Good answers from everyone, but I'd like to add one thing--solid fundamentals.
I'll often get private students who have been playing for a couple years. Some have good basic skills (yes!), but many present a challenge because their fundamentals (note reading, tonguing, embouchure, etc.) are lacking. It's sometimes difficult for them to go back and learn things the right way, and a lot of patience with these students is a must.
If you get a chance to work with students who are in their first year, consider yourself fortunate. If you can accomplish a few basic things with them, they will have a very strong foundation and will do well in the future. Here they are:
1. Good basic music reading skills with the basic notes and rests. Use a variety of techniques to reinforce, including singing (possibly Kodaly syllables), clapping, etc.
2. Good hand position. This isn't easy for those with small fingers, but make sure they're going in the right direction.
3. Good embouchure. Again, this isn't easy for everyone, but make sure they know what they're supposed to be doing.
4. Good breathing fundamentals
5. Good tonguing fundamentals
I could share countless stories of students (from public school teaching and private teaching) who came to me with poor fundamentals after having played for several years. Instead, I'll share one from my public school days that really says it all.
He was a young sax player who had received a few lessons from his grandfather. He wasn't far along at all, and he hadn't yet learned how to play quarter notes. I had had experience with situations like this one, and wasn't optimistic. Yet, the story has a surprising twist. The grandfather had insisted that his grandson learn the basics. The student knew how to tongue, breathe correctly, and read whole notes and half notes (without having note names written everywhere). He went on to become an excellent sax player.
Post Edited (2015-02-27 18:02)
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Author: Musicgirl2223
Date: 2015-02-27 20:47
This has been very helpful. I think I knew that everyone progresses at different rates so I don't know why I was thinking that way. My current student is doing good but she was a little late getting into band so she is a little behind. I have a few specific question as to getting the basics mastered if you don't mind.
First is how to get her to produce an even, consistent sound. It's one thing for me to do it and another for me to explain it so if anyone has any good methods that would be sincerely appreciated.
Second is what kinds of exercises would be good to give her. I've got her working on scalse (which she doesn't like but thankfully knows are good for her) but I'd like to give her some music that is more interesting so she doesn't get bored. Her band music is pretty easy, even as far as seventh grade band music goes, so she already know it. I mainly just don't want her to get bored.
Thank you for helping me everyone!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-27 21:55
Again, I hope this is not so long that you start to roll your eyes. What you're asking about is so much at the core of the career you're working toward and there's so much to say about it.
Musicgirl2223 wrote:
> First is how to get her to produce an even, consistent sound.
> It's one thing for me to do it and another for me to explain it
Someone has already said a good teacher learns more from his students than they do from him. This is the source of that learning. To explain anything clearly you need first to understand it clearly yourself. A parrot makes a poor teacher. That process of building your own understanding by analyzing what you yourself do may be the most important part of your growth as a teacher. It also can contribute to your own growth as a player, since in analyzing your own way of playing you may find new, better, more efficient ways to do things you thought you already knew how to do.
In a way, it would almost be a disservice to you to answer your question directly - and I know how curmudgeonly that sounds. "It's one thing for me to do it and another for me to explain it," poses the problem of teaching extraordinarily well. But it skips the most important intermediate step - you have to analyze your own playing to figure out what you're really doing *so that you __can__ explain it.
In general, she needs to provide a steady, sufficient stream of air while supporting the reed with a steady embouchure and a relaxed sense inside her mouth. Tension in the throat, soft palate, or tongue will interfere with resonance. Motion in her embouchure muscles will affect the way it vibrates. Not providing a steady air stream is fatal - it's a "wind" instrument. No wind, no sound. Sometimes with a very timid player who barely puts air into the clarinet, I talk about playing so he can be heard outside across the street (especially if Mom is waiting outside in a car). Once I get something approaching a forte to come out, we can regulate it. There isn't much you can do musically with a dynamic range of pianissimo to mezzo-piano. I also do a lot of modeling at those early stages.
But you almost certainly already knew all of that. Much of what goes into tone production (and breathing itself) is done at a fairly unconscious level and sometimes just imitating without thinking is more effective than detailed conceptual explanations.
> Second is what kinds of exercises would be good to give her.
> I've got her working on scalse (which she doesn't like but
> thankfully knows are good for her) but I'd like to give her
> some music that is more interesting so she doesn't get bored.
This would be easier to answer if we knew something about your student's level. BTW, IMO, you shouldn't be looking for material to keep the scales from being boring. If you're centering *that much* on scales, I'd recommend re-thinking your focus. The "music that is more interesting" should be the main core of each lesson. Scales have their uses - I use them at each lesson I teach - but they are not the meat of meaningful instrument study. But maybe only the wording of your question seems more scale-centric than is the way you actually structure lessons.
Exercises come in two forms - flat-out pattern exercises like the fingering patterns in the Rubank, Klose, early Baermann and Langenus books and some of the band methods, and study pieces like the Lester series, the Rose etudes and Hite series (you're not asking in this context about the more advanced ones in Klose, Langenus, Baermann, etc.). If these are all too advanced, the band methods all have advanced volumes that include tunes, duets and exercises that are shorter and less difficult.
What specifically is she playing at school in her group lessons? What scales does she know and with what degree of cleanness and control?
Karl
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Author: Musicgirl2223
Date: 2015-02-28 00:22
She is working on the chromatic scale, f major, and C major right now and they are for a grade, which is why I have been focusing on them. I gave her my old book from middle school to help with that, but unfortunately, all the books I have focus on finger patterns, which, while important, is not all that she needs to learn. I also have her practice register slurs and long tones. Rose etudes are definitely too advanced and I haven't had a chance to look at the Lester series or Hite series. She's beyond basic like notes and fingerings for the most part but has a relatively small range, which I'm trying to get her to extend gradually. Are there any band methods you recommend that I obtain? I'm willing to buy music, as I'd like to have a larger variety both for her and for future students. Yesterday's lesson was very productive for the most part (it was our 3rd lesson) and now that I've been with her a few times I have a better idea of what she can do, yet I still need the physical resources to teach her, so if you any that have worked particularly well, I'd really appreciate it. I'm going to look into the ones you mentioned above when I get a chance but now I have to make an emergency run to the repair shop for my own instrument! Thank you so much for all the helpful advice!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-28 01:08
Musicgirl2223 wrote:
> Rose etudes are definitely too advanced and I
> haven't had a chance to look at the Lester series or Hite
> series. She's beyond basic like notes and fingerings for the
> most part but has a relatively small range, which I'm trying to
> get her to extend gradually. Are there any band methods you
> recommend that I obtain?
When I retired, I donated all of my band books to the school district, so I have no reference copies to look at, but we used a lot of Standard of Excellence and Essential Elements with the elementary school kids - look at the volumes in each series beyond Book 1.
There is always the standby Rubank Method - not by any means very interesting through the first 2 books, but effective if you include music from other sources with them.
Out of the band method realm, you might look at the series by Avrahm Galper (Clarinet Method), which is a mix of patterns and musical studies. Galper also put out another set called Clarinet for Beginners.
There's an older one by James Collis, Modern Course for the Clarinet, that is less exercise and more tune oriented. I don't know who now publishes this (my copies are from Henri Elkan, a long defunct Philadelphia publisher, but some of his stuff was taken over by Theodore Presser), or if it's still in print.
Leon Lester edited a series of etude books structured like the Rose studies but at an easier level. The easiest one - The Developing Clarinetist - may still be a little advanced for your student, but maybe something to work toward.
There are several older volumes of "supplemental studies" (read tune-based) published, I think mostly by Rubank composed or edited by Nilo Hovey.
The advantage of these clarinet-specific books is that they were put together by well-reputed clarinetists and cover our problems well.
A good source because the listings include descriptive commentary is Gary Van Cott's Van Cott Information Services (one of this BB's sponsors - http://www.vcisinc.com/).
Karl
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Author: Musicgirl2223
Date: 2015-02-28 02:30
Thank you so much for all the advice you have given me. I really appreciate it and I think I will look into those when I get to the music store and have a chance to look through the music library here at my school.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-28 02:55
There may well be newer materials available. I haven't taught a beginner in a number of years, but the ones I listed are a start.
Good luck.
Karl
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-02-28 03:00
"First Book of Practical Studies for Clarinet" by Nilo Hovey and "Clarinet Student" by Fred Weber are two books I usually use at that level, as well as "Learn to Play Clarinet Duets" by Eisenhauer. All are readily available, reasonably to very engaging to younger students, and are well-structured pedagogically, although I usually skip around in the duet book.
I don't use the Rubank much because frankly, it's as boring to me as a teacher as it was to me as a student. The Rubank books are thorough, but as an attentive teacher I don't think you'll end up missing anything by not using them as mainstays.
SmartMusic is a great resources as well if used thoughtfully. The Standard of Excellence Book of Festival Solos, Book 1 is also very good for this level and the accompaniments are all on SmartMusic. My only problem with this book is the excessive breath marks, but that's easily remedied with a pencil.
The above proceeded by long tones/slurred intervals, rhythm studies, sight reading, scales and arpeggios, and articulation work give us plenty to do in a 45 minute lesson. As a general rule, the assignments in each book get played in lessons at least every other week, with a quick check in on the off weeks. This helps to develop students' longer term thinking and gives us enough time to be thorough in the lessons while still covering a full spectrum of material.
This time of year we are getting ready for our big yearly Certificate of Merit evaluations, and so the structure has differed from this significantly during the past few months, but next week, when the evaluations are over we will be back to this general plan.
This is just what I happen to do with the level of student you've described. It's evolved over the years and will continue to, I'm sure. I remain interested in hearing about what others are doing that is working for them.
Anders
Post Edited (2015-02-28 04:01)
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2015-02-28 03:19
For students who've passed the initial _two_ (not three because the third book in all beginning band sets doesn't work well as a private instruction book) of any of the Standards of Excellence/Essential Elements/Accent on Achievement, I use a slightly different book.
I really have never understood the Intermediate Rubank book from a pedagogical standpoint, so I don't bother with it and instead use the _second_ book in the Student Instrumental Course from Belwin. Depending on which first two books you use, you may need to use the last 5 pages or so from the first book in this series, but most kids can go straight into it.
I like it because it introduces scales, tunes, rhythms, and styles fairly innocuously and without a lot of extra color blocks on the pages. I know, I'm old-school with that...Plus the book has lots of interesting melodies, both exercises and "fun" tunes. There are some typos (like missing key signatures) and a few things I don't agree with (like the "tone diagrams" in weird shapes). Pretty much any book has stuff like that too though.
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-02-28 03:54
Katrina is referring to one of the same books I did, but by a different title. "Clarinet Student" by Fred Weber is part of the Belwin Student Instrumental Course, although Katrina is talking about Book 2, and I mentioned Book 1. Book 1 starts from the very beginning, but in my view most students at the general level the OP seemed to be describing can benefit from the foundational nature of the last two thirds of the book if they haven't had previous private instruction. Again, it depends on the student and your priorities.
I also use all of Book 2 and much of Book 3, although by the time Book 3 rolls around there are usually a number of other competing priorities and it becomes more of a supplement rather than a main text.
Anders
Post Edited (2015-02-28 03:58)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-02-28 08:34
nellsonic wrote:
> "First Book of Practical Studies for Clarinet" by Nilo Hovey
> and "Clarinet Student" by Fred Weber are two books I usually
> use at that level, as well as "Learn to Play Clarinet Duets" by
> Eisenhauer. All are readily available, reasonably to very
> engaging to younger students, and are well-structured
> pedagogically, although I usually skip around in the duet book.
>
Yes, they're good sources. Hovey was a prolific editr of clarinet materials. Wasn't there one called "Supplemental Studies" or "Melodious Studies" that he published? I remember a book of short (less than a page each) melodic pieces - I don't remember if he wrote them or edited them from some other source.
Karl
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-02-28 11:13
Karl, your description would fit the Hovey book I mentioned. There is also a "Second Book of Practical Studies" that progresses well from the first. These studies (both volumes) are solid pedagogically and pretty consistently musically appealing when played with intent.
I use the second book primarily as a sight-reading resource, as my students usually go into one of the Leon Lester books you mentioned, specifically "The Progressing Clarinetist", or David Hite's "Melodius and Progressive Studies, Book 1" after Hovey's first book.
The only other clarinet books I remember Hovey's name being on as an author are the Rubank Method ones, which we've both already commented on in this thread. As you mentioned, he did quite a bit of editing on other works. If there is more original clarinet material by him, I'd be interested in knowing about it. I believe he did write a book of 'Practical Studies' for saxophone that I've been meaning to check out.
I'm curious about the Collins and Galper books you cited. I'm not familiar with them, and I'd like to maybe change things up a bit in the next year or so if I can find materials I like equally to what I've been using - just to keep it fresh!
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Author: clariniano
Date: 2015-03-01 04:51
When I first began teaching privately nearly 20 years ago I actually wrote out when I thought students should master certain playing and musical concepts by amount of time studied privately, I was somewhat too fast for most students, but three or four who started as absolute beginners to clarinet (and one to playing instruments generally, he's just beginning a medical practice in Oregon state while his parents still live in Toronto) came pretty close to my guideline. It's on an 90s-era old Powermac that doesn't have have a USB port and my computers haven't had floppy drive so can't copy it.
For the most part, I ditch the band books except to show that they can play much more than what school requires that it becomes like sight reading except for the very slowest students and substitute rep and studies from the RCM and ensemble material, including some of my very easy arrangements.
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Author: Musicgirl2223
Date: 2015-03-02 05:55
WOW! This is so much great information and resources! Thank you so much! My student is doing quite well and I appreciate all your help so much!
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The Clarinet Pages
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