clarinet

[homerbart]

Good morning everybody - can anybody give me advice. I am in early 50s and was wondering is too late to learn to play the Clarinet. I did learn a tiny bit of music some years ago on the keyboard but would love to go back to it again.

[littleoldme]

It's never too late to learn! Well OK, you might be pushing it a bit if you're looking for a place in the London Philharmonic, but if it's just for recreational or amateur performance reasons, you'll be fine. One of my New Year's resolutions is going to be to learn a musical instrument (I'm 39), but I haven't decided which one yet (it won't be piano, my flat isn't big enough!)

Anyway, I think the clarinet is a lovely sounding instrument, and very versatile as it is equally at home in both jazz and classical music. Good luck in your endeavours.

[saxy_jag]

It's never too late. I know a lot of people who've taken up musical instruments as retirement and pre-retirement hobbies and they do very well. In fact, I've recently become involved with a new wind band set up for lapsed and novice adult players (although I've been playing for some years since taking up the clarinet in my thirties). We've just had our first concert (after ten weeks' or so rehearsals) and the director never shuts up about how impressed he is and how much he's enjoying himself (which we all are).

The secret is to get yourself a good teacher in the beginning, even if you only have a few lessons. Try your local music shop for names of teachers, or ask around.

Littleoldme, let us know what you finally decide on. Any instrument is good, but naturally I'm going extol the merits of the saxophone and clarinet above all else.

And good luck to both of you!!

[homerbart]

thanks saxy jag. Can I ask you specifically do you need a lot of lung strength to blow into the clarinet or is it the way you put your mouth over the mouthpiece. I tried years and years ago to blow on my friend's daughter's clarinet and could not get a peep from it. Maybe I dont have the strength

[saxy_jag]

Not so much strength as technique. You'll need to be able to breath from your diaphragm and will need to build up that muscle as you learn - don't worry, it happens naturally. You can start now with this little exercise:

Sit in an upright chair such as a dining chair, with your bum pushed right back into it and your back straight against the chair back. Put your arms by your sides and grasp the edges of the seat. Now breath in and out. Note how your chest rises and falls - that's breathing from your diaphragm.

A lot also depends on what's called your embouchure - as you say, how you place your mouth around the mouthpiece. The type of mouthpiece and the type/strength of reed will also make a difference. It's not a case of one size for all. A good embouchure doesn't always come naturally, even with the 'right' mouthpiece and that's why you should get a decent teacher to start with. Mine used to let me borrow all sorts of mouthpieces and other bits until I found the best setup for me. A good teacher will also tell you, very honestly, how you're sounding.

[homerbart]

thanks for that saxy jag