How do I re-learn the clarinet?

Question

Alright... well its been about ten years since i have played my clarinet and im having a hard time figuring it out again, getting the notes down and what not. So any advice would be wonderfull. Practice tips anything. Thank you

Answer 1

1 relearn your fingerings

2 learn rythms(quater or quaver notes depending on what side of the pond ur on)

3 practice

4 get a private teacher

5 have fun with it!

Bonnne Chance!

Answer 2

find a lesson book, look back at the fingerings to refresh your memory, try finding some easy sheet music, maybe some easier reeds to start out with... again. take it slowly, eventually, it will come back to you, i hope.

Answer 3

Well, basically practice. Buy a music book and learn the notes. I stopped playing the clarinet 7 years ago. I now want to learn to play the saxophone, flute, and french horn. Just do what you did when you first learned how to play. You could even get music lessons.

Answer 4

uh learn it the same way you did the first time DUH silly goose  

Answer 5

practice

Answer 6

The Spongebob Squarepants writers gave Squidward a clarinet, because it is one of he most overrated and surpassed instuments of all time. I'd learn a different instrument.

Answer 7

whatever you did the first time you learned to play it...

Answer 8

HI Meghan,

I think it is commendable that you are going back to your music education and wanting to get back to playing the clarinet.  Good for you...

But I am going to answer your question in a different direction.  I teach flute and have had a few adult students who have started lessons and took about two and then just simply quit.    The main reason is they do not discipline themselves to what it takes to practice every day.   I know you already have the basics though they may be a tad rusty,  they are still there and will come back to you. but to succeed, you really must have expectations for your playing.  Sometimes that it hard to do without the encouragement and support of a private lesson teacher.

I would recommend that you look for a clarinet teacher who will get you started and keep you on track.   She/He will assign lessons that you can work on all week and come back for feedback on how you are progressing.   If you can't take lessons every week... why not twice a month?   Any lessons are better than none.   You will see improvement quickly and will appreciate the comments and direction your teacher will provide.  Believe it or not,  adults as much as children need positive encouragement to keep up a level of motivation which drives us to continue and to excel to a higher level of proficiency  ... which is what you are wanting to do anyway.    You would be surprised at just how important the praise from a teacher will effect how you practice and how good you become as a player...

So,  I advice you get a teacher.   Check with the local school band programs or colleges for independent private lesson teachers.  You can also look in the yellow pages for music studios and online you can look in Craigslist.org in your area.

Thank you for reading

And best of luck getting back to the clarinet.  :))

Answer 9

If you can't remember how to play, then you never learnt.

Answer 10

Well, congrats on digging your horn out of the closet! LOL

First off, hopefully you bought new reeds... all your old ones are probably dried out, and even if they aren't, they will be to high in strength... you lost your embouchure and will need to work back up... so go grab some 2.5 Mitchel Lauries or Vandoren strength 2.

Also, while you're at the shop, have the techs look over your clarinet and make sure the cork and pads are still in playing condition... the pads may be, but the cork might be dried out... if this is the case, it could be causing you problems with air leaking, tone, etc.

Grab the Essential Elements for clarinet (Hal Leonard Publishing) or the Rubank Elementary Method and Intermediate Method books... they will get you back to basics, give you scale exercises, reintroduce notes and rhythms, and give you good fingering charts and references.  I have a feeling that once you get going again, things will start coming back faster, so grab the next book in the series and keep pushing yourself.

Make sure you have the right embouchure and hand position... as another poster said, practice while using a mirror.  Your hands should be relaxed and natural, with arched fingers... no straight fingers and no tenseness in the hands!  

As for your embouchure, I am going to use the description another Y!A member gave (because it's straight out brilliant!)... pretend like you are whisteling... leave your lips in this position, but curl your lower lip over your bottom teeth... put your tongue in the "eeee" position, and pull the corners of your mouth back SLIGHTLY towards your ears.  Place your top teeth about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch down on the mouthpiece... the bell should be between your knees (not HELD by your knees)... this is the correct embouchure and correct positioning of the clarinet.  Keep everything firm as you blow through the clarinet... don't puff your cheeks, and use your diaphragm to support the air.

This should be enough to get you started.

Good luck, and have fun! :)

Answer 11

Mental visualization of fingering system, mirror mouth embrochure work, breathing exercises, and lots of sight reading of new stuff

Answer 12

The only thing i can suggest is practice... i mean like what else it there to do besides that?