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Re: Rubank Elementary lesson 11

Author: allencole
Date: 2022-12-08 23:06

I'm not a big fan of the Rubank Elementary & Intermediate books, but they were not intended AFAIK to be the sole lesson curriculum.

But I strongly concur with all the other teachers here that you need to get your low-note fingerings secure ASAP in order to prepare for clarion register, and that you should go into clarion ASAP, and at least some altissimo once your upper clarion register is secure.

Another good reason to get your low notes together is that it gives you enough range in the first register to start feeling your way around and playing by ear as well as by written note. Great thing to do with Christmas coming up. I find that adults in particular practice more when they have a puzzle to work.

To me, the instrument's greatest weakness is that you can blow it far too easily in the first register and actually sound good there, but without employing the kind of muscle that it takes to tune and stabilize in the second or third registers. The sooner you get up there, the more accurate picture you have of how you really need to support your air. A player who stays in the first register too long may get addicted to soft reeds.

The greatest weakness of beginner situations--especially school band class--is that you spend quite a bit of time just playing left-hand notes in the first register. For players who have difficulty covering the holes, the problem usually manifests itself in the right-hand notes, where fingers could be too small for the holes or too short to reach the pinky keys & levers. You don't find this out until you try those low notes!

If there's a problem, maybe it's just right-thumb position, or in 2nd register incorrect A-key technique with the left index finger. Or maybe a person with slender or short fingers has an actual problem with the instrument itself. I've encountered many a middle-schooler who benefitted from trading their clarinet for one with smaller tone holes while the instruments were still on rental. There are even some who should probably switch to flute or oboe before that clarinet is bought and paid for. The private teacher can spend enough time with you to find out.

I strongly agree with Karl on approaching the second register with just the left hand, and then adding the right-hand notes. You probably learned your low notes the same way, and it also helps challenge you to support better. Also, I've found that the 'break' is much less of an issue if you approach it from above rather than from below. Reaching from B down to A and going back up helps to foster better technique with the A-key...a key that students tend to develop bad habits with while still just in first register. (Bad habits that they almost always fail to diagnose as their actual problem with the dreaded break)

Allen Cole

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