For The Builder

[jennyjoan]

Hello Builder - well as you know I was taking music lessons but for the love of me cannot do the left hand either hit the right note or read the music correct - with the result that from one week to the next my arm truly seizes up as I try so hard and with broken heart I need to give it up.


I want to leave this world playing an instrument and so would the world if they heard me play - with my hearing disabilities - I find shrill notes either very painful or cannot hear them at all - - my hearing abilities would be to a drum dull effect.

Don't want to learn the drum tho - will have a word with my music teacher - he is due back from Italy soon. :J) Is that sad!!!

[The Builder]

I guess you mean giving up the piano, Jenny?
That's an awful shame, but don't be hard on yourself. Piano is a steep learning curve; more so with a painful arm.

Certainly have a word with your teacher about the clarinet. Once you've got your head around producing a good sound with the reed/mouthpiece, you'll find that woodwind is very expressive.

It's not hard to get good results from even the simplest tunes. The main thing is to enjoy it.

Good luck... and keep us posted :o)

[jennyjoan]

just one more question builder - aren't the notes from clarinet a bit shrill??

[The Builder]

Not at all, Jenny... unless you want them to be. I can only speak for saxes, but I guess the same applies to clarinets as well though.

It will largely depend on the style of music you're interested in. If you're going for a mellow style, then the clarinet has a wonderfully warm lower register. Even at the top, high notes needn't be shrill in the right hands. You'll develop your own style eventually, and it certainly doesn't need to be painful to the ears.

This is where a good teacher comes in. One of the biggest concerns is the right mouthpiece/reed setup for you. Classical players largely go for a small tip opening (mouthpiece) and a very hard reed. This gives a tight, controlled sound and great accuracy needed for classical music.

Those of us on the Jazz/Rock side go for a large tip opening with medium to hard reeds. It's harder to control, but lends itself to very expressive, bigger sounds.

Welcome to the world of mouthpieces and reeds, Jenny. You'll wish you never asked ;o)

[jennyjoan]

thanks builder - that is if I get a good teacher if my own doesn't teach it - but will give it a google or he (teacher) could recommend one. JJCon

[shoota]

Why not try a posh penny whistle as an interim/additional interest?
http://www.scayles.co.uk/ProductDetails?ID=OTQ5

[shoota]

Sorry, I clicked on the wrong item, but the posh penny whistles are shown at the bottom of the page.

[jennyjoan]

if it a penny whistle I need to practise on etc - my deceased nephew played one and it had a screeching sound to my ears and was painful. Ah well .

[jomifl]

Builder it right about the clarinet, There is a lot of stuff that can be played in only the lower register so no need to try to learn the change up which is a bit tricky to execute quickly on the clarinet as it doesn't have an octave key like the sax. That said the lower register on the clarinet is very mellow and expressive. If you get a clarinet make sure that you get one with the Boehm key system as the Albert system is a bit of a stretch for small hands. Reeds can be adjusted with nail sanding blocks to give a softer and more forgiving setup.

[jennyjoan]

thanks johmfli

[The Builder]

I was hoping Jom would see this and advise. It's a fascinating subject ... well it is for us anyway ;o)

No octave key on a clarinet then? So I guess you overblow as on a flute?

[jomifl]

Not at all builder, There is the equivalent of an octave key, at the top underside if a clari, there is a key and adjacent to it a hole with a ring key, to change register (it is a bigger range than an octave) you have to slide your thumb from the key to the hole whilst keeping the key depressed so that you operate both. Once you have got the hang of this the octave key in a sax is a doddle. The Oboe is something else....possibly to be avoided :o)

[jomifl]

As for the flute, it isn't just a matter of overblowing but blowing onto a specific part of the hole at just the right strength. To get beyondthe 3rd octave is very tricky, too tricky for me, but 3 octave covers most things (in folk music anyway)