Hi,
I am new to the forum and I guess new to the modern clarinet. I played in my youth and got to what here in the UK we call grade 7/8 but when I left school for college at 16 I just gave it up. Not sure why now, but who understands 16 year olds. Recently I decided to look out the poor old liquorice stick and give it a go again. Ouch, reality stinks, age has not improved my ability on bit. Still I am not going to defeated. At the moment I am working on Mozart Clarinet concerto and it is sort of coming back. I have a Boosey and Hawkes Edgware clarinet, in good condition and it sounds sweet, well to me and the repairer who serviced it for me.
The thing that I find strange is I last played as a child, and knew very little about the technical side, questions like what ligature or mouthpiece were unheard of back in the 1960's in my world. Also now riddled with artritis I am having great trouble bearing the weight of the instument in my right hand. In desperation I have tried to use a neck strap but I hate it, It forces me to hold it at a very uncomfortable angle. Back in my day (Did I really just say that) no one used a a strap, how times change. I am gradualy building up my stamina, but can after 40 minutes or so my lip and hands are hurting way too much.
One question I have for you, I work in a music shop (Heaven) and other staff members consider old wooden instruments to be inferior to not only the new ones but even modern plastic ones. I have played a few of the new wooden ones and yes they do sound good and they are technically comfortable but then so does my of B&H.
Would you recomend to a new player to buy a new plastic, lets say Yamaha or Buffet e12 or renovate an older, sound instrument.
I am new to the forum and I guess new to the modern clarinet. I played in my youth and got to what here in the UK we call grade 7/8 but when I left school for college at 16 I just gave it up. Not sure why now, but who understands 16 year olds. Recently I decided to look out the poor old liquorice stick and give it a go again. Ouch, reality stinks, age has not improved my ability on bit. Still I am not going to defeated. At the moment I am working on Mozart Clarinet concerto and it is sort of coming back. I have a Boosey and Hawkes Edgware clarinet, in good condition and it sounds sweet, well to me and the repairer who serviced it for me.
The thing that I find strange is I last played as a child, and knew very little about the technical side, questions like what ligature or mouthpiece were unheard of back in the 1960's in my world. Also now riddled with artritis I am having great trouble bearing the weight of the instument in my right hand. In desperation I have tried to use a neck strap but I hate it, It forces me to hold it at a very uncomfortable angle. Back in my day (Did I really just say that) no one used a a strap, how times change. I am gradualy building up my stamina, but can after 40 minutes or so my lip and hands are hurting way too much.
One question I have for you, I work in a music shop (Heaven) and other staff members consider old wooden instruments to be inferior to not only the new ones but even modern plastic ones. I have played a few of the new wooden ones and yes they do sound good and they are technically comfortable but then so does my of B&H.
Would you recomend to a new player to buy a new plastic, lets say Yamaha or Buffet e12 or renovate an older, sound instrument.