I see many students resting their bell on their knee while they are playing. This is not a good idea for many reasons. And, yes, you may see professionals doing it, but that doesn't mean that it will help YOUR playing. If your bell is on your knee while you are playing, then you are probably sitting with poor posture - slouching and/or pulling your head down. You probably already know that poor posture will affect your general health. As for your clarinet playing, poor posture will inhibit breathing and negatively affect embouchure, tone, hand position, etc. The bell on your knee can muffle the low E and third line B, and one of the low keys might even get stuck in your pants/skirt. If you b
Sight reading a piece of music is playing it correctly at first sight, without any prior preparation. This is a very important and useful skill for all musicians to develop. Sight reading is often asked at auditions and can fluster even advanced players. The best way to improve your sight reading skill is to become fluent in all scales - major and minor. For clarinetists, I recommend the Carl Baermann Book III. Studying this book will give you the fundamental skills needed to play in EVERY key signature! And even after you become proficient, keep practicing it! You can download the book from IMSLP.ORG. In addition to the Baermann scale studies, I recommend the Rose 40 and 32 Etudes, which c
....continued from my previous post Get your clarinet fixed! I've had so many students tell me "my Dad said he can fix it". That's really not a good idea, (even if your dad is an engineer) unless your dad is a trained clarinet repair person. (And, you can't learn the ART of instrument repair from YouTube either). If you take care of your clarinet properly, you won't have to visit the repair shop often. Learn proper instrument care from your private lesson teacher. Remember - to play your best and to LEARN your best, keep your clarinet in proper working condition. Happy Clarinet-ing! For info on Private Clarinet Lessons in Sharon, MA or Concord, MA visit my website elizabethleehey.com
Does your clarinet look like this? I hope not! But even if you just need a minor repair, get it done! You will play your best on an instrument that is working properly. When a key is out of alignment (especially the Left-hand B key!), we often compensate by pressing the key down too hard, using the wrong fingering, or over-blowing to get the note out. This will surely create bad habits! So, get your clarinet repaired! It's very important to go to an experienced repair person who knows how to PLAY the clarinet as well as repair it. Instrument repair is an ART and should be done by someone who is qualified. For info on qualified repair technicians in the Sharon, MA or Concord, MA areas, contac
